Ninety-three

After the fight at the fight at the bar, Bram had followed Mihaela back to the condemned building she was staying at here in the city. They knew this wasn’t where they were holding Tyler. He was convinced he needed to kill Mihaela now, while he knew where she was hiding. He couldn’t let her disappear on him. If she escaped, she would be a huge threat in the future.

Bram sent his cloaked friend on reconnaissance, while he busted down doors and ripped off heads. He worried that Mihaela had already made a run for it, that she had some transport set up to take her to Tyler. Now that he’d kill Aleigha, he was sure she would do her best to make sure Tyler did. She would likely chase after Izabella too. He could only hope the church would provide enough sanctuary for her to keep safe.

Bram was on top of a vampire at the moment, ripping his head from his body as more piled into the hall he was trying to work through. He would have used his magic, but he saw the billowing black cloak rushing toward them, his dagger drawn. Bram couldn’t let him get caught in the crossfire.

Lifting the head, he threw it into the charging crowd and stood, ready to fight. That’s when absolute fear and panic shot threw him and he could hear Izabella’ screams echoing through every fiber of his being. Bram faltered, falling to the floor. Grabbing the sides of his head, he screamed. He couldn’t stand it. Had Mihaela escaped and found Izabella? Was she being tortured this very moment?

“Bram!”

The scream brought him back just in time for him to duck away from the knife about to slit his throat. As his companion jumped on the closest attacker, Bram lifted his arm, setting the others who were further back aflame. Staggering to his feet, Bram leaned against the wall holding his stomach. It flet like it was on fire. “Something's wrong. I have to get to the church.”

“Wait. We have bigger issues here we need to resolve now.” Pulling his hood down, his dark brown hair was uncharacteristically messy and his hazel eyes were staring Bram down with their icy chill.

“I think Mihaela escaped and found Izabella.” Bram grabbed his head again, unable to focus through Izabella’s hysteria.

“No. I found her. She’s still in the building waiting for us with a newly turned vamp and it’s going to be a big issue for us. Mihaela turned it herself, so it has her magic too. If we leave now, we’ll only lead her to Izabella directly.” Gavin pulled Bram’s hands away from his head. “Bram, she turned that girl we saved. The oldest one. I found the other kids too, they’re pretty beat up, but safe enough right now.”

Slamming his fist into the wall Bram swore, “That fucking bitch! Jen will be under her control. She’s going to force me to kill that poor little girl.” Grabbing Gavin by the collar of his shirt, he leaned in close until they were nearly nose to nose, “I need to know what’s going on with Izabella.”

Gavin nodded, pulling out his phone. Bram watched him in surprise as he dialed 911. The call was answered immediately with a, “What’s your emergency?” request.

“Yes,” Gavin said into the receiver, “my name is Bram Stoker. My fiancé went to see her Pastor at the Church of Eternal Light. She called me and said a bunch of men just went in and were robbing the church. She was hiding when I was on the phone with her, but it was abruptly cut off. I’m heading back into town now, but I’m an hour away. I didn’t know if anyone had called it in yet.” Gavin paused, then subsequently started answering the questions the dispatcher asked, before hanging up the call. Bram was now openly glaring at him. “What? What do you want me to do? Go there and stare at the church wishing I could see through walls? I can’t enter any better than you can. You need me more here anyway. The police will respond, and with hunters there, they’ll assume the worst. I bet by the time we get there they’ll have everyone outside all ready and we’ll sneak up, grab her and the kids and go.” Gavin grabbed Bram’s shoulders and shook him. “I need you to get your head in the fight, Bram. We need to end this now. We can’t let her escape. Not only will she kill Tyler, you know she’ll set her sites on Izabella and Devon next.”

Bram growled at him, but Gavin really couldn’t have cared less. “So that’s it, right? Just go ahead and fucking go up against Mihaela and that little girl. The one I’ve been telling I’ll keep her safe. That I would become her dad, and let her go to some fancy boarding school outside of the country. The one *you’ve* been setting up for adoption? Let me face her while Izabella is screaming inside my head.”

