Page 35 of Death Deals

Oh shit. We were in trouble. Our backup was waiting for us outside, not even in earshot if I screamed.

I glanced behind us, toward the door, and knew it’d be impossible to outrun three vampires. And with no weapons, no gun or sword, a fight wouldn’t last long either.

Where are you,Andre? We’re in some deep shit right now.

“What a shame,” Cornelius said, rising slowly to stand. He pushed two meaty hands on the table, reminding me of a predator about to pounce on its prey. “Claimed by a Frenchman. Such beauty wasted.”

“Jade…” Ricky’s fearful whisper had my heartbeat speeding up. It wasn’t just my life on the line here. Ricky held up his fists, preparing for a fight, and I did the same. Instantly, the white wisps of my power covered my clenched hands. Rules be damned. If using my power was the only way to get us both out of here alive, I would do it.

Ricky looked at the light ebbing and dimming from me and gasped. Even Cornelius’s gaze latched onto it, and he leaned forward, more interested.

“Oh, what’s this?” he said, voice dropping to a threatening rumble. “The DeMonte’s found a secret weapon?”

“You could say that,” I said. “No one has to die tonight. We’re just going to walk out of here and—”

He clicked his tongue, cutting me off. “Unfortunately, I can’t let that happen.” He nodded toward his men, who slid out of the booth and stood. “Looks like you chose the wrong side, Ms. Jade.”

That’s when the two vamps ran at us at full speed, toppling over empty chairs and tables in their paths. Jumping in front of Ricky, I spun and kicked, hitting one in the chest and sending him stumbling back. The second one snatched my foot mid-air and tossed me sideways like I weighed nothing. I fell into another booth.

A piercing scream ripped through the air—from one of the girls on stage—and suddenly, every patron and worker bolted for the door.

Before I could get on my feet again, one of the vamps was on top of me, his massive weight pinning me between the cushions and the table. I kicked out, but he dove for my neck, fangs flashing in the low light.

I planted my palms on his chest, ready to push him off, and my power flared. The scent of singed fabric and hair hit my nose, and suddenly, the vampire leaped off me, his chest smoking where I’d touched. Panicked, he smacked the spots to stop the burning.

As I got up, my head whirled, the pain creeping in. Trying to ride the wave of it, I gritted my teeth.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see him coming at me again, snarling, his hands outstretched and aimed at my throat.

There was a blur of air and suddenly, his own neck was jerked to the side with a terrible cracking sound. The vampire collapsed, temporarily paralyzed with a broken neck, and in his place, Andre stood, chest heaving as if he’d just run for miles.

But boy, was I happy to see him.

Moving faster than my eyes could track, he produced a long dagger from somewhere and detached the enemy’s head from his shoulders in one quick motion. Blood spurted, coating his shirt and side of his face in crimson.

Unfazed, he wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, his own eyes black from the excitement of the kill.

“Talk about coming in the nick of time,” I said. How he’d even known to come was a mystery to me, but I was glad he did.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” he said and glanced at the club’s entrance. Two of his own men and two of the Perezes pushed their way through the fleeing customers to the center of the room. They went straight for Cornelius, who had leaped out of his corner and was bolting toward an emergency exit door.

“He’s a vamp,” I said to Andre, pointing toward Cornelius. He nodded once as if that fact didn’t surprise him. When the air shifted behind him, I cried out, “Duck!”

He did just as the blade of a scythe sliced just above him, where his head was a millisecond ago. Crouched low, he swiped his leg, catching the Omari off guard and sending him stumbling. As Andre jumped for him, I spun around, searching the chaos for Ricky.

I found him by the stage, eyeing the exits, debating what to do.

The door leading to a back room opened, and the bald man from my memory stepped out, a gun in hand. He shot two rounds into the air, plaster raining down on him. Of course, the fighting didn’t stop around him. Actually, it seemed to intensify. In the struggle, Cornelius had managed to rip the throats out of two of our men. Their blood pooled on the floor underneath their unmoving forms. Andre and the remaining guard had their blades crossed, locked in a deadly showdown.

Fully willing to let these vampires battle it out, I ran for Ricky, determined to get him out. When he spotted me, he sprinted across the room to meet me halfway, his hands over his head.

A gunshot rang out.

Suddenly, Andre was there, his body jerking back as the bullet hit him instead of its intended target. Ricky.

I caught him as he fell, but with his size and weight, we both crumbled on the floor together. Ricky dropped to our side, terror on his face.

“Shit, Andre!” I yelled at him as I examined his chest. There was already so much blood staining his shirt, it was hard to determine what was from a new wound and what wasn’t.

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