Rae squeezed her gun, aiming it at his head. “I should shoot you,” she said, utterly calm despite the rage surging through every muscle. “It’ll give me time.”
Titus didn’t even blink. “Yeah, but you won’t.”
Her hand wavered. “Why not?”
“Because you don’t want to be the monster you think you are.”
Chapter22
Titus
Titus remained perfectly still. His mate had been backed into a corner, and just like an animal, she was acting on pure instincts.
Mate.He’d called her his mate.Fuck.
His heart boomed inside his head, blood a rush in his ears. He needed to return his attention to the contractor, but he knew he couldn’t drop the eye contact. Not until she’d decided.
Death had looked him in the face more than once, but he’d never witnessed such devastation. She was feral. Powerful. Beautiful. And if she decided to shoot him, choose herself, he’d die knowing his mate was fucking incredible.
“I hate you,” she whispered, lowering her arm, only to direct her gun over the car. “I’ll keep him distracted, you go around the back and take her out. Don’t kill her.” She didn’t wait for a response, bursting to her feet.
Titus shoved himself in the opposite direction, the bullets following Rae who’d moved from behind the car a fraction faster. Thirteen, that was how many shots were fired in total, and from the sound of the discharge, and the size of the holes, Titus guessed a pistol. Which meant there were likely only a few more left in the magazine before whoever was fucking shooting would need to reload. If they didn’t have a second gun at their disposal.
Using the parked cars as cover, Titus made his way around, turning the darkness to his advantage. The underground carpark was poorly lit, and unless the contractor was a vampire, they’d struggle to see either of them in the shadows.
“Stop!” Rae shouted, her voice echoing off the concrete. “I call it off!”
Titus moved closer, his boots silent. He recognised the fucking witch crouched behind the half wall, his back pressed to a parked van. He didn’t sense Titus approaching, not when Rae was shooting every few seconds each side of where he was hidden, pinning the witch to the spot.
Titus lifted his gun, putting the barrel to the side of his head. “Drop it,” he said calmly, gesturing to the weapon. “Now.”
As soon as the witch had followed the order, he hauled him to his feet by the scruff of his jacket.
“Gerald?” Rae gasped, clearly not who she expected. “How did you find us?”
Titus grunted, muscles tensing as Gerald tried to pull his chi. It felt like a thousand scorpions stinging at once, the venom acid through every vein, spreading to the nerves. His beast roared, ravaging against his mind, desperate to get free of the pain.
“Try that again,” he said, pressing his gun harder into the side of Gerald’s head. “And I’ll redecorate the concrete with your brains.”
The excruciating sensation cut off, his chi aching as it recovered.
“What the fuck are you?” Gerald gasped, his body held rigid. “Your aura tastes wrong.”
Rae whipped her pistol across his face. “Don’t make me repeat the question.”
Gerald spat blood. “I was given a –”
“Hey there, Cupcake.”
Titus tightened his grip on the witch just as Rae twisted around with a frown.
“Nathan? What the fuck are you doing here?” She dropped her gun slightly. “Where’s Winter?”
“Winter’s indisposed.” He grinned, vivid green eyes settling on Titus. “Got your message though, loud and clear.”
“It’s been called off.”
“That’s not how it works, Cupcake.” His pupils narrowed to slits, tongue snaking out to taste the air. “But the plan’s changed.” Quick as a whip he grabbed her arm, pulling her against him with a knife to her throat.
