Page 340 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

They took them to a suite on the top floor. The windows had cardboard duct taped to them. They shoved Fox into a seat. “Bring the girl to me,” Roxanna said, taking a seat herself.

Kate was hauled over in front of her, and to her shock, Roxanna pulled her down firmly onto her lap and held her jaw with iron fingers, turning her face in her direction. “So…” she said slowly. “You're the girl that Fox gets his blood from.”

“I-I don't know what you're talking about,” Kate said, allowing her real fear to come through.

“No?”

Roxanna was staring into her eyes and Kate found herself strangely lost for a moment, when Fox hissed, “Don't—” at the same time she realized her mistake and squeezed her eyes shut.

Pain exploded in her cheekbone and she found herself flat on her back, blinded with agony. The bitch had cold-cocked her.

“You two lied to me,” Roxanna hissed. She was confused for a moment, trying to understand what lie she was being accused of—what Roxanna had seen in her mind. Was it that she was Dom's girl? But then she realized it was simpler than that. By closing her eyes, she revealed that she did know they were vampires.

After a moment, she said in an oily voice, “Pick her up. Give her to me again.”

Kate's limp body was collected and placed back on Roxanna's knees. She felt sick to her stomach and more than a little bit dizzy. The pain in her face was unbelievable. She tried to twist around to look at Fox, but Roxanna grabbed her hair and wrenched her head back to look at her again. Her face swam into focus. For a horrifying moment she watched as if in slow motion as Roxanna bared her fangs and leaned toward her. Then she felt a stab as she struck her neck.

She heard Fox yelling, then.

“Sorry, Fox,” Roxanna purred, licking the blood from her fangs. “I couldn't help myself. She just looked so tasty.

But you answered my question. You do care about this little mortal, don't you?”

Fox didn't answer.

Roxanna slipped her hand into Kate's shirt, fondling her breast. “She is a sweet little thing, isn't she? I think I will save her for dessert. I'll need the blood after I turn you,” she said, looking past Kate at Fox.

Kate still couldn't see Fox, but she heard his voice, deep with regret. “I would keep her alive if I were you,” he said.

“I'm sure you would, Fox,” Roxanna said absently as she pulled Kate's blouse off her completely.

“No, I mean she's not mine. I was just guarding her.”

Roxanna went still at that. She leaned back to look past Kate at Fox. Then she grabbed Kate's hair and pulled her face in close again. “Who do you belong to, little girl?” she hissed.

Kate's eyes filled with tears. There was no way she was going to be the cause of Dom's demise. Fox should not have told the bitch what he had.

“Who?” Her voice was deadly quiet. “Dominic DeParma?”

Something in her face must have given way because Roxanna suddenly smiled widely. “Excellent. Excellent, my dear,” she said, shoving Kate off her lap and onto the floor again. “Throw her on the bed and tape her ankles up, too,” she barked and two of her minions hauled her off the floor to comply.

She watched in horror as Roxanna approached Fox. He tried to get away, but two men held him firmly and Roxanna sunk her teeth into his neck and drank deeply. She drank for a long time and then she used a fang to slit her own wrist and held it to his mouth. He squirmed and tried to get away and they tussled around, ending up with Fox flat on his back on the floor, three of the minions pinning him down as Roxanna held her wrist to his mouth. He coughed and spluttered, but one of the vampires punched him in the face and knocked him out cold. Kate wept as she saw Fox's body convulse with the new blood entering his mouth.

Chapter Eleven

The bad feeling he'd had all week had sharpened to a point when his cell phone rang. He was at No Return driving all the staff crazy with his irritable demands. It was Fox.

“What's up?”

“Dominic,” a silky female voice came through. His heart stopped completely—Roxanna. “I have not one, but two of your dear friends with me. Scream for me, sweetheart,” she said and he heard a scuffling sound, and a whimper that sounded like Kate. “I said scream!” Roxanna snarled and then there was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Kate shrieked. Dom's fangs fully extended and he snarled into the phone.

Roxanna laughed. “Let's meet, shall we? Top of the parking garage at Park and University in 30 minutes. Come alone.” The phone went dead in his hand.

He whirled around and caught Stella's eye. She saw the fangs and came across the club to him at a run, smacking Randolph's shoulder on the way. Dom walked out the back door to the parking lot and sent out his sensors. There it was—a clear marker in space. “Way to go, Fox,” he murmured. Stella and Randolph met him at his car. He opened his trunk and pulled out the wooden stakes that they'd sharpened to a point.

“They have Fox and Kate,” he briefed them grimly, handing out the stakes. “Fox set a marker, though. We follow it now. Surprise is the only thing we have going for us. Kill as many as you can as quickly as you can. Try for Roxanna. When and if I say the word 'go’ that means I have to surrender. I want you two to flash out of there. Maybe somewhere nearby to watch and see if you can get another chance at her. But you will go when I say go. It may be the only thing that can save us. Capiche?”

Stella and Randolph both nodded. “Promise me?”

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