his chest. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you alive, including dragging you out of this town kicking and screaming.”
Her chin rose as her eyes narrowed on him. “He destroyed my life. I will not walk away from him, and I will not leave my friends unprotected if he decides to come back with a pack of vampires. If you take me from here, I will try to escape from you every chance I get. When I finally succeed, and I will, I’ll make it so you never find me again. He has no idea how I turned,” she continued as the red blazed hotter in his eyes. “For all he knows, one of his cohorts could have given me their blood when he wasn’t looking.”
Julian shook his head. “He won’t think that.”
“You have no idea what he thinks. He now knows I work at Clint’s. He’ll most likely assume I’ve established some kind of a life in this town. I’ve spent my entire life hiding. I refuse to do it anymore.”
He released her so suddenly, she took a startled step away from him. Pacing toward the kitchen, he ran his hand through his hair as he stalked. She hadn’t realized all the others were in her small apartment until he moved out of her way to reveal them gathered by the door.
Luther’s pale-gray eyes were intent on her behind the lenses of his Lennon style glasses. His salt and pepper hair was slightly disheveled and damp. She knew he’d tried to follow her when she’d left the bar, but she’d been too focused on hunting her killer to acknowledge him. He lifted his glasses and rubbed his nose as he bowed his head.
Lou stood beside him, his tawny-brown eyes flitting between her and Julian. He had his hands folded before him and his thin shoulders hunched forward. The ends of his brown hair curled against the collar of his alligator shirt. He looked younger than his eighteen years, yet he had an air of wisdom about him that made him appear far older.
“I should have killed him,” Julian muttered.
Turning to face him, Quinn folded her arms over her chest. “He’s mine.”
Chris and Melissa both sighed; Zach took a step closer to the door when Julian spun to glower at her. “He’s far older than you! Look at what he did to you!” he shouted.
She didn’t want to think about it; it made her head pound all over again. She’d gone against all of her training. Wrath had fueled her attack, not reason, and it had nearly gotten her killed. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“I wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing him or the anger and memories his arrival brought with it. I’ll be better prepared for him next time.”
Julian stopped before her. She tilted her chin up to meet his fiery eyes, determined not to back down. She simply couldn’t; there was too much on the line right now.
“Not prepared?” he said and rested his hand against the holster on her hip. “You have more weapons strapped to you than anyone I know.”
“I didn’t expect to come face to face with the man who tortured me and left me for dead while I was at work tonight. Excuse me if it threw me off my game a little.”
“And it will be easier the next time you see him?”
“I don’t care if it’s ten times harder! I’m going to drain every ounce of life from that man before I tear his throat out.”
Julian lifted an eyebrow at her vehemence, his mouth actually quirking in a smile. She fought the urge to scream and kick him in the shin. She had no idea why he was looking at her like that when seconds before he’d appeared to want to choke her.
“Leash the fangs, Dewdrop.”
Her nails dug into her palms as she glowered at him. “I’m not leaving.”
“I don’t think she should leave,” Luther interjected.
Julian’s smile vanished as he turned toward the Guardian. “And why is that?” he demanded.
“For one, our departure from this town will leave it vulnerable. Also, if this vampire has heard the prophecy, he may not know it involves Quinn. Running from here could confirm it to him. He knows
Her chin rose as her eyes narrowed on him. “He destroyed my life. I will not walk away from him, and I will not leave my friends unprotected if he decides to come back with a pack of vampires. If you take me from here, I will try to escape from you every chance I get. When I finally succeed, and I will, I’ll make it so you never find me again. He has no idea how I turned,” she continued as the red blazed hotter in his eyes. “For all he knows, one of his cohorts could have given me their blood when he wasn’t looking.”
Julian shook his head. “He won’t think that.”
“You have no idea what he thinks. He now knows I work at Clint’s. He’ll most likely assume I’ve established some kind of a life in this town. I’ve spent my entire life hiding. I refuse to do it anymore.”
He released her so suddenly, she took a startled step away from him. Pacing toward the kitchen, he ran his hand through his hair as he stalked. She hadn’t realized all the others were in her small apartment until he moved out of her way to reveal them gathered by the door.
Luther’s pale-gray eyes were intent on her behind the lenses of his Lennon style glasses. His salt and pepper hair was slightly disheveled and damp. She knew he’d tried to follow her when she’d left the bar, but she’d been too focused on hunting her killer to acknowledge him. He lifted his glasses and rubbed his nose as he bowed his head.
Lou stood beside him, his tawny-brown eyes flitting between her and Julian. He had his hands folded before him and his thin shoulders hunched forward. The ends of his brown hair curled against the collar of his alligator shirt. He looked younger than his eighteen years, yet he had an air of wisdom about him that made him appear far older.
“I should have killed him,” Julian muttered.
Turning to face him, Quinn folded her arms over her chest. “He’s mine.”
Chris and Melissa both sighed; Zach took a step closer to the door when Julian spun to glower at her. “He’s far older than you! Look at what he did to you!” he shouted.
She didn’t want to think about it; it made her head pound all over again. She’d gone against all of her training. Wrath had fueled her attack, not reason, and it had nearly gotten her killed. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“I wasn’t prepared for the shock of seeing him or the anger and memories his arrival brought with it. I’ll be better prepared for him next time.”
Julian stopped before her. She tilted her chin up to meet his fiery eyes, determined not to back down. She simply couldn’t; there was too much on the line right now.
“Not prepared?” he said and rested his hand against the holster on her hip. “You have more weapons strapped to you than anyone I know.”
“I didn’t expect to come face to face with the man who tortured me and left me for dead while I was at work tonight. Excuse me if it threw me off my game a little.”
“And it will be easier the next time you see him?”
“I don’t care if it’s ten times harder! I’m going to drain every ounce of life from that man before I tear his throat out.”
Julian lifted an eyebrow at her vehemence, his mouth actually quirking in a smile. She fought the urge to scream and kick him in the shin. She had no idea why he was looking at her like that when seconds before he’d appeared to want to choke her.
“Leash the fangs, Dewdrop.”
Her nails dug into her palms as she glowered at him. “I’m not leaving.”
“I don’t think she should leave,” Luther interjected.
Julian’s smile vanished as he turned toward the Guardian. “And why is that?” he demanded.
“For one, our departure from this town will leave it vulnerable. Also, if this vampire has heard the prophecy, he may not know it involves Quinn. Running from here could confirm it to him. He knows
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