Chapter 30 #2
The vampire was sweating profusely in the bright light, plastering his muddy brown hair to his temples and back of his neck.
He was a tall, slender man with a pockmarked face and beady black eyes.
There was nothing about him that screamed strength or even leader, but like the much-maligned Scarecrow, he had a brain.
Or at least he usually did. This whole setup was asinine.
Unless Damon was feeding Paavo to Winter in hopes of distracting him long enough to take care of Aiden and the rest of the Variks.
“I told you that you should have run,” Fox said in a singsong voice. “Damon is just tossing you into the wood-chipper.”
“Shut up! I told you to shut up!” Paavo screamed. The hand holding the knife on Fox shook and slipped against his throat.
“More ropes, baby?” Winter called. He edged a little closer, his eyes darting over the theater.
There were stairs on the far sides of the stage.
He could also rush the stage, but he’d lose valuable seconds climbing up it.
Disappearing would be an option, but if Paavo realized he was no longer visible, he might panic and slit Fox’s throat.
“You know me and knots,” Fox said. There was only the slightest waver in his voice.
He was putting on a good front that everything was okay, but Winter wasn’t fooled.
As Winter got closer, he could clearly see that the left side of Fox’s face was badly bruised, and one eye was nearly swollen shut from where someone had hit him several times.
“You know that if you harm him in any way, I’m going to kill you,” Winter said calmly.
“I have no doubt that you planned to kill me regardless. Aiden can’t effectively seize power with me alive. I can rally Damon’s allies.”
Winter chuckled. “Already planning for Damon’s death. How very practical of you.”
Paavo allowed the tiniest of smiles to slip across his thin lips. “Damon was always determined to take on the Variks directly when any fool knows that you need to be killed off quietly.”
“And yet here you are with minimal guards to protect you as you are left to face me.” Winter chuckled. “It’s almost like Damon knew of your plans and left you to die.”
“But you won’t kill me if it means saving him,” Paavo said. “We saw how comfortably you kept him in your own home. He’s not a prisoner. He’s a cherished guest.”
“He’s mine,” Winter snarled and Paavo shivered. Fox beamed at him, smiling larger than life even with his split lip. “Release him and I’ll let you have a head start. I’ll let you run. Disappear off to Europe. It’s the only chance I’m going to give you.”
Paavo hesitated. His eyes narrowed on Winter while the fingers on the knife twitched, moving just a tiny bit away from Fox’s neck. Winter wasn’t close enough to take advantage of it, but Fox was.
Everything happened so fast. Fox shifted, but Paavo didn’t seem to notice.
All his attention was on Winter as if he were waiting for him to disappear.
Fox’s arms came from around the back of the chair, the rope binding his chest falling loose.
Gritting his teeth, Fox slammed his elbow into Paavo’s balls.
The vampire cried out and buckled, leaning forward so that the knife was away from Fox’s throat.
A shout left Fox as he jerked out of Paavo’s grip and tipped his chair over to the right, away from Paavo.
Grabbing his powers, Winter ran in the dead world and rushed up the stage as Paavo struggled to right himself enough to go after Fox.
Clutching the knife in his fist, Paavo raised it above his head, ready to bring it down on Fox, but Winter was already there.
He parted the veil as he lunged forward.
The point of the knife pierced the veil first, stabbing straight into Paavo’s gut.
A sharp gasp left his parted lips and his eyes went wide.
Every movement in his body froze as if he were locked in shock.
Winter didn’t hesitate. He pulled the knife free, slashed him across the throat, and shoved the vampire away.
Paavo stumbled and fell into a heap of tangled limbs into the center of the stage.
Blood poured from his body, glistening in the bright spotlight.
Winter squinted against the glare as he stalked his prey.
Paavo had threatened his family, threatened his Fox.
There was no escape, no mercy that would save his life.
He was right that the Variks would not know peace until he was gone.
Kneeling in the growing pool of blood, Winter ignored Paavo’s desperate pleas as he stabbed the vampire two more times through the heart before making sure that both the left and right common carotid arteries were severed in his neck.
With time, a vampire could heal from most wounds, but not if all the blood had drained from his body.
