Chapter 5

It was quiet. Too quiet. No barking dogs, no car doors slamming, no people calling to one another. No M Train rumbling by.

My eyes popped open. For a panicked moment, I didn't know where I was. How had I ended up in this swanky bedroom with deep gray walls and lacquer furniture?

Heart pounding, I sat up and frowned at the silver wolves embroidered on the velvet coverlet tucked around my legs.

Kral Syndicate wolves.

Everything came rushing back: Talon in my apartment last night, grim and authoritative.

Talon and his soldiers bundling me and Rio into an SUV and bringing us to a Kral hotel.

Talon with his hand on my abdomen, claiming the baby. Claiming me.

And my traitorous body softening, leaning into his. Craving him even when my heart knew he was bad for me…

Then as soon as I fell asleep, he'd fucked another woman.

Pain ripped through me, a tearing ache almost too big for my chest to contain. I moaned and rocked back and forth on the mattress, hugging myself.

Stupid, stupid girl.

Why hadn't I kept moving every few weeks? Made it harder for him to find me?

But I'd been so tired of running, and the job at BVE had been perfect for me. The owner had taken me under her wing, teaching me the vintage clothing business from the ground up.

And there was the baby to consider. I couldn't keep moving from place to place. I required medical care and a safe place to bring my child back to after they were born.

I needed a home. We needed a home.

Then one morning, Rio had sauntered into BVE to sell some of his clothes, and I'd read his desperation on his face, his eyes hostile with knowledge no teenager should have. He'd dragged the clothes from a tattered backpack and piled them on the counter. "How much?" he'd asked.

Our eyes had met and I'd known those clothes were the last thing he had to sell. Unfortunately, they weren't vintage, just ordinary, off-the-rack T-shirts and a pair of jeans. They'd bring him a few dollars at most.

I'd pushed the small pile back across the counter and invited him to have lunch instead—and we'd clicked. That was the only way to describe it. Two desperate, lonely people. Neither of us trusted easily, but something made me take a chance, ask if he wanted to share my apartment.

Rio said no, of course. The idiot was too proud to take charity. That's when I'd made that deal with him, a deal that benefitted us both, although I told him he'd be doing me a favor.

So I'd stayed in Brooklyn for Rio, too. Because he needed me, even though he believed it was the other way around.

A rapid fluttering, butterfly-light against the inside of my abdomen made me still. A fierce love welled up in me, pressing hotly against my throat.

I covered my uterus with my palm.

Thiswas what was important. Not me. The baby.

I'd die to keep this tiny being safe.

"You'll be okay," I said aloud. "I swear you will. It's me they're mad at. Me who fucked up."

Another flutter, this one harder, like the kid was saying, Yeah, yeah.Now get moving and feed me already.

My mouth twitched in spite of myself. The kid was definitely half-vampire—already demanding as fuck. Although I wasn't exactly bashful and retiring myself.

"Good morning to you, too," I said and climbed out of bed.

Twenty minutes later I was showered and dressed. I left the bedroom, hunting for breakfast. The door on the opposite side of the living room (which I assumed was Talon's bedroom) was shut, but a cart next to the wet bar held a trio of covered plates with enough food for two or three pregnant women—scrambled eggs, hash browns, buttered toast, pastries, a bowl of fat red strawberries, a small bottle of cream, coffee, orange juice.

I ignored the coffee and poured myself a glass of juice. Normally, I was a coffee drinker, but these days, I could barely stand to smell it. The orange juice was as good as it looked, tart but sweet and refreshing. I carried the glass with me to the closed bedroom door and gave the handle an experimental wiggle.

The door was locked. Of course, it was.

Talon wouldn't trust me to walk in on him when he was deep in the day sleep, even if I was still an ordinary thrall, not a prisoner. That was standard Maritime Syndicate procedure.

Today, though, it bothered me—a symbol that Talon had all the power. He could've locked me into my own bedroom and no one would've stopped him. I suppose I should be grateful that I had the freedom of the suite, but I wasn't.

I felt angry. Trapped.

