Honoria Ravena by The Devil's Trap [In Darkness We Dwell Book 2]

you.”
    “I won’t rest while you’re trying to kill my sister, asshole,” Jason gasped from the floor.
    “I’m not going to kill her.” He ran his fingers gently through my hair. A lover’s caress.
    “Regan, get away from him.” When I didn’t move, he glared at Zarek. “What are you doing to her?”
    “Touching enhances my hold over her.” He released his grip on my arm and slid his hands up to my shoulders to pull me to him and kiss my throat. I jerked out of his embrace, unable to think. I had to get some distance from him.
    My head ached, and my mouth was as dry as the desert. I drew my knife and backed away from him. “Let go of my mind, damn it!”
    “Put that knife down.” The order came through so clearly I couldn’t tell if Zarek had spoken aloud or if it was all in my head.
    Pain detonated behind my eyes. It was so ferocious I almost passed out. My hand shook so badly that I almost dropped the blade.
    “Come here, damn it! Stop fighting me.”
    Agony scattered my thoughts. I stumbled as the weight of his mind crashed into mine. The knife clattered to the ground. My knees cracked as they hit the floor, but I barely noticed the pain. No physical sensation compared to what was going on in my head.
    His commands bombarded me. I wanted to beg him to stop, to tell him I’d do whatever he wanted, but my teeth were clenched together against the words, and I couldn’t force them apart.
    Suddenly, everything stopped. I came to my senses, lying huddled on the floor, drenched in sweat. My short nails had managed to dig into my palms. I uncurled my fingers. Blood oozed from the little crescents indented in my palms.
    “Get up, Regan, damn it! You need to run.” My brother started pulling me roughly to my feet.
    “What happened?”
    “I jumped Zarek, but he won’t be down for long.”
    I glanced around and noticed the demolished bar. Broken glass and wood lay strewn everywhere. The mirrors behind the bar were cracked and coated in blood.
    My brother shoved me toward the door, and I almost fell. He grabbed my hand to steady me and froze. “You’re bleeding.” His grip tightened around my hand, and I flinched.
    He dropped my hand and spun away so fast that I couldn’t track the movement. “Run, Regan. You’ll end up dead if you don’t.”
    “You have to come with me. I can’t leave you here.”
    He looked over his shoulder for a split second, but he didn’t turn around. “Don’t you get it? You’re bleeding. Even if you weren’t, I’m not sure I could go with you. Adrenaline got me this far, but I’m stretching my control to the limit just standing this close to you. I’ve resisted feeding until now. It’s why I’m in even more pain than normal.”
    Tears streaked down my face. “Jason, I can’t leave you here. He’ll kill you for this.”
    I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. He hissed, baring razor sharp fangs. He knocked my hand away, covered his face, and backpedaled.
    Tears completely obscured my vision. A sob tore through my body. “Jason, come with me! I can’t… You keep me safe. It’s my fault this happened to you. Please!”
    He didn’t take his hands off his face. “This isn’t your fault.”
    The rubble that used to be the bar shifted before Zarek sat up.
    He wiped the blood out of his eyes and pointed at Jason. “I’m going to kick your ass, boy.”
    Jason pushed me toward the door and took up a fighting stance in front of me. “Regan, run! I’ll find a way out, but right now you need to be somewhere safe.”
    I backed away, glancing around the bar. The Devil’s Trap’s patrons sat around watching the show, but none interfered.
    When my gaze went back to Zarek, he was already up and heading toward me. He shoved my brother so hard Jason dented the wall. I turned and ran for dear life.
     
     
    Chapter Five
     

     
    I staggered into my house. I was shocked I’d made it home. My head pounded as Zarek continued to try to command me back to him. But for