Page 23 of The Night Runs Red

We stepped into the humid underground garage, immediately missing the air-conditioned building. “Shit,” Brielle cursed, sifting through her bag. “I forgot my phone. It’ll just take a second.”

“Hurry up, Bri. It’s hot as hell.” I hated the heat and everything it brought with it. Sweat had begun to drip down my neck the moment we left the boutique.

She waved me off as Atlas followed her back into the shop, leaving Jasper and me alone. “Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked, eyes scanning the area as we made our way to the slick, black SUV parked at the end.

I nodded. “It was nice to get out of the house for a bit. I didn’t think I’d miss the city like I did, but now that I’m here? I don’t know. It’s just nice to be back.”

He said nothing, slipping his hand into his pocket and fishing out the electronic key to start the car. There was something sexy about it, but I quickly dismissed the thought. I shouldn’t be thinking about how his clothing stretched against his muscles.

Brielle’s voice sounded from behind us, and I placed my hand on Jasper’s arm to stop him as we waited. “I’m going to start the car,” he mumbled. “It’s hot as fuck.”

I barely registered the faint click of the remote as it was swallowed by a boom that knocked me to the ground. Debris fell around us, peppering us with metal shards and broken glass. Someone pushed me out of the way, but not quickly enough. My head bounced off the concrete, darkening the edges of my vision as I fought to stay conscious.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Don’t close your eyes. Stay awake. Focus on your senses.

I stared ahead, watching as rampant flames consumed our SUV. Thick plumes of smoke rose into the air, the metal charred and melting away from the frame. We’d almost died. If Brielle hadn’t gone back for her phone, our blood would have been splattered across the pavement.

Jasper lay just feet away, a large piece of metal protruding from his leg. He blinked rapidly. Gunshots sounded from behind other vehicles, mixing with the screams of passersby.

What the hell was happening?

“Cal!”

Brielle. She was here. She had been with me. But where?

I pushed off the ground, looking behind me. She and Atlas were crouched behind a minivan, taking cover as rapid gunfire came from across the garage. Blood leaked from a wound at her temple, but she looked unharmed otherwise.

“Cal, get down!”

Three masked figures darted in our direction, each with large rifles strapped to their backs and pistols in their hands. Atlas fired shots in their direction, but he wasn’t quick enough to dodge as one of the assailants fired.

It happened in slow motion. A bullet landed directly between Atlas’s eyes, and his body fell to the ground with a heavy thud. His head shifted to the side, a dull, lifeless gaze staring blankly back at me. Brielle screamed in horror as blood pooled around his head, slowly spreading toward her feet.

“Jasper! Jasper, get up!” I bellowed, crawling over to where he lay. He looked unfocused, having taken the brunt of the explosion. A deep gash split the skin of his neck from below his ear to his sternum. Vampyres healed quickly, but it wasn’t happening quickly enough, given his extensive injuries.

There was something I could do to help, but it was stupid. More than that, it was incredibly reckless. If I was wrong, it could kill me.

But I could die either way. I didn't know what would happen if the gunmen made it over to us. This would be my choice. Even if it had disastrous consequences, it might be enough to get Brielle out of harm.

I picked up a piece of glass and sliced my palm open. Jasper’s eyes widened, the first sign of focus I’d seen since the explosion. “Drink.”

“No,” he rasped, shaking his head in horror. “I cannot—”

“You have to.” Each second he delayed brought us one step closer to a grim fate. The squeal of tires reached my ears as a matte black van skidded to a stop. Several figures filed out, their weapons drawn and trained on us. He watched them with caution before gripping my arm and yanking me forward.

The moment his lips touched my skin, excruciating pain radiated through my arm. The sensation was increasingly horrific with each pull he took of my blood. It was nothing like what I’d experienced with Rion during our wedding ceremony. His gaze grew hooded, the gold of his eyes disappearing until they became wholly black.

Brielle shouted my name repeatedly in warning, but I couldn’t draw myself away from the havoc Jasper was wreaking on my body. Arms banded across my chest, yanking me away from Jasper’s hold. The move tore my flesh, leaving a gaping wound where his mouth had been seconds prior.

“Got her,” a gruff voice called, tossing me over his shoulder.

Shit, shit, shit! If they put me in their van, I was as good as dead. My uncle had drilled that into my head from an early age. “If anyone takes you, little star, the chances of us finding you diminish.”

I thrashed in his hold, maneuvering my body until I could connect my knee with his nose. He cursed, tightening his grip across my ass. “She better be fuckin’ worth this shit!”

My blood loss was becoming evident, causing the world to spin with each step the man took toward the van. We were only a few feet away, and my fight was dwindling. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and rest.

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