I was three years younger than my sister Freya, but I'd always been the together sister, the one with the plan: Finish high school and apply to be a syndicate thrall. Put in my time, then take the money and travel. Somewhere along the way, I'd started dreaming of opening my own vintage clothing store. Then I'd expand into styling outfits for actors and artists or even rich vampires.

Well, I had no plan now but to somehow make this better so the baby wouldn't suffer for what I'd done.

On cue, I felt another sharp kick.

I filled my lungs and slowly released the air. "Okay, okay. I know you're hungry."

I piled food on a plate and took it to a small round table along with my orange juice. When I'd eaten my fill, I tried the outer door. It was locked. I swore under my breath and smacked a palm against the silver-reinforced wood, that trapped, angry feeling returning.

To my shock, the lock clicked. I jolted and stepped back as Nathan opened the door, Rio bobbing behind his shoulder, trying to get a look at me.

I brushed past Nathan to fling my arms around my friend. "You're okay?"

"Yeah, no worries." He squeezed me back. "And guess what? I'm coming with you. They're giving me a contract and everything."

"A contract?" I released him. "But Talon said that you were only coming as far as the airport. That as soon as I got on the jet, he'd let you go free."

"Change of plans. Talon hired me as his PA." Rio bounced on his heels in excitement. "For now, I'm going to be your personal chef and companion. Sick, huh?"

"Oh." My heart dipped. The last thing I'd wanted was to drag Rio into the world of vampire syndicates. I glanced at Nathan for confirmation.

"It's true," he said, unsmiling. "The contract's already been signed."

"Hey, it's okay." Rio gave me a meaningful look. "I want to come."

I lowered my voice, although Nathan could probably hear me anyway. "If this is about me, then don't. I'll be okay."

"It is and it isn't. By the time the year's up, I'll have enough to pay for the first year of culinary school."

"Oh." I had to admit it was nice seeing Rio so pumped about something, and he could certainly use the money. "You sure?"

"Yes." His head dipped in a decisive nod. "Now stop worrying, Mom."

Nathan shifted impatiently on his feet. "Where's your coat? I'm here to take you two out."

"For a walk?" I'd assumed they wouldn't let me leave the hotel today.

"And shopping."

"Shopping?"

"For clothes." The expression on Nathan's square face was hilarious, like he'd rather chew off his own foot than go clothes shopping. "Because…" He gestured at my pregnant belly.

"For maternity clothes?" I clarified, straight-faced. "Because, you know, I can't button my jeans anymore? I'll need panties, too. And nursing bras…"

Rio choked. "Hell, Eden. TMI, okay?"

Nathan's mouth thinned. "Just get your damn coat."

I rolled my lips in, suppressing a smile. "Yes, sir."

We took an elevator to the lobby. As I followed Rio out of the elevator, Nathan grabbed my upper arm.

"Behave, understand?" he said in my ear. "You run now and you won't like what Talon will do to you."

"Let me go." I tried to shake him off, but his fingers tightened painfully.

"I know what you did," he said, low-voiced. "You're lucky Talon doesn't drag you back home in chains. Smart, to get pregnant so he can't just off you."

I drew myself up to my full height. "Go fuck yourself."

Rio was halfway across the lobby. He turned and started back to us, frowning.

"I won't chase you." Nathan nodded at Rio. "I'll go after the kid—and nothing says I have to leave him alive."

My look of loathing should've fried him where he stood. "I'm not going to run, asshole. I mean, look at me. How far do you think I would get?"

I meant it. I was through running.

Even if I could escape Talon a second time—which was about as likely as me sprouting wings and soaring over the Empire State Building—I couldn't live like this any longer. Looking over my shoulder. Wondering if this would be the day they'd catch me. Last night had been the best sleep I'd had in weeks.

Dr. Lopez was right. I needed to take better care of myself, not just for my sake, but for the baby's, and that included a home and regular medical care.

For now, my best option—okay, my only option—was to return with Talon to Lilith Island and hope for the best.

"Just so we understand each other," Nathan said, releasing me.

Rio was almost upon us now. "What's up?"

His gaze moved between me and Nathan, a tiny groove between his brows.

"Nothing." I conjured up a nothing to see here smile and grabbed his hand. "Let's go spend some money."