Chapter 29

Kayla

Iwasn’t sure how much time had passed, but after pacing the cell for what seemed like hours and tiring myself out, I’d fallen asleep on the cot in my cell despite the uncomfortable, dirty, smelly mattress.

The “blanket” on the cot hadn’t been anything but a tattered, stained thin piece of cloth, which I refused to use because it looked dirtier than anything I’d ever seen.

But for the last half hour, or maybe it had been less, more—hell I didn’t know, because time down here was just one continuous loop—I lay wide awake staring at the ceiling. I heard water dripping somewhere and of course snarling and growling echoing off the stone walls from the other cells.

Larkin had been silent since our last conversation, where she then crawled onto her bed and slept this entire time. In fact, she was still sleeping, not even moving so that I found myself staring at her to make sure she was still breathing.

Not that I could have done anything, even if she’d died, but that thought did something painful in my chest.

Maybe it was because she was the first person—the only person—I’d connected with in this shithole that I looked at her and saw myself in her eyes if Adryan didn’t find me. I had no doubt he’d search and search and search until he ran himself into the ground… but that didn’t mean he’d ever find me.

I closed my eyes and exhaled, lifted a hand, and ran it over my face. They’d dropped off food—well, it was edible at least—and a couple of bottles of water. I’d guzzled the latter and hadn’t bothered with eating anything. My stomach was in knots to the point I felt sick, and the very thought of eating anything made me gag.

“Bane, if you don’t shut the fuck up with that growling, I swear to everything in my goddamn power that I’ll find a way to get the fuck out of this cell and rip your larynx out.” The voice that roared out was distorted and deeper than anything I’d ever heard.

“Fuck you, Vox,” Bane shouted and started cursing again. “You fucking Angelis bastards run your mouths. Learn to shut the hell up.”

I exhaled, the banter between those two a constant in this cell block. From what I’d gathered in the short time I’d been down here, if Bane, the demon, and Vox, the “Angelis bastard” Bane liked to call him more times than not, could get to each other, it would for sure be a Mortal Kombat match.

The back-and-forth between those two, although vulgar and aggressive, reminded me of siblings… if brothers talked about cutting off the other’s dick and shoving it down their throat, that is.

“You Angelis pricks think you’re better than me and my brethren,” Bane growled.

Vox laughed. “We are, you piece of shit. Got only the best of the demons, while your species got a half dose of the shit part.” Vox laughed again. “You’re so fucking weak. No match for me and mine.”

“Fuuuck youuu,” Bane roared out, and I heard that pound-pound-pound sound again. I’d come to realize it was Bane slamming his fist into the stone wall.

I closed my eyes and rubbed them as I thought of Adryan. I wondered what he was doing right now, who he’d killed. I snorted and shook my head, because the scary truth was I had no doubt he’d done just that when he found out I was missing.

How crazy to think that in the short amount of time I’d been with him, he’d changed a lot, not just scary and unpredictable wise, but making me happy. Really happy. And fulfilled. And now it had all been taken away before it could really start.

The sound of metal on metal had my eyes snapping open. I sat up and went to the corner, pressing myself against the wall, my hands flat on the dank, cold, and hard wall.

They were back.

And I knew they were here for me.

The sound of footsteps was muted through the door and walls, and a second later the sound of a lock disengaging and heavy metal being pushed open echoed in the small interior. The footsteps were loud as hell now, coming closer and closer. My heart stopped; my mouth dried. My throat tightened.

I saw the same two guards from earlier, the one who’d glared at me not paying me any attention for once. They cleared the narrow hallway and stood on the far end of the outside of my cell, their hands clasped behind their backs, their heads bowed.

Bane and Vox started cursing and saying vulgar, filthy things, antagonizing the guards. I leaned to the side and watched as the two pulled out guns that didn’t look normal, not like any I’d ever seen.

Vox started laughing. “Well, come on, motherfucker.”

“You better knock me out good, ’cause if not, I’m going to rip those small balls off and feed them to that Vox asshole in the next cell,” Bane yelled out.

Vox laughed, and then there was a flash of light and twin popping sounds. I felt the hair on my arms stand on end, electricity coursing through the air a second before the distinct sound of two huge bodies hitting the ground came through.

I heard a set of shoes hitting the cement in even, unhurried steps. I faced forward and saw the man standing twenty feet from me, and although shadows concealed his face, I knew he looked right at me.

He was tall, wearing a suit, his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. Through the dank, old scent of the cell, I picked up something else, a scent that tingled in my nose, hinting at something. I knew that smell, but from where?

