Page 47 of Burn for Her
What the hell? “Am I the threat?” Because that was just laughable. Lena turned when she heard someone come up behind her.
Then she was knocked out cold.
Dorian came to, chained to a wall in the back room of the club, with dried blood smeared all over his face and neck. He looked up at the sound of someone else entering the room.
“Your woman is a fearless one,” Victoria said as she carried Lena in. “Can’t say the irony’s lost there.”
He strained against his shackles, desperate to get to her. “What have you done?”
“Lay her down gently or he’s going to lose it again,” Lucian said from Dorian’s right.
Dorian couldn’t remember how he got here, or what he’d done to warrant being chained, but at this rate nothing would surprise him. And he didn’t care. All that mattered was Lena. He didn’t want her in this club, around him, or the other vampires here. This club wasn’t just for the House of Death. It was open to all vampires who needed to release their tensions. Or feed. “Get her out of here.”
“Not a chance,” Victoria wiped her hands over her latex pants. “She stays with you until you turn her.”
“What? No!”
“Yes,” Lucian shoved his face in Dorian’s. “We’re not willing to lose you. And the fact that you’re unraveling this quickly only convinces us more that this is the right thing to do.”
“I’m unraveling as is my fate.”
“Bind her! Turn her, damnit!”
“No!” Dorian jerked against his chains. “I can’t curse her like that! I refuse to bring her into our Hell.”
He saw stars when Victoria slapped him with all the strength she had. He was pretty sure she knocked a tooth loose. “Get over yourself, Dorian.”
Good thing he didn’t have use of his hands because he would strangle her. “Get Lena out of here.”
“Fine,” Victoria grabbed Lena’s ankles and started dragging her back towards the door.
Dorian roared in fury.
“You’re fighting your nature, Dorian. Stop.” Lucian walked over to Lena.
Dorian couldn’t stand the idea of her laying on this filthy, dirty, nasty fucking floor. His voice cracked when he said, “Pick her up.” Dorian shook with rage and disgust when no one obeyed. “Damnit, Lucian, pick her the fuck up!”
But when Lucian bent down to scoop her into his arms, Dorian went ballistic for a whole new reason. “Get off her!”
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Victoria grumbled. “Which is it, Dorian? Want Lucian to hold her close, take her away from you, and watch over her until you turn to ashes? Or should he let her just lay here unconscious on the grimy floor where you can keep an eye on her from your shackles?”
He… he didn’t have an answer. Dorian wanted to gag. “Please get her off the floor. She deserves better.”
“Then show her better. Give her exactly what she deserves, Reaper.” Victoria walked out of the room, stepping right over Lena like she was trash.
“I’m going to unlock your cuffs,” Lucian warned. “Don’t chew my fucking throat out, Dorian. This is all for your own good.”
“It’s for yours,” Dorian snarled. So betrayed and furious with his best friend, he almost didn’t want to be unchained for fear of popping Lucian’s head clean off. “You just don’t want to lose the only animal you have left to protect the House.”
“Dorian!” Victoria castigated from the doorway.
“It’s true,” Lucian admitted. “I don’t want to lose you. None of us do. But you’re not our only source of force, you cocky sonofabitch.” He took a cheap shot and punched Dorian in the gut before unchaining him. “I care about you, man. If you weren’t already so unraveled, I’d wipe this filthy floor with your face.” Lucian unlocked the shackles and Dorian slammed to his knees like deadweight.
Crawling over to Lena without even thinking, his every action was instinct driven. His fangs pulsed with the need to bite her. His body roared to make her his so no one else would come near her again.
“Take her home,” Lucian swung the door open.
Dorian’s arms slipped under Lena’s warm body of their own accord. He picked her up as if she weighed no more than a pillow. He turned to look at Lucian, pleading with his best friend. “I don’t know how I can do this.”