Raging Passions Read Free Page B

him. “Now kill him and be done with it!”
    When her vision cleared, Rage twisted and looked back at Caden. Even though he’d backed off almost twenty feet, she could still see his stunning too-blue eyes locked on her, stealing her anger. Just the thought of combing her fingers through his honey brown hair made her weak with desire. Having him so close, so real, destroyed her. He’d been easy to hate as a memory. Faced with the flesh and bone of him, she couldn’t bring herself to take his blood. Even knowing the punishment would be harsh, she whispered, “No.”
    Ripper shoved her back roughly and tossed his hands up in frustration. “Can no one explain this woman to me?” He spun to Dean. “Can you?” Pointing to Shade, he shouted, “Can you?” Finally, to Caden he cried, “Can you?”
    They all watched him with his tentative control on his anger, ready to descend on the first one of them to make a wrong move. Ripper arched back and roared at the moon. Rage cringed. She’d seen him pissed off before, but never this bad and never because of her. Finally he spun back around. “Fine!” he spat at them. “Shade, you kill him.”
    A predatory grin that was as sexy as it was frightening crept over Shade’s face. His body coiled like a jungle cat as he prepared to pounce. In his black leather and tanned flesh, he even resembled the jaguar he moved like.
    “No!” Rage dove to block him, even knowing she’d never reach them in time.
    Caden tossed a canister and shielded his face as it exploded in a concussive blast of light and sound. For several seconds, Rage could see or hear nothing. When the night reappeared around her, she found herself on her knees holding her head. Just out of reach, Shade rolled on the ground, scrubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms and cursing with some of the foulest language she’d ever heard.
    As the wisps of smoke cleared, she saw Ripper land on Caden farther down the alley, knocking him to the ground. He’d kill Caden before she could reach them. Rage felt her joints lock up with terror for him. Her heart clenched so viciously, she thought it might never beat again.
    Dean lifted Rage under the arms and propelled her ahead of him until they were both racing down the alley. His hand never left her elbow, making sure she didn’t fall behind as she ran in her heels. When she glanced up at him, the amusement was completely gone and something else replaced it. Something akin to fear.
    With strength more than ten times that of a human, Ripper unleashed the full might of his Kinsman power on Caden. Grabbing the human by his flak jacket, Ripper flung him into the brick building with enough force to topple a semi truck. Caden bounced off and collapsed to the ground, not moving. He wasn’t dead yet though. Her vampire hearing could still distinguish the liquid-rushing sound of his heart beating.
    Descending on Caden, Ripper clawed at him as if trying to live up to his name. The flak jacket blocked most of the killing strikes, but with each new slash the protection disintegrated.
    “Don’t kill him!” Dean grabbed Ripper in a bear hug that clamped his arms to his side. “Give Rage her revenge.”
    “What?” Ripper jerked out with an elbow that caught Dean in the ribs with force enough to make his bones crack audibly, and propelled him backward through the air. Dean landed heavily on his backside.
    Clenching his side, Dean struggled to breathe. “Rage,” he gasped. “Give her a few days to warm up to the idea.”
    Ripper snatched Dean by the front of his muscle shirt and slammed him into the wall. If Dean hadn’t flinched his head forward, he would have had it knocked off by the impact. “What are you saying?” Ripper snarled.
    Cringing in pain, Dean submissively averted his gaze. “You know she wants to kill him herself,” he panted. “You just surprised her. She needs to build up to the moment.”
    Rage gaped at Dean, trying to fathom what the hell he thought he