I mumble a little. In and out.

I mumble a little. In and out.


Before my eyes closed, the whirlwind of a man who had dragged my attacker away shot out after the fleeing pair and knocked them both to the ground. But before I could see what was happening, my eyes closed and I almost ignored the footsteps next to my head. It was so nice to just rest.
No. That was wrong. I forced my eyes open again as adrenaline flooded through me. I couldn't keel over on a New Orleans street. Those guys had already proven to me that it wasn't safe.
"Miss Harper?" At Jensen's familiar voice , I finally gave in and let go.
ARTURO 
I had never felt so much rage. It consumed me completely, and rational thought became impossible. I acted on instinct, turning my fury into brutal vengeance as I methodically destroyed the men in an alley, turning them into a pile of unrecognizable parts before finally stopping, exhausted, but still nervous.

Then I had only one thought.
Amara 
Fear propelled me to move, and fear was not something I was familiar with. People were afraid of me, but I was never. Only now I was. What had these bastards done to Amara? Was she still alive? Had I been too late? Had one of them bled her dry and taken her away?
My throat went dry at the thought. I was about to lose everything because of my own stupidity. I should never have brought Amara here. An unclaimed virgin? My mate? I hadn't even claimed her, and had trusted other vampires to adhere to the rules of honor and respectability? I was the bastard. A total mess. And I'd believed the fucking Donatelo .
Shit.
I exhaled a wheezy sigh as I ran back to where I'd left her. The image of Amara almost being devoured, maybe even on the verge of having her throat ripped out by some New Orleans vampires, was still present in my mind. And I hadn't been there. I had lost faith by placing it in Donatelo and would not make that mistake again.
More than anger, something territorial clung to me, something.... I hesitated, almost unable to identify it. Something protective. But then I shook my head. Of course it was protective; my damn future depended on not letting Amara be killed or claimed by anyone else.
I arrived at where I had left Amara and found Jensen kneeling beside her, protecting her. No one paid much attention to another person passed out on the streets of New Orleans, especially with Jensen there. He certainly gave the impression that he had the situation under control.
"How is he?" I almost stopped next to them.
He patted her hand. "I mumble a little. In and out."
As if he'd heard my voice, he snapped his eyes open and began to scream. The sound started quietly, but grew louder and sharper until I leaned over her and looked into her eyes.
"You need to sleep " I murmured . "Sleep and forget about this."
As I spoke, repeating the soothing words, her scream died away, her eyes closed once more and her tense muscles relaxed.
Shit. I was an asshole. using compulsion on my partner? But I didn't know how to calm her down. She still didn't trust me, and I needed to get her mind right. She had just seen monsters, ones she shouldn't even know existed. They almost killed her, and she couldn't let them live in her thoughts. She needed to sleep. Sleep and forget, as he had instructed her to do.
"I need to get her back to the helicopter. " I tried to reach for her, but Jason held up his hand.
" Hey, you've got something on your face, Artuto " . He made as if to point to where it was on his own face and then made a circular motion all over his face. "Something like... there."
I lifted my finger and ran it across my cheek. It was slick and red. "Whoa, shit." I couldn't go marching back through the Neutral Zone with my partner in my arms and the blood of my enemies.
I ran the sleeve of my jacket over my skin, but Jensen shook his head.
"I think you're only making it worse. " He stood up and took off his jacket . "Look, change with me. I'm on cleaning duty anyway, aren't I?"
I nodded. "It wasn't meant to end this way, though. You get rid of the bodies. I'll take Amara home." I looked at her face and exhaled sharply, an awkward and unfamiliar regret at the same time. "I shouldn't have brought her. But what choice did I have? I only trust her to you, and I needed you with me. Call me when you're done here."
He grimaced, sucking air between his teeth. "How many pieces did you leave them in?"
Amara groaned.

"Oh , to put them back together would require an instruction manual and tools . " My words were directed at Jensen , but my attention was entirely on Aman .
Jesen rose from his crouched position and removed his jacket before handing it to me and taking my blood-dampened one in return.
"We're so lucky you prefer black clothes," he grumbled.
I gritted my teeth a little as I looked at Amara . "But she's wearing gray."
"Be careful when you pick her up. Keep her close to you in case there's blood transfer. " She shrugged." Vampirism should come with a manual."
Normally, Jensen's ridiculous comments amused me, but not now. I reached out for Amara and drew her into my arms, settling her against me. I would have to go through the Neutral Zone, and François certainly had cameras, but he also knew I was protecting Amara , so this shouldn't seem so strange. Or I could simply say that Bourbon Street had been too much for her. I took off her shoes and let them dangle from one of my toes, like any man trying to make his partner comfortable.
"Call me. " I tossed the words over my shoulder as Jensen was lost in the shadows and I walked toward the restaurant, the most important thing in my life in my arms.
I did not enter through the front door into the Neutral Zone. There was no need for any diner to see Amara asleep as I carried her in my arms. I took a side entrance, near the stairs that would eventually lead to the rooftop.
And I took those steps two at a time, ignoring the cameras that swiveled lazily toward me as I went. I would have greeted someone casually, but I didn't want to lose control of Amara .