Ripper (Hunter #1)(99)

Stop pulling your f*cking punches and let a real woman do the job, a voice inside me growled.

Fighting to maintain some semblance of control, I searched around for a weapon. I ran from car to car, looking for anything I could use, but freaking college professors aren’t big on carrying weapons. There was a lot of tweed and great literature, but nothing in the way of guns.

Darren landed on the late-model piece of crap I was searching and the hood dented under his weight. He snapped at my head and I leaned back before catching him in the snout with as much strength as I could put in my fist. I didn’t look back as I moved on to the next car and finally hit pay dirt.

Somebody actually played a sport, and lucky for me it was baseball. Unlucky for me Mr. Shortstop remembered to lock his car door. I was desperate enough to rear back and shove my fist through the back door window. It cracked against my fist, the pain blossoming, but I was able to ignore it. Blood start to run. It reminded me I needed to fight. My fist closed around the bat as the wolf leapt onto my back. He bit down ferociously on my shoulder, close to my neck. The sharp, terrible sensation pushed me straight over the edge.

I roared, the beast in me firmly in control. I threw my body back in an attempt to dislodge the wolf. We hit the Volvo behind us and Darren foolishly let go as his spine hit the car. I took the opportunity to run and regroup. Behind me, I heard the elevator doors open.

“Oh my gosh, lady, do you need help?” a middle-aged man asked, taking in the sight of a young woman being assaulted by what I was sure he would describe as a big dog.

Darren growled at the man, but he walked bravely forward. “Shoo!” he yelled in a strong voice.

I turned and he got a good look at me.

That was when he ran.

I didn’t have time to ponder that as Darren was running full throttle toward me. I took the proper stance, knees apart and a little bent. In my state, I grinned at the thought of letting one fly. My elbow was up in a perfect imitation of Jamie on the L. D. Bell High School baseball team. When Darren pounced, I swung and hit. This time I caught him full in the head and his whole body twisted with the force. He didn’t whimper. He didn’t moan. He just went down.

I was nowhere near satisfied with that. Rage filled me. He’d thought he could kill me? I brought the bat down again and again. His big body twitched a time or two, but after a while he didn’t move anymore. Blood splattered, but I didn’t mind. It was only right that I cover myself in it. He was my enemy and I’d won our game.

My heart raced and I felt disappointed the game was over so quickly. I hit the body over and over, trying to get out all my rage. He’d tried to kill me, to take my life, but I’d shown him what it meant to cross me.

“Shit,” I heard a voice say behind me.

“Don’t get close to her,” another voice warned.

It was too late. Someone was reaching out to me.

“Kelsey,” Dev Quinn said as his hand touched my shoulder.

I reared back, all instinct and rage. He’d come into my killing field and dared to interrupt me. Swinging the bat back, I hit him full force across the chest. His emerald green eyes registered complete shock as his body flew away from me. He hit the concrete with a thud and a low moan came from his mouth. This one wasn’t dead yet. He needed another couple of hits before I could claim him. I held the bat over my head and was about to bring it down on the faery’s head when an arm shot out and I looked into seriously blue eyes.

Dan held my arm in his hand, the threat obvious. He would break it if I didn’t stand down.

“You don’t touch him,” he snarled around his really freaking big fangs. “He is mine.”

But in my mind he wasn’t. In my rage-addled brain, that faery was mine because he’d walked into my territory and tried to keep me from my rightful prey. Now the vampire was doing the same damn thing. He stared at me like he could scare me into backing down. Idiot.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp even as I kicked him straight on in the crotch. Vampires, I discovered, liked their privates uninjured as much as the human male. Dan went down with an outraged shout and I took advantage. I swung the bat straight down at his sandy blond head. My bat hit the concrete and split in two as the vampire nimbly rolled away in the nick of time.

It was okay. A broken bat becomes a handy stake.

“Daniel!” Quinn had managed to get to his knees. He pointed my way.

I rushed the vampire, the lovely pointed end in my right hand, his heart in my sights. Dan’s handsome face registered shocked and he took a defensive stance. His fist reared back and it was just a question of who handled the impact best.

Or it would have been, if the world hadn’t stopped on a single command.

“Sleep,” a peaceful, familiar voice said deep in my brain.

My hand lowered and I saw Marcus running toward me as I began to fall. I was in his arms as everything went black.





Chapter Fifteen





“Well, it’s been an awfully long time since I saw anyone put Daniel on his ass,” I heard a voice say as I started to come out of the darkness. “It was worth the broken ribs for that sight alone. I’m glad I took the bat in the chest instead of what happened to you. If that had happened to me, we would never have any more kids.”

“It’s not a f*cking joke, Dev,” a low voice growled. “She nearly killed you.”