Anticipating the miss, Bennett already had the other chain flying. Cambria caught it and dragged him closer, expecting to use her momentum to knock him back again.
Bennett ripped the chain from her hand and yanked her close like she’d tried to reel him in; her speed was no match for his strength.
Releasing the chain, she fell forward.
Catching her with an uppercut worthy of a champion boxer, Bennett slammed into her abdomen. Cambria flew straight up into the air. As she fell, Bennett spun and kicked her like a soccer ball straight into the fireplace.
Flames engulfing her, she screamed and rolled on the ground to snuff out the flames.
Adair scanned the room and ran for the far wall. She ripped a framed print off the wall. The glass shattered as it hit the floor. Picking up the largest piece, she ran for Cambria as she rose to her feet. Bennett positioned himself behind and shoved Cambria toward Adair.
Driving the glass into her neck, Adair winced as she gouged the sharp edge into Cambria’s throat. The crunch as she punctured the trachea pierced her ears like fingernails on a chalkboard. Adair pushed further until the job was finished. “So gross,” she muttered, squinting and wishing she could look away from the gruesome scene.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Bennett let out a breath he’d clearly been holding in, not so confident in their escape as he’d let on.
“Wait.” Adair reached into her purse and pulled out the key she’d stashed, releasing his wrists with a flick of metal against metal. She dumped the chains and key on the floor.
He rubbed his wrists and looked down at the pile of chains. “Actually, we could keep those…”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Grin spread ear to ear, Bennett grabbed the pile of books, checked the map was intact, and they tore down the stairs. Cambria’s goons must be sound asleep in fricking coffins or something to have not heard the commotion… or they disliked her enough to leave her to her fate. Either way, Adair didn’t question it; they were due for a lucky break.
At the door, Bennett pulled back the curtain and checked the bright street. He held out his hand for the car keys. “I’ll pull up close and open the trunk. You run like hell.”
She nodded and handed them over. “It’s been a few years since I’ve gotten a tan. Although, knowing me, I’ll burn and freckle instead.”
Easing open the door, he slipped outside and took off.
On the count of twenty, she peeked out the window and saw him pulling the car out front. Heart thundering in her chest, she swung open the door and ran full-out. Ten seconds. That’s all it was. Heat penetrated her skin, brilliantly warm and comforting for a fraction of a second, then turned to a prickly burning sensation.
She leaped into the trunk, and Bennett slammed it shut just as fast.
The drive home was… unpleasant. He took extra turns in case they were followed, last-minute jukes onto narrow alleys to ensure no one could follow.
At last, he parked. Voice muffled, he spoke to her through the trunk. “We’re parked in the garage, then the walk to the entrance is mostly covered. About ten feet of direct sunlight between you and the apartment.”
With a click of the lock, he released the trunk. Brow scrunched in a scowl, she dragged herself out. “You need to invest in a bigger car. Felt like a damn coffin.”
“I thought vampires liked coffins,” he teased, pure smartass in his grin.
Slamming the trunk shut behind her, she shook her head. “As foolish of a myth as vampires bursting into flames in the sun or turning to dust when they run into pointy wooden objects.”
She slipped her hand into his for the last run to safety, giving in to the moment. His pulse kicked up at the contact and a rush of second wind flooded her veins.
Chapter 12
Bennett couldn’t seem to find the right words as they entered the apartment. Without a doubt, the moment he opened his mouth, he’d say something foolish and drive her away again. He dropped the stolen books onto the entry table and turned to see Adair leaned against the apartment door, exhaling a sigh of relief. The bright highlights to her hair had lightened in those few moments of sun, her cheeks dappled with a few more freckles than before.
She glared at his adoring examination, then smoothed her hair and tugged her dress back into place. “What?” On one foot, she unzipped her boots one at a time.
Biting his cheek, he tried to control his wicked grin that formed, as control of his brain flooded south.
Hand teasing in her hair, she exuded that walking fantasy that tormented him for so long. “Don’t tell me you’re expecting to get laid after getting us into that mess?” That adorable notch formed between her eyebrows, but the amused twitch of her lips betrayed the scowl.
“You are so beautiful,” he blurted out as he stepped closer. He traced his fingertips along her sides. “You’ve haunted my dreams for so long.”
“And you’re going to haunt mine for the next eternity. Don’t you see why I can’t keep you? You are crazy. Immortality doesn’t mean a damn thing if you get yourself killed.” She slammed her hands on her hips and huffed.
