Dahlia's Kiss

BREATHLESS

I squinted a little,unable to fully ignore what had transpired. My heart did a happy, pitter patter when I saw Sterling crouched by the edge of a couch with his gun drawn. “Yes!” I screamed. “Shoot him!”

The pain from the ropes was a forgotten memory as I held my breath, waiting for my nightmare to be over. When the muzzle flashed, I felt it in my soul. When the shot went wide and grazed Drake’s shoulder, I’d never felt such crushing disappointment before in my life. I didn’t want to believe it could be over. But Drake still had a gun, and Sterling’s position was compromised.

I didn’t want to watch anymore. My cheeks were hot with my tears, my throat burned from my anguished cries. Every face of every person I had ever given myself to flashed through my mind and the last ones were my men, my lovers, who were risking their lives to try to save mine. I worried for Damian, wished there was a camera on him so I could see how bad his head wound was. Of course, there were no cameras in the closet, though. I hoped he wasn’t in there dying all alone.

I had lost track of Cole. There hadn’t been a blip of him since they’d gained entry to the house, and now I searched for him. I’d almost given up hope when I spotted him moving slowly down the hallway with his back pressed to the wall tactfully. He felt his way with his hand before he stepped, ensuring his safety.

I recognized the hallway and realized he was right outside the basement door.

“Help!” I screamed with all my might. “I’m down here! Cole! Please!” I wiggled the chair back and forth to make as much noise as I could with the metal legs hitting the stone floor hard.

I watched him pause on the screen and tilt his head to the side as if listening.

“Yes! Cole! I know you can hear me! Move forward and find the door! You’re so close!”

He did as I said, and I watched his hand wrap around the knob and pull. It didn’t turn. Drake had locked me in. I felt so defeated when he came up empty. He ran a hand through his short, dark hair and looked at the handle. I could almost see the wheels in his head turning as he worked out the problem to try to find a solution. He retrieved a blade from his pocket and slid it along the edge of the door. When he reached the catch, he applied pressure while forcing the knob to the right and it popped. The door was free, and he stepped inside.

“Dahlia?” he called.

“Yes!” I was elated. I was saved. My hero had come for me, and he was going to get me the fuck out of this hellhole. “I’m down here! He has me tied up!”

“I’m coming,” he said from the head of the stairs. “Hold tight. Everything is going to be okay.”

I looked at the monitors, and my heart sank. “Lock the door! He’s coming back!”

Cole rushed back up the way he came and threw the lock, barring access to the intruder. But Drake had the key. Cole took up the space behind the stairs and waited, placing his finger to his lips to warn me to keep silent. A moment later, my captor came through, locking the slab once more behind him. Sterling was hot on his heels, beating the wood with his shoulder like a battering ram. Each thump of his weight beat in time with my heart as I watched to see who the victor would be. Cole waited for his opportunity, and I prayed he would be successful in his endeavor. Drake had no idea the other man was already in the room with him. We had the element of surprise on our side.

“Let me go, Drake!” I bellowed.

“Shut up, Dahlia!” he replied, amplifying his voice over the sound of the detective trying to break through. “I’m a little busy here if you haven't noticed.” He braced his arms against the onslaught, fighting to stay in control of the situation. The gun was in his waistband, and I prayed he didn’t remember it was there.

Sterling was a force to be reckoned with. Hitting again and again, never ebbing in strength. He would get through one way or another and there was no doubt in my mind, when he did, Drake would die. He must have known it, too. From where I sat, I could see the beads of sweat forming on his brow. The set of his jaw was furious. The muscles in his arms bunched from the exertion. Sterling was bigger and stronger, and he would win.

“Just let him in! If you give up, he might even let you live!” I struggled against the ropes, knowing my skin was tearing, and not caring one iota. “Give yourself up! You know you can’t win this battle. This isn’t a courtroom you can finagle into believing your lies! They know you are a monster, and they are going to destroy you!”

“I said, shut up, Dahlia!” Drake turned his face to me, and I didn’t recognize him. The devil had taken the place of the man I thought I knew. Wild eyes and a vacant stare greeted me through a mask of a human face. He might have been half human, but now his humanity was gone. All that was left was the Incubus, and he was insane. The veins stood out in stark contrast against the rest of his skin. He wouldn’t give in. He would fight to the death, whether it was his or Sterling’s. He would never back down.

Cole looked at me, his eyes telling me to stay calm. I felt his soul connect with mine and I knew a sliver of peace. Only a true, bonded mate could do that. My Succubus greeted him through the currents and offered him my strength. A thin tendril of her passed the deranged one and ventured through the door to Sterling. I knew yet another piece made its way to Damian. We were one soul, united against a common foe. I could feel their lifeforces and knew they could feel mine in turn. I was elated to know that Damian lived. His Incubus felt strong inside of me, and I knew he was coming. When I looked at the monitors, the closet door was wide open.

I smiled at Cole. He’d felt it too. He knew what I knew.

Sterling’s full body assaults became more frenzied. The door couldn’t hold out much longer.

“It’s over, Drake. Can’t you see you’ve already lost?” I didn’t need to speak above my normal tone. It was no longer necessary.

Drake looked at me again and grinned. “Over? It’s just begun.”