Page 204 of Black Bird

“If I may.” Tony stepped forward as Sarah struggled against her restraints. “She put up one hell of a fight, your Grace.”

Dahlia chuckled through her nose. “And here I thought you’d be more concerned with her welfare, Tony. Perhaps that time you spent downstairs did you some good, after all.” She took Sarah’s chin, and the girl tried to snap her teeth around the gag in her mouth as she growled. Dahlia winced back, grinning. “My, my … I see what you mean.” She breathed her scent in deeply, that blood singing to all her senses as she fluttered her eyes closed. “My dear girl … you smell like such a bright future. It’s an awful shame. You’d make one hell of an addition to this coven, but … I simply can’t have Athan’s affection split between us. No doubt, he’ll come for you. It’s only a matter of time.” She lowered to eye-level with her captive. “It’s nothing personal, pet. But he ismine. He’ll always be mine. And when I take every last drop from you, Sarah St. James … and you see the way heobeys… all that leftover fight in you will surrender, and you’ll beg me to end you. By that time, there will be no use for you. Only then, will I grant that last wish for you … although, I think watching him kill you himself would be far more entertaining … forme.” A wicked laugh escaped her, and Decclan approached her from behind.

“I give you this, and you still want him …” he breathed. Dahlia turned around slowly. “Is nothing I do pleasing enough for you?”

Dahlia crossed her arms. “You didn’t heed a word I said, did you? Even after days cowering in your room?”

“Kane would never hurt that girl, and you know it.”

“Kane… won’t have a choice.” Dahlia waved an arm over the stage. “We’re getting the band back together, dearest. And whether he wishes to be reminded or not, he’ll see. He’ll see that he belongs here with us.”

“I thought you wanted her for the benefits of her blood. Why isn’t that your first priority?”

“Oh, I do. But she’s useful in other ways, first. While she’s alive, she’ll be a valuable bargaining chip. It’s time to teach our detective a lesson in loyalty. You’ll do well to remember this,” she seethed, turning back to face the other two. “All of you.”

A loud bang sounded from the entrance, and they all turned towards it as Kane nearly kicked the door from its hinges and prowled into the club. Dahlia’s cruel smile grew wide, and his little human toy struggled at her side, whimpering as he stormed through the space.

“I told you I’d enjoy every second of killing you, Dahlia. I came to make good on my promise.”

This had to work. It had to. Sarah did her best to feign helplessness, but the minute he walked into that room, and she saw the look in the vampire queen’s eyes, all her rage and territorial instincts battled her self-control. Tony made eye contact with her briefly in an attempt to keep her on track, but that bitch’s otherworldly gaze raked over her mate with such predatory seduction that Sarah found it more and more difficult to remain in that chair. It was going so well. Maybe her newborn strength wasn’t enough to control the part of her that felt utterly rabid at the thought of someone else’s hands on him. The rope around her wasn’t tight, but felt more and more like wet spaghetti, the closer Athan got to the queen. It would take next to nothing to tear out of them and rip her head clean off her shoulders. All things considered; this would go a lot faster if she did exactly that.

But they had a plan … and she promised to stick to it.

So far, her immortal scent had been successfully masked by the blood from the cooler, and Dahlia seemed to have no idea that Sarah had been turned. It could have just been that her mind was strayed with the thought of finally having one over on Athan, and it seemed that he was more important to her than the blood in her veins. It only made Sarah more ravenous for blood she wanted to spill on her own. She couldn’t help but feel deeply sorry for Decclan. The hurt in his eyes was so vivid that she could almost feel it herself. She noticed the way that the man on her left had shifted on his feet with the last comments Decclan had made to Dahlia. He was nervous, too. It was obvious to her that even though they were a coven full of killers, some of them did care very much for one another. She understood then why Decclan had been so violent when he’d seen Athan in the alley. This was centuries worth of jealousy and longing—and never truly having the one thing he’d wanted, aside from his friendship.

“Welcome home, pet. I’m surprised it took you this long to get here.” Dahlia shifted her gaze to Sarah, who eyed her like a cat about to pounce on her meal. “I must say … I really can’t blame you for your lack of self-control the night we last saw one another. She looks absolutely delicious.” Her smile was nothing short of evil.

