Page 95 of Cooper’s Passion

Anita let out a sob, and Cooper’s heart broke for her.

“You’re a monster.” Anita turned away from the bastard.

Cooper wanted to comfort her, but he was running on fumes, and could barely keep himself upright even with Diaz’s help. While Anita’s blood had started the healing process, the silver bullet in his thigh had done great damage, and he needed to rest so his body could fully heal. He leaned more heavily on Diaz, his strength waning fast.

“Let’s take care of him here and now,” Samson announced. “Cooper? Do you want to do the honors?”

Cooper shook his head, and the action made him feel lightheaded. “As much as I want to stake him myself, I believe two others have an older claim.”

Samson looked at Anita and Diaz. “Anita, José, if you want to take justice into your own hands, you can execute him right now. If not, one of us will do it.”

“How do I kill him?” Diaz asked immediately.

“A stake through the heart,” Samson replied.

“I want to do it,” Anita suddenly said.

Diaz shook his head. “No, honey, killing somebody, even a lowlife like this one, isn’t something I want you to have on your conscience. I’ll do it for the both of us. For your mother.”

Samson reached into his jacket pocket and handed him a wooden stake. “Just aim for the heart.”

“And step back quickly, unless you want to be covered in ash,” Zane added.

Diaz removed his arm from Cooper’s waist and cast him a quick look. “Can you stand on your own?”

“I’ve got him,” Anita said quickly, putting her arm around his waist to hold him up.

Diaz stepped forward toward the vampire.

“Your wife was a great fuck,” the serial killer hissed defiantly. “I bet your daughter would have been even better.”

“You aren’t worth the dirt under their shoes.” Diaz slammed the stake into the vampire’s chest.

Before everybody’s eyes, the vampire turned into ash, and the silver chain fell to the floor, the sound echoing in the empty building. Luther and Zane jumped to the side in time not to get vampire ash on them, but Diaz wasn’t as fast, and some of the ash landed on his clothes.

Diaz turned around and looked at him and Anita. “It’s finally over.” Tears welled up in his eyes, and Anita stretched her hand out to pull him into an embrace.

“Yes, it’s over, Dad.” Anita sniffled, pushing back the tears. “Let’s go home.”

Cooper looked at Samson, who nodded. “We’ll clean up here. You need to rest.”

“Yes, I need to—” Cooper took one step, when his knees suddenly buckled, and everything around him began to turn.

“Cooper?” Anita’s panicked voice drifted to him.

Everything turned dark, and he tumbled. Somebody caught him, and he let it happen. Anita was safe, and so was he.

* * *

Cooper would have crashedto the concrete floor, had Samson not caught him in time. Anita had never seen anybody move so fast.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, panic cutting off her air supply.

“He’ll be all right,” Virginia replied calmly. “He needs his regenerative sleep.”

“It’s a wonder he was able to stay on his feet for as long as he did,” Samson added.

Anita looked at Cooper’s pale face, and touched his cheek. “His skin is cold. Are you sure he’ll make it?”