Page 72 of Haunted Nights & Savage Sins
The crazy rage I haven’t seen in a long time flashes to life in his eyes. At first I think it’s aimed at me. I’m ready to back away; instead he pulls me closer.
“I believe you. I’ll handle it.”
“We’ll handle it.” I lean back and look up into his eyes.
He nods again and that’s all the reassurance I need.
20
BRENNA
The attempton my husband’s life is set to take place tonight from what I heard. It’s too quick for us to come up with a fool proof plan or for us to even change anything.
The security that usually is around is only around until ten at night when they leave to go home. And we don’t know which of them we can truly trust.
Cormac seems certain that Maxim can be trusted so he lets him in on what we’re trying to do.
Maxim is going to be putting his life on the line right along with me.
Both of us are depending on Cormac to be the monster everyone thinks he is.
I should be scared and I guess a small part of me is but mostly I’m just ready to show these bastards what they get trying to go up against this new empire.
The punishment will come with the fires of both our hells combined.
I get myself ready for the night. I put on my pajamas. Put my hair up in a bun and slide into the bed next to the large warm body, making sure to pull the blankets up as high as possible. All the lights are already extinguished except for a little moonlight streaming in from the window.
It’s late but I don’t dare let my eyes slide shut.
It’s quiet and I spend the time counting the seconds, waiting for the shoe to drop.
It’s about two in the morning when that’s exactly what happens. I hear something click and then a window being slowly opened. I fight to keep my breathing even and an arm reaches over and drapes my body. Tucking me more under his body, shielding me from what we both know is to come.
I hear the footsteps coming down the hall. They don’t know where all the creaking spots are. I can tell by the sound of the creaks just how close they are. I only hear one set of foot steps. Only one. Thank god.
“Easy.” The deep voice whispers in my ear.
The adrenaline is coursing through my body and it’s getting hard to keep still.
The door to the bedroom slowly pushes open and the person comes to stand at the edge of the bed.
“Cormac.” A voice booms out but neither of us in the bed moves.
The killer huffs in frustration as he walks to the side of the bed and pulls the covers back.
His eyes widen in surprise when instead of finding Cormac huddled up next to me he finds Maxim. On perfect cue, he lifts his hand and quickly disarms the man in front of him while Cormac lunges from the closet with a billy club and strikes the would be assassin in the back of his head. Knocking him out cold.
Violence has never been a welcomed sight for me. I’d grown used to it but would never seek it out. But for this bastard, I can’t wait to see him squeal.
CORMAC
I do not feel the hit of the club in my palm, but I hear the crack of bone and the body goes slack. Maxim already has a zip tie around the bastard’s wrists by the time I haul him up by the collar.
“East rooms,” I say. My voice comes out flat, too quiet for how fast my heart is going.
Maxim nods once and moves. Brenna is right behind me, barefoot, calm in that way that means she is not calm at all. I want to tell her to stay, to lock herself in the bathroom, to let me handle this, but she has already proven she will not hide and I am done pretending I can keep her in the dark. If they are coming for my throat they will expect me alone. Let them find the two of us instead.
We take the stairs. The wood complains, old and tired, same as my patience. The air in the east hall smells like char and old rage. The scorched walls drink the candlelight and throw it back in jagged pieces. I put the son of a bitch in the chair that faces the blackened fireplace and drag the steel chain from the trunk along the wall. Not pretty. The links scream across the floor andmake the dogs bark in the pens they are locked up in outside. Good, let the house remember what I am.
