Page 52 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

“Petar!” I yelled, desperation clawing at my insides. “Stop him!”

Petar stood off to the side, arms folded, watching the chaos unfold with detached interest. “I’m too busy handling the luggage,” he drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word.

“Fucking asshole!” I shrieked, rage boiling inside me. If Dimitri died, I swore I’d rip out Petar’s heart—literally.

Angelo recovered quickly, slamming his fists into Dimitri’s gut with lightning speed. Dimitri doubled over, the air whooshing out of him. But he wasn’t done. He rolled to the side, grunting with effort, and swiped his leg against the back of Angelo’s knees. My brother went down with an angry snarl, hitting the tarmac hard enough to crack the asphalt.

Dimitri bared his teeth, fangs fully extended, and landed on top of my brother. His fists flew in a blur, punching and clawing. He even sank his teeth into Angelo’s shoulder, tearing away a chunkof flesh.

“He fights well,” Enzo murmured behind me, his breath cool against my ear. Admiration rolled over his words as if he was assessing Dimitri’s moves in a boxing match. “Not many born vampires could go this long with Angelo.”

Just as I thought Dimitri might gain the upper hand, Angelo surged upward. His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around Dimitri’s throat. He lifted him off the ground as if he weighed nothing, Dimitri’s feet dangling in the air.

“You bastard,” Angelo snarled, his face contorted with rage. Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled, “How dare you mate with my sister? How could you protect her?”

Dimitri, despite being choked, managed to quirk an eyebrow. “Protect her?” he croaked out, his voice strained but still dripping with sarcasm. “From what I’ve seen, she needs protection from you.”

Angelo’s grip tightened, his knuckles turning white. I could hear the bones in Dimitri’s neck creaking under the pressure. Terror clawed at my insides as I realized this wasn’t just a fight—it was a battle to the death.

And Dimitri was losing.

I had to do something, anything to protect the man I loved, my mate. My heart felt like it was trying to claw its way out of my chest.

“Angelo,” I shouted, my voice raw with desperation, “if you kill him, I’ll never forgive you.”

My brother turned his head, one eye swollen shut and blood trickling from his nose. No vampire had gotten the jump on Angelo for years. The sight was both shocking and oddly satisfying.

“He can’t protect you,” Angelo snarled, tightening his grip on Dimitri’s throat.

“Yes, I can,” Dimitri choked out, more blood dripping down his nose and mouth. His trademark smirk was still there, albeit bloodied. “I’m multi-talented. Bodyguard, lover, and now, apparently, punching bag.”

With a sudden burst of strength, Dimitri brought his arm down on Angelo’s, breaking his grip. He staggered away, panting heavily, his legs wobbling like a newborn fawn’s.

I glared at my brother, anger burning in my veins. “I’ll turn myself over to the wolves.” I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they might shatter. “You can’t kill my mate.”

Angelo shoved Dimitri, who fell on his ass with a grunt. “Gianna, how could you choose him? You know what he is? He’s a womanizer, a traitor.”

“I didn’t choose him, Angelo. The fates did and you know it.” I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. “What if you had a mate and someone tried to kill her?”

“The fates have forgone me ever finding a mate. So your question is obsolete.” Angelo panted hard, his chest heaving. “He can’t protect you from the wolves. He’s a born vampire. A fucking weakling.”

“Yeah, I can,” Dimitri rasped, wiping blood off his face with his arm, smearing red on his sleeve. “I’m like a cockroach. Impossible to kill and always showing up where I’m not wanted.”

“He went longer than anyone else I’ve seen,” Enzo said, loosening his grip on me.

It was the break I was looking for. I flunghis arms off me and raced over to Dimitri, wrapping my arms around him. His body was tense, muscles coiled like springs ready to snap.

I glared up at my brother. “Leave him, Angelo. He’s mine. I want him to be my bodyguard.”

“Him?” Angelo pointed at Petar. “I’ve made my choice.”

“His father?” I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might pop out. “He couldn’t even protect me from Dimitri. How do you think he would fare against the wolves?”

Angelo glanced at Petar then back at Enzo, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

Enzo shrugged. “Have you ever had a born vampire go these many rounds with you? Usually they’re done with one punch.”

Angelo focused on Enzo. “You’re still not thinking that he would be good as one of your enforcers, do you?”

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