Wild and Free (The Three #3)(184)
“You’ve obviously never been in love, *,” I muttered.
Let me in.
I heard Abel’s voice in my head and I blinked.
“I tire of this,” Etienne stated, suddenly stopping, and when he did, his army did the same.
Let me in, Delilah.
Uh-oh.
I was in a dream.
But I wasn’t in a dream. I was in a dream.
I stared at the sea of supernaturals before me.
With only one of Abel and my puny efforts, against all of them, neither of us would survive.
I did what I could (not knowing what the hell I was doing but still hoping) to hold him back.
“We need to give them incentive,” Etienne said to a vampire at his side. “Bring me a human.”
Fucking let me in!
In a flash, a vamp was gone.
Then he was right back, shoving a young woman who cried out in terror toward Etienne.
A teenager.
She was in her pajamas. A tight pink cami and cute pink bottoms with white and blue polka-dots on them.
She was sobbing, struggling, her fear reaching out, clawing at my flesh.
Etienne yanked her in front of him and put his hands on either side of her head.
He was going to break her neck or tear her head clean off. He was moving with a human’s speed and doing it so I could watch.
I knew it.
I knew.
I prepared to rush him, hoping Xun, Wei, and Chen gave me something that would allow me to stop this. To save one.
Just one.
Before they ended me.
Etienne’s lips curved in a sick smile.
But in the blink of an eye, faster than the girl could scream, she was no longer in his hands.
I felt a presence behind me, chanced turning, and stared at Abel, who was pushing the girl.
“Run!” he roared.
She ran.
*
In a Home Somewhere in Idaho
“Good God, honey, what is this?”
“Shh.”
“Oh my God, is that the man we saw earlier on Susannah—?”
“Shh!”
The woman sank down on the arm of the chair her husband was sitting in.
And together, they watched.
*
Gregor
“Shit, one of the dudes is there,” headphone man stated, and Gregor’s mouth got tight.
Her dreams.
Abel had gone to his mate in her dream.
“Have you located where the signal is coming from?” he asked.
“I got Control on it,” the man answered.
“Get them to move faster,” Gregor ordered.
“They’re doin’ the best—”
“Get them. To move. Faster,” Gregor hissed.
The guy nodded his head.
Gregor turned his eyes back to the monitors.
*
Delilah
“Retrieve her,” Etienne ordered.
“I wouldn’t do that,” Abel warned.
“Now,” Etienne snapped.
A vampire flew forward in a blur, but he dropped headless to the ground very visibly right beside me with Abel standing over him, the dead vampire’s head in his hands.
My man.
Awesome.
Even if that was serious gross.
Etienne turned to his other side.
“You, both of you, go,” Etienne commanded.
“We gonna do this?” Abel asked tauntingly before they did as Etienne demanded, tossing the head he held underarm like it was a soccer ball being thrown in for play. “Or are you gonna get smart real fast, get on your knees, and wait for The Council to get here and take you in so you can answer for all your f*cked-up shit?”
“I have two hundred and fifty immortals at my back, young Abel. Do you honestly think you can take us all?” Etienne returned, brows lifting.
“Man, wise up,” Abel shot back derisively. “I’m a destined member of The Three for a reason. So is my mate. Trust me, you do not wanna learn those reasons.”
“Honey,” I said, sidling toward him, not taking my eyes off Etienne, “don’t give away the good stuff.”
Abel’s hand shot out in a wink, capturing mine and tugging me behind his back.
“Don’t worry. She will not die. I have uses for her.” Etienne’s eyes slid down me in a way that made my stomach turn over nauseatingly and caused fury to start beating from my man. “You, we’ll take your head. But she will watch.”
“Done with this. You’re not gonna get on your knees, quit talkin’,” Abel demanded. “Time to play.”
Etienne shook his head like Abel was all kinds of stupid.
Then he said, “As you wish.” He turned to his right and nodded. “The both of you.” He turned to his left. “And both of you.” He twisted his torso and nodded three times. “You, you, and you.” He pointed beyond the supernaturals to an extra-large, extra-scary golem. “And you.”
He turned back to us and smiled, not quite finished, showing clear as day he was enjoying this.
Immensely.
“Secure the mate. Bring the hybrid to me alive.”
Eight-on-one and Abel had no weapons.
My stomach dropped.
“Now,” Etienne whispered.
*
In an Apartment Somewhere in Washington DC
“Thank God, he saved the girl,” a woman whispered, her coffee cup forgotten on the counter beside her, her eyes glued to the TV hanging from underneath her cabinets. “Now, I hope those two know what they’re doing.”