Tempting The Beast(85)

She scrambled around the chair as she heard the scream that erupted from Dayan’s throat. The gun

went flying when Callan tackled him. Merinus grimaced as it flew in the opposite direction of the chair.

Breathing roughly, watching the struggling men carefully, she began to crawl around the room.

Feral growls filled the room, crashing furniture, flying fists. Dayan was like a savage animal, but Callan

more so. With feet kicking out, fists hammering into flesh, the two men fought around the room, vying for

supremacy. As Merinus reached the gun, she heard a scream of resounding pain that sent a chill down

her back.

Callan had managed to tackle Dayan, maneuvering the other man in front of him, his arms locked around

his neck. As Merinus’ eyes widened in horror, Callan gave a final, savage wrench. The sound of the

other man’s neck breaking had bile rising from her stomach. Dayan’s eyes were wide with surprise and

defeat, horror washed over his dying expression as Callan allowed him to drop slowly to the floor.

Merinus raised shocked eyes to her lover. He stared at her, his expression cold, brutal. He never

blinked, he offered no apology, but she saw the misery and grief in the glitter of unshed tears in his eyes.

He was covered in blood. His bare chest marked with the scratches of Dayan’s longer, sharper nails. He

wore only a pair of blood splattered sweat shorts. His feet were bare, his legs marred with ugly cuts and

bruises, splayed apart, the muscles still tight, taut with the danger that pulsed in his body.

Merinus was breathing harshly, her heart pounding in her chest, her hands clutching the forgotten gun.

“Fuck, you need another shower now,” she whispered as she swallowed tightly, then grimaced at the

inane comment. “Oh God, Callan—”

Her hand went over her mouth as she fought the sickness rising in her throat. Dayan stared at her, his

eyes vacant, wide in that last second of horror as he stared at her. She dropped the gun, her body

shaking so hard she could feel her bones trying to rattle.

“Merinus.” Suddenly he was kneeling beside her, not touching her, his voice broken with his grief, his

regret. “Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head desperately, fighting her tears.

“Oh God, how do I help you?” She turned to him, heedless of the blood that marred his body. His

blood and Dayan’s.

His arms came around her hesitantly as she threw herself in his arms.

“Help me?” he whispered, his voice rough as he touched her hair, her back, as though frightened to

embrace her. “You’re safe now, Merinus. It’s okay.”

She shook her head against his chest, the tears finally falling from her eyes, humiliating her with her

weakness in the face of danger. She was such a wimp, she thought. He had saved both their lives,

scarred his soul with the necessity of taking his brother’s life, and she needed his comfort. She should be

comforting him instead.

“I’m so sorry,” she gasped through her tears. “I’m so sorry. I’m so weak, Callan. I’m so weak.”

She clutched at his shoulders, too weak to stand, fear still echoing through her system, the horror of the

violence quaking through her system. As Callan tightened his arms around her, the sharp sound of the

front door splintering tore them apart.

Merinus screamed as the door flew inward. Callan shoved her towards the chair, his sharp order lost

amid his growl of rage as he dove for the gun Merinus had dropped.

“Merinus. Callan.” The harsh voice of her brother had her swinging around in time to watch Callan come

up in a lithe, graceful move to his knees, the pistol gripped in both hands, his face a mask of rage.

“Callan.” She fell toward him; terrified he wouldn’t stop in time.

He was ahead of her. The gun went up, his finger falling quickly back from the trigger.

Dazed, breathing hard from shock and reaction she watched the way he crouched as the room began to

fill with the presence of others. Her brothers and father, even her uncle, Senator Samuel Tyler was there,

along with the vaguely familiar near dozen men who followed Kane. Taber and Tanner, Sherra and Dawn

and Dr. Martin brought up the rear. Everyone but the Senator and the good scientists were armed to the

gills, weapons showing, bodies taut and ready.

“God. Talk about fucking testosterone overload,” Merinus groaned as she collapsed on her ass, staring

around as her brothers and Kane’s military group swept through the room, upstairs, making certain of

security, she assumed. Shit, she didn’t know what the hell those black clad strangers with hard cold eyes

were doing, let alone her brothers.

“Don’t touch her.” Suddenly Callan turned furious, feral eyes on whoever had dared to move behind