Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49961 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“Daddy.”
“I’m taking you home, Little girl.”
“Okay,” she mumbled. Seconds later, a quiet snore sounded from the right side of the car, making him smile.
Carina definitely wasn’t the night owl he was. She’d slept soundly for the last few hours. Marcus waved his thanks to the guard, who still secured the entrance to the parking lot before turning onto the now deserted street.
As always, Marcus scanned his surroundings, keeping vigil to anticipate any possible problems. Costa had attacked twice already. Marcus guessed he wouldn’t learn and would try again. The man wouldn’t have gotten to his position of power without being ruthless and determined. After the clan had killed his employees, his underlings would have started to doubt him. Costa would need to reestablish his authority, or his followers would decide supporting Costa was too risky.
Costa would never win. He had no idea what he was dealing with, nor did he have the tools to succeed. A mere mortal versus a clan of ancient vampires was completely outgunned. No matter how lethal his human forces were.
A dim glow caught his eye. Marcus scanned the area in front of the car to the left, where he’d seen it. His sharp vision spotted a man talking on a cellphone. The amateur had forgotten to turn off his screen.
To avoid having to stop at the red light ahead, Marcus swerved abruptly into a parking lot and sped through the empty spaces to the exit on the next block. He took the next right at the intersection and kept the vehicle moving. When he’d detoured several blocks from his original route, Marcus didn’t relax. Costa was desperate.
He swerved around a delivery van that partially blocked his lane. An oversized black SUV appeared suddenly in his path. Marcus screeched to a stop, threw an arm out to keep Carina back against her seat, and shifted into reverse. Turning in his seat, Marcus sped in reverse while keeping the SUV in his sight.
“Daddy! What’s happening?” Her voice told him no trace of sleep remained.
“We’re going to be fine,” Marcus told her before opening himself up to his clan and alerting everyone to their location. I’m under attack.
Within seconds, Alaric appeared on the road between Marcus’s sports car and the SUV targeting them. The large black vehicle adjusted its course to aim directly for the Elder in the middle of the street. Marcus shook his head. This wouldn’t end well. For them.
Carina’s scream filled the car, followed by sobs as debris struck the windshield. She ducked under his still-extended arm to shield herself as Marcus steered the car backward, not seeing the massive landscaping rock Alaric had placed behind him. “They hit him!” Car parts from the threatening SUV had flown in all directions.
“He’s safe, Little girl. He’s too wily to get taken out that easily.” Marcus whipped the car around to face the other direction and continued away from the accident. He could sense Alaric’s presence as always.
“But they hit him! He was right there in the way.”
A high-pitched ping sounded, and Marcus’s front tire exploded. As he struggled to control the car, its rear tire burst and flipped the car onto its side. As it slid, Marcus freed his seatbelt, steadying himself inside the vehicle by sheer strength alone. Someone was shooting at them. A skilled sniper. He had to get Carina out of here.
As the car’s skid slowed, he unfastened her seatbelt, and Carina’s limp body tumbled into his arms from above him. Carina moaned, putting a hand against her forehead as she roused. Marcus could smell her blood and struggled to keep himself under control. Rage and bloodthirst battled inside him. Her precious life force should not be spilling. Whoever had wounded his Little girl had just sealed their fate. Their death would be painful.
Marcus pulled himself out of the wreckage and scooped Carina into his arms. He hesitated to use his ability to move quickly. Could the force against her frail human form worsen her injury? He darted at a slower pace to a spot protected on three sides and set her down. This sheltered alcove on the block could protect her if he shifted the metal security partitions.
Carina clung to his neck. “Don’t leave me!” she begged.
“I need to take out those men. Stay quiet for me. Do not move. You will be safe here.”
When she nodded, he bent a metal partition to shield her from view. He climbed up the side of the building in the shadows and scoped out the area. Concentrating on the direction the shots had come from earlier, Marcus spotted a man repositioning himself on the rooftop next to the one where Marcus crouched. The slim barrel of a rifle cast a shadow, confirming the man’s guilt.
Marcus flexed his shoulders automatically. His sword hung as usual down his spine. This time they’d endangered his mate. Now their fight was with him not with the clan.