Page 79 of Midnight Kiss

“There were three of them,” Michael said, after a moment of quiet.

Morgan backed up and leaned against the counter.

Michael gave me all the details, and the longer he spoke, the hotter I became. I had never felt this before. This … rage. They had taken Emily? And it was because of what the Elders had said. She was unlocked because of our night together. And they could sense it, even if they didn’t know what it meant.

“I’ll get her back,” I said.

“Yeah. Sure, you will,” Michael said.

“You doubt me?”

“I don’t care what you do.” Michael laughed. “You’ve done nothing but cause discord and strife in her life and ours.”

“Hear, hear,” Morgan said. “I didn’t think I’d ever support this asshole.” She jerked her thumb toward Michael. “But here we are. You’re way worse. You’re a liar.”

I accepted what she’d said but swept it aside.

“I’m calling in my hunters,” Michael said. “They’re going to find her and bring down you and your covens.”

“Futile,” I said. “You’ll die trying.”

“Did you forget the part where I took down two of you?”

“Well, technically, the magic took down the first one,” Morgan said.

“Shut up,” Michael growled back. “It counts as two. They came through my door and two of them died in here.” He pointed toward a pile of ash in the kitchen then patted the stake hanging from his belt. “I’m the one who killed them while you were throwing up in the bathroom.”

“Yeah, and I’m not a friggin’ vampire hunter or whatever. That’s you. I didn’t ask for any of this. And now Emily’s in danger because you two,” Morgan said, pointing from Michael to me and then back again, “couldn’t stop fighting over her long enough to tell the damn truth.”

“I’m sure that would have gone down well,” Michael said. “‘Hi, Emily, there are vampires and one of them is trying to get into your pants. Oh by the way, I’m a vampire hunter.’ Tell me you seriously think she would have believed that.”

“That’s not the point. You’re still a liar!”

I didn’t have time for this. Emily had been taken. “Blonde with blue eyes?” I prompted. “The vampire who took her?”

“Yes. And his name was Ezekial.”

My blood ran colder than it already was.

The name was familiar to me. Painfully familiar. I had spent more than enough time in Ezekial’s presence to know how dangerous he was. And just how much danger Emily was now in because she was within his reach.

I snarled, grinding my teeth.

“I don’t like that look on his face,” Morgan said. “Why do you look like that? What’s going on?”

“Ezekial,” I said, “is the right hand man of … of the leader of Sanguine Nox. He’s at the top of the organization. If they sent him and his brothers, then there would have been a good reason for it. They won’t let Emily go without a fight.”

“Oh crap.” Morgan scratched the back of her neck then put up her hand. “Question. Do you think I can, like, leave? Because I’m over being in this apartment with Michael.”

“It’s fine,” Michael said. “They were after Emily, not you. You can go.”

“You don’t have to be like that about it. Damn.”

I shook my head and left them to bicker, my steps sure as I sped toward the exit. Emily needed me, and my only choice was to report this to the U.C. so I could get her back. Though I wanted to, I couldn’t take Sanguine Nox down on my own.

They were a fortress. I knew because I’d been a part of their group. Reaching Emily would be incredibly difficult.

And time was quickly running out.