Page 157 of Love & Heart Braking

I held up my free hand. “I can help—”

The berserker snarled a “No,” and lunged.

Yelping, I jerked free the hot sauce and smashed it over his face, falling on my ass to avoid the spray.

Crack. Enzo brought down a bar stool over his back. “You can’t have another one of us!”

The howling berserker hadn’t seemed to notice the blow much as he wiped at his streaming eyes covered in red sauce. Rolli launched at his back, hanging tight for dear life.

Annya stepped forward and sloshed the berserker in the face with vodka.

Unfortunately, that appeared to help clear his eyes of hot sauce.

I scrambled to my feet, readying myself to tackle the huge type, but Annya sloshed more vodka on the guy, then distanced herself.

“Back up, Rolli,” she said, then flicked open a lighter.

All three of us backed the fuck up as she tossed it.

The berserker’s clothes burst into flame, and I covered my mouth as the others whooped.

“That’s for Jaeke, you bastard,” Annya said. “He’ll never be the same.”

A thunderous growl filled the conservatory. The berserker burst from his shirt, yanking off the rest until he stood, hair smoking, in his underwear.

“Crap,” Annya said.

Time to intervene. I planted myself between my cupids and faced the twelve’s hired muscle. “Look, you need money for Abitaverus, and I have money. Don’t let the twelve use you like this. Because I do know Devereaux Vincori. And you must realize that what you’re doing tonight could see you in a jail cell. Then how will your kids get the drug they need?”

A sound argument.

That was entirely lost on a predator who was likely thinking like a poltergeist spoke—eat, hunt, kill.

He stalked closer, shaking with his fury, and my cupids bunched together, whispering fearfully. Hair crept in around his features, his fingernails turned black. His fangs lengthened. I’d never seen a berserker passing over this much control to his predator.

He sank into a crouch, and Soleil and Devereaux rose in my mind. I couldn’t let this guy take me, but the greater worry now was that he’d kill all four of us.

The berserker grew in size, blue eyes blazing.

Nope.

I dug into my tote, pulling out a pen, a hair tie, my house key, and a bath salt set a client gifted me last year. Huh. Wondered where that got to.

The curse balls remained lost.

Must wear waist bag next time.

I dropped my tote. “Don’t take another step.”

He sank lower.

“He’s going to jump,” Enzo said shrilly.

The last hold on my control snapped with a ping in my mind. Nope. I didn’t have time for this bullshit.

Holding both my palms up, I summoned the weapon from my closet. In a blaze of white, pink, and purple, I felt the weight of my bow in my grip.

Swinging the weapon around and up, I pulled the string back, ignoring the awe and shock behind me.

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