35. CATALINA

THIRTY-FIVE

catalina

Ren gave me his back and looked at the chains attached to the wall, studying them carefully.

“Break the camera,” he ordered, his back still to me. “Hurry up.”

I found the camera in one sweep of the room. In the top corner, a round lens faced us. It took a few attempts of jumping to grab onto it, but I finally hooked both arms around the plastic. The perch holding it up bent under my efforts and I managed to yank it off. I slammed it into the floor and pieces scattered.

As soon as it was crushed on the floor, he wrapped his hands around the metal attached around his neck and jerked it once. The silver pressed against his skin and it hissed. Letting it go, he focused his efforts on the long chain attaching him to the wall. He set his boot against where it was securely bolted and strained. A hiss echoed and steam lifted on his hands where he held the chains.

A shrill screech rent the room and my eyes widened as the square of bolted-down material peeled off.

My mouth dropped.

Well, then. Vampires were strong, but God damn.

He reached for the chains attached to the shackles of his wrists and did the same, but he was able to rupture the link so there was less of it hanging off the end. The other wrist followed suit and then he was free. Burns coated his hands; a thin layer had been seared off.

In a few strides, he was at the door, eyes studying the metal encased entrance. He slammed the flat of his foot into it repeatedly, but it held up. Ren took a ragged breath. The scent of burned flesh seared my nose and blisters erupted on Ren’s arms from where the flailing chains rested against his skin. Winding his leg back, Ren angled his shot toward the hinges, and the slab bent.

He was a psycho, yes. And terrifying.

The bolted hinges ruptured and the wooden doorframe cracked as the slab of metal and ruptured wood crashed to the floor, letting in the hall light.

Ren brushed some broken pieces of wood off his arms as he strode out.

I stumbled after him, moving quickly.

“Wait,” I cried out as I stuttered to a stop a foot from him.

Ren paused and lifted a brow.

“Why?”

My mouth parted and I narrowed my eyes up at him. He couldn’t be serious. He snorted and turned his back to me. He was about to zoom out of here and leave me behind, naked and bleeding. My heart rammed against my chest and I used every inch of strength I had to jump on him.

I wrapped my arms around as much of him as I could, hooking my arms around his wide chest. He was so massive it was difficult to get a grip, but I wasn’t giving up. I used as much strength I could muster to climb up his big ass body.

“Off, human.”

I huffed closer to his ear, trying to catch my breath.

“No.”

Shouting echoed down the hall.

“You better hurry, or they’ll get us in there again.”

He laughed like I’d just said the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

Ren shook his head, still chuckling as he made his way down the hall Calliope had brought me down. We weren’t too far from the entrance, we just had to avoid...

Never mind.

A vampire gawked at us, but before he could take off running, Ren grabbed him and slammed a piece of metal into his chest cavity. The vampire wheezed and lashed out, weakly hitting Ren in the face. I scrambled to hold on for dear life as his shoulders undulated with each of his movements. Ren pushed him against the wall and rammed the metal into his chest again until it caused a cavern of ruptured insides. Blood splattered across my cheek and my stomach lurched. I was going to throw up. Ren tore the heart out with ease and tossed it. The blisters had spread much faster on this one.

“Young vampire,” Ren commented with a grunt.

I buried my head in the crook of his neck and sucked in harsh lungfuls of oxygen. I tightened my thighs on his sides, but I kept slipping and having to readjust myself on him. It was his fault for being so large.

He kept walking at an even pace, dispatching the other vampires he crossed with ease. I kept my head ducked because I wasn’t being subjected to the stimulating visuals again without vomiting my guts out.

Yellow artificial light filled my closed eyelids and I squinted. We were outside on the porch and it was still dark out. How many days had passed while I’d been passed out?

I loosened my hold and dropped to my ass with a grunt. I winced and pushed to my feet.

Ren squinted out at the lawn, a slight grimace on his face.

I gripped his shirt and tugged. He amazingly followed me as I guided him to my van. The lone vehicle sat where I’d left it. There were no longer any other cars crowding the space other than the sparse few that were at the front of the estate.

“Get in,” I whispered.

Ren slid into the passenger side, squeezing his huge body in. Yeah, it was pretty beat down and large but he could have slid into the back where there were no seatswhich was suited more for his frame ... I pressed my lips together trying not to burst into laughter. It was like a grown-up trying to squeeze into one of those battery-powered kid cars.

My keys were where I’d left them and I turned my car on without a hiccup and sped away from the curb. I settled in for a long drive and pulled a thin blanket off the floor to cover my breasts by hooking it under my arms.

He leaned his head against the headrest and his eyes slid shut.

“How do you know Asher?”

I jumped at the sound of his deep voice and flexed my fingers around the steering wheel. I’d mentioned Asher, but there had been no further discussion since he’d been too busy munching on me.

“Uh, we’re neighbors.”

“Neighbors?” He snorted and shook his head as if I was lying. “What are you?”

“Um, what do you mean?” I croaked. “I’m human.”

What sort of question was that? The words ached to crawl up my throat, but I didn’t want to set him off again. I was very much okay with not going there. I licked my dry lips and put the volume up on my stereo with a trembling hand.

Ren was quiet the rest of the way, so quiet it would be as if he wasn’t there if it weren’t for his oversized presence.

As adrenaline leaked out of me, my body aches rushed forward. I hurt . And the sharp pains from the bite marks especially stung in the aftermath.

What Ren had done to me . . . I shivered at the memory of his bites and touch. I jerked the lever to lower the windows and cold wind lashed across my face. I pressed on the gas to increase my speed and sucked in a breath.

Shaking my head, I refocused on driving. It took me less time to get back to the manor than it did to get to the Saphire Estate, which had to do more with the fact that I’d stepped on the gas the entire time.

I pulled into my driveway and left my car keys on the driver seat. I climbed the steps to their house faster than I ever had with the blanket wrapped under my arms and shoved their door open.

“Asher? Jax?” I shouted. “Tobias!” There was nothing in response. My shoulders tightened at the heavy weight staring me down. I whirled to find Ren striding in my direction with his head lowered—stalking toward me.