Deliverance by Adrienne Monson Page B

wrist. The woman yanked back so quickly that she lost her footing and tumbled backwards. The vampire fell onto the pavement and the car bucked as it ran over her.
    The hand still clutched the front of Samantha’s shirt. She stared at it for a second before she could muster up the nerve to push it off. The unattached extremity bounced down her legs before resting halfway on her right foot.
    Forcing her gag reflex to relax, Samantha unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to check on Liam. The boy looked more fierce than scared. His fangs spilled out of his mouth down to his chin and his claws extended.
    Nik was busy up front, batting away attacks through the windshield and his side window. With shaking fingers, Samantha pulled out the sharp knife that she’d stored in the glove compartment box. Leaning toward Nik, she stabbed at the hands grabbing at the vampire.
    There was a loud shattering sound and Samantha looked back to see glass falling all around Liam from behind, with the back windshield gaping open. A large man was halfway through the rear and reaching for Liam. Samantha ignored the sinking feeling in her gut and launched herself in the back. Liam already had his claws in the man’s throat. The vampire hissed and hit the boy so hard that his head snapped to the side.
    Samantha plunged her knife into the vampire’s eye. He screamed and reached toward her, as if to take Samantha’s knife. Liam sprung and buried his fangs deep into the man’s shoulder while the boy’s claws rived the vampire’s face. Blood splattered over everything and Samantha was overwhelmed by the metallic smell.
    Suddenly, the car went into a tailspin. Liam catapulted into Samantha as the momentum of the car pulled them down and to the side. Images blurred as they continued to careen around, and it was all Samantha could do to remember to breathe as her body flailed and bumped around the interior of the car.
    When the car finally stopped, Samantha blinked hard to bring her eyes back into focus. She was half on the seat and half on the floor. Liam slowly climbed off, and she could finally take a deep breath. Her ribs were definitely bruised and her spine felt like it was going to collapse at any second.
    When she finally looked up, Nik’s seat was empty.
    She glanced through the window to see him fighting off four vampires that had surrounded him in the dim light. He was fast and moved with deadly speed as he swung a machete around. He must have taken it from one of his attackers. Nik managed to decapitate one vampire and cut the others, but she couldn’t see more than that because another assailant ripped her car door off and, grabbing a fistful of her hair, pulled her out before she could blink. In desperation, she grabbed onto anything in the car, but her fingers only found the blade of her own weapon. Though it cut her fingers to do so, she clutched it tight and brought it to her chest so she could grab the handle with her other hand.
    Samantha’s breaths came in short puffs as she jabbed at the vampire’s wrist. He grunted and released her. She fell in a heap, but jumped back up as quickly as she could. Before Samantha could even turn or get her bearings, another man came up from behind and seized her around the torso. Samantha remembered all of her training in a split second and knew the man’s height immediately. With practiced aim, she kicked behind her and heard a loud crack when her foot smashed her assailant’s knee. He howled, but tightened his grip, making it difficult for her to breathe. Gritting her teeth, Samantha stepped to the side and shoved her locked elbows above her head to break his hold. It threw the vampire off balance for a split second, but he was on her again. Her blade was taken by another vampire in front of her.
    They slammed her onto her stomach, the black asphalt digging into her sensitive ribs. Handcuffs came into view, and then her arms were pulled behind her back at a painful angle. As the cold steel closed