Page 109 of Heartbeat Girl

Then it came. The power. The manifestation of what I can only describe as intensity. That burst of multi-colored feelings, especially the hunger. Oh god. My lips moved. I remembered. Jayne, Liam’s heartbeat girl, had to die. All I saw and heard was Liam’s scream, the terror bleeding from his eyes as he tried to reach me in time. He hadn’t known I came here to die, but it wasn’t as if I could have told him.

My eyes shot open. I rapidly took everything in. Six vampires, including Marilyn, had been in the house with us before she broke my neck. Only two men remained. Baring her fangs, she hissed as Liam prowled around her. Steve and Pete handled the other two. It seemed my vampires were on a killing spree.

I reached out and touched my teeth. My fangs protruded, and I recalled Larissa’s warning:

Now remember. Your new vampire abilities don’t fully awaken until you drink blood for the first time. Youmustdrink from someone.

I stood and froze when I sensed something new bursting to life inside me. I inhaled sharply as I took in my vampires. The pull, the magic, thebondburning between us. No wonder they were so drawn to me, like I was to them. Liam, Steve, and Pete. They really weremyvampires. I felt the connection growing, twisting, and begging to reach them entirely. It wasn’t complete. Marilyn needed to die for that to happen. But they belonged to me already. My vampires. My family. Mine to protect. Mine to claim.

I sensed their pain, their anguish, and their love. And I sensed so Liam perfectly. It was like we shared the same mind. He grew weaker and weaker. The weight of his arms and legs was heavy as he moved. But he sensed none of that, because all he cared about was his love for me. It became a seething hatred directed at Marilyn.Wait for me, Jayne.Liam’s thoughts drifted to me before he murmured. “I’ll join you soon.”

Liam… My lover.You don’t have to go anywhere. I came back to you.

Looking to the left, I spotted Pete. His agony bled through the cracks of the bond forming between us.It’s my fault. All mine. Jayne’s gone. Gone.

His self-loathing thoughts made me cringe. Couldn’t he see I got to this moment because of him?Oh, Pete. Forever the sweetheart.

Then my eyes found Steve, who held a vampire by the head. In one swift move, he snapped his neck. As Steve bent down to retrieve a broken chair leg, I heard his angry thoughts.This wasn’t supposed to happen. Jayne wasn’t supposed to—now I can’t even—

“I’ll kill you, bitch!” he yelled at Marilyn and froze.

Was it the fact he spoke the threat aloud that surprised him? The thoughts of all three of the band members stopped. In sync as always, my vampires looked in my direction. Marilyn’s blonde hair swayed across her shoulder as she turned with them. Her eyes reddened and her fangs lengthened as she hissed. “I’m really getting tired of you.”

My lips curled upward. I ran toward her at the same time she charged at me.

“Marilyn, don’t go near her. She’s—”

I got you,Pete’s thoughts entered my head. A grunt and several thumps followed, but I focused more on Marilyn. The bitch went straight for my face. Her long nails swung at me like claws. I dodged her first scratch and gripped her wrists.

“You!” she screamed.

I smiled. “Yes,me.”

Marilyn kicked me in the waist. I groaned, stumbling before taking her by the shoulders. With all the strength I had, I pushed her back. Her heels clicked repeatedly, but I didn’t stop until her back slammed into the wall. The brick buckled. I ignored the debris falling around my feet and pressed my body into hers.

I wanted to be the last thing she saw. So she’d know Liam didn’t belong to her. So she’d know that she no longer controlled Steve or Pete. With her death, I would deliver their freedom.

I rammed my elbow into her throat, and she coughed.

I glared. “I told you, you shouldn’t have said that.”

“How?” she croaked. Her eyebrows came together. “How did you steal them from me? You weren’t even a vampire.”

She didn’t deserve an answer. Opening my mouth wide, I bit into her neck. It was like taking a shot of caffeine amplified by a thousand. Or that very first sip of hot coffee in the mornings. Only this elixir didn’t just heat my throat going down. It warmed everything, bringing an undead soul to life. Flavors burst into my mouth. I groaned at how good her blood tasted. Even from a bitch like Marilyn. I tossed my head back and panted. Power surged through me like a lightning strike.

Marilyn said, “You dare drink—”

“Yes, I dare! You won’t force your body or lifestyle on anyone anymore.”

Marilyn met my eyes, brows raising. “You’re a sire,” she spat. “I hope someone takes what you’ve stolen from me.”

“They were only yours because you forced them. My bond will exist through love and friendship. I won’t betray nor abuse this link vampirism has given me like you have,” I vowed as I put pressure on her neck. She clawed at my arm. I ignored the stings as I poked her chest with my index finger. “Now, let’s see how strong I am.” Aligning my fingers against the middle of her chest, I pushed against her bones.

“Jayne.” Liam’s voice drifted near my ear. He rested his palm on my shoulder, pulling my attention toward him. That only made Marilyn lash out. Liam grabbed her arm and snapped it backward. Bone pierced through her skin as she cried out.

“You don’t have to kill for us. Let me kill her.”I will kill for you. I’ll do anything for you, even die.I didn’t listen to Liam’s random thoughts. Somehow, they entered my mind.

Pushing deeper with my fingers, Marilyn’s bones started to give, and so did my nails. I winced as several peeled back in my effort to crack through bones. Her red eyes filled with blood as she sucked in a breath. I ignored my throbbing hand. The icky gush of fluids and texture and the crack of her ribs were harder to overlook, though. But I never took my eyes off her face. When I touched what I believed to be her heart, I grabbed and squeezed. Her mouth dropped, and I watched the life leave her.