just before she opened it, a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She flicked her wide eyes to Doug and saw that he’d picked up on it as well.
“That little weasel,” Doug seethed.
He kicked the door open, and side by side, they stepped into the room with guns raised. “Wait,” Olivia shouted. “Don’t shoot.”
Jerry was chained to the bed and blindfolded. Thick ropes of silver were wrapped around his neck and gagged his mouth, while all four of his limbs were lashed to the bedposts.
Michael Moriarty stood calmly next to him with a gun pointed at his head.
“Took you long enough,” Moriarty snapped. He inched the gun closer to Jerry, who was passed out cold. While Olivia was pretty damn mad that her snitch had snitched on her, she didn’t want him to die. Moriarty flicked his beady eyes to Olivia. “Your friend here decided to warn The Maker and tell him about your little visit.”
“Who turned you, Michael?” Olivia tightened her grip on the gun. The faint scent of Rogue One filled the room like a phantom. “Tell us, or you’re going to end up like the rest of the rogues.”
“I gotta admit—I freaked the fuck out when I woke up at the medical examiner’s office, but once I got a taste of her and drank her sweet blood… everything felt better.”
“You killed Miranda?” Doug said through clenched teeth. “Too bad you and your maker missed our little party in the tunnels.”
“Yeah, he was pretty steamed that you two wiped out his brand-new coven.” He jutted his chin out. “I mean, there was a hell of a party around here, and you had to go and ruin it.”
“Moriarty,” Doug said tightly. “You and me go way back, and you know I’m not going to play these games. You’re gonna go down one way or the other. Human. Vampire. Cloud of dust. I don’t give a shit.”
“Paxton,” he spat. “Even as a vampire, you’re a pain in my ass. I know this will be a blow to your overblown ego, but this whole situation has nothing to do with you.” Moriarty smirked and shook his head as he leered at Olivia. “What the hell did you do to piss him off so bad, huh? You know, you’re the whole reason he came back to New York and started getting this coven together. Then, after you wiped ’em all out in the tunnels last night, I wanted to help him build it again. He was so steamed all he could think about was killing you and hitting you where it hurts, so he’s moved on to phase two. He left me here with Jerry so I could give you a message.”
“Me? Phase two?” Olivia’s brow furrowed as she struggled to understand what this could possibly have to do with her. “What are you talking about, Moriarty?”
A smile slithered across his face as he leered at her. “Been back to your club tonight, Olivia?”
Panic slammed into her as she realized what he meant. “Oh my God.”
Moriarty laughed. Olivia saw the microscopic movement of his finger tightening on the trigger, but before he could shoot, she flew across the room, tackling him against the wall. His gun fired and clattered to the floor.
Somewhere through the frenzy of rage, she could hear Doug’s voice calling her name as she sank her fangs into Moriarty’s neck and ripped his throat out. Blood sprayed over her as she tore his head from his body, turning him into a cloud of smoking ash.
Shaking with fury and drowning in panic, two strong hands gripped her arms and shook her, pulling her from the abyss. As her vision cleared, she found herself looking into a pair of painfully beautiful blue eyes—eyes that were laced with worry and a touch of fear.
“Liv?” He said her name gently as his fingers curled around her upper arms. “Liv, are you alright? Hey, can you hear me?”
She blinked as the fog lifted. Olivia allowed herself to lean against Doug’s body for support as she regained her bearings. It had been a long time since she lost it like that, and it was more unsettling than she remembered.
She glanced to the bed and saw the bullet had missed Jerry, and although Doug had released him from the silver, he was pretty banged up. The burns were healing; however, the little guy was pretty out of it.
“Wake up and get out of here, Jerry,” she said in an unsteady voice.
“I’m sorry, Olivia.” His dark eyes filled with tears, and his slim body shook uncontrollably as he struggled to remain conscious. “I was going to call you, but didn’t want you to be mad at me for being big jerk.”
The cold hand of panic grabbed her by the throat as everything that Moriarty said came rushing back. Olivia clutched the front of Doug’s coat. “The girls and Damien.”
A sob choked her as it all came together.
“Oh my God.” Her wide eyes latched onto Doug. “The Maker—it’s Vincent, and he’s going to kill my family.”
Chapter 16
As they approached The Coven, Doug’s concern for Olivia grew with each passing moment. She kept trying to communicate with the girls since they left the apartment but was met with a deafening silence. Apprehension and worry rolled off her in thick waves, and when he suggested they get Pete, she balked at the idea. There was no time.
Doug could feel the pull of the sun as it began to rise. He hoped like hell that it wouldn’t weaken him, but he figured it would affect this asshole Vincent the same way. The only positive thing he could find in their current situation was that they still had a full set of ammo and a boatload of sterling silver.
When they reached the club, they went to the back entrance in the alley. Doug grabbed Olivia’s arm and turned her to face him. In the dim light he could still see her green eyes clearly, and they were hard, cold, and full of vengeance, but he also sensed fear. She was terrified that the girls and Damien were already dead.
“Wait a second.” He took her face in both hands and paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. She resisted. “Hey. I know we have to get in there, but listen to me for a second.”
Doug’s gut clenched as he stared into the pools of green. She always tried to act so tough, and when he saw her lose it back at the hotel, she revealed her vulnerability.
“I know you’re frightened and worried about the girls, but we can’t go running in there half-cocked. We need a game plan.” He dropped his hands and folded them over his chest, wanting to give her the freedom to take the lead, even though it went against his nature. “You lead, and I’ll follow, but I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“It’s quite simple really.” Her jaw set defiantly. “We get in there and see what’s going on inside the club. Then we blow Vincent’s arrogant fucking head off.”
“What about the girls?” Her stern expression faltered at his mention of the girls. “I know you don’t want to accept it, but it’s possible that they could be dead already.”
“No.” Olivia shook her head furiously. “They might be incapacitated, but they’re not dead. I’d know it, Doug. They’re a part of me, and I believe that I’d feel it if they were destroyed.” Her mouth set in a grim line, and her voice dropped. “I
Before he could say another word, she spun on her heel, and instead of going to the door, she shoved the dumpster aside as if it weighed nothing, revealing yet another entrance to the network of tunnels. “You didn’t think I would walk right into the club, did you?”
Doug smiled and shook his head as they dropped silently into the tunnels beneath the club. They flew down the corridor and then up a flight of stairs, stopping outside her office, but Doug grabbed her arm before she opened the door.
Olivia nodded once and drew both of her weapons. She hit the red panel to the left of the door with her shoulder while Doug stood ready with both barrels pointed at the door. She squatted below Doug’s guns and trained her weapons on the small office as well, but it was empty.
They slipped inside as the door shut soundlessly. Pounding music from the club filled the space, and he could feel the deep bass beat through his entire body. The club may have been closed, but it sounded like good old
