Page 69 of Death Deals

Unlike the eavesdropping with Cole, I wasn’t going to run off feeling betrayed and conned. Oh no. Not this time.

Rage shooting through my veins now, I kicked the door open, the lock snapping, and faced down a room full of very shocked and angry looking vampires. When Andre’s gaze found me, his skin drained of all its color.

Surprise, buddy.

“Oh, I’m sorry. This isn’t the little girls’ room.” My power flared to life in the center of my chest, the energy cracking and popping as it danced along my arms to my fingertips. A small throb started in my temples, but I ignored it. The sudden looks of absolute terror on Hector and the other Perezes’ faces were well worth the headache. “Am I interrupting something? Maybe the discussion of kidnapping and enslaving me? Hm?”

No one said a word. Hector even backpedaled, bumping into his men who were cowering behind him.

As my gift rose, my hair floated around my face and every inch of my body prickled as the power pushed through me.

“You understand I can’t let that happen,” I said. My voice was a booming echo, magnified by whatever was happening to me.

One of the Perezes took his shot and jumped for me, fangs bared. Somehow, I was able to track his movements, even with his incredible speed, and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. Horrified, he stared at me, fingers clawing at my hand to let him go.

As if sensing him, my light intensified around my fist. The smell of smoldering flesh filled the room. The vamp screamed, his nails biting into my arm.

A burst of white light flooded the room, and when it dimmed, I was holding nothing but a handful of black ash. I opened my hand, letting it fall onto a pile of the stuff on the floor—the only thing left of the vamp.

Turning toward Hector and the others, I drank in their fear. They stared at me with absolute terror, too scared to even blink.

Looked like I’d gotten my point across.

“You can tell Queen Imani and whoever-the-fuck-else wants to come after me that they’ll only end up like your friend here if they try. Obliterated. Got it?”

Still, no one moved.

Okay, maybe I was enjoying this a little more than I should have been. I lunged forward, and they danced back again.

“Go,” I growled and pointed to the door. “Now.”

I didn’t have to ask twice. They tripped over each other to be the first one out the door. The only one to stay behind was Andre, and even he was looking at me with a newfound fear in his eyes.

That’s when the pain hit. Like a Mack truck. It stole my breath out of my lungs and sent me stumbling forward. I held onto the table as my body shook violently. Squeezing my eyes shut, I cried out, an invisible hot poker stabbing into my head over and over.

Through the whirlwind of agony, I heard Andre calling to me. Vaguely felt his hands on me, too, touching my face and shoulders, trying to find a way to help me. He couldn’t of course. I’d used too much power. This was my punishment.

Still angry at him for siding with the Perezes, I tried to swat his hands away. I didn’t want him touching me. But whether or not my limbs actually moved, I didn’t know. The overwhelming pain was disconnecting me from my own body.

“What’s happened?” Eli’s panicked voice was suddenly by my ear.

Unconsciousness was creeping up on me. I fought it with every ounce of strength I had left.

Eli’s arms wrapped around me, drawing me into his chest. I couldn’t open my eyes anymore, the simple gesture feeling impossible at that moment.

“I—I—” It was the first time I’d ever heard Andre stumble with his words.

“What the fuck did you do to her?” I didn’t need to see to know Cole had joined us. The furious growl to his tone gave him away. Cold fingers touched my neck. Checking for a pulse, maybe? “You drained her, didn’t you?”

He’d been checking me for bite marks.

“No, I—”

“Jade!” Kay’s frantic cry came next. “Oh no.”

There were grunts, the sound of clothing rustling, and the soft thud of something colliding with flesh. A punch?

Fighting?

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