“Jenkins, what’s the hold up?”
“I’m not sure she trusts him anymore, sir.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jenkins. She loves him, so she must trust him.”
The other man checked the control panel and shook his head. “Not true, sir. These readings are erratic, not to mention conflicting.”
The man in charge slapped Jenkins upside the head. “They always are, you idiot. We don’t have time to sort this out, so we press on.”
Jenkins shot a skeptical look at his boss but pushed a lever forward.
“Let’s go,” I said, pushing past Grim into the secret entryway. I ignored the ache in my heart.
Why did feelings have to be so complicated?
Dark stone tunnels led us on a downward slant, taking us under the casino. The echo of something dripping surrounded us. The lit candelabras along the walls made me feel like Scooby Doo trotting through a monster’s den. The urge to say Ruh Roh was overwhelming, but I somehow kept my mouth shut.
At last, the tunnel opened up into a large stone room. Grim stepped in front of me, as if to prevent me from going first. He gripped my arm in warning, worried I would react and do something stupid.
Taking in the scene, I realized that’s exactly what I wanted to do. Something incredibly stupid and reactive. Because what I saw both outraged and made me sick to my stomach.
We’d entered a monster’s lair. On top of a stone dais sat a god atop a throne of bones. Unlike Grim’s antechamber, this hole in the ground reeked of pain and debauchery. It revolted me to be down here.
A jewel-encrusted crown perched askew on the god’s head. Only wearing an open green robe and burgundy underwear, his thinly muscled frame lounged in repose. His jaw was unshaven, and silver streaked the long black hair that flowed over his shoulders. Down here, the sun likely never touched his skin. His impossibly pale complexion appeared even more sickly because of his red-rimmed, dark eyes.
“Apep,” Grim acknowledged. “I see you have been busy.” He nodded, referring to the barely clothed vampires positioned about the room. Two male sekhors stood behind him, while two women sekhors kneeled on all fours, chained up to the throne like dogs. And apart from the black leather masks covering the top half of their faces, they were naked. I could tell by their rigid stance, this monster had all of them under his control.
There was no need to chain them up with the blood bond. He did it simply to degrade the vampires. My stomach churned.
Grim’s hand squeezed me a little tighter. If he didn’t have a hold on me, I would have absolutely flung myself at the god to pummel him into a bloody pulp. This was beyond sick. These were people. I mean, they were vampires, but so was I. And it was like looking into my worst nightmares. The ultimate expression of abuse of power.
If Grim hadn’t been so adamant before we came down here that we needed information, this situation would have gone differently.
“Grim,” Apep acknowledged in a lazy, Romanian accent, bowing his head. The crown somehow stayed in place. Was this the guy that everyone based Dracula off of? Because he fit the bill, seeming more vampiric than me by a long shot.
“Indeed, I was delighted to discover these sumptuous sekhors, wandering on their own. Ripe for the taking. I’d surface for nothing less.” His red-rimmed eyes swiveled to me. “But I’d never turn down a delivery. Did you bring me a gift?”
“She’s mine,” Grim said in a vicious growl, black power exploding around him in one terrifying second before disappearing back into his body. He turned his head away, as if working to maintain control.
I had brought him back too soon, and he struggled to not go supernova.
Apep flicked his fingers in the air, though interest glittered in his eyes. “Apologies, sire. I did not realize you would take advantage of the new…opportunities.”
Grim nodded his head. “Yes, well, sometimes change is for the best. My duties have become tiresome, and I find myself surprised by the refreshing turn of events.
One of the sekhors in chains suddenly snapped to attention before scrambling over to the god. She lay her head in his lap, nuzzling between his legs. Then reached inside and pulled out his soft member before taking it into her mouth.
My forehead tightened and burned with fire. I was going to be sick. That poor woman was a slave, and somewhere she was trapped inside his thrall, fighting to break free. I wanted to fly at him and rip the god’s dick clean off.
Again, I wondered why the fuck I hadn’t brought the Blade of Bane? Why hadn’t I brought Miranda so I could have her chop his little prick into bits before stabbing him through?
I had a knife tucked inside Cookie Monster, so I’d have to suffice with that if I chose to inflict any damage.
“Oh really?” Apep glanced at me, and I could see how skeptical he was that Grim had changed his tune. Forcing his sekhor to suck him off in front of us was a deliberate one to test both Grim and me. It was meant to provoke, and I was more than provoked. I was fucking incensed.
Grim was a terrible liar, which was a big part of why the secret he’d kept about Sekhmet had been so shocking. But if Grim planned to show up as an ally to pump this god for information, we would not get anywhere like this.
I did the hardest thing I’d ever done. I reined in my raging emotions, knowing we had to stop Sekhmet. Who knew how many vampires were being made and forced into a blood bond with evil gods like Apep who treated them like slaves? I had to do something and beating him wouldn’t help.
