all directions. Just before Butch got pulled off, he yanked Rehvenge's shirt collar open.
There they were. Puncture marks right on the guy's throat.
"No... shit, no ..." Butch fought against the hard hands that grabbed at him, fought and kicked until somebody got in front of him, raised a fist and popped him one right in the face. As a bomb burst of pain went off in his left eye, he realized it was the female security guard who'd hit him.
Rehvenge plugged his cane into the floor and got up, his eyes a violent purple. "In my office. Now."
There was some conversation at that point, not that Butch was following much. The only thing he could focus on was the male in front of him and the evidence of the feeding. He pictured the guy's massive body underneath Marissa's, her face dropping down into his neck, her fangs piercing skin.
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No doubt Rehvenge had satisfied her. No. Doubt.
"Why did it have to be you?" Butch yelled into the fray. "I fucking like you. Why did it have to be you?"
"Time to go." V cranked Butch into a headlock. "I'm taking you home."
"Not right now you aren't," Rehvenge snarled. "He took me down in my house. I want to know what the fuck was going through his head. And then you're gonna want to give me a good goddamn reason why I shouldn't cap both his knees."
Butch spoke up nice and loud. "You fed her."
Rehvenge blinked. Lifted his hand to his neck. "Excuse me?"
Butch growled at the bite marks, his body trying to break free again. God, it was like there were two halves of him. One that made a little sense. And one that was completely off the curve. Guess which side was winning.
"Marissa," he spat. "You fed her."
Rehv's eyes peeled wide. "You're the one? You're the one she's in love with?"
"Yeah."
Rehv sucked in a shocked breath. Then he rubbed his face and dragged his collar together, hiding the wounds.
"Oh... hell. Oh... for fucking hell." He turned away. "Vishous, get him gone and sober him up. Jesus Christ, the world is too goddamned small tonight, it really is."
By this time, Butch's knees were going rubber and the club was starting to spin like a top. Man, he was much more drunk than he'd thought, and that blow to the puss hadn't helped.
Right before he passed out, he groaned, "It should have been me. She should have used me..."
Mr. X parked the minivan on an alley off Trade Street and got out. The city was gearing up for the night, the bars cranking their music and filling with the soon-to-be drunk and drugged.
Time to hunt for Brothers.
As Mr. X shut the door and adjusted his weapons, he looked over the Town & Country's hood at Van.
Man, he was still disappointed as hell at the guy's performance in the ring. Spooked, too. But then again, it was going to take a while for the power to coalesce. No lesser came out fresh from his initiation at full strength, and there was no reason to think that Van was any different just because he was the prophesied one.
Shit, though.
"How will I tell who's a vampire?" Van asked.
Ah, yes. The job at hand. X cleared his throat. "The civilians will recognize you because they can smell you, and you'll notice them when they get scared. As for the Brothers, there's no mistaking them. They're bigger Page 184
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and more aggressive than anything you've ever seen and they are first strikers. They will come after you if they see you."
They walked out onto Trade. The night was sharp as a slap, that combination of cold and damp that had always energized X to fight before. Now, though, his focus was different. He had to be out in the field because he was the Fore-lesser, but all he cared about was keeping him and Van on this side of reality until the guy matured into what he was.
They were about to duck into an alley when Mr. X stopped. Swiveling his head, he looked behind them. Then across the street.
"What is it-"
"Shut up." Mr. X closed his eyes and let his instincts go to work. Calming down, zoning out, he stretched his mental feelers through the night.
The Omega was nearby.
He flipped his lids open, thinking that had to be bullshit, though. The master couldn't come over to this side without the Fore-lesser.
And yet the Evil was close.
Mr. X pivoted around