Page 13 of Addicted in Blood
“I don’t think so.”
“Cressa—” He didn’t have a chance to finish.
I stormed off toward two men in black, whom I guessed to be in charge based on their hand waving and pointing.When we got closer, I could see one of the men was Decker.Sergi grabbed my upper arm, but instead of pulling me to a stop, he pushed me forward, almost forcing me into a jog.
“We’ll do this my way.”Sergi’s tone brooked no argument.“Stick close and don’t say a word.”We were ten feet away when he pulled me to a stop.His eyes appeared hollowed out in the waning light.“And prepare yourself.”
My nerves flared, and I second-guessed leaving the sedan.But now that Sergi accepted my presence, he pulled me along even as I dragged my feet.
Decker turned as we approached, his face grim.“We’ve got two nets, but he’s slipped them twice.I wanted to wait for you before firing the silver.”
“Is the alley secure?”Sergi asked.
“It’s a dead-end.”
There were plenty of dead-end alleys in the Hollows, but that didn’t mean there weren’t ways to escape.Spotlights were positioned at the entrance and halfway down the narrow lane.I’d seen the glow when we first pulled up, but I’d been focused on the men with rifles.When I followed the trail of light, I gasped.
A hunched form prowled back and forth.His movements seemed labored, which made me question why it was difficult to catch him.He kept looking up, his head turning this way and that, like a dog tracking a scent.
“He’s been like this for a while,” Decker said.“The doors and windows have barricades, but he’s been able to dodge the nets.He hasn’t given up searching for an escape path, so I had the team back off.”
Sergi studied the area.“How close are the men?”
“We can’t get the ones on the street any closer.They’re moving in from the roofs to see if they can get a clean shot.”
My eyes locked on Devon.It was him, and it wasn’t.I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was looking at.His head seemed oddly shaped and somewhat larger.His clothes hung off of him, ripped and torn, revealing a predominant hunchback and a bulkier form.His arms hung by his sides, his fingers bent like hideous claws.
He continued his pacing, but even with the spotlights, he found the shadows, which made it difficult for me to get a better look.
I didn’t remember making a sound, but Devon pivoted toward the entrance, his nostrils flaring.A low keening erupted, growing louder by the second.At the same time, a headache blasted me, and my knees buckled.Sergi grabbed an elbow and pulled me up.The pain was gone as quickly as it hit me, and I pushed Sergi out of the way so I could keep an eye on Devon.
He saw me.Our gazes locked for the briefest moment.When he took a step toward me, nets dropped from upper windows.
Devon jumped back, narrowly avoiding them.He leaned his head back and roared.Sergi pulled me back, and with one last wail, he made an incredible leap, grabbing the fire escape ladder.He swung like a trapeze artist and flew to the wall, his feet barely touching as he scrambled over it.
Gunfire opened up, and then I saw nothing as Sergi covered me with his jacket and raced us back to the car.We were blocks away before Sergi pulled the coat from me.
“I apologize, but a small crowd was forming, and I didn’t want anyone to see you.”
“Devon?Did they get him?”I shook like someone had pulled me out of a deep freeze, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.
“Turn up the heat.”
I assumed that was directed at Jacques.Sergi opened a compartment and pulled out a small blanket.“Put this on until you warm up.And no.He got away.”
“What was he howling about?Is that normal?”I couldn’t get his image out of my head.
“No.I think he became angered because he picked up your scent.”
I sat back and stared at him.“Mine?Because I’m human?”I didn’t want to be scared of Devon.He couldn’t know what he was doing.
“No.He thinks we’re holding you against your will.His mind isn’t working like normal.He’s more primal now.”
“I don’t understand.”
His expression softened, and he glanced out the front window, probably hoping to see signs of the airport.When he turned his gaze back to me, I never wanted to see the myriad of emotions that played across his features—regret, sorrow, and maybe surprise.
“Cressa.Devon was concerned for you because he sees you as his mate.”
