Page 40 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

With a brutal shove, he slammed me up against the wall, knocking the wind out of me. Pain exploded through the back of my head and stars danced in my vision. He pinned my body with his own, his weight crushing me, making it hard to breathe. I could feel his arousal pressing against me, and revulsion churned in my stomach.

I struggled against him, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. His hands roamed all over my body, groping and pawing at me, his touch making my skin crawl. Tears stung my eyes as panic and disgust overwhelmed me. I wanted to scream, but fear had my voice trapped in my throat.

He leaned in closer, his hot, rancid breath washing over my face as he whispered disgusting things in my ear. I closedmy eyes, trying to block out the horror of what was happening, praying for someone, anyone, to save me from this nightmare.

Suddenly, I remembered what Joy had taught me and kneed Freddie as hard as I could in the nuts.

He swore, stumbled, and loosened his grip long enough for me to break away. I grabbed the blade and flicked it open.

I gritted my teeth and, holding the blade how Steve had taught me—firmly but not too tight—I took a balanced stance. "Stay away from me, you fucker."

And then Freddie lunged…

Chapter Seventeen

Angelo

As I approached Serenity and Freddie’s house, the horrible stench of neglect and decay assaulted my nostrils. The two-story structure was more of a hovel, with patches of dirt instead of grass and the shriveled remains of rose bushes standing sentry by the front door. The peeling, faded pink paint revealed rotting wood, and one splintered shutter hung askew, threatening to fall off its rusted hinges at any moment.

The sight of the home of the man who had dared to hurt Serenity filled me with rage, and I looked forward to teaching him the consequences of his actions. I cracked my neck, my muscles coiled like a snake ready to strike. Before I attacked an enemy, I was always completely calm—a lesson I had learned from Dracula himself.

“Keep your emotions in check,” he’d always said. “Rashness leads to death. Assess your surroundings and always remain in control.”

My fangs itched to sink into Freddie’s flesh, to taste his blood and watch the light fade from his eyes. But I had to be patient.

I couldn’t tell if anyone was home as I headed toward the front door. I sniffed the air and detected the scent of humans, but that could have been Freddie’s neighbors.

I twisted the rusty doorknob, breaking it, then kicked the weakened door in. The stench of stale alcohol and grease hit me as I entered the trashed living room. Potato chip crumbs crunched under my boots as I navigated a labyrinth of empty beer cans and dirty dishes left haphazardly on coffee tables and couches. A half-eaten steak and baked potato sat abandoned on an end table, surrounded by candy wrappers and more chip remnants. The one smell I wasn’t getting was human blood.

Petar and some of my other men arrived, shaking their heads.

Damn. The rat had disappeared. Would Simon have warned him I was coming? No. He’d practically pissed his pants when I confronted him. Maybe someone else had tipped him off.

Nothing annoyed me more than when I had to hunt down my prey when I was eager to strike.

My hands shook with anger as I pulled out my phone, my heart racing as I dialed Keir’s number. He picked up on the first ring, his voice tense and hurried. “You need to give me moretime?—”

I got straight to the point. “Do you know anything about a Freddie Evans?”

“Evans…Evans…” Keir paused, thinking. “Yeah, I remember him. Used to be a big shot around here, always strutting around like he owned the place, bragging about his gambling skills.”

“But not anymore?”

Keir let out a mirthless chuckle. “Word on the street is, he’s been on a bad losing streak. Owes a lot of people money and can’t pay them back.”

“Any idea where I can find him?”

“I think he’s been holed up with some woman over on Magnolia Crescent Way. Belinda…Stone, I think her name is. She’s living at Madame Charlotte’s House.” A hint of disdain crept into Keir’s voice. “She was a dancer at one of Maximo’s strip clubs before.”

My eyes narrowed. The fact that he knew so much about Belinda Stone and her connection to Freddie suggested he had been keeping tabs on Serenity and investigating her background, but I could tell he was holding something more back. “How do you know all this?”

Keir hesitated before answering. “Let’s just say Belinda and some of my men have crossed paths before.”

Bingo. “Later, Keir. Thanks.”

He quickly added, “Still looking into our agreement about the murdered girls.”

“Good.” I hung up the phone and turned to my men. “We need to go to Magnolia Crescent Way.”

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