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No one had mentioned a baby, and they were pretty difficult to keep quiet.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” I murmured as I walked to the first fridge.

A glass cabinet stood against the wall behind me, rows of test tubes visible behind the glass doors at the top, but I ignored those. I wanted to know what all of these fridges held. Art thief was still in the running for Nicolas’s crimes, but serial killer was looking a little more likely.

Until I opened the first fridge. And holy hell. More little blood-filled baggies than would ever be collected at a local blood drive. And it was definitely blood because it was labelled by blood type and other identifying details such as sex and age of donor.

Like…what. The. Hell?

I opened the next fridge, the door heavy as it swung open, a sense of dread already in the pit of my stomach and climbing higher, squeezing my breath out of me.

More baggies of blood, but a different blood type. And the third fridge was the same again. Same jewel red, different vintage. But why the hell would Nicolas Dupont keep blood on hand like he was amassing a collection of fine wine?

I stood back and looked at all three of the fridges, doors hanging open, the wire shelves stacked with orderly trays of blood bags. Then I remembered the cabinet with the test tubes. There were doors I couldn’t see through, too, so I turned to investigate further—and almost walked straight into Nicolas.

He stood, arms folded, shirt sleeves rolled up his forearms in a way that made me want to lick his skin. Or bite him and leave my mark. Where the hell was his jacket?

Stupid thoughts filled my head as I tried not to give in to the kind of panic that would freeze me and make me unable to act. Shit. Fucking shit. I was in the one place I wasn’t supposed to be, with a possible serial killer. Alarm and also shame crowded my thoughts, and I had to focus to breathe.

But I shook my head, trying to free myself from emotions that could paralyze me. I was here, Nicolas had found me, and it wasn’t ideal, but… I could be a grown-up about this. I skimmed my gaze up his body from his feet, taking my time before I dared meet his eyes. I already knew they’d be angry.

“Hello.” My voice came out as a squeak. He had the same dead expression I’d seen on Sebastian last night, and the edge of his pupils seemed to glow red as he looked past me at the open refrigerator doors.

For the first time, true ice-cold fear filled me in Nicolas’s presence. He’d always been vaguely intimidating, keeping me kind of off balance, but I’d managed to convince myself I was safe with him. That he was honorable. But now, in this room, I doubted all my instincts.

Why had I ever believed that?

I backed away from him, my breath pushing from my body in spurts. My eyes widened until they were almost painful, but I didn’t dare look away and I didn’t dare blink.

Nicolas matched me step for step, a slow, easy predator, following me until my ass hit a wall.

I’d cornered myself.

Chapter 16

Nic

My head pounded like it might explode, and my gums ached as my fangs pressed against them, threatening to rip through. I couldn’t even speak to Leia to express my rage—I just had to stand there, watching her, considering all the words I wanted to say.

Her eyes widened, her fear obvious. I could smell it, and fuck…it aroused me. My cock pressed against my pants as my fangs pressed against my gums, and I groaned at the pressure. I closed my eyes briefly, and when I opened them again, Leia still looked terrified, an expression I hadn’t seen on her face the whole time we’d been together. Maybe not even with Sebastian.

I forced myself to draw a calming breath. Then another.

“This is my private space,” I ground out.

She nodded, the movement quick and bird-like. “Yes.”

The word came out on a breath, and I clenched my fists, angry with her for being scared of me, furious at myself for making her that way.

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

She shook her head this time. “No. No, I… I…”

I glanced again at the open fridges behind her. Fuck. She could have ruined everything by coming in here and opening those. She’d have questions now. Too many.

How the fucking hell would I answer her questions? Damn Sebastian. He set all of this shit in motion.

I leaned toward Leia, and the scent of fear grew stronger. At the last moment, I slammed the fridge door closest to us, and she flinched, her knees buckling as she slumped harder against the wall. I whirled away and slammed the remaining doors, releasing her from the wall at the same time.