PS02 - Without Regret (54 page)

kitchen.

As he ran past demons and shifters loyal to the Sentinels he thankfully didn’t have to stop and explain what was going on. With

their hearing they were well aware of the problem. The Sentinels that they passed took one look at them and joined without a

word. They ran up the two flights of stairs and towards the open tunnel, a tunnel that should be locked and secured, but it

wasn’t.

His heart banged his chest as he caught the scent of human blood and knew without question that it belonged to his son. He

quickened his pace until he was moving faster than the men and women following him.

When he rounded the last corner his heart skipped a beat as dread filled him.

“Help!” Marc screamed, his voice hoarse as he knelt over Joshua, trying to shake him awake. But there would be no shaking

his son awake. Not this time. As he approached them he heard his son’s heart slow down, stuttering and skipping beats as his

lungs stilled.

He was dying.

Without missing a beat Ephraim allowed his fangs to drop. He tore his wrist open and dropped by his son’s side, trying to hold

back the pain that threatened to overwhelm him. He wasn’t even sure this would work.

The one time he’d changed someone had been his wife and she’d been healthy at the time, not struggling to live.

Knowing he could very well be rushing his son towards the grave he leaned over and bit into Joshua’s throat, pulling on the

blood fast as he shoved his wrist into Joshua’s mouth. He just prayed some of the blood made its way into his stomach.

“Stop! What the hell are you doing?” someone demanded, but he didn’t care who it was. If they tried to stop him he would kill

them and they must have sensed that because no one tried to stop him.

“Is he going to be okay, Daddy?” Joshua asked, sobbing.

He didn’t know. For all he knew it was too late, but he wouldn’t give up until he felt Joshua’s heart give out. A minute later it

did just that.

*********

“We have a problem.”

Logan glared at the man as he shoved past him. “Her screams gave her away,” he bit out tightly, still trying to deal with the

shock of discovering that Isabella was pregnant. A child was a problem, a problem that he couldn’t afford.

“Not that, Master. T-the other Masters have sent their men to take her,” the minion said, stopping him dead in his tracks.

“What did you just say?” he asked, knowing that it should be impossible. No one should know that he had her.

No one.

“There are demons and shifters surrounding the house, Master. They want the girl and have promised immortality and money to

everyone that helped them.”

That was his only warning before the minion attacked, but Logan was ready for him. He didn’t trust anyone, but especially not

the humans working for him. Just as the stake was coming down at him, he shifted to the side, grabbed the man’s wrist and

twisted it until he heard a wet snap. He didn’t hesitate in breaking the traitor’s neck. He dropped the body to the ground and

continued towards the hallway, not surprised when three more minions came for him.

He killed them just as quickly as the first and wasn’t too surprised when a few of his vampires, men he’d turned, came for him.

He was a difficult Master to work for. He didn’t allow mistakes of give second chances and the chance to go to another

Master, one making all kinds of promises they’d probably never fulfill was hard to pass up.

The vampires took longer to handle and caused some damage of their own, but they were turning to ash as he made his way to

the basement. He wondered if he’d have to fight with the Ramjis for his prize as well. All it would take would be the promise

of more money to turn the demons on him.

When he made his way downstairs he had to hold back the sigh of relief when he spotted the demons and a few vampires

standing guard, looking almost bored as they watched the little scene in the cell unfold.

He forced himself to remain calm as he signaled for them to leave, hoping they would leave without a word, but of course they

wouldn’t.

“We’re not leaving him with you,” one of the demons said firmly.

“He’ll be alive when you see him again, but for right now I need to do your damn jobs and go guard the upstairs,” he bit out

evenly.

With one last glare in Kale’s direction they left. He knew they only had minutes before they came back and he needed them to

count. There was no way he would allow another Master to get his hands on his prize. Not when he was so close to getting

everything he needed.

When he heard the basement door click shut, he grabbed the crowbar in the corner of the room near the old furnace and found

the small notch in the cement floor and jabbed it inside.

“What the hell is going on, Logan?” Kale demanded when Isabella thankfully stopped screaming.

“I’m going to make another deal with you,” he said as his muscles strained to pull the large block of cement and stone up.

Kale snorted. “Because this deal has worked out so well for me?”

He managed to pull the cement block and to the side just as he heard a loud bang upstairs. It would only be a matter of minutes

before they stormed the basement.

“The other Masters got greedy. If we don’t get her out of here now they’ll probably tear her apart,” he said, pulling the key out

of his pocket and unlocking the cell door, noting the murderous gleam in her mate’s eyes.

“If you want to get her out of here alive you’ll come with me and do what I say,” he said, knowing he’d be killing her mate and

Kale the first chance that he got.

“Let’s go then,” the Sentinel male said, picking Isabella in his arms quickly and carrying her out of the cage.

How had he come so close only to have everything fall apart in the end? he wondered as he followed the couple to large hole.

“It’s part of the old Underground Railroad system.

There are stone steps that lead down and from there I can lead you to a safe tunnel,” he promised.

Holding the sobbing woman tightly in his arms, the male turned and met his eyes in a way no one had done in centuries. “If you

touch one hair on her head. I’ll kill you.”

*******

He forced himself not to look back and to keep moving, but it was difficult. He didn’t like having two enemies at his back,

especially knowing that at least one of them planned on killing him to get his hands on Izzy.

“I know, Munchkin,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he shifted her in his arms and quickened his pace.

