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“I know what I promised,” he said in a low voice, his thumb grazing over my bottom lip. “And I intend to keep it. But to do that, I need you to listen to me. Even when everything in you wants to fight against me. Even when it seems like I’m doing what my father wants against your wishes. I need you to trust me, Kali. That no matter what I say or do when we’re in Amaros’s presence, I’m still trying to keep my promise.”
I searched his face, not hearing any deceit in his words. “How long do we have to stay for?”
“I don’t know.” He leaned closer. “I need your word. That you’ll trust me to protect you while we’re here.”
“It’s not like I have much of a choice,” I muttered bitterly.
He took me by surprise when his lips crashed onto mine. He pushed his tongue inside, sweeping it in my mouth as he let out a groan. Before I even had a chance to kiss him back, he pulled away.
“Just in case,” he mumbled.
I frowned. “In case what?”
“We might leave here with you hating me. I wanted to taste you one more time before we walk into this shit show.”
He released me and opened the door before I could respond. My mind was racing, and I licked my lips, refusing to acknowledge that I craved his taste as much as he did mine. He rounded the hood and then opened my door.
“Let’s go,” he said tightly. “Amaros is waiting.”
Chapter 28
Zan
Iled Kali through the tunnels that connected the garage to the main house. Unlike where the cars were parked, there were no lights down here. Her hand was clasped tightly in mine as she walked blindly beside me. I could feel the tension coming off her in waves, and I was just as on edge as she was. I had no idea what to expect when it came to Amaros. I knew why he wanted me to come to the property, but there was no reason for Kali to be here.
I’d taken her to the garage so that I could have a private conversation before seeing my father. Between the distance and thick walls, I didn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing. I wasn’t sure my words helped at all, but she needed to know how damn serious this was.
We exited the tunnels, and I caught Kali’s mouth dropping open while her eyes widened in shock. The hall we entered was just like every other area of the house. It was likely the most extravagant place she’d seen. Amaros spared no expense when it came to his property. Since I’d grown up here, I was used to it. But after getting a glimpse into Project Hope, it was clear that civilians weren’t treated with luxury. I did know that higher ranking officials in the government lived much better than most humans.
The floors were a rich brown hardwood, and the walls throughout the entire house were a wood paneling that matched the floors. As we walked, Kali’s gaze darted to the gold-framed art that lined the walls on either side of us. Amaros had collected many prized pieces over the decades, and he loved to show them off. From what I’d learned growing up, most of these paintings used to hang in museums. Even though the humans who saw these were most likely dead men walking, my father still loved to showcase how vampires had taken over the human world.
Kali glanced at me, opening her mouth, and I quickly tapped my ear, reminding her that others could be listening. She paused for a second and then spoke.
“Is this where you grew up?”
“Yes.”
“Did you have friends?”
“I had Pax and Viggo.”
There weren’t any other children around when I was growing up. Other than my nanny, there were no other humans I interacted with. My stomach twisted painfully. Except for that mysterious woman and the baby we saved. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye, questions racing through my mind. After finding that note from her mother, I was convinced she was the baby. But I didn’t want to believe it. Especially now that she was on my father’s property.
“Zan. We’ve been waiting for you.”
I lifted my gaze, seeing my father standing in the doorway of the rotunda. Kali visibly stiffened, her steps faltering. Her heartbeat jumped, but she got control of it quickly, since a second later, it was back to thumping at an even pace. But from Amaros’s amused smirk, he noticed it like I did. I hated his special interest in her. Nothing good could come from it.
“It’s good to see you, Kali,” Amaros said smoothly, stepping to the side and motioning for us to enter. “Welcome to my home.”
Kali straightened her spine, not answering as she strode past him. I gritted my teeth, knowing her lack of acknowledgment of Amaros would anger him, even if he didn’t show it. I followed behind closely, scanning the massive room in front of me. Pax and Viggo were already here, and they both gave me a nod. The rotunda was a place I was very familiar with. It was my father’s favorite room in the house. He spent most of his time in here, whether it was for pleasure or business.
Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded most of the round room. There was a special tint on the windows that didn’t let any UV rays in, meaning that vampires could come in here during the day and enjoy the sun. A way for Amaros to keep his inner circle happy by giving them special treatment. The sun was beginning to rise, and Kali’s jaw dropped as she stepped into the sunlight. Her eyes darted to the many vampires in the room before she looked back at me, waiting for an explanation.
“Let’s sit.” Amaros strode toward the huge oak table in the center of the room. There were enough velvet upholstered chairs surrounding it for at least twenty people.
A small pool was in the back, and the splashes told me there were human women and men swimming in it. Just like the sunlight, Amaros used humans to keep his vampires happy. I might not have seen them growing up, but they were always here. Ready to be used in any way Amaros wanted. There were a few couches and plush chairs scattered around the area, but most were empty right now. Everyone was moving to sit around the table.
Placing my hand on Kali’s back, I led her to the table, near Amaros. He always sat at the head of the table, and my brothers and I always sat on either side of him. I pulled the chair out for Kali and waited for her to sit before taking the chair to Amaros’s left. Pax and Viggo sat across from us, and the other vampires took the remaining seats.
