On the Prowl (Bad Things #2)(7)

He’s trouble. Bad trouble for me.

“Take my blood,” he said, still staring down at her. “Then we have to get the hell out of here because you’re not safe.”

What?

“Take it,” he gritted. He wasn’t touching her. She was the one who had her hands slammed onto his chest. “Hurry.”

She glanced around. No one else was in the alley. She didn’t see anyone in the shadows.

“Do I need to do this myself?”

She felt his muscles shift beneath her hands. She glanced back and saw that he’d lifted his left hand to his throat and his claws were out. Those claws still made her nervous. “Julian, what are you—”

He cut his throat. Not too deep, just a little slice and the blood began to drip down his throat. The smell hit her instantly and her fangs shot out to fill her mouth. She rose onto her toes and licked that little trickle of blood. And at that first taste, the surge of power hit her.

Shifter power. It was like a high, a rush from the best drug in the world. It filled every inch of her body and she just wanted to take and take.

The first time she’d had Julian’s blood, she’d been scared out of her mind. The rush had left her shaken and she’d run from him.

She’d been running ever since.

But right then, her hands were tight on him. Her high heels dug into the cement and her teeth sank into him. His hands flew up and locked around her hips and he pulled her even closer to him.

“Missed you…” His gruff whisper. Words that she must have just imagined because there was no way he would ever say that to her. He’d changed her, he’d left her, and he’d nearly destroyed her.

“There she is!” A sharp voice called out, barely penetrating the fog of her blood lust.

“Got to stop, love,” Julian told her as he gently pushed her away from his throat. “I’ll give you more later. Promise.”

She was dazed, still riding that incredible high, but he moved quickly, shoving her behind him just as—

Bam!

Bam!

Those were the terrible noises that still filled her worst dreams. Gunfire. The blasts coming to wreck her life. But this wasn’t a nightmare. This was reality. And…this time, the bullets didn’t hit her.

They sank into Julian’s chest. He’d pushed her behind him and the shots had hit him.

“No!” The scream tore from her but Julian…he wasn’t falling. He lunged forward and rushed at the two men who’d snuck into the little alley. He slashed out with his claws and raked across the chest of one man, sending him falling to the ground as blood sprayed into the air.

The second man lifted his weapon and fired again, but Julian just laughed. “What is that shit supposed to do? Barely even stings.”

The guy stared at his weapon in shock. “It…it knocks out vamps. The tranq is supposed to take vamps down—”

Julian yanked the weapon out of the guy’s hand and threw it against the nearest brick wall. The gun shattered. “Your bad luck, mate,” he curtly announced. “I’m no vamp.” He slammed his head into the other man’s. Julian heard the crunch of bones and the shooter went down.

He didn’t get up.

Julian looked back at Rose. She’d frozen against the wall. Julian’s blood still dripped down his throat. As she stared at him, he raised his hand and held it out to her, beckoning.

He wanted her to go with him? Rose shook her head. “No, thank you.”

His face hardened. “I know you don’t have a reason to trust me, but I’m not here to hurt you. Your enemies are closing in, love. My job is to keep you safe. Consider me your paranormal protection.”

Her gaze drifted down his chest. “They…shot you.”

“With vamp tranq. Dumbasses. That was their cock up.”

Cock up. Mistake. Right. Sometimes, he used some old British slang. She used to find it cute, charming—

No. Rose slammed the door on their past. That door had to stay shut, if she was supposed to keep her sanity in place.

His hand still reached toward her. “I want this to be your choice. I need it to be.”

She blinked.

“Come with me. Trust me. Right now.”

But she couldn’t. After everything that had happened between them, maybe because of everything, she couldn’t. Sometimes, there was just too much blood and pain and death for trust. “Stay away from me.” She kept her back to the wall as she edged toward the mouth of the alley.

“Rose…You need me.” Frustration cracked in his voice.

Every time they were together, things just ended in pain. Or her death. “Stay away.” Then she gave up trying to creep out of his sight. She turned and ran, heading for escape like the desperate woman that she was.

Two vampire hunters had come for her? Who’d sent them? The government? No way would she become Uncle Sam’s prisoner again. She wouldn’t be anyone’s prisoner. And trusting Julian? No, not possible.

Not with the dark truths she’d learned about him.

Julian Craig wasn’t some hero. He was as far from a white knight as it was possible to be. He was darkness. He was death. He was the monster that she should have feared from the very beginning.

Her high heels clicked as she ran for the parking lot. She didn’t hear Julian behind her, but then, he was too good to make a sound. He hunted like the deadly panther that he was.