“Welcome to my world, but we can’t let these fuckers use us.” I pulled on the restraints. I’d gotten out of them once before, so I could do it again.
“You can’t free yourself,” he said. “I tried to shift while you were snoring, but I can’t. I think she injected me with something to block my ability.”
Ignoring his barb, I said, “I did it once before.” How long ago? I had no clue. For all I knew, I’d been here for weeks or even months. The last thing I remembered was the elevator and some type of gas knocking out Carly and me. “We need to blow this place.”
“You’re the one with elemental powers, right?” he asked, evenly this time. “I’m dead in the water unless I can shift.”
I inhaled deeply. “Who set you up?” The Aberdeens played a role in my capture, but I didn’t think they had with Dane.
“Roman Brown, and I will enjoy sinking my canines into that bastard when I get out of here.”
“I’ll join you.” At least Dane and I agreed on something. “If you’ll help me take down a few Aberdeens.”
His low growl shook the table he was on. “Fucking a vampire hunter was your downfall. I blame you for this. If it weren’t for your sorry ass at that nightclub, we wouldn’t be in this shithole.”
That night my team and I had been at the club to gain intel on Roman Brown, head of one of the largest blood cartels. We’d left with intel but not much on Roman. Instead we’d met three humans, Jordyn, Rianne, and Layla Aberdeen—vampire hunters who fucked up their job to capture me alive. They’d been hired by a former CIA agent who’d wanted revenge on me for erasing some of his memories and screwing up his life. His end goal had been to turn me over to the CIA.
Nevertheless, meeting Layla had been the highlight of that night and each one since then. I wouldn’t say it was love at first sight. But man, it came fucking close.
I bared my fangs. “You should be blaming that fuckwad, Roman. He’s the reason why you’re here, not me.”
His table shook again as he muttered swear words.
“Seems like we have a battle on the horizon,” I mumbled, spotting a camera above me.
“A fucking war is more like it,” he added.
I grinned like the cocky bastard I was at whoever was watching me. I would bet my vamp ass Rianne had a front-row seat. My blood boiled to torture the fuck out of her. Or better yet, compel her into oblivion like I’d done that night at the club. Her brash attitude and idle threat to blow up my sister Jo’s house had gotten Rianne a room at the crazy house with the way I’d compelled her.
“We’re being watched,” I said, grinning like I was happy to be there.
“You two look so sweet together.” Rianne’s voice grated on me as it filled the glass room Dane and I were in. “Matching headgear and all.”
“I swear you’re a dead bitch,” I snarled.
When will the fuckers learn that they can’t keep me down? If they want to play Whac-A-Mole with me, bring it the fuck on.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sam,” Rianne said. “Don’t you know I hold the upper hand?”
“The only thing you’ll be holding is your neck when I squeeze the air out of you,” I spat.
She let out a condescending laugh. “Aw, sticks and stones may break my bones, but you’ll never see Layla again.”
“Wanna bet?” I fired back, even though the bitch might be right. I could burn myself out of the wrist and ankle cuffs, but my head was a different story. “Rianne, I can’t wait to skewer you over an open flame.”
“I’ll gladly help you,” Dane said, sounding more furious than me.
Rianne’s laughter slashed through me like a dagger cutting into me over and over again. “You’re such a cocky motherfucker, Sam. You know that attitude of yours is why it was so easy to capture you. Besides, Layla will never let you kill me.” Her confidence was larger than her ego.
My feisty huntress Layla might have a take-no-prisoners attitude. But even Layla had a breaking point. The scary realization, though, was that Rianne could be spot-on. Layla had a huge fucking heart when it came to her sisters. I didn’t fault her for that in the least. I would die to protect Jo. But she had her husband, Webb, to take the lead ahead of me. Still, I wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt my sister.
“Where’s Layla?” I might as well try to find out as much as I could, not that the bitch would tell me unless I goaded her. With her egotistical attitude, she was chomping at the bit to tell me. I only knew that because I had the same fucking arrogance.
“Somewhere you’ll never find her,” she said in a pompous tone.
Fury as hot as a forest fire blistered, scorched, and charred me. My bed rattled as I strained my neck against the cobalt collar. The stench of my own flesh permeated my nostrils, and that tingle that always came before my elemental powers kicked in raced down my arms. If I could at least free my hands, then I could pull off the neck brace.
“I swear, I’ll kill her for you,” Dane said as though he was reading my thoughts.