With a feeling of disgust, Winter shoved to his feet and took a couple of unsteady steps away from Paavo. The vampire grew still and silent. Only a few ragged gasps escaped him and then they stopped.
“Winter.”
Fox’s soft voice jerked Winter from his dark thoughts. He hurried across to where Fox was struggling with the last of the rope that held him to the chair.
“Fox,” Winter said in a choked voice. He desperately sawed at the remaining rope, jerking it away from Fox as quickly as he could. “How…how did you—”
“Zelda. She taught me how to get out of knots.” Fox’s reply wasn’t steady, and the laugh was nearly a sob.
Arms were suddenly around Winter, and he dropped the knife so he could pull Fox in as tight as he could. Lips found his in one hungry kiss after another. He tasted fear and relief and love. So much fucking love he was drowning in it, and nothing had ever felt so good in his life.
“I was so scared,” Winter whispered, moving his mouth a little more carefully now along Fox’s jaw to nuzzle his neck. He was sitting on the stage and Fox was practically in his lap, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t get close enough.
“I wasn’t. Knew you’d come. I was pissed. They broke into your house,” Fox said, and Winter wanted to fucking laugh. Only Fox would be pissed about being kidnapped yet again.
“I’ll always come for you,” he murmured against warm, sweaty skin. “Always. You are mine. I can’t live without you.”
“Never gonna have to.” Fox pulled away and tightly gripped Winter’s head in both hands so he could look into Winter’s eyes.
“After we kick vampire butt, I am having myself sewn to your fucking body. Do you hear me? You’re never going anywhere without me again.
” He gave Winter’s head a little shake as if he were expecting the vampire to argue with him.
Winter smiled at his lover. “I—oh shit!” Winter released Fox and grabbed for his phone.
“What’s wrong?” Fox climbed off of Winter’s lap and sat next to him on the stage.
“I haven’t told the others I found you.” He pulled up the messaging app and quickly told everyone that he had rescued Fox from the lower level.
A glance at the clock revealed that less than ten minutes had passed since they’d entered the museum.
There were no other texts. He had no idea if any of his family had made it farther than the first floor.
Damon?
The text was from Rafe. At least one of his brothers was still alive. He was confident they all were, but he was more worried about what injuries they had sustained.
“Do you know where Damon is?” Winter asked Fox.
“Third floor. I saw a sign for Special Exhibitions when I was brought to him. I overheard him saying something about a gauntlet.”
Damon was looking for his family to search each floor, forcing them to run the gauntlet through all his men to reach him.
The fucker was willing to sacrifice all of his people before he faced Aiden and the rest of the Variks.
Winter quickly typed out a message that Aiden needed to go to the third floor while Bel created another distraction on the second.
Shoving his phone into his pocket, Winter ran his eyes over Fox. He was battered and bruised, but he didn’t know how extensive his injuries were. In the chaos, he could easily slip Fox out of the museum—
“I know that look,” Fox growled. “You’re not ditching me somewhere safe while you run into the fire.”
“Injuries?”
“Mostly my face and some bruised ribs. Nothing aspirin, ice, and sleep won’t fix.”
Winter got to his feet and extended his hand to Fox, helping him up as well. “Then we’ve got a fight to join. We’re going to the third floor to support Aiden.”
“Fuck ya!”
Winter chuckled as they briskly walked up the aisle.
He wanted to run, but it was better to not push Fox too quickly.
He paused at the double doors that led into the lobby and peered cautiously through the window to make sure they were still alone.
Finding only dead bodies, Winter stepped out and grabbed Fox’s hand.
“Stick close. We’re staying invisible until we get to the third floor. We don’t engage until we have to. And don’t attack any of the wolves. They’re on our side.”
Fox’s eyes widened. “Wyatt and River are here in wolf form?”
“Along with several others. The local pack offered up some help as well.”
A squeal of excitement left Fox, and the witch was practically pulling him up the stairs once they’d slipped past the veil. Everyone loved freaking wolves.
“You’re not going to toss me aside for a werewolf, are you?” Winter teased as they neared the first floor.
“You’re not even funny. I love my Big Sexy and his pointy fangs. It’s just that every kid dreams of flying like a bird or being scary like a wolf.”
“Or doing magic.”
Fox snorted. “I’m more than happy with my bloodsucker, thank you very much.”