Page 16 of The Vampire's Hunter

“And your plan?” she asked.

“We’ll discuss the plan later, once you’ve rested.” He turned to leave again.

“Thank you, Corbin. Really,” she whispered. She really was grateful to him, even if she didn’t yet know what to make her decision to trust him.

“Don’t thank me. Not until this is over.” He moved to leave once more, but this time, it was his turn to hesitate. “And Dani.”

“Mmmm?” she hummed from where she’d flitted over to the bed. She was suddenly so tired she could hardly stand it, sleep calling to her.

Corbin cast her a cursory glance over his shoulder. “Next time that coward you call a brother sends you in his place again, I’ll kill him where he stands.”

Dani nodded. “Noted.”

She slipped into bed just as Corbin closed the door, quickly settling into the sheets.

For once, Dani fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, falling into a deep and peaceful slumber that was better than she’d had in far too many years before, restful in the assurance that, at least for tonight, no one would hurt her.

Not if Corbin had anything to say about it.

“We’ve beenthrough this before, Zane.” Corbin glared at the vampire pinned against his desk inside The Blood Rose. The bastard’s nose already bleeding, Zane’s face battered and bruised from where Corbin’s men had delivered the other vampire to his office hours ago. Once Dani was asleep, Corbin had only returned to ensure this situation was handled, personally.

“Isaid, how many times must I ask you to keep your hands to yourself, Zane?” Corbin roared, slamming his fist down onto the desk beside Zane’s head.

The other vampire flinched. “I told you I won’t touch her again, Corbin. Fuck! I swear it,” Zane pleaded. Zane was smashed flat and straining against the wood of Corbin’s desk, where Fox and Luciano held him down, hands restrained behind his back. Blood trickled from his nose, staining the starch white legal pad beneath his cheek.

“I…I didn’t know she was yours. It won’t happen again.”

“Mine or not, your task was simple.” Corbin crouched low, coming eye-to-eye with the other vampire. Even though they were brethren, they were united by species alone. Zane wasn’t a part of the family. Of Corbin’s branch of theCosa della notte. He wasn’t even among one of the other four with whom they were constantly at war. No, Zane was no better than the filth beneath Corbin’s shoes and unwilling to keep his hands to himself to boot.

That much was clear.

“Leave the humans in my club alone. Do you understand?” Corbin hissed.

“Yes! Yes, I understand,” Zane panted, this face quickly turning red, from anger and shame rather than lack of oxygen. Vampires didn’tneedto breathe.

A fact that made torture far more complicated.

“Good.” Corbin stood again, nodding to Fox and Luciano.

Luciano released one of Zane’s hands, bringing his flattened palm forth along with the stake and the hammer that would soon go with it.

Corbin plucked the stake off the table, aligning it over Zane’s palm. “Now the next time you get handsy with one of my patrons again, you’ll remember it.”

Zane thrashed, suddenly realizing exactly where this was going as Fox stepped forward, menacing the hammer in one meaty fist.

“No. No! Please, Corbin! I—”

Corbin ignored the other vampire’s pleas, driving the first blow in. Zane roared, his blood spattering across Corbin’s desk as the stake drove through tender tendons. Corbin took his fill, his pleasure at the sight of Zane’s pain, before casting the hammer onto the floor.

Fox handed him a towel for his hands.

“Clean it up once you’ve finished,” he ordered, abandoning the task to his men.

Wiping his palms clean, he cast the towel aside, before he closed his office door, smoothing a rough hand down his shirt as he sealed off the sound of Zane’s continued screams from the few remaining patrons below. It was nearly past close, though the music thumping from the floors below still provided adequate coverage.

“That was a bit excessive,” Kharis murmured to his right, “even for you.” The ancient Greek leaned against the hallway wall, a lit cigarette in his hand as he waited for him.

“Your point?” Corbin lowered his shirt sleeves, buttoning his cufflinks. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten any blood on his shirt this time. Bloodstains were a beast to clean.

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