W\\CKED

Stamped, Sealed, and Signed in Blood

[Jul]

Ivory glistened between Dae's lips, two sharp points that dug deep into Kaydrien's yielding flesh. Kay cried out in pain, then grew pliant. Dae lowered his eyelids, moaning from the bliss of his lips against Kaydrien's pulse.

Through the narrow slit between his lashes, Dae's gaze reached out, promising me so much more than the trifle he was giving the boy beneath his fangs. So much more, and so much worse.

Dae released Kaydrien from his embrace. The boy fell limp to the floor. Kay's glassy eyes stared my way, a canvas wiped clean.

"Juliet! Go out the window!" Sanny cried, then charged Dae.

I was too numb to move.

Hands grabbed Sanny from all directions. One of Dae's band mates kicked the back of her legs, forcing her to her knees. Another twisted her wrist until she cursed and dropped her phone.

Sanny squeezed her eyes shut, as if she was focusing all her attention inward. Then her eyes opened. She looked confused. "I'll give your thugs sixty seconds to release me before I burn them to tiny pieces!"

"Seems her spark sputtered out." Max moved toward Dae, his gaze lingering on Kaydrien as he stepped over the boy's body. "She's no longer capable of hurting you."

"You want to be the first to find out what I'm capable of?" Sanny replied.

"You can't do anything to me. I'm as human as you, which makes me immune to blood fire." He stepped closer. "But I can snap your neck in a very ordinary, human way. You better pray I get it right on the first try."

His foot knocked against Sanny's phone. He bent down, examining the back of the case without touching it. He grunted in surprise. "We have to leave. Now."

"I'm not done here," Dae replied.

Max moved quickly to the window. He smashed the glass out with his elbow. "Your choice." And then he was gone.

Gun let go of Sanny, moving toward the hall door.

"Stay where you are!" Dae ordered.

"But if Max says—" Gun started to protest.

"Did I tell you to speak?"

Gun's mouth clamped tight. Now his look of fear was aimed at Dae.

"The bitch who burned me has to die. You just volunteered for the job. The sooner you finish her, the sooner we can leave."

The other band members let go of Sanny. She lurched to her feet. As Gun approached, she brought up her fists.

He snorted derisively. He ducked her punch, then grabbed her elbow and wrenched her arm behind her back. Sanny lifted her free arm, looping it around Gun's neck. She flipped him over her back—and they both went tumbling to the carpet. A stream of profanities exploded from Sanny's mouth.

Dae blocked my view. "Come with me."

As his gaze rolled over me like a wave, all thoughts of Sanny were swept from my mind. I could not speak, so my eyes spoke for me. Where are we going?

His warm voice wrapped me in its numbing folds. "To ecstasy."

As I tilted my head to let his lips embrace mine, the door beside me shattered into a thousand pieces.