Bite Club Page 0,108
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wasn't sure the crowd could; they were all stomping and yelling, setting up a metal-crashing racket that drowned out most things. Michael wasn't playing to the crowd. He was talking urgently to Shane. "Bro, stop this. This isn't you."
Shane did stop. He went still in Michael's hold and his eyes closed. But when Michael let go, thinking he'd gotten through, Claire saw the smile twist Shane's lips, and tried to yell a warning.
She heard Shane clearly when he said, "You're wrong about that.Bro. "
SHANE
I'd been wanting to take a bite out of Vassily for a while, and hearing him go on and on aboutMichael, well, that was it. Michael frickin' Glass. Mr. Perfect. He wasn't just any vampire, now, was he? No, he came from a long line of human Renfields, all bending over for the vamps. Hell, Sam had even......
No.Something in me shut down when I tried to free-associate Michael's granddad Sam into that mental rant; Sam, I knew, didn't deserve it. I'd liked Sam. Hell, everybody had loved Sam.
Like everybody loved Michael. Mr. Perfect.
I jumped Vassily, and that felt good. It felt good to think with my body instead of the confusing tangle of hate and guilt and fear that was inside of me--to just be something, do something, without the higher brain getting in the way. I kicked him, but with the hardest angle of my foot. You don't kick with the toes, not with bare feet; you use the side or the heel. I chose the heel, and put some momentum behind it, and felt Vassily's ribs creak when the blow landed.
Nice.
Then Michael was pulling me off, and, dammit, he had me from behind. He had leverage and strength. Vassily got up and retrieved his microphone and scrambled out of the cage, slamming it shut behind him.
Michael said urgently, "Stop. Bro, stop this. This isn't you."
I closed my eyes and let my tense muscles go loose in his hold. Only an idiot would fall for that, but Michael liked to believe he could do anything. And he didn't think I was very smart, anyway.
When I felt him release me, I was smiling so much it hurt. "You're wrong about that.Bro."
He probably had warning, hearing that, but I didn't dive forward to get away from him. Oh no. I launched myself backward, pile-driving into him, and slammed us both down on the springy, booming canvas floor. The crowd was screaming; it sounded like thunder in my ears. The lights pounded down on my skin, and I could feel Glory in my head like a searchlight.
She wanted me to win. Win at all costs.
I twisted around. Michael was pinned under me and he was fighting to get up. This time I had the weight and leverage, and as long as I stopped him from getting organized, I could hurt him.
I wanted to hurt him.
"Shane!" he was yelling. I saw him but I didn't see him, not clearly; he was a shape, a voice, an
opponent, and who he was didn't matter. He wasn't a person; he was a thing, and I hit him full force in the face. Again and again. Every time, pain jolted up my arm and nausea followed with it, like I was drunk and tipping over into the throwing-up stage, but then it would recede and I'd hit him again.
I hit him with special force, and I felt a bone snap in my hand. One of the little ones--no big deal--but the high, bright snap felt like a flash of red strobe light going through me, and for a second or two after, my head was crystal clear.
And I saw a girl yanking on the cage door, trying to get it open. A tall girl in a ratty, torn raincoat and a stupid, giant hat that fell off as she fought with the door's padlock, revealing shiny, close-bobbed black hair and a face as pale as any vamp's.
"God, Shane,stop!"Eve was screaming, and pounding on the bars hard enough to make them ring. "Stop it! What are you doing?"
It was shocking, like seeing Alyssa standing there, and for a second I thought I did see Lyss, the way I'd last seen her, looking so pretty and smart and ready for anything, ready to die, and I couldn't save her because I was aloserand I'd been weak, so weak. I should have opened the dooreven though it was hot, so hot, and I'd been passing out from the smoke.
I looked down.
I'd done some damage to Michael's face,