There was going to be blood. Only this time it wasn’t going to be human.
Nathan curled a lip as he looked down at his chest where the Red Cap was still touching him. There was an expression of such contempt on his face that it was hard to believe this was the same man I counted as my friend.
“Remove that before I remove it for you,” Nathan said, sliding a lethal gaze up to the Red Cap’s.
“Best be careful how you speak to me, fanger. Otherwise, I’ll use your blood as fuel for my prowess.” A rumbling chuckle exposed a row of the Red Cap’s broken, jagged teeth. “Maybe I’ll do that anyway. I’m told vampire blood is the most beautiful shade of red.”
The Red Cap touched the mace hooked into his belt in threat.
There was a moment of silence before Nathan threw his head back on a laugh, exposing the long column of his throat. “A, can you believe this dumbass?”
“Nope. I really can’t.”
What kind of idiot picked a fight with Nathan? A fool or someone with a death wish, that’s who.
The laughter drained from Nathan’s face. “Yeah. Me neither.”
He moved between one second and the next, a blur that I was only able to follow due to the extensive training sessions he and Liam had subjected me to. In the next moment, the Red Cap was on his knees, hunched over as he fought to draw breath.
Nathan leaned down to put his face next to the Red Cap’s, a quiet menace in his voice. “I don’t have time to play with you. The ladies and I have an appointment.”
Deborah stared at Nathan like she’d never seen him before. “Damn.”
“That’s why Nathan is Liam’s second,” I told her softly.
And why he’d trusted Nathan tonight.
It wasn’t because we got along. Or because I was less likely to give Nathan the slip than others. It was because Nathan was a scary son of a bitch when he wanted to be. All that teasing fell away to reveal the parts he kept on a tight leash. The parts that dealt violence as easily as he breathed.
Nathan straightened to flash me a mischievous smile. “Admit it, A. That was hot.”
I rolled my eyes as Nathan loosened his grip on the Red Cap. “Keep dreaming.”
“I will,” Nathan said with a quiet snicker.
The Red Cap fumbled for the door, stepping aside as soon as it was open.
Nathan strolled past, not seeing, or perhaps pretending not to see, the animosity on the Red Cap’s face.
“Enjoy your evening,” the Red Cap rumbled, something in his tone putting me on guard.
It was too smug. Too self-assured for someone who’d just gotten a beat down.
That coupled with the cruel delight in his eyes made me think we were walking into a trap.
“Nathan,” I said softly.
“I know. I see it too. Keep moving. We’ve come too far to turn back now.”
At the thought of trying to shove my way back through the blood den, I realized he was right. The barrow wasn’t going to let us go that easily. The only way was forward.
The door slammed shut a second later, reinforcing that opinion.
Deborah jumped, her shoulders curling toward her ears. “Jesus.”
“Let’s go,” Nathan ordered, his attention on the new room we found ourselves in.
Unlike the blood den, there was no suffering to taint the air. Instead, we’d wandered into a place of indulgence and excess. The opulent surroundings as far from the grittiness we’d just passed through as one could get.
