Chapter 12 #2
“These two have maimed and murdered our kind,” said the second man by the pool table.
“Leo, you’d better think about the consequences of your actions.” Marlowe lifted her eyes a moment before dropping them again. “I drew a line in the sand years ago about biting the unwilling. Once you cross it, there’s no coming back.”
Demetrius couldn’t seem to focus on one person—vampire, for fuck’s sake—long enough to figure out a defense. The smartest move they could make was to leave, but he didn’t want to put his back to the room. And more hungry vampires could be waiting out in the parking lot.
The door behind them opened. Cody swore under his breath, and Demetrius glanced over his shoulder. A man with several days’ worth of beard, wearing a leather coat and a hollowed out expression stood just inside the bar.
“The brother,” Cody said quietly, “Andy.”
Demetrius nodded as he returned to watching the room.
“You!” The shout from behind made Demetrius jump and turn.
Andy charged them, dodging around Cody and pushing Zenona up against the bar, forearm across her collarbone as he shouted in her face.
“You kept giving her blood. You kept getting her ready for him, encouraging her to go to him. And now she’s one of them, and it’s all your fault! ”
“Who are you?” Zenona shouted back. “Get off me!”
A flash of light, a crackle and pop, and Zenona crumpled to the floor.
Demetrius rushed to her side, hands hovering over her twitching, writhing body.
Cody spun Andy around and punched him, sending him staggering back against the wall.
Something clattered to the floor and Demetrius stared at it before the shape registered. He cursed.
A taser.
“He tased her,” Demetrius said, taking Zenona’s hand. It spasmed in his grip. “For fuck’s sake.”
“Son of a bitch.” Cody stalked toward Andy, hands fisted. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
Andy whirled on Cody, sneering. “Fuck you. She deserved it. You don’t know what she’s been doing.”
Silence pressed in around them. An even deeper silence than what had followed Jordan’s announcement about Cody being bit. Zenona’s limbs had settled a bit, and she was blinking rapidly as she stared at the ceiling.
“You’re okay,” Demetrius whispered. “We’re here. You’re safe.”
He looked over his shoulder and went cold from his head to his feet.
Every vampire in the place had gotten to their feet and moved closer.
Their attention, however, wasn’t on him, Zenona, or even Cody.
Now they all stared at Andy. Demetrius followed their lines of sight and watched Andy run the back of his hand across his mouth, saw the smear of blood.
His heart slammed in his chest, and his mind went blank.
All he could do was stare at the dark smudge across the back of Andy’s hand and along his lips.
Marlowe lifted the bar flap and came out from behind, casually stepping over Zenona and around Demetrius.
She wore thickly padded gloves and gripped a long metal bar.
Taking up a defensive position between the four of them and the others, Marlowe held it like a baseball bat, gloved fingers adjusting their grip.
Light played along the smooth, gleaming surface, and that was when Demetrius understood.
The bar was pure silver. Marlowe kept it close in case her undead patrons got out of hand. She wore the gloves to protect herself.
“I don’t want to use this on any of you,” Marlowe said. “We’ve all been through a lot together. But if we don’t follow the rules in here, there’s no chance for us to make it out there.”
“What?” Zenona muttered, eyelids fluttering. “What happened?”
“Take it easy,” Demetrius whispered. “You got tased.”
“What’s going on?” Andy demanded, eyes darting around the room.
“Dude, you’re bleeding,” Cody said, watching the vampires crowding closer. He pointed at the door. “Get the fuck out of here.”
“What?” Andy gingerly touched the corner of his mouth, saw the blood on his fingertips, and stared at Cody. “What the fuck did you do to me?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t mean to make you bleed, but you fucking tased her. What the hell, Andy.”
“She deserved it! She’s been—”
“Enough!” Marlowe roared, silencing them. But her escalation seemed to excite the others even more, and they pressed forward a few feet.
“We need to go,” Demetrius said.
“Yep, like yesterday,” Cody said, standing in front of him and Zenona. He looked at Andy. “Leave. Now.”
“Fuck you.” Andy glared at Demetrius and Zenona. “Fuck all of you.” He flipped off the vampires staring him down then pushed out the door.
Before the door had a chance to swing closed, the two vampires by the pool table, Jordan and Leo, charged it. Marlowe swung, connecting with Jordan’s chest. Demetrius heard the hard crack of breaking bone and the sizzle of burning flesh as the vampire flew back across the room, screaming in pain.
Leo dodged the blow and streaked out the door. Before it swung shut, Demetrius heard a high-pitched, terrified scream that made his blood turn cold.
“Get out,” Marlowe said, backing toward them. “Both of you.”
“We’re not leaving Zenona,” Demetrius said.
“I’ll guard her,” Marlowe said. “But I can’t protect all of you. Go!”
Demetrius looked up at Cody, and saw his indecision reflected back.
“Go,” Zenona said, barely lifting her head from the floor. “I’ll be fine. Get out.”
The group was closer now, starting to sidle around them. Their eyes burned red and their mouths hung open, exposing their fangs. If the group continued moving as they were, they would cut off any chance of escape.
He looked down at her. “I don’t want to leave you.”
She tried for a smile, but it was more of a grimace. “Go. They know me. Won’t hurt me.” Her right hand fluttered, patting at her jeans. “Key.”
“How will you—?”
“For fuck’s sake, take the keys and get out of here,” Marlowe snarled, still brandishing her weapon. “I’ll get her home.”