Stealing Time by Elisa Paige Page B

fear, the hard hands squeezed, enjoying the fact that all I could do was roll my eyes as they deliberately pressed their bodies against mine.
    Instincts churned, that primitive part of me rousing to howl its defiance at the increased restraint and violation, and the drive to lash out and punish overrode the fear. The need to fight roared through me, to claw and tear, to sink fangs deep into flesh and destroy those who would contain me. Sensing my aggression, one of the males raised his fist as if to backhand me and I met his gaze, battle instincts fully aroused. I vowed to myself if the opportunity presented itself, I would kick this guy’s ass, and I let him see this determination—felt a moment’s triumph as his face blanched and his hand slowly lowered.
    The sounds of shattering glass and sheet metal being ripped like tissue paper drew my eyes back to James and Liam’s combat in time to see the blond fall from high overhead, along with part of the catwalk he was standing on. James crouched in what must have been the old manager’s office window, broken glass covering his hair and shoulders like a sprinkling of diamonds.
    That’s when it hit me that there was more at stake here than just my being held and pawed against my will. I remembered James’s description of having to fight to exonerate himself before the tribunal and my heart lurched at the realization that this was a kill-or-be-killed battle. Regardless of countless movies and books in which alpha males fought over the damsel in distress, there was nothing romantic about the idea that someone might die because of me. The thought was appalling. Gut-churning. A sour taste filled my mouth and I swallowed hard, frustrated by my inability to do or say anything that might help.
    I sensed the watching vampires’ rising excitement, sensed their enjoyment of the violence and their anticipation of death. Duni’s head swiveled in my direction and I turned my eyes to hers, infuriated by the gloating expression on her arrogant face as she watched me struggle within James’s bindings.
    Kore’s laughter rang out and I turned my eyes back to the fight, horrified to see James driven to his knees by the force of Liam’s blow. Fangs bared, the blond roared and leaped for James’s throat, snapping on air as James got clear, somersaulting above Liam and landing ten feet away. Bellowing with rage, the blond’s charge brought him straight into James’s fist. Using his momentum, James rotated at incredible speed, catching Liam by the throat and lifting him high overhead before reversing direction and slamming him into the concrete so hard, it shattered under the vampire’s body.
    Twisting, Liam got his legs twined round James’s and threw him to the ground, pivoting in an attempt to pin him. James rolled, catching his opponent across the face, snapping his head back and knocking him flying. The combatants leaped to their feet and stood facing one another, terrifying and feral in their battle rage.
    At some unseen signal, they lunged at one another, blows flying impossibly fast as each sought to get the other in a hold, wrestling to get close enough to bring their real weapons—their fangs—into play. Back and forth, they fought across the warehouse, at one point slamming into the furniture and sending vampires scrambling to get out of the way. Liam threw a huge chair at James’s head, snarling with fury as he caught it and hurled it back, nailing the blond in the face before he could duck.
    While Liam was blinded by the furniture’s bulk, James raced at him, knocking his feet from beneath him, landing on the blond with his full weight and all his power in the blow. Liam’s head cracked the floor, sending chunks of concrete flying. And, for just a moment, the blond lay dazed. James struck in a blur of speed, sinking his teeth into Liam’s chest and ripping him open. Just as fast, James’s hand disappeared inside and the blond froze, his eyes on James’s face as he