The woman had been tied up long enough that she needed assistance rising. Rachel watched as Etienne helped her up and hurried her over to her dog, whom she insisted on taking with her. He watched her go up the stairs, then moved quickly back to Rachel.
"How bad is it?" he asked once he was again kneeling at her side. "I can tell you're in pain. Did he hurt you again?"
Rachel nodded. "It was an accident. The crossbow went off when he hit Mrs. Craveshaw over the head with it, and he staked me in the chest."
A curse slid from Etienne's lips as he slipped a bag of blood out of his shirt. "It'll be warm and won't be enough, but it should ease the pain a little bit at least."
She didn't care if it was bacteria-ridden blood; she lifted it to her lips and slammed her teeth into it. The liquid drained out so quickly, Rachel could hardly believe she'd ingested it. She did feel a little better, though, and right away too, but it was only a little, a slight easing of the ache and perhaps a bit more strength. At least she didn't feel like she would pass out if she didn't bite someone immediately.
Rachel sucked every last drop out of the bag, then crumpled it up and shoved it in her pocket as Etienne snapped open the manacle around her ankle. He did it as easily as if it were made of nothing more than paper. He was obviously back to full strength thanks to the blood in his fridge.
"How did you get out of the office?" she asked as he helped her to her feet.
"Mother, Lucern, and Bastien," he answered. "They had to cut a hole out of the door with an acetylene torch. They're waiting out in the van," he added. "It took some talking to convince them to wait there too, I can tell you. I had to promise not to kill him."
Etienne caught her against his chest as she swayed. Concern flickered on his face, but it didn't hide the fury radiating from his eyes, and Rachel thought it would be a good idea to get him out of there before Pudge noticed their presence and the inevitable confrontation occurred. Promise or no promise, she didn't trust him not to kill the man--or get himself killed trying.
"There's more blood in Bastien's van. I'll take you out there, then come back and see to Pudge."
"No. Let the police handle him, Etienne," she said urgently.
"I have to--"
"Holy shit!"
Rachel and Etienne both turned toward the other end of the room. Pudge was frozen in the doorway, shock on his face as he stared at Etienne and Rachel.
Etienne immediately started toward him, but Rachel clung to his arm desperately, managing to hold him back. Or perhaps she merely reminded him of her presence. Whatever the case, he stopped and peered down at her, then moved her behind him and turned to face Pudge. But there was no Pudge to face. While Rachel had distracted him, the other man had disappeared.
"Where the--" Etienne began, then paused and stood a little straighter. He pushed her backward toward the stairs, his body blocking hers as Pudge reappeared, crossbow in hand. It was armed with a fresh stake and aimed directly at Etienne's heart.
Chapter Sixteen
"He's taking an awfully long time."
Bastien shifted behind the wheel of the van and glanced in the rearview mirror at his mother's face. Her expression reflected the worry and concern that had been in her voice, the same worry and concern he himself was suffering. Bastien had been most reluctant to let his younger brother go into Norman "Pudge" Renberger's house alone. Etienne had been so cold and furious, he'd feared what he might do. But that was Etienne's problem. It was his woman and his battle and, in the end, Bastien had decided to let him handle it... until he proved incapable of it.
"It hasn't been all that long," Lucern said from his position in the front passenger seat. "Don't forget he had to--What's this?"
Bastien glanced back to the house in time to see an older woman come rushing out. Short, gray-haired and cherubic, she carried a small furry bundle in her arms. They watched in silence as she rushed across the yard and into the house next door.
"That doesn't look good," Marguerite spoke the thought they all shared. They had expected Pudge to have Rachel here but hadn't even considered that anyone else might be in the house. Now they didn't know what to think. What had the woman been doing there? Had she seen Etienne? Or Rachel? She'd been fleeing as if all the demons of hell were on her tail.
"Perhaps you two should go in and see if Etienne needs any help." Their mother sounded anxious.
Bastien exchanged another glance with Lucern, reading the uncertainty in his brother's mind. Neither of them were sure they should interfere. Etienne wouldn't thank them if he had everything under control. The younger man hadn't said as much, but it had obviously been important to him to be the one to find and rescue Rachel, not to mention deal with the man who had been making his life such hell.
"Why don't we give him another couple of minutes?" Lucern finally suggested and Bastien nodded. They fell silent as they turned their attention back to the house. It was a short, tense wait. The three of them stiffened in their seats and exchanged wary glances when they heard the wail of a siren in the distance. They remained where they were as it drew nearer. It was a big city; the vehicle could be either the police or the fire department, it could be headed anywhere.
Bastien and Lucern reached for their door handles, however, when a police car turned down the street they waited in.
"Wait," Marguerite barked, making them pause. The brothers stayed where they were but unrolled their windows as the cruiser pulled into the driveway of the house next to Pudge's--the one the woman had just dashed into. She ran back outside now, still clutching something small and furry to her chest as she rushed the patrol car. There were two officers in the vehicle, one short and blond, the other a tall brunette. The dark-haired officer was the closest and the one the woman ran to as he got out from behind the steering wheel and slammed the door closed.
"He's gone crazy!" she shrieked. "He thinks he's a vampire! He wanted to eat my Muffin!"
"I certainly hope her muffin is the furball she's carrying," Lucern said with a dry humor that made Bastien laugh and dispelled some of the tension that had been gripping him.
"Who's gone crazy, ma'am?" They heard the blonde officer ask as he rounded the car to join the pair.