Page 50

15

Vale

The hotel roomwas considerably larger than the apartment and much more comfortable. Not that it mattered. I wasn’t in the mood to relax, and neither was she.

At least we had moved under the cover of darkness, safely. Without prying eyes following us. None of Bradley’s minions.

I wondered if he was ready to give up on her, assuming she had died before anything could be done. That would be for the best.

She paced, wringing her hands. “I’m thirsty. Hungry.”

I checked the time. It had been many hours since she last fed. It seemed safe to let her have more, even though I was starting to get thirsty myself and the supply was running low.

Isobel had promised more when I needed it, but what would happen when somebody delivered it, and we were no longer at the apartment?

I could explain the need to keep her safe, which wouldn’t be a lie, but that would only last so long. And what if one of the council’s spies spotted us and knew Janna had turned?

I tossed her a bag of blood and turned my face away while she fed. Watching her lose control of herself, becoming a greedy, sucking monster who only cared about one thing—and knowing I had done it to her—was difficult, to say the least.

I turned my attention to the view outside the windows.

And nearly tore the drapes from the walls.

“You chose this place on purpose,” I snarled, pointing to the club. Directly across the street from where I stood.

“What?” Her face was a mask of innocence.

“You’re a terrible liar. You were as a human, too.”

She dragged the back of her hand across her mouth, wiping away any leftover blood, then licked it. “All right. I chose this on purpose. That’s true.”

“You can’t go over there.”

“I can, and I will. You can’t stop me. Don’t make me prove that you can’t.” Her claws started to lengthen. She didn’t need to explain her meaning.

“It’s suicide.”

“Says you.”

“You’re right, says me. You have no idea how many there are, living under that club. You can’t go. You cannot. We have much bigger problems at hand.”

“If there are a hundred at the club, all I have to do is kill him and they’ll all fall. I know that’s how it works. That’s why I would die if you did. Right? He probably created all of them.”

“There’s too much uncertainty. Too many guesses.”

She opened her mouth, ready to keep fighting. Instead of firing off another argument, however, she sighed. Her shoulders drooped. Her face fell. “It doesn’t matter. If he kills me, he kills me.”

“Don’t say that.” I went to her with my hands held out.

She didn’t pull away when I took her in my arms.

“Don’t ever say that. Please.”

She trembled, and I held her tighter.

“I can’t let you go. I can’t let you take risks with your life, not when I’ve risked so much to keep you with me. I need you. Don’t you see that?”

She buried her face in my neck. “I see it.”