Page 11 of The Blood Master

He had a large envelope and some papers in his hand as he walked toward them. His eyes captured Joel, and he could feel warmth and safety in that stare. Joel began to move to his right, just a half step at a time, slowly unnoticed by those who were training their attention on the Master.

"Good to see you, Conall." Cassius greeted him but stayed back with the jackals flanking him. His fear was heavy in the air. Conall took the thick envelope and threw it at him. It skidded to a stop a few inches from his feet. Cassius glanced around and then bent to retrieve the package.

Joel could see that it contained bills, probably the money that Cassius had demanded. The papers he was still holding were most likely related to the bar, the Blood Rose. As tense and uncomfortable as the scene was, Joel found that he wasnot afraid. As soon as Conall arrived, all fear and apprehension drained away. He had no doubt how this would end, and he looked forward to being in Conall's arms once again.

"Is that the ownership of the Blood Rose in your hand there, friend?" Cassius asked but still did not move toward Conall. He nodded at the guy to his left, and he walked toward Conall, and reached out his hand for the paperwork.

Conall did not immediately hand it over. He looked over at Joel, who was now a good distance from where he'd been originally standing, having moved away from the impending melee without notice. The expression he wore told Joel to stay put, stay alert, and follow his lead.

"Your beloved is there and somewhat unharmed." Cassius forced a laugh, but it came out with a nervous crackle.

Conall took two steps to the side, effectively putting himself between Cassius and Joel. The jackals wouldn't kill Joel unless they had to, but Cassius would do it for kicks and spite. Their bond gave Joel some perks, such as being faster and stronger and healing faster, but he was not immortal. Cassius knew how to kill him. He'd done it before to others that displeased him or got in his way. Cassius was carrying a firearm, and it would only take one shot properly placed to kill his sweet love.

"Hand over the Blood Rose, or both you and your beloved will die." Cassius declared, pulling the large handgun from under his coat. Bullets had little effect on vampires, but he wasn't intending the gun for him.

Conall held the papers up. “Let Joel walk away, and once he's out of sight, I will hand over the documents."

"Why don't we just kill you both right now and take the documents from your corpse." Cassius stated and took another step closer to Conall.

"Show me what you got, Cassius. Come and take them from me." Conall baited.

"Take them from him do it now." He yelled at the jackal standing a few feet from Conall. The jackal attacked, and Conall caught him with one hand to his throat and forced him to the ground.

The jackal clawed at Conall's hold on him, but it was useless. He had an iron grip on the beast's throat, and he was crushing it. He stuck the papers back into his jacket and pulled out a dagger, plunging it into the jackal's eye and twisting it. He then pulled it out and wiped it off on his knee before assessing the surroundings once again.

The jackals cared nothing about their brother, so his death was considered his own fault. They were a cold breed that never formed bonds with anyone or anything. They would fight for Cassius if the money was right and for no other reason than that.

"Kill them, kill them both, and the Blood Rose is yours," Cassius called out and ran for the car as the jackals immediately advanced on Conall. It was then that Victor Drakon, and the others descended upon them. Conall saw Samuel swoop in and grab Joel, spiriting him away to the SUV for safety.

Once Joel was secure and protected, Conall headed for Cassius. His men were taking care of the jackals, but they were leaving Cassius for him. The coward tried to run, but Conall's men had him hemmed in, unable to flee the yard.

For once, Cassius would have to face a reckoning for all his bad decisions. No running this time, no putting it on his clanor his brothers, for they were all gone. And now the jackals, his hired muscle, were dying and fleeing, and he was alone.

He frantically looked around, summoning help, but the scene had devolved into every man for himself with no order or form. Conall's men systematically pushed them back and cut them down. Those who ran would be found no one was going to survive such an egregious break in custom and practice as abducting and abusing a beloved.

"Let's discuss this, Conall." He started, but Conall wasn't there to discuss. "It was simply business we wouldn't have actually killed him. We would have returned him in time, even without you meeting our demands. It was just business." Cassius implored but soon understood his pleas were useless, and he shifted. He was an out-of-shape, awkward man, but he was a massive and savage bear.

Conall held his dagger in one hand and a short sword in the other. Bullets were useless on a beast of this size. The bear tried to circle him, but Conall kept advancing, forcing him to ultimately take a stand. This day was a long time coming, and Conall was ready to put an end to Cassius and his depravity.

Conall focused on Cassius, fully confident that his men would take care of the rest. But his heart still remained connected to his little lover in the SUV. Joel would forever be in his heart, with his health and happiness being Conall's primary concerns. He would not be safe until Casius was dead.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Joel sat in the SUV and watched his lover face a bear the size of a truck. It should have put him into a panic, but he was somewhat calm. Worry existed on the edges of his mind but was not overwhelming him. He waited, knowing that Conall would come for him when it was safe.

Several men stood outside the vehicle, keeping watch and clearly protecting him. He would not move until Conall told him it was okay he was done trying to find his way in this new world on his own. The stupidity of going out on his own wore on him. If he'd been thinking clearly, he would have opened a damn window instead of going to the alley for air.

He would have to find his footing in this new world and do it fast. It bothered him that he'd put Conall and his men in such a position for something as ridiculous as needing some air. There were so many ways he could have handled this, but he took the most dangerous route. He was descending into some serious self-loathing when his thoughts suddenly softened, and the embarrassment he had been feeling started to fade.

He felt Conall's regard, and his tender thoughts warmed him and gave him comfort. Cassius had made such vial threats to him, and the jackals had treated him roughly, but they werewaiting to see if Conall brought what they wanted before killing him. They made it very clear to him that death was his only escape, and he would be dead before the day was over.

Through it all, he never lost faith in the fact that Conall would come for him. It was just a matter of time. He wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew Conall would save him. The bond he'd spoken of gave him insight and understanding into many things, including the emotional bond that existed between them.

They were meant to be he knew that now without question. No more bullshit doubts and insecurities he planned to make his feelings for Conall very clear once he finished with this business.

Joel looked over his shoulder at the battle ensuing there in the lot that had once been a despicable strip club. Conall had destroyed the club, and he would destroy their enemies. This was his life, and he was ready to live it. Joel leaned back, closed his eyes, and sent every ounce of love and devotion he felt toward his amazing lover.

Conall continued to close in on Cassius. His bear was formidable but, like Cassius, lacked focus and control. A feeling of complete, all-encompassing love came over him, and he recognized Joel. His beloved was sending his deepest feelings, showing him his heart openly and freely, and it was wonderful. Conall was energized and motivated to end this circus and get back to his beloved.

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