* * * *
Tina did scream then, but it wasn't what he had hoped for. "Just fucking great!" She shrieked at him. She held up her jacket and shook it in his face. "This is leather you asshole! If you've ruined my jacket . . ."
Deacon stopped dancing to stare at her. The girl was being showered in blood and all she was concerned with was her leather jacket.
"Christ," she mumbled under her breath and fished for something in one of her pockets. "This is ridiculous."
With a roar of frustration Deacon grabbed Tina's shoulders and buried his face in her throat. Just as he got his first taste of her blood, her knee connected solidly with his groin.
"Jesus Christ!" She cried. "Chill out Deacon."
He groaned, then stared angrily at her. "You're supposed to be scared."
She snorted. "I told you, the supernatural doesn't frighten me."
"You said why be afraid of what doesn't exist." Deacon grabbed her arm. "News flash sweetie. We exist."
Tina laughed then, she threw back her head and laughed hard. When she had finally caught her breath and was staring at him again he saw a dangerous glint in her eye. "New flash sweetie," she said to him, "I know you exist. And I've been hunting your kind since I was twelve." In an instant she was holding a silver stake in one hand. "Let's dance," she taunted.
Deacon came after her with a snarl, his fist barely missing her jaw. She dodged his punch and retaliated with one of her own. It smashed into his cheek and Deacon growled, shaking her off. He kicked her hard in the stomach and Tina doubled over for a brief moment. It was long enough for Deacon to slam his fists down onto her back. She slipped on the blood slicked floor and fell with a splash.
Tina flipped onto her back and thrust her stake into the chest of the vampire that had loomed over her the moment she had fallen. He screamed and turned into ash as Tina stood once more. His ashes clung to the wet blood that shone on her face. With an angry snarl of her own, Tina spun into a high kick that caught the edge of Deacon's jaw. He stumbled backward and she pummelled his stomach with both her fists, then arched her arm upward to bring her stake down.
Deacon grabbed her wrist and twisted, hearing bones snap and crunch against each other. Tina was forced to her knees as he crushed her wrist in his hand. His smile grew with every anguished cry from the vampire hunter and her silver stake clattered to the floor as he squeezed.
He wasn't prepared for the leg she swept under his feet and his smiled faded as he crashed painfully to the floor. Tina stood and reached for her jacket again with her good hand. Deacon knew what was coming even before she had it out.
"Down!" He screamed and the few vampires that heard him ducked to the floor.
A spray of silver bullets ripped into the first dozen vampires in front of Tina. They screamed and burst into ash as she let more bullets fly into the crowd. Blood flew and the vampire hunter held her finger steady on the trigger of her semi-automatic weapon.
By the time Deacon was on his feet half the vampires in the club were dead and the other half were running. Tina turned on him and slammed the end of her gun against his chest.
"Whoa, calm down there sweetheart," he murmured. "No killing your date until after we get back to my place."
They stood alone in the club, blood still spraying from the ceiling. Deacon stared at the vampire hunter and stirred restlessly. To his eyes, she was a vision of beauty, drenched in blood, her hair hanging wetly in her eyes. She wore the remains of vampires on her skin, grey flecks that stood out in sharp contract to the red of her skin.
Tina grinned, her blue eyes maniacal. "Blade sends his love," she said, then squeezed the trigger. Her gun clicked, the chamber empty.
"Shit!" She screamed, then ducked the fist that Deacon had sent her way. She was too slow and his hand connected with her jaw, sending her backward. Tina hit a table and rolled over it, hopping to her feet on the other side.
Deacon was by her side in an instant though he barely missed the kick she had aimed at his head. He grabbed the wrist he had broken and twisted it causing Tina to scream and fall to her knees again. As he twisted, she rammed her other fist into his stomach, then swung her legs upward and kicked him in the ribs.
He stumbled backward and she faced him, fists up and muscles tensed. They stared each other down, blue eyes on blue, daring the other to make a move.
Deacon feigned a punch to her face, then kicked out her knee instead. Tina collapsed and Deacon was on her an instant. He slammed his fist into her face, then picked her up by the throat and threw her across the bar. She hit a table and crashed to the floor in a heap. The vampire reached her in seconds and kicked her once in the face, then slammed his foot into her ribs.
"Why did Blade send you?" He hissed, leaning toward her.
Tina grinned through her bleeding face. "A little birthday present. Apparently tomorrow's the anniversary of the day you were turned. We wanted to see if we could kill you before you could add another candle to your cake."
"Well maybe I'll leave Blade a little message myself," Deacon said. "How do you think your broken and battered body would affect the daywalker?"
Tina shrugged. "I'm sure he's seen worse." Another smile crossed her face. "Do your worst Frost, I'm not scared of you."
Deacon glared at her a moment longer, then hauled her to her feet. "If I killed you, Blade might mourn but he would move on. If I keep you . . ."
"You're not keeping me, you fuck," Tina spat at him.
The vampire grinned happily and leaned in to lick the blood off her cheek. Mixed with the blood from the sprinklers was her own and it slid down his throat warmly. "I'm keeping you," he confirmed, then dragged Tina out of the club.
