Scorned by Venom (Argentium Vampire Hunters Trilogy #2)

28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Luka

My perception of reality had become distorted, hindering my ability to realize if I was really being saved by my friends, each of them dressed as Venom members, or if I was merely having another hallucination. Then I laid my hands against the warm skin of Sage’s cheeks, the taste of her sweet blood lingering in the back of my throat, and knew they’d really saved me.

We stepped out of Carmen’s room and Winnie handed me my Sig P226 Legion, the only love of my life before I had met Sage. I’d barely had time to reconnect with her before Sage grabbed my hand, yanking me down the hall toward the door, protecting me like a little badass. I uselessly stared at the back of her head, my feet moving without me even trying, begging for her to turn around. All I needed was one more glimpse of her beauty.

She dropped my hand when we stopped at the door, turning her head toward us, the side profile of her face beyond perfect. “What’s the plan?”

“Kill anything that looks like a threat,” I said, my body running on pure adrenaline. Holding up my gun, I turned toward Winnie. “Did you put one in the chamber?”

He nodded, shedding his Venom jacket, revealing his chest holster, and I eyed both of his beloved custom Springfield 1911s.

“Do you have any more guns on you?” I questioned, and his eyes locked on mine before he realized why I’d asked.

“Fuck,” he huffed, yanking a gun out and handing it to Carmen. “It’s ready to go. Whatever you do, don’t leave it behind or I’ll kill you.”

Carmen’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to use this thing.”

“Point toward the center mass of a person and pull the trigger,” Sage said. “Just try not to shoot one of us.”

“Hold on. I have to answer them.” Winnie clicked his earpiece. “No, I haven’t seen him, but Luka and Sage are with me.” There was a moment of silence. “Copy.” Winnie let his hand fall away, locking gazes with Sage. “Lyric is at the front door and Lynx is with her. She went and got the Jeep, and Erik and Zeke just entered decontamination. Ravage hasn’t answered and Marcus took the farthest route, so he’s going to be a minute.”

Sage’s worry showed in her eyes as she twisted the handle and opened the door, then peeked out. “Clear.”

The three of us worked as a unit, making our way through the hall, peeking around every corner with Carmen behind us.

It didn’t take long for us to make it out of Anatomical Pathology with no altercations or any people in sight before we stepped into the hall leading to Hematology.

“This is where we left Ravage,” Sage said.

A screaming woman wearing white scrubs, with three others on her tail, ran straight up to Winnie, not even noticing who was with him. “Where are we supposed to hide?”

“Um.” He glanced around, then tipped his head. “Go into the bathroom and don’t come out until it’s been at least twenty minutes and it’s quiet.”

“Thank you, sir!” She frantically ran toward the bathroom with the others behind her.

We quickly passed through the area as more medical staff ran around, some of them finding places to hide, while others kept asking Winnie and Sage what to do.

Ravage was nowhere in sight until we entered the Public Health area.

He was in a standoff, being shot repeatedly as he fought his way through six guards. One lifted a crossbow, aiming it at his back and Sage took aim, shooting the guard in the chest twice as Winnie and I simultaneously took out the rest of the guards.

“Thanks.” Ravage slouched against the wall completely covered in blood. I counted at least seven wounds as he caught his breath, healing quickly. “I’m glad these aren’t silver,” he said, picking a bullet out.

Once he was ready, he fell into step with us as we continued on, making our way through each area, killing anyone who was in our way. I didn’t bother counting the amount of bodies we were leaving behind.

We had finally made it to the main area of the Hive and cleared it when my first wave of exhaustion hit me.

Sage stopped by the exit and said, “This door goes to the intake and decontamination area, which leads outside. We need to make sure everyone is out before we leave. Do you have updates on everyone’s location?”

“I did a few mins ago,” Winnie answered, shaking his head, his eyes worried. “Everyone is out but Marcus and he’s not answering.”

