Ten massive arms from fucking nowhere encompassed him and tightened around his throat. Apparently, friends of the doormen upstairs.
Kicking back, he caught one in the balls. Biting down, he sliced the arm of another. Nothing he couldn’t handle.
As he snapped his head back to smack another in the face, they heaved him thirty fricking feet across the basement. Skidding across the cobbled floor, his head cracked against the concrete wall and stars flickered in his vision. As he flipped back to his feet, the mob flooded into the… cell. Dammit. This wasn’t a cellar but a fricking dungeon. Chains and all.
As his captors surrounded him, packing into the cell, leaving little more than standing room only, he lashed out with every move he had, fast as fuck, but they were ready for him.
Too late, too damn fast, a cluster got behind him and clipped cool steel around one of his wrists.
Spinning, he grabbed the nearest throat with his free hand. Letting her neck crunch in his grip, he dropped her and kicked out for the next.
In the fray, his other hand was swiftly cuffed into another steel binding.
Erupting with a feral roar, he tried to fire back, but his wrists were bound fast.
The remaining vampires grabbed their dead and dragged them from the cell.
The petite woman raised an eyebrow and slammed the prison door shut. “I hope he’s not wrong about what you can do for us.”
“Cambria?”
“Lovely to meet you. Not to worry, I’ll have food sent down shortly. You’ll need to keep your strength up if you’re to unleash Tromos for us.”
“Where is he?”
“I’ll let you know when the time is right. Nighty-night.” She waved and strolled out of sight, laughing it up with her crew.
Tugging at his chains, he strained to break free.
***
Where the hell was he? Typical. Adair checked the time. Three-thirty. Great. He was cutting it closer than she was comfortable with.
Stepping out of the car, she eyed the front door, but thought better of it. There had clearly been quite the scuffle, a few actually, but the humans that had stumbled out the door had made her think Bennett had the situation under control.
Stalking to the side of the house, she found a cellar entrance. Pulling the keys from her purse, she opened a small tool and picked the lock, then swung open the door.
Passing a wine cellar and pantry, she caught the scent for fresh blood down the hall. All vampire.
Metal grinding against metal, feet shuffling on the cobbled floor… Cringing, she knew before she saw him.
Alone in a cell, Bennett strained at his bindings. When he caught sight of her, he smiled sheepishly. “I’m on it. Just a minor setback.”
“Your shirt is ripped up again,” she tsked.
“I miss my shield.”
Scouring the room, she searched for a key. There was a lone credenza next to the stairs. Opening the top drawer, she found what she was looking for.
Stalking closer, keeping the click of her heels silent, she eased the key into the lock of his cell. Twisting, the lock wouldn’t budge.
Turning, she aimed to check the credenza for another key. As she looked up, a cluster of massive vampires flooded the basement. The first lifted her by the neck. The cell door hinges squeaked open behind her and she flew backward through the air.
Instead of the painful crash onto the hard floor she’d expected, strong arms caught her. Still chained, Bennett’s reach was limited, and they fell to the floor, but he shifted so she landed on him rather than the stone.
The door slammed shut, and their jailors enjoyed a few jokes at their expense as they left to grab some dinner before sunrise.
Easing off Bennett, Adair rose to her feet and straightened her dress. Fury boiling in her throat, still sore from that asshole’s grip, she opened her mouth to tear into Bennett for getting them into this mess.
