Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight Book 3)(56)

They turned together and she saw Garrison frantically waving at them as he ran down Bourbon Street. He shoved people out of his way, muttering apologies as he went. “Aidan, I know what happened to Paris!”

So did they. Or rather, they knew who had happened to Paris.

Then Garrison was in front of them, breathing heavily, his cheeks flushed. “Annette…she gave me Paris’s blood.”

Aidan grabbed the guy and pushed him against the wall of Hell’s Gate, moving them away from the humans who were eager for their drinks and parties as they strolled down Bourbon Street.

“She wanted me to take the blood to Dr. Heider and get him to run his tests.” Garrison’s words tumbled out so fast that Jane had to strain to understand him.

“Slow down, Garrison,” she urged him. So I can figure out what’s going on.

His gaze snapped toward her. “It was you.”

Jane’s brows shot up. “What?”

“Your blood and Paris’s blood…the doc said they’re showing the same characteristics. The blood that Paris was given was yours. That’s why he changed. He had your blood in him when he died.”

She could feel Aidan’s stare on her. She looked at him and sure enough, that glittering blue gaze had locked on her. “I didn’t give it to him,” Jane said.

“I know,” he gritted out. “Roth f*cking did.”

But where had Roth gotten her blood? And why had he given it to Paris?

Aidan rolled back his shoulders. “Garrison, go back to Annette and Paris. Stay there until you hear from me.”

Garrison nodded. “Right. But, um, what am I supposed to do there?”

“Keep them both alive. If anyone comes gunning for Paris, you take them the f*ck out, got it?”

The bright color faded from Garrison’s cheeks. He stared at Aidan, and suddenly, the guy didn’t look so young. “I got it, alpha. I got it.”

***

He hadn’t asked the right questions. That alone told Aidan just how far gone he was. Days ago, he never would have made a mistake like that. His mind was in damn chaos, and he’d screwed up.

And I put Jane in danger. I should have eliminated the guy when I had the chance.

Aidan leapt up the steps that would take him to Roth Sly’s apartment. Jane was right in front of him, her gun was already in her hand.

He’d had Roth in his grasp, and he’d let the bastard go. I won’t be making the same mistake again.

Jane thought they were going to interrogate the guy. That Roth would get taken into police custody when they were done with him. Just because he was human, did Jane seriously think Aidan was going to let the fellow live?

He hurt Paris. He’s been stalking Jane. That f*cker is going down.

They reached the landing. His nostrils twitched and the coppery scent that reached him stirred the vamp within.

Blood. A whole f*cking lot of it.

When he heard Jane’s sharply indrawn breath, he knew she’d caught the scent, too. They both ran for the apartment door on that second floor—the historic building only had two floors, and the bottom floor was a closed down book store. Aidan beat her to the apartment door and he kicked it in, making the wood splinter. He rushed inside, his claws out, his fangs ready to bite—and then he found his prey.

Roth Sly lay on the floor, a growing pool of blood beneath him. Jane rushed to Roth’s side, slipping a bit in the blood. She put her hand to his neck—jeez, the bastard’s throat had been cut nearly from ear to ear and the blood was pumping out of him fast.

“He’s still alive!” Jane cried. She slapped her hands over his neck, trying to stop that wild flow of blood.

That scent…So much f*cking blood.

Every muscle in Aidan’s body tensed.

“He needs an ambulance!” Jane yelled. “Aidan, we have to get help!”

Help wasn’t going to arrive in time for that guy. Aidan saw the truth clear as freaking day. Why didn’t Jane see it, too?

“Who did this to you?” Jane leaned over Roth. “Look at me, tell me—”

But Roth was trying to frantically turn his head away from Jane, struggling weakly with his last bit of strength. Because I told the bastard to not so much as look at her again. Aidan surged forward even as he tried to stamp down the bloodlust that was rising within him. Like a damn buffet in here. So much blood.

His heart drummed in his chest. He bent next to Jane, right in that blood, and put his hands on top of hers. “Who did this?”

Roth’s lips parted. He was trying to speak, but no words were coming out. Had his attacker severed his vocal cords?

Shit, shit.

Roth began to jerk beneath his hold. “He isn’t going to make it, Jane,” Aidan snarled. The human was going to die, any moment, unless…

Unless Aidan gave him blood. Alpha blood might just give the guy the strength to hold on a bit longer, but…

I don’t know what my blood will do to him. Werewolf and vamp blood…straight to a human? Just what kind of monster would he make then?

“No, Aidan,” Jane said as if reading his mind. “It’s too risky. We don’t know—”

A guttural cry broke through Jane’s words. That cry didn’t come from Roth—the guy was barely breathing. Instead, that choked cry of fury came from the man who’d just lunged through the broken doorway, a man with dark hair and eyes too much like Jane’s.