All the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Gillian recognized his voice immediately. She should, he’d been coming into the shop every day for the past three months.Lucas?
The guard walked over to Lucas and took the woman from his arms. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” In one quick movement, Lucas picked up a shovel off the ground and slammed the guard in the head with a loud thwack. They both dropped with a sickening thud.
Gillian screamed, now finally understanding the message from Natalya’s aunt. It rang in her ears like a raven’s call.Beware of the one-eyed man.
Chapter 28
Garrett and Smith tore from the great room and into the main hall while all around them cops and special agents fought with Lawrence’s guards.
“Denopoulos and I are going to get Lawrence out of here,” Smith said, his gaze darting wildly around the hall. “You need to go after Gillian. I’m not sure if you heard what happened in the scuffle.”
Garrett froze. “No. My mic got crushed. What’s going on?” He couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to her.
“They ran into a snag. Teague managed to get Brooke out safely, but one of the guards grabbed Gillian. Thankfully, we still have contact with her, but we don’t know where he's taken her. We estimate she’s somewhere on the grounds…”
Garrett didn’t let him finish, he was already heading out the side door to the patio. He cut across the stone path and ran down the steps to the gardens, when a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. “Gillian?”
He raced to the sound of her voice, passing a maze and a row of hedges. He found her in a clearing with the pirate from the band holding her around the waist.
“Get your hands off her,” he demanded.
“Garrett? Oh my god.” Tears filled her eyes. “She’s dead.” Gillian pointed to a young woman dressed as a vampire. He’d seen her walking into the party. She lay still on the ground, next to a shovel, along with an unconscious bodyguard. “L-lucas killed her.”
Lucas? The encroaching-piece-of-shit-musician? He was the killer? The headscarf covered most of his long blond hair. “How the hell are you involved in all of this?” Reality hit him like a punch to the gut. He remembered the matchbook. “Let me guess, you play at a club called Birch?” He must be part of the Brotherhood. “You need to let Gillian go. This has nothing to do with her,” Garrett said, trying to reason with him.
“I didn’t expect to see either of you here tonight. Now you’ve gone and ruined my plans. She knows too much. You both do. I can’t let you leave here.” Lucas twisted Gillian’s arms behind her back, and she winced in pain.
“I’m not going to ask you again. I thought I told you before, get your hands off my girlfriend.” Garrett took a predatory step closer to Lucas, his fingers curling into fists, ready to rip the bastard’s head off.
“Don’t come any closer, or I’m afraid I’ll have to silence her for good,” Lucas warned. extending his fangs.
Time to try a different tactic.He needed to do his good cop routine. What would he do if the bastard hurt Gillian? Garrett swallowed hard. “Do you know the penalty for killing a cop? I’ll tell you, automatic execution. I don’t think you want to hurt us, Lucas. Why don’t we talk about this? If you turn yourself in now, the Council will take it into consideration. You have options.”
Gillian tried to wriggle free, but Lucas kept one arm around her waist, holding her in a death grip. Garrett wanted to pounce on him and tear him to shreds, but he was still too far away. In a matter of seconds, Lucas could sink his fangs into her neck and drain all the blood from her body. He couldn’t take a chance with her life.
Lucas must’ve guessed what he’d been thinking because he glared at Garrett and snarled. “If you take one step closer, I’ll kill her.” He pulled out his cell and pressed a button. “I’m in the maze.”
When Garrett’s eyes met Gillian’s in the darkness, he wished he could comfort her in some way, let her know that he’d find a way to get them out of this.
“Why are you doing this, Lucas?” Gillian asked in a voice laced with fear, still trying to flinch away. “You’re talented. How did you end up down this road of death and debauchery?”
Lucas frowned and seemed to take Gillian’s words to heart. “Talent doesn’t get you shit without connections. My band played at a restaurant owned by Lawrence. He told me after my set that he could help my career. The dude knows people in just about every industry. He introduced me to Malcom, and he offered me a deal I couldn’t pass up.”
The revelation forced Garrett to gnash his teeth. “In other words, you agreed to let Malcom turn you for a chance at fame and fortune?”
“Who the fuck are you to judge me? People do all kinds of crazy shit for their careers. In exchange, I went to work for the Brotherhood and did whatever they needed.”
“What I don’t get is how these women ended up dead, Lucas.” Garrett had never suspected Lawrence killed the two other vics from the start. He might be the worst kind of scumbag, but he wasn’t a killer.
“It was an accident. I couldn’t help myself.” Lucas shook his head, a note of remorse in his voice. “The bloodlust became too much. I never meant to kill Serena. I just couldn’t stop. I liked Serena, just like I liked you, Gillian. This whole situation sucks because now I have no choice but to kill both of you to keep you quiet.”
“Wait, Lucas. You need to stop right there.” Garrett held up his hands.
Garrett’s words caught in his throat when Malcom Von Scrivner strolled into the clearing. A black suit cut perfectly to his tall frame made him blend into the night, but the light caught on a silver dragon necklace hung around his neck. His dark hair hung past his shoulders, and framed his face, revealing a widow’s peak, and skin so translucent, it looked like chalk. He stood in front of him with the same soulless, evil glint in his eyes.
“Let me guess, you came as yourself—a bloodthirsty monster.”
