Cassidy’s skin crawled at the idea of going back there, but she couldn’t deny the prospect of being anywhere private with Dante was as tempting as Pandora’s box. She tried to keep her discomfort and excitement hidden, but she knew she failed when Dante rested his hand on her hip again.
Dante touched Cassidy in the hopes of soothing the unease emanating from her. She was the most alluring woman he’d ever encountered, and he planned to learn more about her, but it would not be in a place like this.
“Thanks for the offer, but we’ll pass,” Dante said.
“Then I don’t see any reason for the two of you to remain here,” Zan said.
“Neither do I. I’ll call a taxi, and we’ll be on our way.”
“I suggest calling from outside.”
Before Dante could reply, a shout came from one of the booths.
Chapter Twelve
A vampire stood on a bench seat in a booth and leapt across the table at another vamp. The tackled man let out a garbled shout before hitting the ground. Their feet caught the table in the center of the booth and flipped it into the air. The table hit the wall as the candle smashed against the floor, and the melted wax extinguished its flame.
As they rolled across the ground, they knocked a stool out from under a woman vampire. She hit the ground with a loud cry, and as the two fighters continued to pummel each other, she hammered her boot into one of their faces. Blood from the vamp’s broken nose sprayed the woman and floor; the scent of it caused more heads to turn in their direction.
“You assholes!” the large, male vamp with the woman shouted as he rose from the table so fast it fell over and nearly hit the fighters. “I’m going to kill you!”
“Shit,” Zan hissed as he pushed himself away from the bar. “Bull! I need your help over here.”
Zan stalked toward the vamps pummeling each other as the vamp guarding the door rose from his stool. The name Bull was entirely appropriate for the bouncer, Cassidy decided. Reaching the chaos, Zan grabbed one of the original fighters by the back of his shirt, plucked him off the ground, and tossed him aside like he was no more than an annoying fly.
“It’s time for us to go,” Dante said and nudged Cassidy away from the bar.
If he were on his own, he’d repay Zan for talking to him by helping to break up the fight, but he had to get Cassidy out of here before things got out of control. Which it looked like they were about to do as, lured by the scent of blood and potential violence, more vamps crept closer to the fight. And others, who weren’t quick enough to get out of the way, were inadvertently pulled into it, like the couple at the table.
However, before they could make it more than ten feet toward the door, a vamp staggered into their path. Blood spilled from the vamp’s nose and mouth. Before the man could recover his balance, the woman knocked from her stool pounced on him. Like a cat taking down a moth, she dragged the vamp to the ground. Blood flew through the air as the woman pummeled his face.
Dante pulled Cassidy away from the fighters rolling toward them. Bull and Zan tossed vamps aside, but panic was spreading as the fight spilled onto the dance floor. Humans scattered as they tried to get out of the way, but when one of them fell and cut her hand on a piece of glass, five heads turned toward her.
Cassidy gasped as, stimulated by the thrill of the blood, something snapped in one of the vamps. The man leapt on the human and, pinning her shoulders to the ground, sank his fangs into her throat. The woman’s feet kicked feebly against the ground as her hands stopped beating the man’s back.
“No!” Cassidy cried and lunged forward.
Dante jerked her back as a group of vamps nearly crashed into her. Clasping and tearing at each other, the vamps were all locked together as they tried to kill each other. Screams filled the air as the humans playing pretend suddenly realized none of this was any fun.
Dante looked for a place where he could put Cassidy while he tried to get to the woman who didn’t have much time left to live, but there was nowhere. He couldn’t drag her across the room, but he couldn’t let the vamp kill the woman either.
The speaker across the room rocked on its stand before crashing against the floor. Fiery sparks shot into the air from the toppled speaker. Dante wrapped his arm securely around Cassidy’s waist and pinned her against his side as he sidestepped another group of fighters.
With no other choice, Dante kept her against him as he navigated the sea of violence. He couldn’t let the vampire slaughter the woman. When a vamp stumbled back and nearly hit them, he shoved the man out of the way and back toward the brawl spilling out from the center of the room.
When a fist launched at him, Dante pushed Cassidy down, but he didn’t get completely out of the way. The blow glanced across his cheek and ear. The vamp who hit him was already gone. He ignored the ringing in his ear as he closed in on the vampire still draining the woman dry; all her movements had ceased.
Don’t be too late. Don’t be too late. He hadn’t been able to save Maya; he would save this woman.
Reluctantly, he released Cassidy, grasped the vamp’s throat, and squeezed. The vamp retracted his fangs and recoiled as Dante crushed his windpipe. Lifting him off the woman, Dante threw him into the growing melee.
The vamp skidded across the floor on his ass before vanishing into the crush of fighters. Dante turned to the woman to find
