KnightForce Damian (La Patron's KnightForce Book 4) by Sydney Addae Page A

from the ground. She scratched and tried to get out of his grip.
    "Stop," she said raggedly.
    He loosened his hold but didn't release her.
    "You bitch." He picked her up, turned and ran. Branches and twigs slapped his face and scraped his side. When they stopped, he dropped her on the ground. She rubbed her bruised neck and sucked in as much air as possible.
    He rifled through her purse and held the small brown bottle in front of her. "I'll give you what you gave him."
    Ivona looked at the bottle and then at him and laughed. "Okay, I'm tired anyway."
    He shook it a few times.
    She swallowed hard. "It's just something to put him to sleep. He'll wake in a few hours, no harm done."
    "You thought you could escape us?" She knew they were full-blood hunters, what was her game?
    Anger flashed across her face before she bowed her head. "I was afraid."
    "Of Raoul?"
    "Who?"
    "The one who yelled at you." He pointed to the long, lean body of the blond lying on the back seat of the vehicle.
    "Yes. I thought... I was scared."
    "He wouldn't hurt you, but you shouldn't have sprayed us. We could've killed you on the spot for that and tossed your broken body into the swamp."
    Her head snapped up and she met his gaze. "I'm sorry, just scared, that's all."
    He nodded. "Tell me what's going on? You poisoned Sheila Height?"
    "What? No. Maybe." She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes. I fed her a potion and cursed her. She had a list of men, quite a long list actually, that she wanted cursed. In order for that to happen I had to curse her as well." She straightened in her seat and met his gaze. "There were over a hundred men on the list, including your Alpha."
    Without thinking he grabbed her around her neck and squeezed.
    She fought to break his hold. "Kill me and they'll all die," she said on a ragged breath.
    He flung her to the ground and stood over her. Chest heaving, he pointed at her. "Whatever you've done, stop the itching right now or you'll die."
    She swallowed hard, her gaze slid to the side and landed on Raoul. "I will... after you help me."
    Damian took a step closer. "You're in no position to make conditions."
    She cleared her throat and stood slowly. "Yes, yes I am."
    Unsure how to handle her, Damian watched as she pulled confidence around her shoulders like a cape.
    "As soon as you help rescue my mom."
    "Rescue your mom?" He didn't mean to yell but obviously she didn't understand what was happening in the clinic.
    She shook her head. "Yes, she's being held prisoner."
    Jaw tight, fist clenched. "Rescue your mom? Are you out of your mind? After deliberately infecting people, you expect me to help you?"
    Her back straightened, and her gaze never wavered. "Yes, after she's free I'll give you the serum."
    "Give it to us now," Damian growled, his wolf close to the surface.
    "No. After you help me." She took a step backward.
    "She can burn in hell," he said.
    Her eyes widened and then snapped fire. "If you don't help and we get to her in a few days, she will," She paused. "But so will your Alpha."
    Damian threw his head back and howled. The sound of his frustration filled the air. His beast pushed against his skin, eager to annihilate the roadblock standing between him and completion of his assignment.
    In the distance, howls joined his, merging into a long resonant note of camaraderie. " Hawke ." With a few brief sentences he explained the situation.
    "Who is her mother?"
    "I don't know. " He refused to consider her request, it amounted to blackmail, something they shouldn't tolerate.
    " Asia said find out who's her mother, where's she located, and what's involved. " Hawke said.
    " We can't give into her demands, what if she has another virus or asks for something else? This one has no honor, we can't trust her," Damian said.
    " No, we can't and won't. Buy us some time, ask the questions, get as much information as you can ."
    Damian faced Ivona. Her gaze skittered away and then locked onto his. He opened his hand and then closed it again.