Page 18 of The Vampire Debt

I will not spend the few remaining moments of my life bowing to his every whim. I open my mouth to protest but he shoves it into my hand then spins on his heel and leaves the room.

I wait several seconds, expecting him to return. Then it dawns on me that he left to give me privacy. I lift the garment out at arms length, and I can feel the blood draining from my face.

It’s one of his shirts.

The thought of wearing this feels far too intimate.

Another shiver racks my body and I decide not to be too picky about it. I quickly remove my wet clothing that clings to my skin and slip the shirt on over my head. It’s long for a shirt, coming down just below my butt.

I’m still cold but the dry cloth feels wonderful on my skin. It doesn’t cover as much of my legs as I would prefer. The collar gapes open and shows a good deal of cleavage.

I take a step toward the trunk, determined to look for another item or two, when the door opens. Mr. Devereaux strides in, stopping when he sees me. I flush knowing I was about to riffle through his personal belongings.

His eyes darken but he says nothing.

We stand there as he takes me in, and I feel more exposed. I quickly grasp the collar closed with one hand, my other arm coming up to cover my breasts.

I have never been so bare in front of anyone before. Not even Xander. Our hurried meetings were always under the cover of night and never fully undressed.

I move toward the window, as far from the bed as I can get. I sure as hell don’t intend on sharing it with him—especially when the look in his eye makes my stomach clench.

He walks past me as I brace myself for a verbal sparing match. He removes his jacket, tossing it carelessly over the chair, and loosens his cravat. I turn my back to him and try to pretend I’m not completely terrified.

“Are you going to stand there all night shivering?” he asks from right behind me. “It is like you have no sense of self preservation.” Then under his breath he adds, “Though I suppose you wouldn’t… not to do what you did.”

What in the Otherworld is going on… why is he suddenly worried if I’m cold?

He waits a few seconds more, his eyes slightly narrowed. Then he reaches around me and pulls the blankets back. “Get in.”

I don’t move and his eyes slit farther.

“What about you?”

“Would you rather sleep on the floor?”

I shake my head and crawl in, covering myself with the threadbare blanket. The mattress is lumpy and uneven, but I don’t complain. I turn my back to him. A move I hate because I don’t trust him. But I force myself to anyway because I refuse to show him fear.

I hear him on the other side of the room, and I peek over my shoulder. He’s laying out my clothes by the fire so they will dry. I quickly turn away, not wanting to watch any longer. The fact that he’s doing that confuses me.

I squeeze my eyes tight and snuggle deeper under the blanket. I can’t seem to get warm.

Despite what I want him to think, I am still terrified he will drain every last drop of blood from my body at any moment.

Silence fills the room and once more I glance over my shoulder. He’s standing at the window, staring into the pitch black of the night lit only by the pale crescent moon. He practically oozes melancholy with that sorrowful expression on his face.

I will not feel sorry for this monster. I refuse to be his prisoner—despite his claims that I am not, and as soon as I’m able, I will break free of him, even if I have to kill him.

I try to stay awake, not wanting to sleep, but eventually my body stops shaking and the heavy weight of sleep pulls me into its warm, inviting grasp.

Chapter Nine

Clara

Something brushes my shoulder.I groan, swatting at the annoyance. It comes again, this time it’s a warm hand gripping my shoulder.

“Wake up, Miss Valmont.”

My eyes snap open at the deep, warm voice. Then everything comes back to me.