Page 88 of Love Bleeds

For a long moment, Vlad studied me without saying anything. I tried hard not to squirm, caught in his gaze. I shouldn't have asked. I should have just left. Now he knew that I was on to him and he would.... he would...

I didn't knowwhathe would do, but something terrible.

Except Vlad didn't do anything terrible.

He smiled, and a cold shiver ran down my back.

Jared put his hand on my shoulder, as if sensing my unease, or as if he wasn't immune to the tension in the air himself.

"You're more perceptive than I gave you credit for," Vlad said, and there was an edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. An edge that made me want to take a step back. At the same time, though, I didn't want to appear weak, so I made myself stay where I was. "I'll tell you why I need your help," Vlad continued. "But only after this is over."

I made myself nod, because really, who was I to argue? This still didn't make sense to me, but my instincts told me that this wasn't a man I wanted to provoke.

Vlad held the bag out to me. "Build me your bomb."

Jared stepped forward to take it before I could.

"How long will it take you to assemble this?" Vlad asked. "We'll have to meet again."

"I'm not sure," I admitted. "I've never done this before. Not on this scale. Maybe two days?" Or maybe less than that, because I didn't plan on doing anything else before I was done. I was going to focus all my energy on this project.

"Very well. I expect you'll text me again when you're done." Vlad gave me another smile, this one showing his fangs. "Until then." With that, he turned around and left.

I exhaled, feeling myself slump.

"That's no regular vampire," Jared observed when the monster we'd just been talking to was out of earshot.

"You felt it too?"

Jared gave a short nod and we both looked in the direction the vampire had disappeared.

Who the hellwasthat?

And should I really be working with him?