Page 79 of The Mech Who Loved Me
Ava flexed her arms, a growl of rage filling her throat. Not again. Never again. Hague flashed into her vision, overriding thedhampir'sface. One rope tore apart under the force of her arm, and then she turned and spun the chair against the wall, smashing it to bits, the other rope still dangling loosely from her wrist. The veins in the back of her hands were almost bruised, as though something was wrong with her blood, but her hearttickedon.
"How?" thedhampirbarked, grabbing hold of her arms. "How are youdoingthis?"
Ava drove a piece of chair leg into his abdomen. A hand flashed up, smashing her across the face, and pain exploded through her jaw. She staggered back into the counter, and then he was there, grappling with her, the steel syringe clattering to thefloor.
Red, red everywhere. It was all she could see. That and Hague, smiling down at her like a father as he cut the stitches out of her chest that last time. "You're my finest creation, MissMcLaren."
Ava kicked and fought, overwhelmed by only one desire:tokill.
"That," she snarled, stabbing him again, "is for that poor old lady!" Again. "And her husband!" Again. "And that little girl I nearlyranover—"
A hand caught her wrist and her suddenly nerveless fingers dropped the makeshiftstake.
"Bitch." He caught her by the throat and kicked her feet out from under her. They both went down, Ava hampered by her skirts. His weight overpowered her, but she was fueled by something she'd never feltbefore.
She screamed a scream of pure rage, raking at his face and shoulders with her nails, wishing,damn her, she'd learned how to fight better when Byrnes taught her the basics. Pain bloomed throughherhand.
"Stay down!" thedhampirhissed, but he looked frightened, as though he hadn't expected any of this. He clapped one hand over her mouth and nose, and the other over her throat. "The serum should have worked. Whatareyou?"
She couldn'tbreathe.
But she hadn't been able to breathe a long time ago, and she'd survivedthattoo.
"It should have stopped your heart," thedhampiryelled, and Ava suddenlyunderstood.
Her cursed clockwork heart had just savedherlife.
She rolled her head from side to side, trying to throw him off. No help for it. He was too strong. But... she caught a glimpse of the syringe in the corner of her eye, half an inch of milky green liquidinsideit.
Pressure popped behind her eyes. Her lungs heaved. Color was starting to come back to the edges of the room, as though the craving was retreating, the predator silenced by lackofair.
Ava's groping hand reached for the syringe.Nothing. Nothing. Her vision swam. She didn't want it to end like this. There was too much she hadn't done, too much she hadn't seen. A life lived in a laboratory. Hiding in her books. Keeping her emotions and life strictly controlled. No blood. NoKincaid....
Her fingers closed over the syringe. Ava drove it into her assailant's side, pumping the rest of the doseintohim.
His body arched instantly, a scream tearing from his lips. She could breathe again. Move. Ava shoved her way out from under him as he fell into convulsions on the floor, and then the door burstopen,and—
Kincaid and Malloryn burst in, pistolsdrawn.
"Blood and steel," Malloryn muttered, lowering his pistol a little as thedhampirthrashed.
Ava groaned, rocking on her hands and knees. Something hurt deep inside. There was blood in her mouth, and the veins across the back of her hands pulsed, as if liquid mercury slidthroughthem.
"Ava!" Kincaid sheathed his pistol, his face tight with concern. The color fled from his skin. "Jaysus,Ava!"
Malloryn kicked her attacker over onto his back, pointing the pistol warningly, but thedhampir'sheels drummed on the floor, a bloodied froth forming at his mouth. Ava's mouth dropped open. That could have been her. Itshouldhavebeenher.
"What happened to him?" Mallorynbarked.
"She's hurt." Kincaid knelt beside her, soothing a hand up her spine. "Jaysus, look at her face. Ava? Are you all right,sweetheart?"
The craving virus returned with force, the scent of Kincaid's body overwhelming her. All she wanted was to bury her blunt teeth in his throat, and drainhimdry.
Not Kincaid. He'd never forgive her. "Leave me alone!" She scrambled into the corner, her hands curled in claws and her body trembling as painovertookher.
"Ava!" The cursed man came after her. "Ava, we're here. You're okay. We've got you." His rough voice thickened. "I'vegotyou."
There was an unspoken message there she didn't have time to study. A sudden urge overtook her and Ava started coughing, blood spraying across her black-marbledhands.
