Part 16 (1/2)

”It was the Collector's mistake. He didn't know he was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with a panther.” He knew Julian wouldn't give the guy a chance to make many more mistakes. And since he was thinking about Julian and just how much his buddy loved a good turn at vengeance... ”Just what did you do to the vamp?”

”I didn't do anything. She's the one who bit me.”

She bit-His eyes widened.

”She already had an...unorthodox creation. Now she has my blood in her.” His gaze slid toward the door. ”Maybe she'll survive.”

Had he just said maybe? Rayce bounded across the room. His hand-with claws now at the ready-flew toward Leo's throat.

Leo didn't even flinch.

And the claws stopped less than a centimeter from Leo's jugular.

”Rose doesn't die,” Rayce rasped. ”Julian has already given too much to keep her in this world. So whatever s.h.i.+t your blood did to her, you fix it.”

”Sounds as if you care about her...”

”Only met her recently. He's my friend.” Mostly. ”So fix her.”

”Some broken things can't be fixed. I've told that to Julian more than once.”

Rayce growled. ”She's not a 'broken thing' but you are, a.s.shole. What is your blood doing to her?”

”It's changing her...maybe it will make her stronger. Maybe it will make her weaker. Maybe it will kill her.” He shrugged and when he moved, his throat pressed to Rayce's claws. ”That's why I told Julian to give her blood so that it could dilute what she'd taken from me. I am helping. Why is everyone so ungrateful when I do a good thing?”

He thought about cutting off Leo's head. A fast slice of his claws and- ”It wouldn't work,” Leo said, as if he'd read Rayce's mind. ”You'd be dead before you even tried.”

Some risks were worth taking...

”I think she'll live.” Leo's gaze gleamed. ”This time.”

The guy was such a d.i.c.k.

”But if she bites me again, no one can help her.”

”You threatening the vamp?” Julian would peel Leo's skin from his body, and Rayce would help him.

”Unfortunately, no, I'm just making a promise.”

He should stop her. Julian's head sagged forward. The water pounded on him, and he felt himself s.h.i.+ver.

Rose was still drinking from him. He wasn't sure just how long they'd been in the shower. Minutes? Hours? He'd let her feed and feed, and her body wasn't blazing hot any longer.

But he...he was cold.

He should stop her. Take her out of the shower. Run a towel over her delicate skin. He should...and he would...

In a minute. He'd just give her a little more blood first.

He'd give her everything.

Only fair, wasn't it? Since he'd taken everything away from her. All in one blink. Gone, gone, gone... ”S-sorry,” he stuttered to her. He'd wanted to tell her before. That terrible night when the bullets had torn into her. But there had been no time for apologies. There had been no time for anything but a deal that changed both of their lives. And the d.a.m.n thing was, even knowing how wrong it had been, he still thought he'd do the exact same thing.

Her tongue licked over his neck. ”What for?” Her voice-it was husky and sensual. Not weak at all.

He forced his head to lift. Forced his gaze up. She wasn't pale any longer. Her eyes were bright. Her lips were red and plump and he knew she wasn't in danger. She wasn't going to die.

He pushed away from the wall. She caught his hand-the hand that he'd driven into the tile again and again, sending chunks of marble raining into the shower as he tried to hold back his dark need for her. She lifted his hand to her mouth. Licked the blood away.

His beautiful Rose. She'd chained his beast. She'd never meant to do it. She didn't even know she had.

His eyes started to close. His body slumped.

”Julian?” Alarm sharpened her voice. ”Julian!”

He was going to pa.s.s out. Maybe he'd even die. He'd given her all that he had, given so much that his body was dangerously weak now, but Julian had no regrets. She'd survive-survive whatever h.e.l.l Leo's blood had put her through. It was a fair exchange, Julian figured, considering what he'd done to her.

”No, no, no! What did I do? What did I do?” She held him tightly. ”I took too much...you should have stopped me! Julian, why didn't you stop me?”

Didn't she know? Did she truly not understand? He tried to keep his eyes open just a moment longer.

If he was headed to h.e.l.l, he wanted to take a memory of heaven with him.

”Julian?”

He tried to smile but it was too late.

Chapter Twelve.

”Hey, angel...”

Lila was sitting on the floor of her cell. Her wings had wrapped around her body. She was so cold. Her s.h.i.+vers wouldn't stop.

”What does it feel like...” The muse stood near the bars of her cell. ”When he takes your feathers?”

Lila glanced at her wings. ”Pain.”

”Yeah, okay, I guessed that...but...what exactly, is the pain like?”

Lila hadn't known any pain, not until a few months ago. Now it was all she knew. The first thing she'd ever felt-pain. The thing that would forever mark her now. ”For you, I imagine...it would probably be like getting chunks of your skin cut away.”