W\\CKED

HELL NO!

[Sanny]

My fist connected with Dae's jaw as tidily as two pieces of a puzzle snapping together, taking both of us by surprise.

He leapt backwards off the bed, landing on his feet on the far side. The move was quick and reflexive, like a boxer ducking in the ring. He'd had people take swings at him before.

My friend, pinned down by Dae, her cheek bleeding and her expression terrified—it was the first thing that registered with me when I walked into the room. My body acted on instinct, with my fist ending up in Dae's face before I knew I was in motion.

"What the hell is going on?!" I bent over Juliet, careful not to take my eyes off the asshole on the other side of the bed.

In response, Dae's pupils narrowed to slits. He smiled like a cat, all knowing and cleverness and sharp, pointy fangs.

Wait. Fangs?

Next thing I knew, the back of my head was being shoved against the door, which slammed shut from the force of the impact. Dae pinned me against the unyielding surface, the knob digging hard into my spine. His nails dug into my throat as his gaze dug into me.

"Does it hurt?" he taunted.

I kicked at him in response.

His knee slammed my leg against the wall. He squeezed my throat tighter. "I can make it hurt so much more." His expression was mocking, gleeful. He was playing with me, a cat taking pleasure in the slow death of a mouse.

Black spots floated in my vision. Stay awake, you idiot, I thought. Get him off. Get him off you, dammit! I needed help. My phone. My fingers slid into my pocket, wrapping weakly around the phone's casing.

Faint against my palm, I felt the vibration of my phone. Faint inside my mind, I heard whispering: Will you let him destroy you, Sandra? Are you so easy to take?

Something inside me sparked. Faint. Angry.

No.

Then why are you letting him?

No! The darkness exploded into flame. No! I screamed without a voice. Don't touch me! I screamed through my hands as I slammed them against his breastbone.

Then it was Dae's turn to scream, as his chest burst into flames.

Power rushed through me. I had him. He was mine, and I would kill the bastard for what he'd done. He roared, trying to tear himself free from my grip as I grabbed the hair on his head, holding fast to those dyed locks as fury burned through me into him, my skin growing hotter against his with every second that passed.

I would take him with me into a tornado of violent flames that would leave nothing but dust on the floor. Only a few seconds more—

A sharp pain flashed through my spine. I let go of Dae. He threw himself to the floor, rolling on the carpet to smother the fire. The pain faded, taking with it the heat burning inside me, until I felt nothing but simmering embers laying low in my chest.

Trembling hands touched me. Juliet was unsteady on her feet, her skin ghostly in the low light of the room. "Run." Her lips formed the word, but no sound came out from between them.

The embers of power inside me flickered out entirely. I was Sanny again, and, damn, was I exhausted.

I ran to Jul, wrapping my arms around her as she leaned into me. "Let's get out of here."We stumbled back into the main room. Kay ran to join us. The band members just sat there staring.

"What happened?" Kay asked. "Where's Dae?"

"Pissed." Dae limped into the room. "That's where I am, emotionally."

The fire I lit—it was still sinking in on me that I lit it with my hands—was out. His chest was covered in welts. I couldn't help it; I grinned at the sight of all that damage. "You got what you earned."

The pupils of his eyes narrowed to slits again. I thought he was going to lunge at us but then he bent over, his hands pressed to his damaged skin, his expression intent.

As we watched, the wounds on his chest healed, not even leaving a scar.

"Come on!" I tugged Juliet into motion. We ran—stumbled—staggered, really—to the front door, only to find it locked.

Motherpissbucketwhenhadanyonelockedthatpieceof...Gun! Gun had shut the door when we arrived. He must have locked it. This was planned, all of it. Our situation was becoming worse by the minute. I turned around, putting myself between Juliet and whatever came next.

"What's going on?" Kay looked upset, but not shocked. Not shocked that a guy with fangs healed before our eyes. Whatever was going on, Kay already knew about it.

My now ex-friend knew about it, and had, in fact, been the bait that lured us into this trap.

"The bitch sparked," Dae said.

"No shit." Zack raised a brow. "Want us to kill her?"

"What do you think I keep you around for?" Dae replied. "Gardening?"

The band mates stood up, looking at me like I was about to become their favorite punching bag. I looked for fangs, but the teeth behind their eager grins seemed normal.

Kaydrien started to look really upset, even scared. "You said you'd turn her."

"Turn a flamer?" Dae scowled. "Never. Again."

"You can't let them kill her!"

"Let 'em try," I threw in. "I'd love to find out how fast they barbeque."

Kaydrien stepped between me and Dae's flunkies. "I'm sorry," he said over his shoulder. "This wasn't what they promised."

"Sorry won't keep us alive," I snapped back.

"Call the police," he said. "I'll buy you time."

My phone! I dug it out quickly. Wait—the battery was in my other pocket. Then the phone buzzed without it.

Help is coming. (Pause.) Stay alive.

Easy for you to say, I thought. You're not the one locked in a room with a supernaturally-powered psycho.

Was it my imagination or did I hear a voice chuckling in my head in response to that?

"You're choosing that insignificant brat over me?" Dae asked, apparently pissed that Kay would protect his friends. Ex-friends. Well, maybe still friends. I'd leave the jury out for deliberation until I had time to hold a trial.

"Step aside," Max warned Kay from the couch. "You can't save her. Save yourself." He was the only person in the room still sitting down, like he wasn't really part of the unfolding scene.

"Sanny didn't mean to hurt you," Kaydrien said to Dae. "Wipe her memory and let her go. We can still take Juliet with us. That's who you want and who wants you. You don't need to hurt Sanny."

That's who wants you... This trash fire of a vampire (or he would be by the time I was done with him) had Kaydrien believing that Juliet would just drop her whole life to run off with him and no harm would come to her. Was there anyone this bastard didn't lie to in his life?

"Oh, I need to hurt her..." Dae drew closer. "...if she means more to you than I do. If you want to be one of mine, you have to give her up. That's the price of admission to my entourage. Absolute devotion..." Dae's lips hovered an inch away from Kaydrien's. "...and absolute submission."

Kay's eyes glossed over, but still he whispered, "No."

Dae ran his fingers along Kay's throat. Where his fingernails touched flesh, old bite marks appeared and began to bleed. "I don't share my pets with anyone."

And then Dae pressed his mouth to Kay's wound.