“We can’t leave anyone behind. I have to go back.” Sage turned away, the sound of her heart thundering loudly in my ears.

I grabbed her arm, halting her. “We go back. We go back together,” I said, and her eyes searched my face before she nodded.

Each of us took a second to reload before we headed back toward Public Health. Clearing the hallway as we went.

We’d finally come upon the main door to the next area and right when Winnie went to pull the handle, it opened on its own. Each of us raised our guns, quickly halting ourselves as Marcus limped through it.

“Whoa, shit,” he whispered, the smell of fresh blood filling my nostrils. I glanced down at his hand holding onto his side. He had taken a bullet to the abdomen.

“Marcus,” Sage yelled, relief in her voice. “I’m glad you’re okay. Follow us toward . . .” Her words trailed off as she finally noticed his wound. “No, no, no!” She ran to him, throwing her hands over it.

“I’m okay. It’s just a flesh wound.”

Ravage locked eyes with me because we both knew by the sound of his heart, it wasn’t a flesh wound.

“Can one of them give you blood?” Sage asked, and Marcus shook his head.

“There’s no time for that, plus I wouldn’t be able to walk because of the euphoria. I’m too heavy to be carried, so just get me to my brother, please.”

Ravage put one of Marcus’s arms over his shoulder, and I put his other over mine before sliding my hand across his backside into something wet. A hard breath left me when I realized the blood came from another wound on his lower back.

I met Marcus’s eyes and he shook his head, telling me to shut up. He either didn’t want Sage to know or he didn’t want to be a vampire. Possibly both.

My heart hurt, my chest heavy with each step Ravage and I took, assisting Marcus with seeing his brother one last time.

Winnie and Sage led the way, clearing any threats, and Carmen stayed to the side, unsure of what to do until we finally made it to Decontamination.

That was when the second wave of exhaustion hit, my eyes unfocusing, the white walls making me dizzy.

The hall was the longest I’d ever been in, clear of any dead bodies or people. We took a few twists and turns before stopping at the exit.

Winnie tapped his badge and the door beeped, the light staying red. “Fuck!”

“Let me try,” Sage said, tapping her badge, and the door beeped again.

Winnie put his hand to his earbud. “Jimmy, we’re at the entrance and can’t get out.” Silence. “Have you tried—”

Gunshots flew down the hall toward us and Ravage and I moved in unison, attempting to get Marcus out of the way. A bullet hit me in the lower right side of my back and I hissed.

Winnie and Sage immediately stepped around us and shot toward the threat, and Carmen followed suit.

“We’re clear,” Winnie said before clicking his ear piece again. “Hurry up. We’re sitting ducks here!”

Winnie’s eyes darted to mine and he realized the same thing I had. Marcus’s heartbeat slowed tremendously, almost stopping.

The door clicked, then made a whooshing sound when opening.

We finally made it outside, and our friends stood guard next to the Jeep and a black Venom van, surrounded by more dead bodies.

We were only ten feet away when Marcus coughed up blood, spewing it down the front of him.

“Marcus!” Zeke ran toward us in a panic. “Why haven’t you given him blood?

“No blood,” Marcus choked out, before going limp.

“No!” Sage screamed, the piercing sound vibrating to my core.

“Zeke, grab his feet!” I commanded, and he did, making it a lot quicker to get Marcus to the van.

It took the strength of Zeke, Ravage, Winnie, and myself to hoist him into it. That was when the exhaustion settled in my bones.

“Load up!” Ravage yelled.

Lynx jumped in the driver’s seat of the van and Lyric in the passenger. Winnie and Zeke got in the back, and Sage stood there, staring at her hands.

Ravage shoved Carmen in the back seat of the Jeep and hollered, “Grab her, boy, and come on.”

I did what Ravage said and pulled Sage toward her car. “I’ll drive.”

After pushing her to the passenger side, she handed me the keys. I ran and opened the driver’s door, and stopped.

Sage had her gaze locked on the van.

Damn it.