Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
A high-pitch scream echoes in the night before my arm is almost wrenched out of the socket and I dangle like a Christmas ornament from the window of the hotel.
Another pain filled scream follows when my body is yanked to a stop in the air.
Strong, callused fingers are wrapped like a vise around my wrist while I flail uselessly around.
“Stop moving.” The Sire guy glares at me, hanging waist down through the window.
“Fuck you!” I spit at him, flailing even harder, fighting his grip like a woman possessed.
The asshole laughs.
He laughs!
Screaming bloody murder, I redouble my efforts to shake loose his grip.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I’m well aware that if I do succeed in making him let go, I’ll plummet to my death.
At the front of my mind, however, all I want to do is spite him.
Even if that means I will die. Another head pops out through the window, looking down at me.
“I’ll be damned, she’s not mute.” Andrei is grinning like a loon.
“Fuck you, too!”
“And feisty, too.” Andrei looks at the Sire guy, his grin stretching impossibly wide.
The asshole doesn’t smile. He keeps glaring at me like it’s my fault they dragged me up here to kill me.
Go figure. I keep twisting and turning, doing my best to get him to let go of me.
Glancing down is a bad idea that makes my stomach lurch painfully to my throat.
I gag but keep wiggling. A chuckle stops my movement, and I look up.
The asshole is looking at me now, amusement dancing and twinkling in his dark, ancient eyes.
He is even more mesmerizing when he smiles.
My mouth drops open and I stare at him, hypnotized.
They should make a law that says he will die if he stops smiling.
It’s sinful and enchanting at the same time.
His smile slowly disappears, and the look he is giving me changes.
The intensity of his gaze does stupid things to my insides, snapping me out of whatever thrall I was under.
Andrei whistles, apparently surprised by something, but I ignore him.
I have no idea what comes over me. Something dark and strong, most probably insane, takes over, and I feel my lips moving.
“If you don’t let go of me now, I will kill you.”
“I know.”
That is so not the answer I was expecting.
I think after that word vomit, the monster will laugh in my face or even drop me to show me that my words were useless.
I’m more shocked at my own audacity than at his reaction, that I stay unmoving while he pulls me up and inside the room.
When my boots sink into the plush carpet, I blink.
Bracing myself for whatever kind of death awaits me, I squeeze my eyes shut.
“She still doesn’t believe we are not planning to kill her.” Andrei’s words make me open one eye.
“Do you blame her?” Sire guy sighs, leaning his butt on the edge of the open window.
Now with both eyes open, I look from one to the other. What kind of twisted game are these monsters playing with me? Are they hoping to scare me enough so I die from a heart attack because they can’t drink my blood? I have no idea, and nothing makes sense.
“No, Sebastian, I can’t say I do.” Before Andrei is done talking, I’m already on the other side of the room with the massive bed between them and me. The blood drains from my face.
“Ah.” Sebastian—aka Sire asshole—chuckles. “I see you’ve heard of me.” His gaze travels from my head to as much as he can see of me because of the bed, then comes up again. “I should feel honored.”
“I would disagree.” That’s all I manage through numb lips.
This guy is the monster the rest of them fear.
Well, according to what I’ve heard, anyway.
I’m here, in this room, with nowhere to run, and he is here standing all relaxed and shit in front of me.
I wonder why. Maybe because he can kill you before you even know it, April. You idiot! my mind screams at me.
“You have nothing to fear from me.” His entire focus is on me. I tremble involuntarily. “What is your name?”
My mouth dries up like the Sahara Desert.
Trying to swallow and talk at the same time is a bad idea because I choke on my own thick tongue.
A coughing fit makes me double over, tears streaming down my face while I’m fighting to suck in air.
A sizable warm palm pets my back gently, and a glass of water is thrust in front of my face.
Grabbing it with both hands, I gulp it down greedily, coughing and spitting the entire time.
The hand never stops petting my back. Gradually, I get myself under control.
I feel like I’ve swallowed a flaming sword. Every breath burns my throat.
“April,” I croak out before I gulp down the remaining few drops of water.
“April…” My name on Sebastian’s lips is like icy fingers creepily crawling up my spine. It’s him petting my back gently.
“More water?” Andrei’s question gets me to look up.
The concern is twisting his angelic face, and I almost laugh.
This is so insane that I think I’m still sleeping in the sewer and having a nightmare.
He is still looking at me expectantly, so I nod.
As if happy to be able to do something, he gives me a small smile and darts out of the room, leaving me alone with the darkest and most dangerous of all monsters.
The one that’s still petting my back gently like a mother would do to a sick child.
Or so I think. It’s been so long that I don’t think I even remember what that felt like.
“What’s going on here?” My voice cracks, but I push on. I don’t care how pathetic I sound. “Why am I here? And why haven’t you killed me yet?”
“I have no intention of killing you, April,” Sebastian murmurs, his breath softly tickling the skin of my neck. How the hell did I end up this close to him? “Nor will I allow anyone to hurt you in any way. I know you don’t believe me, but you will. Soon you will believe everything, I promise.”
“I can tell you now that that’s never going to happen.”
“Au contraire, my dear. I assure you that you will see things in a very different way.”
The tip of his nose touches my skin, his mouth with those vicious fangs the size of my pinky too close for comfort to my neck. That reminds me of my stench, and I try to shrink away from him. I’m not sure if these monsters can read minds, but he definitely read mine.
“You should go and have a shower.” When those hurtful words are spoken, I yank my body away from him, but he doesn’t let go.
Pulling me back, we face each other, the tips of our noses almost touching.
“It doesn’t bother me. It was smart to hide your scent.
It kept you hidden and alive. That is no longer necessary.
Now, I will protect you. Besides…” Pulling back a little, my stomach does a somersault from his penetrating gaze.
“Nothing can hide the alluring scent of you from me.” I gulp air, but he keeps me prisoner with his eyes. “Nothing.”
He had his wish come true.
I finally believe his words.
He will never let me go.