Born in Chains (Men in Chains #1)(17)
Author: Caris Roane

Adrien felt a growl form at the back of his throat. His breathing grew ragged. For a skinny bastard, Hardesty was being damn aggressive.

Hardesty lifted both hands. “Ease down, vampire. I only want to have a look. I guess the chains really do work, because I know how much you despise humans.”

Adrien stepped back beside Lily and slid his arm around her waist. The emotions that pummeled him right now, both his own and Lily’s, made it tough to concentrate. Maybe because her blood was inside him or maybe because he’d taken her to bed—but whatever the case, he hated the way Hardesty looked her over.

He felt her hand on his arm, gliding up and down. She turned into him; that much he registered. “Adrien, what’s going on with you?” He heard her voice, but he couldn’t make sense of what she’d said. He felt his fangs on his lower lips. What the hell was happening to him?

She got in front of him and placed her hands on his chest. “Hey! Can you hear me?”

He met her gaze, staring into her large hazel eyes. He might have blinked a few times; he wasn’t sure. “Lily?”

“You kinda got lost there for a minute. What’s with the fangs? Pull ’em in, would you? You’re kinda freaking me out here.”

Adrien kept looking at her, partly because she calmed him, partly because he didn’t want to look anywhere else. He focused on breathing. He had to do better than this or these primal, uncontrollable feelings would put them both in danger.

“I can get rid of those chains, if you want.”

Lily turned in Hardesty’s direction, but Adrien slipped his arms around her, drawing her closer still. She seemed to understand because she didn’t protest. “What’s involved?” she asked.

“About half a million dollars. You got that kind of money?”

Lily nodded.

She did? Adrien’s hold on her relaxed.

Hardesty smiled. “Anytime you bring me the money, I can break the bond on the chains.”

Adrien felt relief swell through Lily so profound that it left him dizzy. “I want nothing more than that,” she said. “But for now, Adrien and I have to stick together.”

At that, Hardesty paced in front of his chair, still smoking. He looked like the kind of vampire who never put a cigarette down.

“So you’re after something else, then. Rumy only sends me vampires in trouble, but it will cost you, whatever it is that you need from me.”

“We need information about the extinction weapon.”

At that, Hardesty grew very still, including the ever-moving cigarette. Only his gaze shifted, from one to the next then back to finally land on Adrien. “You want to know the whereabouts of the rumored weapon? You? Doesn’t make sense.” He started pacing, smoking, and continuing to talk, “Unless of course you’re under duress. That can be the only reason. Daniel?”

Adrien said nothing. As did Lily.

“I wouldn’t give up my reasons, either. So what’s in it for me?”

“How much do you want?” Lily asked.

“More than you can give.”

“I’ve got a lot.”

“Have you got half a billion?”

“What?”

Adrien tensed up. Something wasn’t right here. Once more he pulled Lily up against him, but this time kept his right hand free to retrieve his Glock. “What are you talking about, Hardesty? How the hell is anyone giving you half a billion?”

Hardesty laughed. “Wishful thinking. I’d love half a billion. I’d retire to an island somewhere. The weather here has been dreadful this fall. So much rain in Paris.”

“So do you know anything about the extinction weapon or not? Rumy seemed to think you might know something.”

“What I know is pitifully small, about experiments done here, in at least one of the French cavern systems, in the north I think, a few decades ago. An accident left about half a dozen scientists dead so the Council shut down the whole operation, the papers burned, the equipment destroyed.”

“What kind of accident?” Lily asked.

Hardesty shrugged. “I’ve never gotten any details. But there is one thing I’ve wanted to say to you, Adrien, for a long time. My animosity toward you isn’t personal, but I have resented the policing work you and your brothers do.”

Adrien glanced around the room and made several swift calculations: no windows, one door at the back, possible shielding to prevent altered flight through the walls.

“What’s going on?”

“That half a billion I mentioned? Ownership in an Arizona casino, something new we’re doing in the States, but it will involve some specialists, human, if you catch my drift. My partners will be glad for this night’s work, and I’m going to have to send Rumy a thank-you card for accidentally sending you to me.”

He couldn’t quite read Lily’s emotional state, but she turned into him and half sobbed, half cried out as she slid her hand beneath his coat.

The door behind Adrien opened. He turned and saw the original bouncer enter with another big vampire. He watched as they reached for their weapons. Simultaneously, he slid his hand down his thigh and withdrew a dagger. If Lily hadn’t decided to get hysterical, he could have reached for his Glock.

He took her with him as he backed up against the wall. When he saw a knife and two guns, he spun Lily around so that his body would have a chance to protect her once the gunfire started.

Everything happened so fast.

He heard the shots, one after the other, at least thirteen rounds in quick succession. He expected to feel the bullets slam into his back. Instead, he felt Lily pushing at his chest. At least she’d stopped screaming.

Turning around, however, he couldn’t figure out what had happened. He saw that both the bouncers and Hardesty were down. Two of them still moaned. The newest vampire lay still with his eyes wide open, pupils dilated, blood coming out of his mouth.

He glanced down at Lily, who now saw what he realized was her handiwork. “Wait, you did this?”

“Yeah, I just had this feeling and went with it. But I think you’d better get us out of here. Now.”

Shock held him immobile for about two more seconds. He tested his ability to pass through the door, or any other wall, but he couldn’t. He reached down and pulled the dead vampire away from the door.

He shoved Lily through then followed after.

The club was small and he had to get outside and into the air quickly, before reinforcements arrived.

He turned toward the back hall and, pulling Lily against him, flew toward the back door. Once there, he kicked it wide and without looking back flew into the night sky, making a hard right, then spiraling high.