Page 74 of Tempted By Blood

I crawled up her body, hands on either side of her face. “You and me.”

“I don’t follow.”

I grinned and lowered my mouth to hers, my aching cock momentarily forgotten. “Since you’re dripping from my beard, love. I’d say I passed your test.”

Leni’s arms came up behind my neck, and she smiled.

“My turn.”

Thirty-One

LENI

Throbbing and stickiness between my legs slowly coaxed me awake. I rubbed my thighs together, expecting to find Silas’s hands or mouth, much like how he’d awakened me just hours before. But maybe I really was dreaming this time because he was nowhere in sight when I opened my eyes. The connected bathroom was empty as well. I sat up and drew a breath, expecting the smell of freshly brewed coffee or some scrambled eggs and toast.

Nothing.

Shaking my head, I flung my legs over the side of the bed, trying to disperse this gnawing feeling of paranoia from creeping up my neck, convincing myself that my expectations were simply through the roof that morning after all the fantastic sex we’d had the night before. This thought had me trotting to the bathroom faster, my bladder about to burst. But as I crossed the dresser, something flashed in my peripheral, and I abruptly stopped. A small sheet of paper was taped to the mirror. I recognized Silas’s handwriting.

“What did you do, Si?”

My voice was surprisingly shaky as my heart pounded in my throat.

I’m so sorry, love. I’ve gone to take care of some things. If I’m not back in two days, don’t come looking for me, Leni, love. I want you to head back to the States. Please. Go to your friends and use Ares as protection. Thank you for these last few weeks. They’ve been the best of my life.

With love,

Silas

“No…no, Silas, you stupid bastard.” On the dresser, my eyes zeroed in on his phone.

I threw on a T-shirt and sweatpants, grabbed my Glock from the nightstand, and dashed out the door while trying to recall Santino’s hotel room. If I was lucky, Silas was still close by in the city. He couldn’t have been gone that long. Fear nearly choked the breath out of me as I thought of another possible scenario. What if it was his plan all along? What if he’d just waited for me to fall asleep, then snuck out the door? That meant he had a good five hours on me.

Shit, shit, shit.

My fists came down hard on Santino’s room door. “Santino! Open the goddamn door!” I pounded harder, pain radiating through my arm with each impact. But I had to pull myself together. A broken hand wouldn’t be conducive to my situation at the moment.

Fucking relax.

Calm down.

As I raised my hand to knock again, Santino tore open the door. He was already dressed, suitcase by his feet, as if he was also about to leave. Only I had the suspicion he wasn’t trying to join Silas. Instead, he was making a run for it. Running from me.

I pulled my gun from my waistband and pointed it at his stupid face. “Where?”

Santino mouthed the word fuck, his mouth tight, arms up at his sides. “Look, Helena, he told me not to tell you.”

“Do I look like I give a damn what he said?Wheredid he go? You have ten seconds.”

He huffed a breath. “Listen—”

“Nine.”

“Please, stop for a second and listen.”

“Eight.”

“Fuck!”