Page 102 of Blood Day: Part Two

Cedric

My grip tightenedaround the handle of my gun.

“Khalid.” His name left my mouth with just the right amount of nonchalance, but he would understand the threat underlining that welcome.

Damien had been able to give me enough of a warning to bring me to my feet, his words about the camera feeds going dark telling me that I was about to have company. I’d quickly zipped myself up before taking aim at the doorway, my trigger pointed at Viper’s head in the next instant.

His presence hadn’t necessarily surprised me—I’d suspected something was off about him from the moment I’d met him.

However, I hadn’t expected Khalid to appear behind the lycan.

“C-Cedri-ic?” Damien’s voice came through on a crackle of sound, the communication between us failing.

“You can remove the earpiece,” Khalid said conversationally, his focus returning to me. “It’s no longer functional.”

“And Damien?” I asked, not bothering to hide the identity of the other man, as it was clear Khalid already knew about him.

Khalid slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks. “Ryder isn’t someone I have any intention of infuriating. Therefore, Damien remains off-limits where my activities are concerned.”

I arched a brow as I used my free hand to remove the earpiece—the static was starting to buzz through my skull. “You’re afraid of Ryder?” He was a sadistic recluse with a penchant for shooting first and asking questions later, but I found that to be more endearing than fear-inducing.

“I don’t fear anyone. However, I know when respect is earned.” His lips curled a fraction. “You infiltrated a lycan compound to retrieve your human.”

“MyErosita,” I corrected. “Because you didn’t follow through on our agreement.”

“And what agreement was that, exactly?” His turquoise irises flared as he glanced at Lily again. “She seems healthy and unharmed. She’s also now in your custody with your bond intact. Isn’t that what I promised?”

“None of those things have anything to do with you.”

“Quite true,” he agreed. “They have everything to do with you.” His gaze returned to mine. “And my certainty that you would ensure her safety on your own without my assistance.”

Word games, I thought, suppressing a growl. He’d vowed to keep Lily safe… because he’d known it was a vow I would fulfill on my own.

And in exchange, I’d helped him bury Emine.

He… he killed Emine?Lily whispered, her mind still fully connected with mine.That’s why you cut me off initially,she realized in the next instant.Oh, Goddess…

Lily—

“Which brings me back to my comments about respect,” Khalid continued, interrupting my mental comment to Lily. “You’ve earned mine.”

“Interesting.” I traced the trigger of my gun as I considered him. “You haven’t earned mine in return.”

Challenge flickered in his eyes, darkening his turquoise irises to resemble twin whirlpools of clear and evident danger. “No, I have not,” he conceded. “But I’m about to.”

I stared at him. “I’m listening.”

“Not here.” He glanced at the lycan. “Viper has cleared a path for our exit. We’ll use it and then we’ll talk.” His tone didn’t leave any room for negotiation, the royal vampire asserting his dominance via his commands.

Except he wasn’tmyroyal. “I accepted your offer to join Khalid Region on the terms that you would help me in protecting Lily. As I’m the only one currently fulfilling that part of the agreement, I think I’ll reconsider my acceptance. Unless you have something worthwhile to say here that may change my mind?”

He considered me for a long moment before saying, “One howl from Viper will have the lycans running. As he works for me, it won’t take much for me to convince him to sound the alarm. Is that your preference? Or would you preferacceptingthe escape route he’s already crafted for us?”

My jaw ticked. “I see.”

“I imagine you do.” He gestured for the hallway. “Shall we?”

“Maybe I’m craving a bloodbath,” I told him, irritated by his confidence.