Page 93 of Cooper’s Passion

“Cooper, I’m coming. Hold on a little longer. I’ll be there,” she murmured to herself.

What was he going through right now? What kind of pain did he have to endure?

“In two hundred yards you’ll arrive at your destination. Your destination is on the right,”the car’s navigation system announced.

A moment later, she stopped the car. She was on a large area that looked like an abandoned shipyard or building yard. A large hanger-like building rose to her right: the place where the serial killer was holding Cooper.

Anita opened the car door and got out. She’d left her handbag and her cellphone at Scanguards, but she knew she wouldn’t need it. Taking a deep breath, she rushed toward a door that was half open. She ripped it fully open and stepped into the dark interior.

“Well, there you are, Anita.” It was the killer’s cold voice.

It took her another few seconds before her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and she could see well enough to see the man who’d spoken. She peered past him, her eyes searching for Cooper. She found him at the same spot where he’d been during the video call.

Anita approached, the clacking of her shoes and her purposely heavy footfalls echoing in the empty building, drowning out other sounds.

“I’m here. So, let him go,” she demanded.

The killer chuckled.

“Anita, run,” Cooper called out to her, his voice weak. “Please, save yourself.”

But she wasn’t here to save herself. She was here to save him. “Everything will be all right, Cooper. Even if you can’t see it.”

“How cute,” the killer spat, then suddenly whipped his head in the direction of the door, his eyes narrowing. “Hmm.” He sniffed visibly, then looked back at her. “You’re wearing an awful lot of perfume.”

“Don’t like it?” He would like it even less in a moment, because the fact that the smell intensified, meant that Virginia was in position.

“Let’s go, Anita. Time to make an exit,” he commanded.

He grabbed her forearm, but was instantly yanked back, a surprised gasp dislodging from his throat. A second later, he landed with his back on the ground. The sound of a chain clanking echoed against the walls, and the perp suddenly screamed in pain. Anita stared at him as he struggled against his invisible attacker, when Virginia all of a sudden became visible, pulling on the chain that she’d wrapped around the serial killer’s neck. She was pinning him down on the cold ground without effort, though the asshole tried to fight her—without much success.

“I’m good here,” Virginia assured her. “Start cutting open the bullet wound.” She reached into her boot and retrieved a knife. “While I tie this bastard up.”

Anita snatched the knife and rushed to Cooper. She cupped his cheek. “I’m here, my love. I’m not gonna let you die.”

“Anita,” he murmured, his voice even weaker than before.

As carefully as she could without causing him any harm, she unwrapped the silver chain from his neck, revealing the raw flesh beneath. She couldn’t fathom what pain Cooper was in, but she couldn’t dwell on this right now. She had to get the bullet out.

Her hand shook when she directed the knife toward Cooper’s thigh wound.

“It’s gonna hurt, but I have to cut the bullet out,” she said, more to herself than to him. She’d never done anything like this. Cooper’s head rolled forward, his eyes drifting shut. “Oh God, Baby, hold on.”

“I’ve got you,” Virginia suddenly said from behind her.

Anita looked over her shoulder, and saw that Virginia had secured the long silver chain around the perp’s neck on a hook on a support post.

“Scanguards, you’re clear to approach. Perp is subdued,” Virginia said, pressing a button on her cellphone, before she kneeled down and took the knife from Anita’s hands. “He needs blood.”

Anita nodded. At least that was something she could do. While Virginia started to work on Cooper’s upper thigh, Anita leaned over Cooper. She lifted his chin up and brought her neck to his mouth.

“You have to drink, Cooper, please,” she urged him, putting her hand on the back of his head, careful not to touch his injured nape, to press his lips to her exposed neck. He didn’t immediately react. “Please, Cooper, you need to be strong now.” Tears started to run down her cheeks, and she could taste the salt on her lips.

“Cooper, please drink.”

Finally, she felt his hot breath on her skin, and the sharp tips of his fangs drove deep into her flesh. She gasped at the initial pain, and realized why this time the incisions caused her to feel pain: Cooper hadn’t licked the spot before driving his fangs into her neck. But it didn’t matter. Now that he was sucking on her vein, drinking her blood, there was no more pain, just the knowledge that he was alive, and that, with her help, he was fighting to stay alive. Because she knew in that moment that a life without Cooper wouldn’t be worth living. He was everything to her. Everything she’d ever dreamed of. The keeper of her heart. The vampire she trusted with her life and her happiness.

Behind her, she heard the sound of several car engines, then the opening and closing of car doors, followed by footfalls of a large number of people. The cavalry had arrived.