“I thought Kraven cleared things up with you?” the man hovering over his brother asked.
“What the fuck are you doing back here?”
Dorian pulled the gun from the front of his waistband and shot the vampire in his right arm.
He was shocked that he hit the guy since he had never fired a gun before in his life.
But he didn’t stop with just one bullet.
He aimed for the heart, but missed and shot the vampire in his right shoulder instead.
The vampire flew back, grabbing his shoulder and hissing at Dorian.
“Those are fucking bullets dipped in holy water, you asshole.”
Dorian hadn’t known.
What was Rick doing with a gun that had holy water bullets?
He wasn’t going to take the time to ask.
He shot again, the bullet just missing the vampire’s head.
“Get off of Ian.”
“And if I don’t?” It was a taunt, as if the vampire didn’t believe Dorian would go for the kill shot.
He would.
That was his baby brother on the couch.
“Try me.” He gripped the gun with both hands, in a teacup fashion, concentrating on the man’s forehead.
“What are you doing, Dorian?” Rick asked from the doorway, but Dorian didn’t take his eyes off of the vampire near his brother.
He just prayed like hell that Rick would protect him from being attacked.
There was no reason for Rick to do something like that, but Dorian held out hope anyway.
“Getting Ian out of here.”
“Do you know what you’ve done?” Rick asked as he moved closer, speaking to Dorian like he was a man about to jump off of the ledge.
Maybe he was.
Coming into a kiss of vampires and trying to kill one of their own was stamped with suicide, but Dorian wasn’t leaving without Ian.
“Do I care?” Dorian replied in a tone so cold, he frightened himself.
“Get Ian from the couch, Rick.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are talking to?” Rick snapped.
Dorian aimed the gun lower and shot the vampire in the leg.
“Get my brother, Rick.”
Rick crossed the room, his expression murderous.
“You will pay for this.”
“I’m sure I will.” But his brother was safe.
Or would be.
He planned on hiding Ian someplace no one would find him and then getting his brother help.
He was not going to have a depraved addict for a brother.
There was no fucking way.
“This isn’t over,” Kraven said from the doorway.
“Do you think you can get out of here alive, human?”
“We are about to find out,” Dorian said.
He heard a hiss coming from Kraven, but the master backed away.
Dorian had a feeling that Kraven wasn’t the type to give in so easily, but was giving Dorian a free pass.
Maybe the guy knew what it was like to have a brother strung out.
Dorian wasn’t sure and really didn’t give a rat’s ass.
Rick carried Ian to the car as Dorian kept the gun aimed high, following behind the man.
Kraven followed them at a safe distance, raising his hand when a vampire tried to come after Dorian.
“Let him have his brother.”
They made it outside the club, the man at the door taking a menacing stance.
Dorian didn’t look him directly in the eyes, but he knew the crossed arms and spread legs were a bad thing.
He opened the car door for Rick, keeping his eye on the area around him.
“You are out to get us killed, aren’t you?” Rick asked as he laid Ian in the backseat.
“That was the master vampire you just threatened. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mãos da Morte come after us now.”
“They won’t.” Dorian wasn’t sure how he knew this.
Maybe it was in the tone Kraven had used.
The man hadn’t sounded pissed.
But then again, Dorian didn’t know squat about the undead.
If Kraven sent the hands of death after them, Dorian would be back to shoot the man in the goddamn balls.
“Why, because Kraven let us leave? You’re an idiot. The man would let you take Ian and then send the Mãos da Morte after us. I’m not afraid of Kraven, but I’m cautious. The man has just as much power as I do.”
“Power?”
“Get in,” Rick snarled.
Dorian slid into the passenger seat, still watching the club.
He heard Rick’s door close.
“And give me my damn gun.” He grabbed the gun out of Dorian’s hand.
“Holy water–dipped bullets, moron. The bullets could kill Calico if they don’t get them out in time. If the vampire dies, we are in a world of trouble. You better be damn lucky I didn’t have the liquid ultraviolet bullets in there or Calico would be a burnt memory right now.”
“I thought they were already dead,” Dorian defended.
“How can you kill the living dead?”
“You have a lot to learn,” Rick snapped.
“Just sit back and shut the hell up. I have to come up with a new plan now thanks to your heroics back there.”
“Tell me you wouldn’t have done it for your brother,” Dorian replied.
“My brother is dead.” Rick pulled away from the curb, driving in the opposite direction they had come.
Dorian didn’t question the man.
The adrenaline was wearing off, and he was beginning to shake too damn badly to pay attention to Rick’s ranting.
Fuck, he had shot a guy!
Dorian felt the inside of the car spin as warm, metallic-tasting saliva filled his mouth.
“Don’t you dare get sick in my car,” Rick pulled over, got out, and then opened Dorian’s door, pulling him out.
“Breathe.” He pushed Dorian over, placing his head between his knees.
“Just breathe, Dorian.”
“I shot a man.”
“Technically, you shot a vampire. Big difference.” You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
Dorian was trying his best to breathe, but he couldn’t stop shaking.
“No difference to me.” It was still a person, even if it was a vampire.
“You were defending your brother, Mr. Badass.” Rick’s tone gentled as his hand smoothed down Dorian’s back.
“At least I know you aren’t afraid to pull the trigger.”
Oh god.
Dorian bent over and vomited.
Rick held him up.
It said a lot about the guy if he was willing to hold Dorian’s hair back while he emptied his guts on the side of the road.
“Better?”
“No,” Dorian said as he swayed, but Rick grabbed him, pulling Dorian to his chest.
“It’ll ease.”
“Ian’s an addict, Rick.” Saying that out loud made it sound ten times worse.
His baby brother was a fang addict and liked to get beaten.
How in the hell had that happened?
His dad would shit bricks if he ever found out.
His father was cool as hell, but he wouldn’t be cool about this.
The man hadn’t even gotten angry when Dorian had come out, announcing to his father that he was gay.
His dad hadn’t cared.
He would care about this.
His mother was the one that was going to kick Ian’s ass.
She didn’t take any shit from her sons and husband.
But it would also break her heart.
Dorian was the older brother.
He should have protected Ian.
Instead, his brother was a regular at a damn BDSM club.
He just couldn’t stop thinking that.
Where had he gone wrong?
“Let’s get you back in the car. We need to get out of Kraven’s territory before we really piss him off.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. If they come after us and I have to choose between you and Ian, Ian is going back to the club.”
It was the sweetest threat Dorian had ever heard.
No one had ever stuck by him like this before, aside from his dad.
Maybe he had misjudged Rick.
Maybe the man wasn’t all that bad.
“And if comes down to me and you, you’re hit.”
The man just had to open his fucking mouth and ruin the warm and fuzzy feelings.