“Where are we?” Kale demanded and Chris got the feeling the man didn’t quite trust the bastard either.

“In the old sewer system,” was the answer.

It was difficult making much of anything out from the light the vampire’s lantern gave off, but judging by the cracked walls they

passed and the pipes running above their heads he assumed the man was telling the truth, at least about this.

“I can’t go any further,” Izzy said suddenly and at least he wasn’t the only one cursing.

“We have to, Munchkin,” he said softly even as he moved his ass faster.

Her answering scream was not comforting.

“Just for a minute, please!” she cried.

“We have to keep moving. If they haven’t found the entrance to the tunnel by now, they will soon,” the vampire said and he had

to agree.

Shit.

“Is there a way to get to the surface from here?” he asked, not trusting the vampire even for a second.

“No, it’s at least a mile away,” the vampire said and at that moment he wished he had his father’s abilities to scent one out.

“Can you scent a way out, Kale?” he asked, not trusting the shifter anymore than he trusted the vampire, but he had to ask. For

his mate and daughter he had to put a little trust in the man.

“I’m trying, but all I can smell is what’s coming up from behind us, quickly.”

Shit.

That was the last thing he wanted to hear and apparently the vampire felt the same way judging by the inventive curse he

released.

Izzy clamped her hands over her mouth with the next scream. He kissed her damp hair, wishing like hell that he could do

something for her.

“Does anyone have a weapon?” he asked, regretting getting rid of all of his weapons, but he hadn’t wanted to take a chance of

getting Marc hurt.

“No,” Kale said angrily. “I was wiped out.”

“I don’t have anything,” the vampire announced with another curse.

“We’re going to have to find something and fast,” he said, squinting as he spotted what appeared to be a large opening to his

right. He stopped abruptly and walked towards it.

“Where the hell are you going?” the vampire demanded.

“To find a weapon and a way out of here,” he bit out, doing his best not to trip over the small piles of broken rubble that lined

the path to the opening.

“We need to keep moving,” the vampire said from behind him as he stepped into a large cavernous like room. Bright sunlight

poured down through cracks in the ceiling, revealing a room filled with several inches of stale murky water, liter, sticks and

boards.

It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

He stepped into the cool water and made his way over to the far left corner where the sun lit up a good portion of the area and

kicked as much debris out of the way as he could. He was surprised when the shifter came over and helped. Together they

cleared a decent amount of space off the dirty rough cement floor. When he put Izzy on her feet she whimpered and knelt down,

wrapping her arms around her stomach as she did her best not to scream again.

As he searched around for a weapon that would help her or at least make her feel safer in this fucked up situation they found

themselves in, the shifter ripped a strip off his shirt and grabbed two sticks and quickly made a cross.

“Here you go,” he said softly as he handed Izzy the cross. “This will work on demons and vampires, at least enough to give you

some space.”

She nodded even as she squeezed her eyes shut again.

He needed to get her the hell out of here. She was not having their baby in a fucking sewer, he decided as he grabbed an old

piece of iron cast fence and placed it by her side. With a groan filled nod, she placed a hand on it.

“I’m not going to go far, Munchkin, but I need to find a better weapon,” he said, hating to leave her side for even a second.

When all she could manage was another nod, he sent the shifter a look and almost as one they looked at the vampire who was

glowering from the safety of the shadows.

“We need to hurry and get the hell out of here before-“

“They’re down here!” a man yelled.

Dread filled him as he scanned the room for an exit, but all he could come up with was the ceiling that was too damn high.

They were trapped.

“We need to guard the door,” Kale said, grabbing a large metal pipe and headed for the only entrance to the room.

With another curse the vampire grabbed a pipe and followed them. He threw one last look at his mate, hoping it wouldn’t be

the last before he turned his attention to the first rush of vampires who tried to break past them.

Chapter 47

Her hand tightened around the metal stick as she fought to control her breathing. This was all her fault.

If she hadn’t been so damn arrogant and created that program then none of this would be happening right now.

She also wouldn’t have met Chris or be carrying their baby, she reminded herself, but he’d be safe and not caught up in the

middle of a large fight. She watched as men practically poured into the room. While Chris, Kale and the vampire were kept

busy several of them came after her.

The ones who weren’t set on fire by the sun were attacked by others just as eager to get their hands on her. Another stabbing

pain shot through her as a large man who had to be a demon based on the black horns on his forehead, came racing after her

only to have Kale reach back and grab the man by hair and yank him away. His back didn’t hit the ground before Chris was

driving a pole through the man’s neck.

As she tried to breathe through the pain and terror she watched as the two men worked as one, taking as many of the men down

as they could. If she wasn’t so scared out of her mind she’d actually be pretty impressed.

“Time to go.”

She looked up in time to see the vampire grab her by the arm and yank her to her feet. He hissed in a breath when the sun hit his

arm, but didn’t release his hold on her. She tried to reach for her weapon, but he kept pulling her away from the spot Chris left

her.

As he dragged her along the back wall she tried to scream for Chris, but the only the scream that she could manage was one of

pain as another contraction shot through her.

“Please stop!” she cried as he continued to drag her along the wall where she stumbled and panted.

She opened her mouth to scream for help, but quickly closed it when she realized that Chris was in no position to help her. He

was surround by at least twenty men and women and fighting for his life and she refused to be the distraction that got him

killed.

“Please help him,” she begged, grabbing onto her stomach as yet another contraction tore through her.

“Please, I can’t watch him die.”

*********