“I really don’t give a fuck what you call it. What do we do?” he asked, staring down at Rucker and the biker with the top of his head blown off.
“He’s not going to get up and come back at us, is he?”
Broni looked down at the men lying on the floor.“I don’t think that is an option.”
“Should I cut their heads off just in case?”
Broni clenched her teeth. “No.”
A loud crash effectively stopped their argument. As she moved to help Rhys, slipping on some blood, one of the Drearien took advantage of the opportunity, jerking her backwards with a hand in her hair. She wasn’t going to make it to Rhys in time. One of the bikers had managed to take his knife from him.
“Adam!” Broni screamed. “Save Rhys.”
Adam raised his gun, pointing it at the Drearien attacking Rhys at the same time Broni felt a stabbing pain in the middle of her back. She stifled her scream of pain, not wanting to change Adam’s focus of saving Rhys’s life.
At that instant, Broni caught a flicker out of the corner of her eye.
The man standing there looked just as Cara had described him; the dark immortal who escorted dark souls to Hades—Grimm. He stood watching the men fighting with a raised brow.
“You and your sisters are keeping me busy.”
Fear filled Broni at Grimm’s words. He would only be called when someone died, therefore for her sisters to have seen him, it boded ill for them.
Broni was forestalled in questioning him as he silently moved across the room, touching two of the men lying dead on the floor that Rhys had shot when they had turned. Shadows rose from their bodies, moving to stand silently beside Grimm.
The fighting was escalating. Broni turned on her knees, plunging her sword in the Drearien who had stabbed her in the back. She managed to get to her feet. Looking around the room, she saw that they were outnumbered.
Not willing to give up, she began to fight using her sword to clear a path toward Rhys. Adam was already by his side, both of them trying to fight off the remaining Drearien.
“I am getting sick of this crap,” Adam grunted, picking up a heavy chair and then bringing it down on one of his brother’s head.
By that point, Broni had maneuvered herself behind Rhys, and when one would have hit him, Broni shoved him out of the way, taking the strike herself, dropping her sword to the floor. Forcing herself to stay on her feet, she placed herself in front of Rhys.
“What are you doing?” Rhys yelled, furious while Broni ignored his anger.
When another came with a knife, Broni was waiting. She threw herself at the man, knocking him to the floor, the knife in her side. Rhys was unable to help since others were moving in now, ignoring him; Broni had become their target.
Rhys realized Broni was giving them what they wanted in the hope they would leave Rhys and Adam alone. If they accomplished their goal of Broni’s capture or death, it might distract them long enough for an escape to be possible. She had sacrificed herself for them.
“You are not getting yourself killed for me.” Rhys’s harsh voice kept her from losing consciousness.
Rhys helped Broni regain her feet, blood dripping from her side and back. Before he could yell at her for her stupid move, the Drearien started attacking again. Broni staggered away before Rhys could react, seeing Adam fighting a particularly large man with the wall at his back. Broni painfully picked up her sword, stabbing the Drearien in the back.
“Adam, run. Save yourself!” Broni yelled.
“Broni!” Rhys’s warning came too late.
Hands gripped her throat, squeezing until her breath caught in her throat. Her hands went to the ones clutching her throat. Struggling, she saw Rhys fighting his way toward her. Her hands dropped to her sides, no longer fighting, accepting what must be done.
Grimm came to stand next to her, remaining silent as the air left her lungs, waiting patiently.
A rush of air filled her starved lungs as Rhys pulled the Drearien off her. Weak, she managed to stay on her feet as several men clasped Rhys, trapping him in a circle.
When she saw a flash of metal, Broni fought wildly against her captor’s hold as Rhys fell to the floor. Grimm left her side to move toward Rhys, but before he could reach his side, a blinding flash of light filled the room. Thor stood taking in the chaos in the room.
Broni fought free from her stunned attackers, running to Rhys’s side as those around him fell to the floor.
“Help me, Thor!” she screamed at her brother, pressing a hand frantically to Rhys’s bleeding chest. Thor lifted a hand, and the rest of the Drearien fell as well.