“What the fuck are you expecting from me, Bram? You want to abandon those kids now? After everything we went through to save them in the first place? You want to paint a big red target on Izabella’s back? You know what, get the fuck over yourself and think about what I’ve felt.” Gavin pushed Bram’s chest, though he didn’t budge, he did rub at where Gavin’s hands had smacked him. “My mate is actually being tortured. He’s not anywhere I can get to with a good run. He’s over the big blue abyss. I was in bed for days unable to move. All I could do was lay there, feeling *everything* he felt. While Mihaela had her fucking claws in him. And I mean that literally, Bram. Put your god damn big girl panties on and help me save your kids again. How about that?”

Gavin turned on his heals and stormed down the hall, stopping where Bram’s blue flames licked at the crispy-fried bodies in the hall. He turned, looking at Bram who followed him with a blood curdling glare. Gavin rolled his eyes as Bram waved his hand and the flames died down. “You’re fucking lucky your Tyler’s mate. You realize no one else would have gotten half the attention you did. And would just be dead?”

“I’ll thank you once we’re out of this shit.” Gavin snapped.

Both went down the hall with no other issues. Bram let Gavin lead him through to where he’d seen Mihaela and Jen. He wouldn’t admit it to him, but Gavin was right. He needed to get his head screwed on right. Bram thought it was odd that no one else showed up to fight them. It didn’t make sense for her to just let them walk up at this point. She had to have some other plan ready. Or they were already gone.

Gavin turned, placing a finger to his lips as he pointed at a door. Bram nodded. This was it. This is where she should be. He was glad that in the last few minutes Izabella had calmed slightly. She wasn’t panicking anymore and he couldn’t feel that burning sensation in his lower belly anymore. She was still very much upset, but it wasn’t scaring him anymore. At the least, he knew she was more emotionally terrified than physically hurt.

Cocking his head toward the door, Gavin gave Bram the que to break it down. Kicking his leg up, he slammed it through the wooden door, which flew off its hinges into the room. Mihaela was sitting back in a chair on the other side of the room.

“Hello, lover boys.” She purred.

Bram could only look at her in disgust. His attention was caught on the girl standing at her side. Her lips were curled in a perpetual snarl. When he looked over at her though, he saw her physically flinch. “Jen. I want to be your dad, and I want to teach you how to make it through this. I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

Jennifer’s face bunched at him. And Mihaela laughed loudly throughout the room. “Oh, Bram, sweety. You know a new blood can’t be convinced of anything. I’m a little excited to see what my new treat can do. I’ve never turned anyone myself before. But, let’s face it, when it means death? I at least had to try.”

Had he affected her that much? Bram truly hoped so. That meant she didn’t have much left. But he couldn’t go through the girl. He knew Gavin was ready to and Bram wanted to stop that from happening if he could. “Gabe is so worried about you, Jen. Izzy is too. So are the kids. Please.”

Jennifer looked over at Mihaela with a confused look. “Master?”

Gavin tugged on Bram’s shirt. “Give her a master’s command.”

Bram looked at Gavin for a moment like he had two heads. Only a master could command another vampire. Mihaela had no master. His mother had created her in a very specific way to make sure she was her own. “Jen. You will not attack us. Your master says so.”

Jennifer’s head whipped up and looked at him with those blank eyes he had seen in Tyler more often than he wanted to.

Mihaela giggled. “No, Jennifer. Your master says that you should attack. That lousy man has no say over you. You are mine.”

The girl’s eyebrows pinched in the center of the forehead as she looked on. Clearly, she was fighting for something. Her amber eyes were locked on Bram. “Jen, I will do everything in my power to make this right with you. I swear.” Bram pleaded. “I want you to be a part of our family. Izzy’s in trouble. I need to make this quick. And I don’t want to hurt you, sweety. That thing in the chair will kill Gabe and your mom. She already tried to kill Gavin. Do you remember when we came to save you? I’m sorry I didn’t save you from this, baby. But I still can. I can teach you what to do from here. I just need you to see me.”

Gavin gave him a quizzical look but stayed quiet.

“Gabe?” She asked.

“Yes. Gabe is waiting for you some place safe. I want to take you to him.” Simple. Not too much.

Mihaela jumped out of her chair, pointing at Bram and Gavin. “NO.” She said sternly, and Jen’s head whipped around to look at her. “You will kill them. Your master commands it.”

Jennifer’s eyes came back to them, and she smiled. An evil grin spreading across her visage.