Chapter 23 #3
Bastian shouted and dropped him again. Cody lost his grip on his weapon as he fell, collapsing in a heap, chest heaving and head spinning.
Bastian groaned as he pulled the mop handle from his side and flung it away.
Cody was gratified to hear him grunt when he bent to pick him up a third time.
Bastian simply hauled him to his feet and shoved him against the door, holding him in place with one hand on his chest.
“You are a pain in the ass,” Bastian said.
“Come on,” Cody wheezed, his voice hoarse and a cough following the words. “You can do better than that. That’s what my teachers all said about me.”
“Your sarcasm will be a nice addition once I bite you a third time.” Bastian smiled, his lips burned and chapped from the garlic.
“You’ve ingested enough vampire blood tonight that all I need to do is deliver the third bite and drain the human blood from your body.
I will finish what Xavier started here, and then you will belong to me. ”
Cody’s vision sharpened and his hearing improved, picking up the sounds of struggle from the other room.
He ground his teeth and pulled the last two bulbs from his pockets.
Bastian slapped them from his grip with one hand, never taking his red-eyed gaze from Cody’s face.
The hand on his chest was cold and firm, easing into pain as Bastian increased his pressure.
“You’re going to make a very efficient vampire.”
Bastian leaned in, his garlic-burned lips parting and fangs gleaming in the overhead lights.
Cody tipped his head to the side, trying to hide his neck, but Bastian used his free hand to push it over.
The cold coming off Bastian’s skin soaked into Cody as he moved closer.
Cody panted, trying to pull free, to push Bastian away, but it was like trying to move a mountain.
The cold brush of Bastian’s lips against his skin rose gooseflesh all across Cody’s body, and he heard himself whimpering, “No, no, no,” as he pulled at the hand holding him in place.
Then Bastian shuddered. The pressure against Cody’s chest vanished, and he sagged against the door, rubbing the spot through his shirt.
Bastian turned away from Cody, revealing Demmy’s spear jutting out of his shoulder, just a bit off from his heart.
Cody straightened and jerked it free. Bastian’s hand came around behind him, fingers straining to reach the spot he’d been stabbed.
Demmy stood a few feet away, stone-faced as he glared at Bastian.
“My husband belongs to me, not you.” Demmy looked at Cody. “Care to do the final honors?”
Cody’s senses were returning, the Fang helping get him to rights again, but more slowly now.
He did hear something faint from the other side of the kitchen, however.
It was the quiet clink of metal, like from a buckle on a leather jacket.
Bastian was turning to Cody again, and over his shoulder, Cody met Demmy’s eyes as a shadow began to form behind him, like something rushing up to Demmy from behind.
Without taking his eyes from Cody’s, Demmy turned his body to the side and raised the gun.
The shot was loud against the tiled and stainless steel surfaces that surrounded them.
Annie stopped in her tracks, just feet away from Demmy.
She was visible for a few seconds, long enough for black blood to seep from the bullet hole in her forehead before she collapsed.
Bastian faced him now, and Cody grinned as he tightened his grip on the mop handle. “You fuck with the Critter Catchers, you get the wrong end of the stick, motherfucker.”
He stared into Bastian’s red eyes, slightly dimmer now, as he stabbed the handle into his chest. Bastian erupted into slick dark blood that splashed across the floor.
Cody stumbled back until he reached the walk-in, and he slid down the door to the floor. Demmy staggered over and slumped down beside him.
“That was close,” Demmy said.
“Too fucking close.” Cody lifted Demmy’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “You are an absolute badass.”
“Learned all of it from my best friend.”
Shouting from out in the dining area caught their attention. Demmy pushed himself to his feet and extended a hand to help Cody up. Demmy pulled on the unit’s door latch, but it didn’t budge. Cody inspected the top hinge and swore.
“It’s crumpled,” he said. “We’re going to need the jaws of life or something to get them out.”
Demmy banged on the door and leaned in close to shout, “This is Demetrius. We’ll be back to get you out, we promise.”
Cody tipped his head toward the dining area. “Ready to get back into the fight?”
“No.”
Cody smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Come on, we’re almost done.”
“Every time we say that, there’s always a lot more to do,” Demmy said.
“Maybe this time it’ll be true.” He looked down at the mess that had once been Bastian. “The big bad is down. The others can’t be as tough as him, right?” Cody took the mop handle in both hands. “Let’s clean up.”
Cody shouldered his way through the swinging door, and Demmy fell in step right behind.