Page 104 of Heartbeat Girl

Maybe Larissa was right. Or maybe she was lying to me. Regardless, she kept providing me with her blood so that it didn’t leave my system. If worst came to worst, I’d take matters into my own hands.

Honestly, I thought she was just using me to aggravate her vampires. They looked furious every time I got to drink from her wrist. The strange looks from her underlings made me wonder if I’d made a mistake in trusting her. It reminded me that, like my vampires, those men were trapped with Larissa.

It was too late to worry about that. I needed Larissa and her men if I wanted to save Liam and the others. With Larissa’s bite and blood in my system, all I had left to do was die.

Chapter Thirty-Five

LIAM

Blinking slowly, my hands searched the ground. My brows furrowed in the middle. Rocks and grass bit into my palm and cheek. It was hard to work my limbs. Everything felt heavy. So weak. Why was I laying on the grass? Where was I? I tried to lift my body into a sitting position, but it took several attempts before I could move properly.

Jayne!

Clarity hit me like a freight train. I remembered Pete snapping my neck. Dread filled my stomach. Marilyn got to him. I should have known. He had all the signs of struggling, but I’d been so preoccupied. Marilyn got to Pete in the one place we couldn’t have seen—his mind.

But Jayne! Where is she?

I looked around, and my heart shriveled up. No. No. No. I was surrounded by tombstones.Daphne Cemetery.We were back in California. I had to stop Pete before he woke Marilyn. If it wasn’t already too late.

Steve, on the ground beside me, twitched slightly.

“Steve!” I smacked him in the face and then stood.

As soon as I did, I staggered.Fuck.I was so weak. Pete must have kept us drugged the entire trip.

“What?” Steve murmured. His eyes opened, and then he yelled. “Pete!”

Holding out my hand, I helped Steve to his feet. By the way he swayed, he had to be as hungry and tired as me.

“Jayne?” he asked.

Bile rose in my throat. I had no idea where my heartbeat girl was. Pete would know, but my skin crawled. She had better be safe. She had to be. I had to find her before Marilyn did.

In the distance, we heard Marilyn’s chilling voice. “Pete, I appreciate your help with this. You’ve made up for all you’ve done.”

Looking to my left, I saw the dirt pile, a shovel, and a giant hole. Pete was on one knee, head bent before the creature of our nightmares. In a dirty red dress, Marilyn’s cobwebbed blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she patted Pete’s hair.

“You’ve made me happy. Now I only have to punish Liam and Steve.” Wiggling her fingers, she said, “Stand, Pete.”

As soon as he did, her fangs pierced his throat. I nodded to Steve. We rushed forward. Marilyn pushed Pete to the side and turned toward us, blood dripping from her mouth. Her blue eyes bled.

“Go ahead. Try to hurt me. Iforbidit.”

Steve reached her first. When he stretched for her, though, his neck muscles strained, and his hand stopped inches from her throat. She laughed. Steve still tried to touch her neck. Marilyn’s chuckle died out as his hands moved an inch closer. My hope skyrocketed. Steve fought against her command, and it started to work. Before he could do anything, Marilyn backhanded him.

She roared. “You actually dare to hurt your sire?”

Marilyn’s dress swayed around her legs as she glared at me. Jumping behind her, I wrapped my arm around her neck and tightened my hold. “Steve!” I yelled.

He disappeared long enough for me to hear the snap of a branch breaking. Then he was back, holding the stick up as a stake.

“What insolent fools! If this behavior is because you believe you’ve gained some control, think again. I’ve taken care of that problem.”

Her words caught me by surprise.What did they mean?

I swallowed, and my grip loosened.Wrong move!

Marilyn grabbed me by my hair and flipped me onto the ground. I hissed as my back smacked the grass.

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