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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.”
