Page 79 of Death Wish

She walked over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. The heat of her touch warmed me. She had always been so kind to me, even when I didn’t think I deserved it.

“I trust you, Jade,” she said with a soft smile. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”

My own smile wavered. I was glad she was so confident in me. That made one of us at least.

There was a hard knock at the door loud enough to make us both jump. Then a booming voice.

“Madame? Who is in there?”

The thick French accent told me it was Andre. Dammit. He couldn’t know I was here.

I waved at Kay, telling her to answer him.

“Er—it’s just me. I was talking to myself,” she said, her voice shaking.

The door handle rattled against the lock.

My pulse skipped. I glanced around the room for a place to hide.

Could I even hide from a vampire? Something told me no.

I closed my eyes. Turn back. Turn back!

The door shot open so hard, it hit the wall, denting the plaster. Andre, now fully dressed in his normal tailored suit, looked directly at me. Four other vamps filed in behind him, three men and a woman.

Recognition flashed across Andre’s face as he stared at me, and he hesitated. But the other vampires rushed at me.

My first instinct was to shove Kay back. She fell onto the couch just as a blur slammed into me, throwing me onto the bed. Vamps moved fast, way faster than demons. They could barely be seen. I rolled out of reach just as another blur grabbed for me.

Another whoosh of air nearby, and I spun, lashing out with a foot. The blow connected with one of them, and the vampire grunted as it flew back and hit the wall. Plaster from the wall exploded behind his head, but instead of being knocked out like any normal human would, his thin features only contorted in rage.

“Stop!” Kay yelled. “She’s my friend! She’s come to help me.”

But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Again the air moved, giving me warning. But I wasn’t quick enough this time. Sharp nails raked across my cheek. I gasped as the scent of blood whiffed past my nose.

For a moment, the room was still. Completely still.

Blood. Vampires. My gut twisted. I was in deep trouble.

Snarls sounded all around me, and when I scanned the room, I saw the four vampires circling me. Their eyes had changed color, the irises and whites completely consumed by blackness.

Bloodlust.

I glanced at Andre, who was still standing in the doorway—the only exit—his icy gray eyes pinned on me. He hadn’t be lost to the bloodlust as easily as the others. If anyone could stop these other vampires, it was him.

At least I thought so.

As the four vampires stalked toward me, I readied myself to use the white light if I had to. Did it work on vampires? No idea. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to give it a try. No one was going to be sucking on my neck tonight, that was for sure.

Again, I looked toward Andre. Maybe there was a way I could grab Kay and blast our way through the door.

All hope vanished when Andre’s eyes turned pitch black, too. He was gone.

He ran at me, the others closing in at the same time. Kay screamed for me, but I didn’t have time to do anything else but dodge the hands grabbing for me. I swung a fist and hit Andre’s jaw. He paused, touching the side of his face in surprise.

I wrestled with one of the male vamps, pulling his long mop of hair and throwing him into his friend’s path. They hit each other with enough force to rattle their teeth.

Then, Andre came at me again.

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