her scent, weaving down the rows of garage-style units. This close, I could smell her so powerfully, like she was standing right next to me, calling to me. But her scent was actually coming from the backside of the lot from a storage container facing some woods. I also instantly scented the other girls. This prick.
Without hesitation, I ripped open the corrugated steel door, tearing a gap from the floor halfway to the ceiling. Within two seconds, I bent it back so that I could step through. And there was Adam, staring at me with wide eyes and a sudden jolt of fear.
“You better be scared, motherfucker.”
Isadora was unconscious on one mattress on the floor, her hair hiding her face. Another girl was curled into a ball, watching with a similar expression as Adam. But she had nothing to fear. Not anymore.
Then I was on him, pummeling him to the floor with one punch to the face. But I couldn’t stop. Falling to straddle him, I kept on wailing. I had enough sense to pull my punches so I wouldn’t crush his skull. He would stand trial. He would face the Guild’s Court because I wanted the Bellingrath’s name to be dragged through the mud. Killing this asshole was so tempting. So very, very tempting. But public humiliation and the removal of his powers by Jules would make a deeper mark than a Stygorn losing his fucking mind and killing a blood thief. I didn’t want to waste a minute of my time facing the Stygorn Guild to defend my excessive actions. But I still wanted him to pay.
I’d moved my punches to his ribs, cracking a few with great satisfaction when arms grabbed mine and hauled me back bodily.
“Stop, Devraj,” growled Ruben.
I did, standing over the bloody mess of Adam Bellingrath, fallen son of a high family, blood thief whose time was up.
“He’s unconscious,” said Ruben.
“He’s lucky he’s not dead,” I growled, heaving in deep breaths and trying to come back from the maddening rage. “How’d you get here so fast?”
“My grim got another signal right after you left.” Ruben let me go and nodded toward Adam. “I’ve got him. Go to Isadora.”
Isadora.
I wrenched away and marched to her. I knelt in front of the mattress, trembling with uncontrollable fear at the thought of her in harm’s way. Ruben had arrived on scene first, his speed much faster than his other men. He was older and stronger than them.
I brushed her hair away from her face, which had fallen from the ponytail. Moving my hands to her neck, I checked for new wounds with trembling hands, but I found none and breathed a shaky sigh of relief.
By the time I’d gotten my shit together and pulled her into my arms, Ruben had zip-tied Adam’s wrists, though he was still comatose and would be for a while if the sting on my knuckles had anything to say about it.
Ruben crooned to the girl paralyzed with fear, “It’s all over, Kara. You’re safe now.” She didn’t believe him, but then a wash of glamour draped the room as he pulled her into his web. It was necessary. These girls had been through an ordeal and would need glamour to wipe the fear away so Ruben could get them out of here and to a supernatural healer. Then they’d need their memories erased before they were delivered back to their families.
“I’m taking her home,” I told Ruben as he removed the restraints around Kara’s wrists.
“I’ll text Jules and tell her you’re on your way.” He stopped and looked up at me. “Is she unharmed?”
Meaning, did that fucker have time to bite her?
“She is. Though she’ll have a headache from the heavy dose of Rohypnol he obviously used on her.”
He gritted his teeth and pulled his phone out to send a text, Kara now sleeping from his glamour. “Jules is going to kill me.”
“What’s new?” I asked, trying for levity now that Isadora was cradled safely in my arms.
Ruben had a fucking mess to clean up and set straight with the vampires under his district. And no doubt, Jules would give him hell for letting it get this out of hand.
Roland, Gabriel, and two others suddenly appeared, a gust of wind coming with them. They quickly scanned the open garage.
Ruben nodded to the container next door. “Get the other girls. Use glamour to put them to sleep. They’ll fear your intentions. Let’s get them out of here. Gabriel, text Barbara and tell her