I knitted my brows and racked my brain, and then it hit me, and I snapped my head up, my eyes widening, my heart seizing.

No. God, no.

The man in the suit laughed low and snapped his fingers to someone beside him. A moment later the light in the hallway flared, and my thoughts were confirmed.

“I knew you were smart,” Salvatore said in his deeply accented voice. “Realized who I was before you even fully saw me, isn’t that right?” He sucked on his teeth. “What was it? The hair? Height?”

“Cologne,” I whispered.

He hummed and tapped his nose with a finger. “Beautiful and smart.”

We were both silent for long seconds, the guards like stone, none of them looking at me or him.

“I-I don’t understand,” I finally said.

All amusement faded from his face, and he took on a cold expression. “Don’t act dumb now, Kayla. You know why you’re here.”

I was shaking my head before he finished. “Does Sasha know what a monster you are?” Oh God, please don’t let Sasha be involved in this. I realized I was holding my breath as I waited for him to respond, if he even would.

He was quiet for so long I didn’t think he would answer me, but then he snapped his fingers, and a guard was there, unlocking my cell and pulling the door open.

He stepped a few feet inside and looked around the cell, his nose scrunching. “I’m sorry about the accommodations. It’s not ideal, but no special treatment.” He looked at me. “Not even for you. Higher-up orders and all that.”

I didn’t speak, didn’t give a shit about the cell. I wanted answers. I wanted out of here.

“My cousin knows nothing about this part of my life. She thinks I’m a ladies’ man from the Old Country who exports wine and virgin olive oil.” He pulled both hands out of his jacket pockets and held them out, his smile as slimy as I’d ever seen. “She’s too weak for what we do here, doesn’t have the strength or intelligence to understand that at the end of it all, we do this to better the world. Her soft heart would only damage our mission here. As it usually goes with the fairer sex?—”

“You exploit. You murder,” I parroted what Larkin said and found myself glancing at her. She didn’t move from the same spot she’d been in, but the small rise and fall of her chest told me she still slept. When he didn’t respond, I glanced at him and saw he stared at Larkin. I took a step toward her. There might be bars separating her and me, but I felt protective of her.

Salvatore looked back at me and gave me a condescending smile. “She’s a favorite here. Been with us a long time. But you—” He tsked. “You, though, I don’t think will be here with us long at all.”

My heart thundered at his words. What did that mean? Did he know something about Adryan? Were they going to kill me? I wanted the truth but was too terrified to ask.

“I don’t understand any of this. I don’t understand what’s going on or why I’m here.” I tried to control my breathing so it didn’t look like I was freaking out, but I knew I failed. “Has this always been your plan since that first time we met?”

He gestured to the cot, but when I didn’t react or move, he shrugged. “When we first met, it was simply a social meeting. I was spending time with my cousin, and I knew from the start she was trying to set me up. I indulged her, although the only female companionship I want is the amount of time it takes for me to get off.”

I clenched my teeth at his vulgar words and tone.

“It wouldn’t have taken much to wear you down and get you in my bed.” He grinned all sexist-like.

I didn’t bother telling him there would have been no way that would have happened. He didn’t deserve my words or any explanation.

“But then I saw him watching you.” He paused, letting that sink in, knowing I understood fully who he was referring to. “Adryan Darris, leader of the American Vampire Clan, has been on our radar for a very long time and is one evil bastard. But Mr. Darris is smart, has unsurmountable resources, and is dangerous.”

My heart was pounding, my body strung tight. Salvatore took another step closer, and I forced myself not to move back. Even if instinct told me to get as far from him as possible.

“I saw the way he looked at you, how he was transfixed on you. The signs he’d found his mate were all there, right in front of me. I knew to really bring down the most feared vampire in the world, I’d have to get him where it counted. With his mate.” He took a step closer. “You.”

“Th-This is all about him? You’re using me to get to him?” I felt stupid asking after he’d said as much, but if I thought my life was crazy after all Adryan had told me, I was thrown again for another loop.

“Do you know what the organization I work for does?” He didn’t wait for me to answer. “We collect, Kayla. We collect special artifacts and allow our patrons special viewings.”

My stomach spoiled, because I knew—just knew—what he meant. The murdering, raping, killing, torture… all the stuff Larkin had talked to me about was right here in my face, standing in front of me, speaking about it like this was normal conversation.

