Page 70 of The Vampire’s Prey

"Silence.” His compulsion slams into me, and my lips clamp shut. "You will be allowed to speak in fifteen minutes. Now leave," he compels me.

I want to stay. Every bit of me fights, desperate to prove to him that I'm different. He's made me different, but I cannot fight his will. Not anymore. Not now that I no longer have my lenses. Wordlessly, I climb into my car and drive away.

* * *

I don't even know where to go, I just keep driving. The tears no longer come, and I am beyond exhausted. Pinks tinge the sky as the sun creeps closer, and that's when I finally decide to stop.

The large medical facility looms in front of me. I rehearse once more what I'm going to say before parking the car near the emergency entrance and racing inside.

I find one of the nurses and grab onto her. "Please, you have to help me!" I shout, trying to invoke a panic I'm not actually feeling. "I found a man on the side of the road. He was staggering and slurring. I think he's had a stroke!"

The nurse motions to a few others and they slide a stretcher out to my car. Simon, thankfully, is still lying there, muttering all sorts of nonsense. They get him out of my car and strap him down onto the gurney.

"Miss, we're going to need you to come inside and fill out a report and speak to the officers. One should be on their way soon."

"Oh, I completely understand! Let me get my car out of the emergency zone, and I'll be right in."

Her warm, trusting smile pricks my conscience just a touch, but there's no way I can answer any questions. I've already done enough damage. I cannot link anyone back to Tucson or Club Toxic. Luckily, I still have at least half a tank. That will get me somewhere.

About two hours later, I feel the pull of exhaustion. If I continue anymore, I might drive off the road. I still have all the cash I made while bartending; that will get me at least a few days in a cheap motel. After that, I have no idea. I can't go back home. I can't go anywhere.

My lips twitch as I spot the nearest town with a hotel. Truth and Consequences, New Mexico. Fitting. I pull into the most rundown place I can find and pay for my room. It's small and smells of smoke, but it has a bed that looks relatively clean. I crawl in and force myself to sleep. It isn't that hard, since the need to sleep has been nipping at me for the last few hours. I sleep fitfully, clutching to my bunny every time I wake up.

15

Adrian

It's been three days since I've last seen Evangeline. Every time I think about her, I am filled with a deeper pain than I have ever known. I never expected to fall for anyone, much less a mortal hunter. Talk about irony. Every night is the same—I go to the bar, do some work, shoot back some blood, then go home.

Several of the sweetbloods approach me, but none of them spark my interest. The only face I want to see begging me is hers. No one else will compare. But what can I do about it? I cannot have someone here who tried to kill me. You can't build a relationship on a lie, and she's been lying from the moment I locked eyes on her.

"Enough."

I look over and see Lucius standing next to me at the bar, a scowl on his face.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself."

"What else would you have me do? I don't trust myself with your staff right now. I don't think any of them can handle me at the moment, and I'm sure you'd rather I not break your toys.” I motion for the bartender to get me another shot of blood. "A negative this time."

Lucius shakes his head. "So it's done then?"

Nodding, I shoot the blood back and wait for the warming tingle to infuse me. Per usual, it sits like lead in my stomach. Once I've tasted ambrosia, it's hard for me to go back to mere generic mortal blood.

"Simon is babbling like an idiot. I wasn't careful with how I erased his memories. He may regain perfect brain function. He might not. I don't particularly care."

"What of Evangeline," he murmurs, fingering the bar in front of him.

"What about her. She tried to kill me."

Lucius laughs, the sound hollow. "And you haven't killed someone? We haven't? Look, I wasn't there for anything that happened between the two of you, but I know regret, and I see it etched in every fiber of you. Just go get her back."

Snarling, I grab onto the bar to keep myself from lashing out. It would not do to make an enemy out of Lucius. I take several breaths to calm down before speaking again.

"She came here to kill us. I'm sure you would not be so forgiving if she came after your precious Selene."

His eyes flash for a moment as he looks over at his mate. "No, probably not. But then, she didn't, did she? Look, she was here for weeks and didn't make a move. She only tried to kill you after she thought you killed her friend."

"That's not the point. She should have trusted me!"