Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,51

get another breath in. They were fiery and demanding, each stroke a promise of more. I matched his fervor, wrapping my fingers around his neck to deepen the kiss. I knew we were on borrowed time, but I couldn’t tear myself away. Too soon, Talon pulled back and I sagged against him.

“Fifteen minutes,” I breathed into his chest before stepping back and wagging my finger at him. “You better hurry because I am not leaving you, not today and not ever.”

“Fifteen minutes,” he repeated before spinning toward the next passageway and disappearing into the darkness.

The moment he was gone, I slumped to the ground, only a few feet away from Vander’s motionless form. Now that it was just he and I, I was free to shamelessly ogle. He was big, that was for sure. Not quite Talon big, but definitely around Dallas’s size. Beneath the grime and overgrown hair, there was something oddly familiar about him.

I shook off the stray thought. Where would I have ever met him? Unless it was a repressed memory of that night… I gulped as flashes of panicked faces and blood-curdling screams tore through my mind. I still saw them—the faces of those I’d killed. I may not have remembered that night, but my subconscious had imprinted their terrified visages in my mind for all eternity.

But not his face. In all the nights I’d woken up drenched in sweat plagued by nightmares, I’d never seen his face. Then why did he look familiar?

Standing, I paced a tight loop in front of Vander’s still form. I couldn’t help but check my watch every few seconds. Three minutes…five…seven.

A sharp pain in the gut wrenched me from my manic trudging, and I buckled over from the intensity. I sucked in a breath and gritted my teeth through the pain. I had to clear my mind to search Talon’s.

Talon! Talon, are you okay?

Nothing. Of course. Why didn’t this damned connection work both ways? Squeezing my eyes shut, I focused on my bodyguard—the man who had become so much more to me in the past months. I could see his face, make out each fine line at the corners of his eyes and mouth. His scent filled my nostrils and drew me to him.

Hayden, watch out!

Jab, jab, duck.

Thax—where did he go?

Damn, these she-devils are strong.

A slew of jumbled thoughts raced through my mind, some Talon’s but also the other guys’. It was all too chaotic and muddled to decipher. But one thing was clear, they were in trouble.

I ran my hand over my side where the phantom pain had been, but it was gone. I searched my insides for Talon’s signature. He was okay. Maybe wounded by the slight sluggishness creeping through the bond, but he was alive.

His parting words rang out in my head as I glanced at my watch. Only five minutes to go. From the sounds of things, they wouldn’t make it in time.

I pivoted to Vander. “I know we don’t know each other, but I wish you’d wake up so you could tell me what to do. I don’t know much about you, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t want me to leave Talon either. I never had any siblings, but I’m fairly sure leaving your brother is never an option, regardless of orders.”

I stared at him for another few seconds, hoping he’d magically wake up and answer me. Another slew of curses rang out in my mind, a mixture of Talon’s and Dallas’s by the silky baritone. “You’re right, Vander. I should go after them. Screw orders, right?” I knew what I had to do. It was the only way to keep my word to Talon and make sure he and the guys were okay.

I leapt up and muttered the words I now knew backwards and forwards. The portal blinked to life, it’s swirling blue lighting up the dark tunnel. “Come on, buddy.” I slung Vander’s arm over my shoulder and heaved. Damn, this guy was heavy. I should’ve opened the portal a little closer. Calling on all the strength I could muster, I dragged the big werewolf to the opening and gave him a little shove. As I muttered the words of the incantation, I visualized the prison infirmary and our resident healer, Fiona. Please let this work, please let this work.

The whirling winds subsided and shrank into a pin-size hole until it disappeared altogether. I gave myself a quick pat on the back and darted down the tunnel in which the guys’