In order to survive.

But the man who opened the door wasn’t Vaughn. The guy was some big, rough-looking bastard with black hair and glinting eyes. The guy smirked as he took in Rhett’s weapon and bloody form.

I know him. Rhett’s eyes narrowed. This was the SOB who’d burned down The Rift! Rhett had seen him.

“Good thing I was the one to find you and not some vamp.” The man lifted one black brow. “Or else feeding time would be going on right about now.”

“Who the hell are you?” Rhett didn’t attack, not yet. Mostly because his arms weren’t exactly feeling steady. Need another second. Just gathering my strength, then I’ll attack.

“What do you think your sister will do in order to get you back?” the man asked, lifting a hand to scratch his chin. “Do you think she’d trade her life for yours? Maybe trade the life of her vampire lover?”

“Who the f**k are you?”

The guy’s smirk just got bigger.

And Rhett had gathered his strength. He attacked, launching forward with the chair.

The guy grabbed the chair before Rhett could slam it into his head. The man’s fingers wrapped around the wood. “I’m someone you don’t want as an enemy.”

His eyes weren’t dark any longer. There was a circle of orange—red?—around his pupils. As if . . . as if his eyes were burning.

The wood began to smoke beneath the man’s hand. Tendrils of smoke drifted into the air. Then the wood caught on fire. Big, bright flames erupted along the surface of the broken chair.

Rhett jerked his hand away and leapt back.

“I told you, be glad I’m not a vampire.” The chair burned to ash in a blaze that matched the fire in the man’s eyes.

No, not a vampire, but . . . “What are you?” Rhett’s voice was hoarse, thanks to all the damn screaming and yelling he’d done.

But the guy wasn’t answering him. He was too busy touching the wall to his right. Just his touch sent flames licking up the old wood and rushing toward the ceiling.

“Stop!” Rhett yelled—or tried to yell. But, oh hell, screw stopping the guy. He just needed to get away from him. So Rhett rushed forward. He plowed his fist into the guy’s face—shit, that blow scorched his knuckles—and tried to lunge through the doorway.

But the hulking guy just laughed and grabbed hold of his arm. “It’s not that easy.” He looked over at the flames. They were burning bright and hot. “We’ll send a little message to your sister, then we’ll let her find us.”

“If you’re killing me, do it,” Rhett snarled. The guy’s hold was burning into his skin. “I’m not going to let you use me against Sabine.” The way Vaughn had wanted to use him.

“Of course, you will.” He said it as if there had never been any doubt. “You’re just human.” The guy shrugged. “What else are you gonna do?”

Kill your ass. He was just close enough to do the job. Cocky supernatural. Thinking humans weren’t a threat. “I didn’t know if Vaughn would be coming for me, or if it would be someone else.”

Blisters were on his skin. Blisters and blood and he was tired of being a punching bag.

Rhett said, “But even if a vampire had come through that door, I wasn’t gonna go down without a fight.”

That stupid smirk was getting on his nerves.

“Why fight?” the man asked. “The result will be the same. You’ll lose.”

“No.” But Rhett stopped fighting. For the moment. Let him think I’m weak. “You will.” Then he brought up his left hand—with the broken chair leg that he’d kept hidden—and he stabbed that chunk of wood right into the pyro’s chest.

The guy’s eyes widened with surprise.

“Guess you didn’t see that coming,” Rhett said as he twisted the chunk of wood.

The SOB’s hand fell away. His body sagged to the floor.

“Stop underestimating humans,” Rhett bit out. He turned away. Rushed through the door.

The crackle of flames grew louder behind him. Rhett didn’t bother trying to pull the man’s body from the fire. Even a vamp couldn’t rise with a stake in his heart.

The fire kept spreading.

Rhett rushed away from the flames.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Dawn had come. The light spilled through the thin curtains at the cabin. Sabine knew Ryder wanted something from her, she could see it in his eyes.

She just didn’t know what he needed.

Would she kill her brother? No. She wouldn’t. Not Rhett. Never him. But it wasn’t going to come down to that. “I trust Rhett.”