Chapter 4 #4
She stood up without pause and kept the gun trained on me as she rounded the desk.
It didn’t appear as if she found what she wanted or if she did, she wasn’t saying anything about it.
She didn’t make any attempt to exit out of the door I was blocking, instead choosing to leave through a door at the side of the room.
She opened the metal door and as it swung shut behind her, I could see a set of stairs going up.
My alarm bells started to ring.
From the plans I’d studied before, I knew she was headed somewhere exceedingly more dangerous than the rest of the tower. Above us was a two-story penthouse suite and I was certain that the head of the family resided there.
Shit.
This could get really bad.
I sprinted to the door and gripped the handle hard. It wouldn’t turn. It was locked.
Instead of coming with me, Toboe went to the computer and chuckled softly at what he found.
“She set it up to lock behind her from the computer,” he said. “I’ve gotta say, boss, you’ve got your hands full with this one.”
“Can you disengage it from there?” I asked. I wasn’t angry. It was clear that Ava was more than capable of looking after herself, even when it concerned the likes of me. I hadn’t expected any less, but I was up for the challenge, nonetheless.
It would make her ultimate surrender that much sweeter when I took it for myself.
“We’re going to have to use one of Genzo’s techs. She set up a time-sensitive virus to make the computer unusable, which is already taking effect,” he said thoughtfully.
Smart little thing.
“Pass me the bag. I’ll take care of it,” I offered, and he tossed the backpack full of Genzo’s inventions to me without a moment’s hesitation.
The door seemed to be operated by an eye scan but considering that she’d blown the head of security’s head right off, that wasn’t really an option. If anything, his bright red eyes were probably plastered somewhere on the wall with the rest of his unsightly purple brain matter.
I dug in the bag and pulled out a small unit.
Carefully, I pressed it against the eye scanner and pulled my hand away before it passed a strong electrical current through it.
It took several surges, but the unit eventually fizzled and powered off, leaving just the mechanics of the door to contend with.
Using another device, I scanned the wall for the electrical inputs that operated the lock itself.
After a few minutes, the pinging changed pitch indicating that there was an electrical current just beneath it.
I tore through the drywall like it was paper and ripped the wires right out.
I shredded through the rest of the wall and pushed the deadbolt back into the door.
It took every last bit of my strength, but when it finally slid back into place, I was able to pry the door open at last.
It had taken far longer than I’d wanted it to. I’d lost precious time. The head of the Venuti family was ancient and powerful. She could already be hurt or worse than that, she could be dead.
I had to get to her. Quickly.
Even if she did survive this, the ramifications of killing the kingpin of the Venuti family could be vast. If word spread that I was nearby, hell, it could even drag all the families into an all-out war. Hundreds of shifters could die, including several more from my pack. Humans could die too.
Whatever she had planned, I had to stop her and carry her out of here. I didn’t care if I had to strip her and spank her ass bright red on the way out.
I sprinted up the stairs and Toboe’s footsteps echoed behind me. I made it all the way to the top floor and when I burst out into the penthouse suite, I was horrified at the sight before my eyes.
There was a trail of dead guards leading to her. I dove into the room just in time to see her aiming her gun straight at the face of Nicolai, the head of the Venuti Clan.
“Ava, stop!” I called out.
She stilled, but she didn’t lower the gun. Nicolai didn’t move, which to his credit was smart of him.
“Lawson Clearwater,” he acknowledged me, but he didn’t take his eyes off the weapon in her hands. “Is this one your responsibility?”
“She is,” I answered.
“The fuck I am,” Ava spat.
“Ava,” I warned, and I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of fear cross her face before her eyes glinted with fury. “Don’t pull that trigger. Don’t put that blood on your hands. Let me help you.”
She didn’t pull the trigger yet, and I was proud of her for it.
“If you kill him, you risk dragging all of the families into war. Vampire. Shifter. All of them. If that happens, people are going to die. Humans too,” I warned her.
I was telling her the truth. She needed to know what would happen she pulled that trigger.
She glanced toward me quickly and a dark shadow glinted in her eyes.
Her gaze held mine for a fraction of a second before she turned her head back toward Nicolai.
Her mouth set in a grim line and immediately, it felt as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water right over my head.
The muscles in her hand tensed just the slightest bit as she squeezed the trigger, and I knew there was no way I would be able to reach her in time.
I ran toward her anyway, but her aim was too true to stop what was already happening.
“I’m counting on it,” she countered, and I watched in almost slow motion as the bullet burst out from the barrel of the gum, sailing through the air and hitting the head vampire directly between his eyes.
Even though I’d seen it once before, the explosion of light was still as magnificent to behold as it was the first time.
His head burst from within in a glorious display of blood and gore and I swore under my breath.
This was going to be really fucking complicated for me to fix.
I turned back toward her with a rising sense of frustration. She was going to pay for that. Dearly. I would make sure of it.
She reached for the gun loaded with silver bullets that she’d holstered at her waist, but I’d run out of patience. I rushed toward her. I didn’t give her enough time to do anything more than wrap her fingers around the holster before I reached for her and stopped her from doing anything else.
I didn’t say a word as I quickly grasped her wrist and twisted it just far enough to make her cry out with something that sounded like frustration or pain.
I didn’t much care which. I pushed it just a little bit further, just enough to remind her who was in control, and she finally relented and dropped the gun.
It fell to the floor with a clatter. She tried to pull away and when that didn’t work, she spun toward me.
She drew her elbow back and threw it in a fairly well-executed attempt at hitting me with it in the face.
I was ready for her though. I knew she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
Without pause, I gripped her around the waist and casually threw her over my shoulder. Toboe came up beside me and picked up the gun loaded with silver-tipped bullets. He tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. She wouldn’t get it back.
Already familiar with the layout of the penthouse from my stolen blueprints, I exited the room filled with carnage and went off down the hall until I found Nicolai’s office. He wasn’t going to be needing it now, but I most certainly did.
It was a corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows. The lights were off, but they weren’t going to stay that way for long. Set in the center of the room was a grand desk made of luxurious cherry wood and I eyed it. It would be perfect for what she had coming.
“Find the lights, Toboe. I want to make sure the entire city sees what happens to naughty little mates who ignore their alpha’s instructions,” I demanded.
She furiously pummeled her fists into my back.
I could hardly feel it. She kicked and squirmed over my shoulder, but it didn’t matter now.
I’d gotten my hands on her and it was about time I truly taught her who was in charge.
I’d granted her mercy last night, but she didn’t need that.
She needed my ruthless control, and she was going to get it.
I’d start with my belt.
The lights clicked on, illuminating the room and exposing us to whomever happened to look up at the penthouse suite of the Venuti tower from down below.
“Barricade the door. I have need of this room and although I’m fairly certain there isn’t anyone left to attack us thanks to my little vampire hunter here, I don’t want to be disturbed,” I barked.
Ava’s struggles began anew. She started to scream and call me a number of names.
I paid her no mind. She could say whatever she wanted right now.
Before the night was through though, she was going to be screaming my name and begging for mercy.
“Let me go,” she shrieked.
“I made you a promise last night, little mate and I intend to keep it. The only thing up to you now is how long it will take you to beg me for it.”
My cock was already rock hard.
She was in for a very long night.