Free Foreshadowed by Erika Trevathan

creeping up to it and throwing back the curtain. I had to stifle a scream when I saw the moonlight giving off just enough light to illuminate Brad's face on the other side. Not only was it pitch black outside my room, but it was also two stories off the ground. I couldn't even begin to imagine how he'd gotten up there, or better yet, why. I put my hands on my hips and glared at him through the window.
                "How did you get up here?"
                "Isn't it obvious?" he said. "I climbed. Now, let me in."
                "Yeah. I don't think so. Why are you here and how the hell did you get past all of our security?"
                "Against my better judgment, I'm here to save you. Now, I repeat, let me in."
                "I'm still not buying it. What do you want Brad?" Crossing my arms, I left the window closed between us. I had no intentions of letting him in.
                "You know, I don't remember you being quite this irritating. Is this a vampire trait?"
                When I continued to shoot him a withering glare, he gave me a playful grin. "You're not scared of me, are you?"
                I rolled my eyes. "I'm terrified," I said dryly. "Now leave before I have you thrown out." I started to close the curtain back when Brad threw up his hand. His face had turned serious. "Brooke, seriously. There are some nasty looking Regency vampires on their way here right now. If I was able to get past your guards, they will be too."
                I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. As I was grappling with what to do, I heard Alex's voice in my mind. I see you have company. And this time he may actually be helpful. We've made some discoveries. Lucien is behind Anna's disappearance along with some help from the Regency. He's sent word that unless you show up to take her place, she'll die. In the meantime, he's sent others to collect you and they well outnumber our guards. They're way too close for me to get to you in time. Go with Brad and take two guards. Meet Ethan and I at the airport as soon as you can get there. And Brooke....I love you.
                I looked up at Brad and slid the window up. "Looks like I'm going with you."

                He grinned triumphantly and gestured for me to lead the way.

CHAPTER 12
                I groaned as I noticed headlights approaching from the driveway. It was not to be an easy exit, apparently. I hadn't received a call from the guardhouse, so either that guard   was destroyed or he had been detained. I saw a couple members of our security team dashing with vampire speed towards the approaching car. Brad was at my side as well as a few other members of security. Using the diversion created by the guards out front, we shot into the woods at the rear of the estate, practically materializing on the street several miles on the other side of it. The only thing that slowed us was that Brad couldn't run as fast as we could. An unfortunate side effect of being a human, but still, he kept up pretty admirably. We slid into an awaiting SUV and I finally breathed a sigh of relief as it took off at high speed.
                Leaning back in the seat, I looked over at Brad who seemed to be torn about something. Maybe , the fact that he was sitting in a vehicle of vampires he’d pledged to kill.
                "What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in question.
                He sighed, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I'm not sure what I planned to do once I got you out of danger. I just wasn't thinking clearly when I saw them heading your way. I knew they were coming for you and all I could think of was that I needed to get you out of there." He ran his hand over his face in irritation-- with himself, I assumed.
                "And I appreciate that Brad. Really, I do. If you hadn't shown up when you did, I probably wouldn't have made