Once Bitten, Twice Burned(105)

He’d been wrong, so Richard’s only option had been . . .

Ryder’s gaze jumped to Sabine. She’d hidden the stake behind her back.

The tears of a phoenix.

“I made my army,” Malcolm said, as he looked up to smirk at Ryder. “One victim at a time. I controlled the humans. Even from inside my prison at Genesis, I sent the humans out to find vampires who would aid me.”

Vamps who would be willing to turn on me. Ryder stared back at his brother and didn’t allow any emotion to show on his face.

“When my army was strong enough, when I knew Genesis had you,” Malcolm continued, “I escaped.”

By acting like a victim. By using Cassie.

He hadn’t realized his brother was such a damn good actor.

“I’ve been wanting to taste you for a while,” Malcolm muttered as his mouth lowered near Cassie’s throat once more. “There were always too many cameras on us. Too many watching you so closely.”

Ryder saw Cassie’s eyes. The fear faded and gave way to . . . satisfaction? But when Cassie spoke, her voice trembled. “Don’t,” she said. “Please.”

Maybe his brother wasn’t the only good actor in the room.

Malcolm sank his fangs into her throat.

Sabine screamed and ran forward, with her stake clutched tightly in her hands. “Leave her alone! No more! No more!”

But Ryder grabbed Sabine around the waist and hauled her back. He held her against his chest.

She didn’t need to save Cassie. Malcolm was already shoving the doctor away and trying to spit out her blood.

His claws retracted. His mouthful of fangs vanished.

“Surprise, surprise,” Cassie said, her voice sad. “I’m not what you thought, either, bastard.”

Malcolm stared at her with horror blazing in his eyes. Blood dripped from his chin.

And then he fell to the floor, his body frozen, apparently stone-cold dead.





CHAPTER NINETEEN




Ryder’s hands were like steel bands around Sabine’s stomach. Her neck ached and fury clawed at her gut.

And Malcolm was dead?

“You’re like Richard Wyatt.” Ryder’s voice came out, low and deadly, from behind her.

Cassie gave them a sad smile, even as her gaze dipped back to Malcolm’s still figure. “No, Richard’s blood contained a diluted poison. Mine is much more potent, as you can see.”

Poison? In the woman’s blood? What the hell was going on there?

Sabine tried to pull free. Ryder just held her tighter.

“I made sure that Malcolm never got my blood while we were in Genesis.” Now Cassie’s voice sounded sad. “Because I thought I could help him. I knew if he tasted so much as a sip . . .”

“He’d be dead,” Ryder finished.

She nodded slowly and said, “I wanted to save him. Genesis had already hurt so many, killed them.” Her chin lifted. “I’m truly trying to make amends.”

Yeah, well, good luck with that. Sabine stilled in Ryder’s arms. “Some things can never be fixed.”

Cassie’s stare turned to Sabine. The woman’s eyes were green. A familiar green. The same shade as Richard Wyatt’s eyes. “No,” Cassie sighed out the word. “They can’t.”

Ryder slowly eased his hold on Sabine.

“I was created as a weapon,” Cassie told them, turning her back on Malcolm. “A way to stop the vamps. With the right serums, human blood can become toxic to vampires. Just one sip, and it’s a real killer drink.”

Sabine put her hand on Ryder’s chest and shoved him back. She didn’t want the guy anywhere near Cassie’s blood.

Wait, come to think of it . . . I don’t want to be near her blood, either. So Sabine backed up a few steps, too.

She just wanted to get the hell away from Cassie. Only, if the woman was a walking vampire death kit, could they just let Cassie leave that place?

“My . . . boy . . .” The broken sob had Sabine glancing over at Keith. He was on his feet and looking about ten years older. Malcolm’s hold on the guy was gone, and now Keith was blinking and staring at Vaughn’s snarling figure in horror. “We can’t . . . fix him?”

“Not without phoenix blood,” Cassie said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

There was another phoenix in town. Sabine compressed her lips, knowing that if she mentioned Dante, he’d be hunted. But if she didn’t tell Cassie and Keith about Dante, then Vaughn’s life would be over.

What loyalty did she owe to Dante? He’d tried to kill her before. Multiple times.

So she could easily offer him up here. Right?

The scent of smoke teased her nose.

“Why the hell not?” Ryder muttered as his body tensed. “Everyone else is here. Figures he’d join the party, too.”