“He didn’t want a filthy demon for a house guest,” Claire growled.

Shax eyed me with curiosity. “Or was he trying to avoid us coming near his Taleh? I understand he’s fallen in love with her. How precious.”

“You can leave, now,” Claire said, more of a demand than an offer.

Shax’s crooked mouth pulled up into a half-smile. “Thank you, Claire. We were just on our way out. But we’ll be taking Nina with us. Jack owes me that.”

“And I owe Jared one,” Grahm said with a smirk.

“I’ll rip out your throat before I’ll let you touch her!” Claire snarled. The guttural sound that came from her throat when she spoke was frightening.

Grahm signaled his men, and they walked cautiously past Shax. Claire gestured behind her for me to stand back as she crouched slightly, set to defend me. One of the men lunged at her, and so quickly that I missed some of her movements, she incapacitated him without effort. The second man tried to swing at her, but she jerked to the side just as two other men rushed from the side. I took a few more steps back as I watched her head butt one of the men, blood spattering in the air, and then strike another in the throat with her fist. The man made a horrific gurgling noise before falling to the ground.

Just as Claire turned to face Shax, Grahm pulled out a gun and held it to Claire’s forehead. She froze.

“I was just going to take Nina, but I think it would better settle the score if he came home to see your pretty face blown away and a sweet little note to let him know we’re violating his girlfriend in a hundred different ways before we kill her.”

I felt my legs disappear, and I reached back to steady myself against the table as Grahm gave me a lewd once-over with his eyes.

Claire smirked. “You’ll fit right in where Jared’s going to send you, Grahm.”

Grahm cocked his weapon, and I felt a solitary tear seep from my eye and trickle down my cheek. Time passed in slow motion as I looked at Grahm’s arrogant expression and then back to Claire. The scene was surreal: Full grown men sprawled on the floor in pools of their own blood, and tiny Claire, a fair-haired teenaged-girl moments away from execution. I held my breath as I watched her slowly close her eyes and wait for the bullet to leave its chamber.