Page 86 of Sweeter than Honey
Mel’s long fingers tremble. “I had to tell them you were going there! They needed to infiltrate the security system, so they could break in tonight…”
Renata hisses. “Where are Celine and Damien?”
“Xavian captured them,” Mel replies. “They’re on the holding floor, unless he staked them.”
Renata turns to me. “We have to…”
But while Renata is focused on me, Mel takes the chance to run across the office. She’s surprisingly fast for someone who presumably prefers to swim. She takes off down the hallway.
Renata is about to chase her, but then she hesitates, looking back to me.
“Go get her,” I say quickly. “I’ll be fine! If she tells someone we’re here…”
Renata nods, and in a flash, hurries down the hall after Mel. I take the time to check out the bag of files that she was stealing. They’re reports from the club and various business dealings between Celine and the other vampire mafia empires. It’s good that we didn’t let Mel get away with all this information. I put the files into the bag and zipit up, then I stand and turn back toward the door. It’s odd that it’s taking Renata so long to retrieve Mel. After all, Renata’s a super-fast…
Vampire.
Every hair on the back of my neck stands up. There’s a massive, dark figure standing right in front of me, only inches away. He’s much taller than me, and I have to crane my neck to look up at him.
“Well, well,” he says, his thin lips twitching into a grin. “If it isn’t the little assistant.”
I’m trembling. My voice is thin. “I…I got a promotion, actually.”
“Good for you,” drawls Xavian Night, moving even closer. I back away, up against the file cabinet, hitting the back of my head painfully against one of the cabinet’s handles. “It’s too bad that you’ll never get to earn that pay raise.”
He bends down over me, a flash of red in his grey eyes.
Without any time to think, I pull the silver chain from my neck. Its clasp breaks with a snap, and I hold it as firmly as I can against the vampire’s face.
He snarls, and there’s an awful burning smell as smoke rises from where I hold the metal to his skin. It startles him just enough for me to run out of the office and down the hallway toward the reception area.
I’ve never run so fast in my life. At the end of the hall, I can see Renata. She’s turned to face the elevators. I run into her arms and she holds me tightly. I press my face against her shoulder.
“Nice of you to join us, Lily,” says the low, malicious voice of Tudor Thornblade. He’s standing in the middle of the reception area, his arms crossed over his chest. He’s terrifying to behold. I clutch onto Renata, trembling uncontrollably.
Mel stands behind Tudor, running her fingers nervously through her tangled hair. Xavian joins us from the office, the burns on his face healing. He glares at me.
“I want the girl,” Xavian says to Tudor.
“She’s off limits,” Renata hisses. “You touch her, and I’ll rip your head off, Xavian.”
The other vampire flinches.
“Leave the breather,” Tudor commands. “Although it would certainly be sufficient punishment, Renata, given your transgressions.”
Renata stands tall, looking her Creator in the eye, a proud tilt to her chin. “I’ve done nothing wrong. But if you hurt Lily, you’ll make an enemy of me.”
“Understood,” Tudor replies silkily. There’s a dangerously casual lilt to his voice. “Andyoushould understand something too…”
Chapter 30: The words sound different now
Renata
The cool purple eyes of my Creator glow in the dim light of the office. “I’mverydisappointed in you and your sisters.Youshould have been the ones to break me out of the Cave, not Xavian. You’re on thin ice for the time being.”
The elevator doors chime open, and Oana enters the floor. She’s one of the vampires who was imprisoned along with Tudor. Her flowing dark hair is disheveled and her signature red cape is missing. But she has a devious grin on her face. She holds Lexi by the arm, pulling her onto the office floor.
Lexi looks terrified. “Renata!” she gasps. Oana tosses her to the floor before Tudor, and she scrambles back up to her feet.