Immortal's Eden by Lori Perry Page A

flung the door wide, slamming right into the chest of yet another giant man. Shit! It's never ending!
    "Deacon will be quite pleased when I bring in the lot of you." The newcomer smelled like the dumpster behind her favorite Chinese restaurant back home; three day old sweat mingled with the strange metallic flavor of her previous attacker and rotting dim sum had her stomach turning.
    When she took a step back, his hand cinched around her wrist like a vice, a metal ring on his finger biting into her skin. This had gotten out of control; no cash was worth all this. She looked up at Michael to confirm his plan was going the way he wanted but what she saw made her muscles freeze painfully around her spine. His once emerald eyes had gone a deep crimson; the fangs she had glimpsed were longer behind his snarling lips. He obviously didn't care for the slimy man now pinning her to his chest.
    "Darius, you will release her." His growl rumbled through her chest and she felt her captor's torso bouncing with laughter.
    "Oh please almighty Michael, don't hurt me." He joked stupidly. Cassie was slowly pushed behind Orlando protectively as he began to grow. Orlando's muscles seemed to expand in front of her; hands that were already huge doubled in size as he stepped beside Michael.
    "He may not hurt you," it was Orlando's turn to growl his threat, "but I will rip you apart if you don't release her."
     
    Michael relived her death yet again as he watched her squirm in Darius's grip. He would chew his own arm off to save her.
    "Release her Darius."
    "Or what Michael? You can't win, her many deaths should have proved that to you by now."
    "Danielle, I won't let anything happen to you. You have my word." This forced an explosive laugh from Darius then he moved his hand around her neck.
    "I should kill her now, but that would displease Deacon." His hand lay loosely against her throat as he spun the sharp ring around his knuckle. Michael's heart twisted at the panicked look she was now stricken with. When Orlando took a careless step toward them, Michael threw his arm out, blocking him from getting any closer.
    "Danielle," she refused to look at any of them. Her gaze was glued to a far corner of the room. "Rhamah," her stare glided to his, "close your eyes." Her tears began to glisten and when she followed his order letting her lids flutter shut, they slid down her cheeks. Michael was much older that Darius, which gave quite an advantage in speed and accuracy. But Darius kept that ring too close not to assume there was a poison held within. In the past, his opponents were far more skilled than Darius forcing Michael to hesitate, sealing her fate time and again. He needed to act now; needed to attack with such precision so that ring didn't accidentally pierce her skin.
    Michael turned toward Orlando then traced behind Darius just as Danielle's knees buckled. Before Darius could react, Michael crushed the bones of his hand then locked his jaws over his neck, severing his jugular.
    "Orlando." Blood covered his face and shirt as Darius twitched mere inches from his mate. Orlando rushed to her side lifting her easily away from the carnage.
    "Keep her safe." He stared longingly at Danielle who now lay curled on the bed, her blood splattered cheek being wiped clean by Cassie. Placing his hand on Darius, he traced them away to finish what he'd started then quickly returned to the hotel. He traced to the bathroom and scrubbed the blood from his face and hands then tore the shirt from his back replacing it with a clean T-shirt. Once his teeth were scoured clean, he opened the door to face her. Danielle was now sitting with her back against the headboard with Cassie by her side. He was relieved to see the flush of her cheeks with no trace of tears.
    "We must go." He stood at the foot of the bed trying to decipher her expression.
    "You're a vampire." Her voice was soft but sure.
    "I am." He replied, and then moved to sit next to her. "And you are my