Bullseye … right where they wanted her.

Sarah drew her brows together, urging tears forward and bugging her eyes at Athan, who looked every bit the part of a terrified keeper of secrets. Dahlia noticed the exchange, pulling her focus back to him. “Oh, does she not know?” Her thin eyebrows raised in delight. “How scandalous. This just became a great deal more fun.”

“Don’t. Shut your fucking mouth.” Athan’s tone deepened into a snarl. It fueled the queen’s hunger for melodrama, and her lip curled over her spotless teeth.

“Oh, I’d be careful with your choice of words, Kane. I was already planning to butcher you with her slow death, but you can’t deny me this. It's far too delectable to pass up. I figure you owe me that much after failing at your end of our bargain. What did you think was going to come out of it? I let you live with your freedomandyour little infatuation?” Her laugh made Sarah’s bones itch.

“If you so much as blink in her direction—”

“You’ll what? Kill me?” She grinned, shaking her head and making a small step towards him. “And here I thought you simply didn’t have it in you to love … perhaps you were right all these years, Kane. Perhaps I’ve been wrong about you all along. Does she loveyou?” She glanced over her shoulder to Sarah who breathed heavily past her gag. “Yes … yes, I think she does.” Her gaze returned to him. “Would she still love you if she knew what you’ve done to her? If she knew her knight in shining armor was the entire reason she suffers?” She turned on her heel in Sarah’s direction, facing her fully. Athan took an unsteady step forward.

“Stop!” He reached a hand out, and Dahlia eyed him over her shoulder. “You want me, youhaveme. I’m done playing games. We’re too old for this shit. Don’t fucking touch her. Your quarrel is with me.”

Dahlia smiled. It was gruesome and sinister. “See, that’s where you’re wrong, Athan Kane. It took a very long time to break you, and somehow you still cling to that human side of you that believes there’s hope for beings like us to live a life as pathetic as theirs.” Sarah fought against her restraints when Dahlia eyed her next. “See, Sarah … I laid claim to him centuries before you evenexisted. Do you have any idea what he is? What drives him? You believe helovesyou?” Sarah’s breathing went rapid the closer the queen came, and Athan seemed ready to snap. They locked eyes, and he narrowed them at her.

Don’t move. She won’t get a drop. Stick with the plan, love. I’m right here.

“I’m no fool, Sarah St. James. I know you must be aware of what everyone seems to want from you … and why. Did you really think he was any different? He’s a creature of darkness. A creatureI made. He took your blood, pet. He took yourlife.” Sarah tearfully shook her head, giving Athan looks of disbelief and pain. “Aww.” Dahlia clicked her tongue. “It’s painful … I understand.”

“That’s enough! Get the fuck away from her!” Athan started towards them, and Dahlia spun around, thrusting her arm forward and burying her claws into his chest. Sarah screamed through her gag, and the two men at her side hesitated forward. Athan groaned loudly, his eyes never leaving the queen’s as he stared her down. “You won’t,” he snarled, grabbing her wrist as she held his heart in her fist.

“Look at that,” Dahlia breathed. “It’s beating. Pounding, really. You really do feel strongly for her, don’t you? Are you afraid, Athan?”

“We both know I’ve never been afraid of you.” His teeth ground together, and Sarah struggled against her control to slaughter the bitch.

“Mmm …” she seethed, leaning into his face. Their noses barely touched, and she breathed him in. “But I smell it all over you, Kane. You’re terrified. You’d do anything to spare her.” Athan’s eyes grew desperate. He looked over Dahlia’s shoulder at Sarah’s pleading stare. “If you want her to live, then you know the price. Our deal is off. There’s a new bargain now.” Dahlia glanced back at Sarah, smiling. “Surrender yourself to me. Take my blood … and I’ll spare her life. I’ll take only enough from her for the change.” She returned her attention to him. “And you will never see her again.”

Sarah jerked around in the chair, screaming the word “no” through the gag. She repeated it desperately as Athan looked at her again.

Don’t you dare! Don’t you fucking dare drink from her! This wasn’t part of the plan!

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