the three steps from the door and Mackenzie’s heart quickened. But he pushed a chair over to the far wall underneath a tiny interior window and stood up on the seat. The other exam room must be over there. He wanted to watch, as well.
She turned back to Dom. They don’t know…my blood makes you stronger, do they?
He shook his head almost imperceptibly.
Mackenzie tugged at the leather straps binding her limbs to the table and noticed that one of the wrist straps was buckled into the second to last hole, rather than the last one as it had been earlier. Alfonso? Was that what all the fuss with the straps was about?
She threw a glance at the guard. He had his hand down his pants. Carefully, she twisted her wrist and pulled. The band definitely shifted lower. Gritting her teeth, she folded her thumb against her palm and pulled her hand free.
Kenz!
Shit. The guard was looking straight at her.
“What the hell…” He jumped off the chair, but he was a moment too late.
Her fingers found the large silver cross under her T-shirt and she yanked it free. The guard lunged at her and she shoved the sharp point into his throat. With a hideous, breathy groan, he spun away, clutching his neck.
“He’s down, but he’s almost more dangerous,” Dom whispered. “Get away from him or he’ll attack you like I did at the cemetery to get at your blood.”
She struggled to unfasten the rest of the buckles and when she jumped from the table the room began to spin. Oh God, she’d forgotten how weak she was. Grabbing for the edge of the gurney, she slipped anyway and the floor slammed up to meet her.
A flood of nausea washed over her as she tried to get her brain to work. Growing darkness surrounded her like a tunnel, but Dom’s voice, although far away, gave her the strength she needed to keep going.
“I’ll kill you, you bitch.” From behind, the guard’s voice was breathy. She’d punctured his windpipe.
Her head pounded as she stumbled to Dom and examined the cuffs. They were locked, and who knew where the key was. The chains were connected to the wall in a similar fashion. It’s solid. I can’t get them undone. She pulled his face close to hers, their noses almost touching. Listen to me, Dom. It’s the only way. You’re not going to hurt me.
I’ll kill you if I drink from you again. I can’t.
She brushed his hair back from his face and kissed his forehead, his eyelids, his lips. You must do this, sweetheart. I know you’re worried, but I also have complete faith in you. And honestly, I’d rather die peacefully in the arms of the man I love than at the hands of him— she inclined her head toward the guard—or that monster Pavlos. Please, Dom. You must try. It’s our only hope.
Straddling his lap, she swept her hair behind her shoulder.
“Do it now,” she whispered.
THE RHYTHM OF her heart rang in his head. It was the only way. He knew that. He had no other choice.
But what if he took too much as he had before? With all the blood they’d taken from her already, she couldn’t spare much more. What if he couldn’t stop this time? What made today any different?
He didn’t care as much about himself. As a soldier in this war, he was prepared to die fighting for what he believed in. It was a possibility he faced every day. But she was innocent, caught in this dark web through no fault of her own. If he did nothing, she would be forced to endure the most unspeakable horrors and she would die anyway. Fury ran cold in his veins when he thought of Pavlos even laying a finger on this beautiful woman.
This was his woman. His life.
To die in the arms of the man she loved, she had said.
Mackenzie, I love you. If anything happens, if I’m not able to stop, with God as my witness, I pledge that I will die with you.
The skin of her neck was soft and delicate against his lips. Running his tongue over her pulse, he felt the blood rushing below the surface. With his hands chained, he wouldn’t be able to slip them up to her temple and put her into the light calming trance they used when they fed. She’ll feel everything, he thought.