But I’m not letting you go, Donaldson. You put a gun to her head. You were about to shoot her, both in my cell and now, with her tied down like an animal. Do you think I’ll let you live after this?
Tears leaked from Donaldson’s eyes. No, the man didn’t think he’d be living past these last few moments.
Ryder pushed Sabine toward the door. “Come on.” He didn’t know how long they’d have before his escape was discovered. An alarm could ring out at any second.
But Sabine stopped walking. The woman froze against him. She looked over at Donaldson, then back at Ryder. “He doesn’t . . . why is he pushing the gun against his own heart?”
Because I’m telling him to do it, love. And as soon as you leave the room, I’ll tell him to pull that trigger.
Ryder shrugged. “Maybe he just can’t live with the crimes on his soul. Bet he’s played attack dog for Wyatt plenty of times.”
And he had. Ryder could see the memories. So many dark, terrible deeds. Donaldson had killed before. Shifters. Witches.
As long as they weren’t human, did you think their deaths didn’t matter?
Donaldson gave a faint nod.
Wrong answer, bastard. They mattered.
Sabine’s fingers caught his hand. Squeezed. “Whatever you’re doing, stop.”
He blinked at her in surprise.
“Don’t be like them. Don’t kill just because they do.”
So misguided. He wasn’t killing because the humans had started a battle. He was killing because that was his nature. You didn’t tell the snake not to strike, and you didn’t tell the vamp not to kill.
“Promise me,” she said, shaking her head and still refusing to move when he gave her a harder shove. “Promise that you won’t kill him. Just leave him here, lock him up in this cell, and let’s go.”
Ryder didn’t like to make promises that he couldn’t keep. In fact, he never made a promise unless he was sure that he could follow through on his words.
Others had broken their vows to him. They’d paid. In blood.
“If you don’t give me your word,” she hesitated, then said, “I won’t leave with you. I-I’ll find my own way out. I’ll stay until I’m sure you’re gone, sure that you won’t kill him, then I’ll escape.”
He lifted his hand. Stroked the silk of her cheek. Watched with interest as her pupils dilated. Sabine had such a fast, primal response to him. Did she realize that?
I have the same response to her. “My love,” he breathed the words, “that man was about to put his gun to your heart and pull the trigger. You don’t need to feel sorry for him.”
Her gaze searched his. “It’s not him I care about. It’s you. Be better than the ones who hold us here.”
He wasn’t better. Would never be. She just didn’t understand who he was yet. What he was. Despite what he’d done to her, she didn’t understand.
Sabine stared up at him, hope struggling desperately to shine in her eyes.
He found he couldn’t destroy that hope. “He won’t die by my hand. Not right now.”
But when he came back to Genesis, once Sabine was safe . . . Ryder lifted his head and met Donaldson’s wild eyes. I will come back then. I will make you suffer. The bullet would have been too fast anyway.
Donaldson grew even paler.
Stay here, Ryder ordered him. Don’t take a step until I come back and tell you to move.
The guard’s whole body tensed as his muscles locked down.
Sabine’s breath heaved out. “Thank you.”
He liked her gratitude, but he’d be taking more than just a “thank you” from her.
His fingers twined with hers as they hurried from the room. Donaldson didn’t call out after them. He couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything unless Ryder ordered him to do so.
Now you know what it’s like to be helpless. As Ryder had been helpless when he’d been forced to watch Sabine die right in front of his eyes.
Their footsteps raced down the hallway. To the left. To the right. A guard stumbled out, directly in front of them.
Ryder caught the guy. Grabbed him, then punched him out with one hard knock of his fist. Too easy. The humans were his prey now. Nothing could stop him.
No one.
He’d be free, and Sabine would be at his side.
Then those at Genesis would be the ones to scream and beg.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sabine didn’t know where they were going. And as long as Ryder was getting her out of the pit that reeked of death, she didn’t care. Her heart slammed into her chest and her lungs heaved as she rushed to keep pace with Ryder.