Lara spun around with an intense look in her eyes that he had never seen before. “That’s right. I did it.”
He didn’t speak. He continued watching her as she began to pace back and forth about the foyer.
When she finally came to a stop and the look on her face turned serious, she spoke once more. “You’re not saying anything? Don’t you want to ask me why?”
He licked his lips. “Okay. Why?”
She exploded, throwing her arms in the air. “He accused me of cheating on him, which I would have never dreamed of doing to my husband at the time, and then he tried to kill me. So, I had to kill him first, and I buried him in the front yard.”
“Where the sunflowers were planted?” Cassius added.
Lara nodded her head. “That’s right! And now, now that I’ve got you here, we can finish off this nightmare and send him to hell where he belongs!”
“Where is he? Where is his body, Lara?”
“In the cellar.”
“And all the supplies for the exorcism ritual are there?”
She nodded once more. “Yes.”
“Okay. Lead the way.”
She spun around on her heels and he followed her outside, and around the house until they came upon the opening to the cellar. “After you.”
Cassius thought for a moment and then descended the stairs. He could feel Lara’s steps behind him and with each one, he felt more and more anger toward her. First, he’d get the ritual out of the way, and then, he could drag her ass to prison where she belonged. Even though she claimed she had killed Milo in self-defense because if he would’ve killed her if she hadn’t, he didn’t think Detective Carter would appreciate all the times she had given false statements regarding Milo’s “accidental” death.
And the other men who had died because of her? She’d pay for those, too, and then, he’d be able to put Lara and whatever he thought they had behind him.
“Okay, where is he?” Cassius asked as he entered the cellar. When he didn’t hear a response from Lara, he turned around just as she grabbed a silver knife from a workbench and impaled him with it.
He gasped, choking on his breath, and hit the ground. As he began losing consciousness, he knew something was not right. The laughter of a man emanated from Lara’s body. When a glowing blue light separated from her and took on the form of a man, Lara crumbled, and hit the ground with a thud. It was then that Cassius realized Milo had possessed her and used her to attack him.
As the blood drained out from Cassius’s chest and his eyes began to close, he saw Milo, the real Milo, pick up Lara’s body and carry her up the stairs and out of the cellar.
CHAPTER 13
Blinding light flashed through Lara's mind, accompanied by an explosion of pain as her jaw snapped together, the result of her face smashing into a hard surface. Forcing her eyelids apart, she squinted, unable to focus on her dim surroundings.
Pushing against the strange surface, she struggled to lift her head. Spots danced across her vision. She was upside down! Her body jostled, and she crashed into the solid surface again, a moan ripped from her lips.
“Awake so soon?”
The growled words twisted her stomach, knotting it with panic. If Milo was carrying her out of the cellar, then he'd already attacked Cassius. Was Cassius dead? She swallowed the lump forming in her throat.
“Let me go, Milo,” she said, beating her fists against his bluish outline. He still hadn't been able to possess Cassius' body, and that realization gave her a tiny bit of comfort.
“It won't help him,” Milo sneered as he shifted her, adjusting her torso on his shoulder. His heavy hand clamped down on her butt. “He's probably bled out by now.”
“That's not possible,” Lara stammered, her arm frozen halfway to striking his back again. “You couldn't... you don't know how to kill a vampire.”
“Detective Carter does.” Milo laughed; the deep sound sent a chill sliding down Lara's spine. “One silver dagger through the heart results in a dead vampire. It's slow, and painful, and quite honestly the best punishment I can think of for the man who fucked my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” Lara retorted. She lifted up and smashed her fist into the lower right side of Milo's back. He grunted and shimmered, his grip on Lara tightening.
“Stop struggling.”
“No!” Lara raised her arm, bringing down on the same spot with as much hatred as she could muster. “I will never, never, stop trying to kill you!”
A metal clang echoed beside them. They twisted toward the sound, their heads moving in unison.
“I-I-I'm sorry to interrupt.” Mr. Morris bent, retrieving a trash can lid.
Lara hit the ground, the oxygen ripped from her lungs. She stared up at the night sky, dark except for a handful of stars. With a snarl, Milo flew at Mr. Morris, who shrieked, dropped the lid, and stumbled into his house, his worn-out slippers scraping across the porch, Milo chasing along behind him. She hoped Mr. Morris had a sturdy heart.
Flipping onto her stomach, Lara slithered through the shadows toward the open cellar doors. She ought to run, to crawl to Cassius' car and escape while Milo was distracted with Mr. Morris. A pang of guilt sliced through her chest.
“He watched Milo violate you, Lara. He knew you were locked in the cellar, and he did nothing.” Her voice surprised her, but she nodded, accepting her murmured statement. Mr. Morris deserved whatever punishment Milo afforded him. But Cassius, he'd saved her life. She owed him, and if there was a chance to save Cassius, she needed to try.
As she reached the cellar entrance, she popped up, craning her head around the side, and peered down the staircase, searching for Cassius. Her heart stopped. To the far left, the immobile sole of a shoe was visible. She crept forward and placed her hand on the first step.
“Cassius?” she called.
Would he answer or would he think she was Milo returning to kill him? She moved to the next step, her gaze traveling up his leg to his knee. She couldn’t tell if Cassius was breathing, not that vampires needed oxygen. How could she tell if he was alive?
Descending the staircase, she stopped at his feet, her gaze sliding over his body. Blood oozed from the wound in his chest. She could only think of one thing to do. Rising onto her knees, she wrapped her fingers around the knife handle protruding from his heart. She exhaled slowly.
“There's nothing I can say to convince you to forgive me, please know that everything I did was to protect you. I never intended to fall in love with you, it just happened, if I knew what to do, I’d do anything it took to fix this.”
“Anything?” Cassius’ voice crackled; the brittle word echoed around the cellar. He opened his eyes, the corner of his mouth crooked in a failed smile.
“Anything,” she repeated, and nodded her head once.
“I need blood.”
“Before or after I take the knife out.” Lara repositioned her grip.
“Aft—”
Before he finished the word, Lara wrapped her second hand around the first and yanked upward with so much force she flew backward. She crashed into a wine rack and collapsed on the floor. Several bottles fell from the rack, shattering around her. Lara tucked herself into a ball, protecting her head from the glass shrapnel.