“Son of a bitch!” Chris cried out, ducking out of the way as another shot was fired.
Panic for Cassie tore through Devon; he released Julian as Julian rolled away from the door. Devon darted swiftly back to where Chris and Cassie lay upon the floor, their hands over their heads in a vain attempt to protect them from anymore bullets. Crawling on top of Cassie, he used his body to keep her blocked from anymore ricocheting shots. Pulling her head beneath him, he cradled her tight to his chest as another shot was fired. Chris ducked lower as it ripped past his head, shattering the wall inches from his ear.
Cassie cried out, burrowing tighter against Devon. Anger surged through his veins, the urge to destroy whoever was in that room ripped through him. Another shot was fired, he grunted loudly as it sliced across his calf in a fiery blaze of pain. Cassie grasped him tighter, her breath warm against his neck, her fingers clawing at him. “Are you ok?” she demanded harshly. “Devon are you ok? Julian was shot, is he ok?”
“Fine, I’m fine. Julian will be fine,” he grated, ignoring the pain in his leg as he tried to push Cassie forward, out of the way of fire. “Move!” he hissed to Chris.
Chris scrambled forward, staying low as he crab crawled toward one of the open doors and disappeared through it. “Cassie you need to follow Chris,” he hissed in her ear.
“I can’t leave you.”
“You have too! Now go!”
He withdrew from the top of her, keeping his body up to protect hers as she scrambled after Chris. The minute she entered the room, her head poked back out, her violet blue eyes wide with worry as she watched him. “Get back!” he hissed, dropping down as another shot rang out.
Cassie cried out, ducking away as it shattered off of the wall. Devon spun, fury boiling through him as he crossed the hall, scrambling back toward the door. Julian was sitting against the wall on the other side of the door. His lips were twisted into a snarl, his fangs fully elongated as his eyes blazed red fire.
Devon knew exactly how he felt, if he got his hands on whoever was in that room he was going to kill them, and he wouldn’t have a problem with it. He shoved Dani out of his way as he reached the door. She curled up against the wall, her knees hugged tight to her chest as her eyes rolled wildly in terror. Another shot rang through the hallway, sizzling around the corner.
“Stop!” Dani screamed hysterically, throwing her hands over her ears. “Stop!”
Silence followed her shrill cry. “Dani?”
Devon spun on her, rage slamming hard into him as his eyes narrowed fiercely. But she was not looking at him, she was staring at the door, her mouth parted in surprise as tears bloomed in her eyes. “Joey?” she choked out, shock evident in her voice.
Devon turned as the young man stepped out of the room. His gaze instantly found his sister, relief coursed through him as he took a step forward. Julian sprang up, seizing hold of Joey’s neck. He slammed Joey against the wall with a loud bang that shook the door in its frame. Joey choked in surprise, his eyes bulging out of his head as Julian squeezed down hard.
“I’ll rip you to shreds,” Julian growled.
“No!” Dani screamed at the same time that another shot boomed out of the room.
“Son of a bitch!” Devon snarled, tired of being shot at.
He darted past the door, joining Julian on the other side. Another shot reverberated through the hall. “Devon!” Cassie screamed.
“Stay in there!” he shouted back at her.
Julian glanced sharply at him, his hand tightened on Joey’s throat, choking the air from him. He showed no remorse as his fingers dug into Joey’s skin. “How are we getting that bastard out?” Julian hissed at Devon.
Though the shots would not kill them, not unless they had their heads blown off completely, they could wound them enough to incapacitate them long enough for someone to kill them. And the bullets still hurt like hell. Devon glanced back at the door then over at Joey. “We can use him as bait.”
“No!” Joey gasped at the same time that Julian’s smile widened.
“Wait! No! You can’t! Please don’t!” Dani screamed hysterically.
Cassie’s head popped back out of the room, Chris’s head appeared above hers. Devon met Cassie’s wide eyed gaze. He felt no remorse about killing any of the people that had kept her here, especially if it would keep her safer in the end. He did not wish to do it in front of her though.
“Get back!” he growled. She hesitated, her gaze terrified and lost. “Get her back Chris!”
Chris nodded before grasping hold of Cassie’s shoulders and pulling her back. Devon waited to make sure that she didn’t come back out before he turned to Julian. Excitement rushed through Devon as memories of the way he had once been, of the things him and Julian had done together, pounded through him. Bloodlust and the demon surged forth, eager to break free of the cage that Devon had locked it away in for far so long.
Julian quirked an eyebrow, a small smile curved his mouth. “Welcome back,” he whispered.
Devon shook his head, knowing how very much he would love to destroy every human around him, would love to savor the slaughter, but he could not allow the beast out. He wasn’t sure he could control it without getting Cassie involved, and he didn’t want to do that again. No matter how much he wanted to, he could not kill Joey with her here. “Give me his shirt,” he growled.
Julian stared hard at him for a moment; his gaze darted briefly toward Cassie as he nodded slowly, disappointment evident in the slump of his shoulders. Julian smashed Joey against the wall, releasing him briefly to rip the shirt off of him. Joey stumbled slightly as Julian shoved him back again. He tossed the shirt to Devon, who snagged hold of it. “If anything happens to me…”
“I’ll make sure she gets out of here,” Julian promised no hint of malice or want in his voice. Devon studied him curiously, unable to understand this person beside him. Julian had been brutal and violent, almost as bad as he himself had been. But now, now Julian was completely different, and Devon knew it was because of Cassie.
“Julian,” he growled.
“She doesn’t want me Devon,” he said softly. “But I’ll keep her safe.”
Devon nodded, wishing that he understood this more, but knowing that he didn’t have time to figure it out. Devon glanced down the hall, not at all surprised to find Chris and Cassie peering into the hall again. “Stay there,” he ordered briskly. She opened her mouth to protest. “I mean it,” he growled before she could say anything.