Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99285 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 496(@200wpm)___ 397(@250wpm)___ 331(@300wpm)
I clenched my teeth at his vulgar words and tone.
“It wouldn’t have taken much to wear you down and get you in my bed.” He grinned all sexist-like.
I didn’t bother telling him there would have been no way that would have happened. He didn’t deserve my words or any explanation.
“But then I saw him watching you.” He paused, letting that sink in, knowing I understood fully who he was referring to. “Adryan Darris, leader of the American Vampire Clan, has been on our radar for a very long time and is one evil bastard. But Mr. Darris is smart, has unsurmountable resources, and is dangerous.”
My heart was pounding, my body strung tight. Salvatore took another step closer, and I forced myself not to move back. Even if instinct told me to get as far from him as possible.
“I saw the way he looked at you, how he was transfixed on you. The signs he’d found his mate were all there, right in front of me. I knew to really bring down the most feared vampire in the world, I’d have to get him where it counted. With his mate.” He took a step closer. “You.”
“Th-This is all about him? You’re using me to get to him?” I felt stupid asking after he’d said as much, but if I thought my life was crazy after all Adryan had told me, I was thrown again for another loop.
“Do you know what the organization I work for does?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “We collect, Kayla. We collect special artifacts and allow our patrons special viewings.”
My stomach spoiled, because I knew—just knew—what he meant. The murdering, raping, killing, torture… all the stuff Larkin had talked to me about was right here in my face, standing in front of me, speaking about it like this was normal conversation.
“You use the Otherworlders for what? Oh God, you do horrible things to them and let the highest bidder watch?” My eyes felt too big, my heart beating too fast. I reached out and placed my hand on the wall to steady myself. I was going to pass out, unable to breathe, my vision wavering, my head dizzy.
“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “And their mates, if we can’t get them on our own, like with your vampire mate.” His grin was a permanent fixture on his face now. “And for those really high-paying patrons, we let them watch us torture an Otherworlder’s mate just to see how they’ll react.” He chuckled softly. “And Kayla, oh Kayla, do they ever react.”
I was crying, didn’t realize I was until I felt wetness on my cheeks.
Salvatore looked over his shoulder. “Bring him in.”
I snapped my head to the left, expecting to see them dragging in Adryan’s body, but when I saw it was the vampire who’d brought me here, the one with the neck scar, I exhaled in relief.
“You remember James? That scar really makes him stand out, doesn’t it?” Salvatore laughed and snapped his finger, and James came to stand next to Salvatore, his murderous gaze on me. “You know how he got that?”
I looked back at Salvatore. “I don’t care.” I hated that my voice shook.
“Oh,” Salvatore said with mock surprise, his eyes widening, his eyebrows going to his hairline. “Adryan didn’t reveal the origin of how James got this accessory?” He looked at James, still wearing that shocked expression. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?” When James gritted his teeth and stayed silent, Salvatore chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe now isn’t the time, huh?” He stared at me then, his shock fading. “Unfortunately, you're on James’s shit list by association. You see, James has been working for my organization for a very long time, ever since something very important was taken from him and he lost that loyalty.”
I didn’t care about any of this. I didn’t want to hear about James or his history with Adryan and didn’t want to give either of them the time of day. I just wanted out of here. I wanted to go back to my life where the only thing I was really worried about was one crazy and possessive-as-hell vampire mate.
But escaping wasn’t even a realistic option. Even if I could get out of the cell, I had no idea where I was and had a feeling this place was like a maze with security up the ass and enough guards and firepower to stop me before I could feel optimistic.
I let my gaze slide to James once more, the hatred aimed right at me enough to have coldness seeping into my blood. I knew if he could kill me right here and now, he would. God, he looked like he was salivating to do just that.
And as I stared into his eyes, I knew the truth, or at least part of it. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together on what that “something” was that had torn at James. Clearly, that “something” was actually “someone” James had cared about. A broken heart caused this kind of pain, this kind of hatred… this kind of violence.