“You use the Otherworlders for what? Oh God, you do horrible things to them and let the highest bidder watch?” My eyes felt too big, my heart beating too fast. I reached out and placed my hand on the wall to steady myself. I was going to pass out, unable to breathe, my vision wavering, my head dizzy.

“Yes,” he said matter-of-factly. “And their mates, if we can’t get them on our own, like with your vampire mate.” His grin was a permanent fixture on his face now. “And for those really high-paying patrons, we let them watch us torture an Otherworlder’s mate just to see how they’ll react.” He chuckled softly. “And Kayla, oh Kayla, do they ever react.”

I was crying, didn’t realize I was until I felt wetness on my cheeks.

Salvatore looked over his shoulder. “Bring him in.”

I snapped my head to the left, expecting to see them dragging in Adryan’s body, but when I saw it was the vampire who’d brought me here, the one with the neck scar, I exhaled in relief.

“You remember James? That scar really makes him stand out, doesn’t it?” Salvatore laughed and snapped his finger, and James came to stand next to Salvatore, his murderous gaze on me. “You know how he got that?”

I looked back at Salvatore. “I don’t care.” I hated that my voice shook.

“Oh,” Salvatore said with mock surprise, his eyes widening, his eyebrows going to his hairline. “Adryan didn’t reveal the origin of how James got this accessory?” He looked at James, still wearing that shocked expression. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?” When James gritted his teeth and stayed silent, Salvatore chuckled and shook his head. “Maybe now isn’t the time, huh?” He stared at me then, his shock fading. “Unfortunately, you”re on James’s shit list by association. You see, James has been working for my organization for a very long time, ever since something very important was taken from him and he lost that loyalty.”

I didn’t care about any of this. I didn’t want to hear about James or his history with Adryan and didn’t want to give either of them the time of day. I just wanted out of here. I wanted to go back to my life where the only thing I was really worried about was one crazy and possessive-as-hell vampire mate.

But escaping wasn’t even a realistic option. Even if I could get out of the cell, I had no idea where I was and had a feeling this place was like a maze with security up the ass and enough guards and firepower to stop me before I could feel optimistic.

I let my gaze slide to James once more, the hatred aimed right at me enough to have coldness seeping into my blood. I knew if he could kill me right here and now, he would. God, he looked like he was salivating to do just that.

And as I stared into his eyes, I knew the truth, or at least part of it. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together on what that “something” was that had torn at James. Clearly, that “something” was actually “someone” James had cared about. A broken heart caused this kind of pain, this kind of hatred… this kind of violence.

“And you call Adryan evil and dangerous?” I stared at Salvatore and hoped he could feel all my anger. I shook my head and spit out, “You and your fucked-up organization can go to hell. I won’t allow you to use me against him.”

Salvatore’s expression was blank a second before he shrugged. “Hell is just another name for the world we live in, Ms. Monroe. I’m a firm believer in letting all my cards show, and now that we have you here and it’s only a matter of time”—he looked at his wristwatch—“as in Adryan will be coming here very soon, might as well explain the story.”

My heart thundered. “Adryan’s here?” Oh God. Adryan’s here.

“Of course he’s here,” Salvatore said blandly. “He arrived on the property half an hour ago with an army of Otherworlders. It’s only a matter of time before he loses all self-control and storms in.” He grinned slowly. “Which is exactly what we’re hoping for, of course. Makes it easy when the mouse walks right into the cat’s mouth.”

“You were responsible for the break-in at my home,” I whispered, not surprised, but all the pieces were falling in place now, or maybe it was a better analogy that all the pieces were falling in disarray all around me. “Were you there?” My throat was so tight I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs.

“I wanted to be.” He took a step closer and let his slimy gaze travel up and down my body. “Believe me, I wanted to be. My plans had been far different in getting you where I needed you.” My stomach roiled. “But I took your decline for my further company like a gentleman and moved to Plan B.”

I kept shaking my head, but there was nothing I could deny. My world kept getting turned upside down, worse and worse until soon I’d be nothing but a shell of the former person I was, my life nothing more than a memory.

I opened my mouth, knowing I’d fight to the death, that I’d never let them use me to hurt Adryan.

Didn’t they know… I was mated to the most dangerous vampire in the world?

I curled my hands into fists at my sides and narrowed my eyes. I’d go down fighting.

I took a step toward Salvatore and watched excitement move across his face. He wanted me to fight back. But before I could move closer, the cell was plunged into darkness for a split second before red security lights filled the interior and a shrill alarm went off.

“Looks like my vampire’s here.”