* * * *
Tina did scream then, but it wasn't what he had hoped for. "Just fucking great!" She shrieked at him. She held up her jacket and shook it in his face. "This is leather you asshole! If you've ruined my jacket . . ."
Deacon stopped dancing to stare at her. The girl was being showered in blood and all she was concerned with was her leather jacket.
"Christ," she mumbled under her breath and fished for something in one of her pockets. "This is ridiculous."
With a roar of frustration Deacon grabbed Tina's shoulders and buried his face in her throat. Just as he got his first taste of her blood, her knee connected solidly with his groin.
"Jesus Christ!" She cried. "Chill out Deacon."
He groaned, then stared angrily at her. "You're supposed to be scared."
She snorted. "I told you, the supernatural doesn't frighten me."
"You said why be afraid of what doesn't exist." Deacon grabbed her arm. "News flash sweetie. We exist."
Tina laughed then, she threw back her head and laughed hard. When she had finally caught her breath and was staring at him again he saw a dangerous glint in her eye. "New flash sweetie," she said to him, "I know you exist. And I've been hunting your kind since I was twelve." In an instant she was holding a silver stake in one hand. "Let's dance," she taunted.
Deacon came after her with a snarl, his fist barely missing her jaw. She dodged his punch and retaliated with one of her own. It smashed into his cheek and Deacon growled, shaking her off. He kicked her hard in the stomach and Tina doubled over for a brief moment. It was long enough for Deacon to slam his fists down onto her back. She slipped on the blood slicked floor and fell with a splash.
Tina flipped onto her back and thrust her stake into the chest of the vampire that had loomed over her the moment she had fallen. He screamed and turned into ash as Tina stood once more. His ashes clung to the wet blood that shone on her face. With an angry snarl of her own, Tina spun into a high kick that caught the edge of Deacon's jaw. He stumbled backward and she pummelled his stomach with both her fists, then arched her arm upward to bring her stake down.
Deacon grabbed her wrist and twisted, hearing bones snap and crunch against each other. Tina was forced to her knees as he crushed her wrist in his hand. His smile grew with every anguished cry from the vampire hunter and her silver stake clattered to the floor as he squeezed.
He wasn't prepared for the leg she swept under his feet and his smiled faded as he crashed painfully to the floor. Tina stood and reached for her jacket again with her good hand. Deacon knew what was coming even before she had it out.
"Down!" He screamed and the few vampires that heard him ducked to the floor.
A spray of silver bullets ripped into the first dozen vampires in front of Tina. They screamed and burst into ash as she let more bullets fly into the crowd. Blood flew and the vampire hunter held her finger steady on the trigger of her semi-automatic weapon.
By the time Deacon was on his feet half the vampires in the club were dead and the other half were running. Tina turned on him and slammed the end of her gun against his chest.
"Whoa, calm down there sweetheart," he murmured. "No killing your date until after we get back to my place."
They stood alone in the club, blood still spraying from the ceiling. Deacon stared at the vampire hunter and stirred restlessly. To his eyes, she was a vision of beauty, drenched in blood, her hair hanging wetly in her eyes. She wore the remains of vampires on her skin, grey flecks that stood out in sharp contract to the red of her skin.
Tina grinned, her blue eyes maniacal. "Blade sends his love," she said, then squeezed the trigger. Her gun clicked, the chamber empty.
"Shit!" She screamed, then ducked the fist that Deacon had sent her way. She was too slow and his hand connected with her jaw, sending her backward. Tina hit a table and rolled over it, hopping to her feet on the other side.
Deacon was by her side in an instant though he barely missed the kick she had aimed at his head. He grabbed the wrist he had broken and twisted it causing Tina to scream and fall to her knees again. As he twisted, she rammed her other fist into his stomach, then swung her legs upward and kicked him in the ribs.
He stumbled backward and she faced him, fists up and muscles tensed. They stared each other down, blue eyes on blue, daring the other to make a move.
Deacon feigned a punch to her face, then kicked out her knee instead. Tina collapsed and Deacon was on her an instant. He slammed his fist into her face, then picked her up by the throat and threw her across the bar. She hit a table and crashed to the floor in a heap. The vampire reached her in seconds and kicked her once in the face, then slammed his foot into her ribs.
"Why did Blade send you?" He hissed, leaning toward her.
Tina grinned through her bleeding face. "A little birthday present. Apparently tomorrow's the anniversary of the day you were turned. We wanted to see if we could kill you before you could add another candle to your cake."
"Well maybe I'll leave Blade a little message myself," Deacon said. "How do you think your broken and battered body would affect the daywalker?"
Tina shrugged. "I'm sure he's seen worse." Another smile crossed her face. "Do your worst Frost, I'm not scared of you."
Deacon glared at her a moment longer, then hauled her to her feet. "If I killed you, Blade might mourn but he would move on. If I keep you . . ."
"You're not keeping me, you fuck," Tina spat at him.
The vampire grinned happily and leaned in to lick the blood off her cheek. Mixed with the blood from the sprinklers was her own and it slid down his throat warmly. "I'm keeping you," he confirmed, then dragged Tina out of the club.
* * * *