Thomas scoffed. “Bullshit. You were hoping to capitalize on her ability without my interference.”
“I have no need to go to such lengths when your yearling hates you.” Liam sounded coldly amused.
The smallest growl escaped Thomas. “She’s mine, Liam. Not yours. Her secrets, her life, are mine to protect or use as I see fit.”
And he couldn’t understand why I didn’t trust him or want anything to do with him. It was statements like that which reminded me why I’d remained stubbornly independent despite the cost.
“She is yours in name only,” Liam said. “Everything else belongs to me.”
And on that note.
I sat up, not wanting to listen to any more of this.
I glared at both vampires, neither of whom acted the least bit ashamed at being caught talking about me like I was a piece of meat.
If anything, Liam seemed amused.
“How long was I out?” I asked, ignoring all the things that were wrong in the conversation I’d just overheard.
“Not long, only a few minutes,” Liam responded.
I nodded but didn’t make any move to stand. Sitting up seemed to be the extent of my ability right now. Already my head pounded and dizziness threatened to put me on my back again.
“You should be dead,” Thomas said.
I lifted my head as I gave him an incredulous look. Was that a threat?
“He’s right,” Liam said, sounding grimmer than I’d ever heard him.
Not a threat then.
“I returned your weapon to you for a reason,” Liam said heavily.
“You also said only use it in an emergency,” I said, feeling a small twinge of shame.
I’d reacted rather than acted. There was a fine difference between the two. One led to stupid actions, the other to victory. Tonight, I saw the threat and instead of pulling my gun, I’d thrown myself in front of it. What a foolish mistake. I couldn’t believe I’d been that dumb.
“This situation qualified,” he said. “He would have survived several rounds as long as you didn’t hit his head or heart.”
“I’m interested to know how you survived something designed to kill a vampire master,” Thomas said in an idle voice.
At least this I had an answer for. I drew out the small pendant Dahlia had given me and winced. The pretty stone looked like it had been shattered and then glued back together, the number of fine cracks in it almost infinite.
Thomas reached out and studied the pendant. “That is an interesting bauble you have there. Where’d you get it?”
I shrugged. If he didn’t know, I had no plans to tell him. Liam knew. If he wanted, he could inform Thomas.
He set it down very gently, squatting so he could study me carefully. He reached for my hand and paused, his mouth tightening when I drew back the faintest bit.
“Your necklace absorbed a good portion of the attack but not all. I need to assess the extent of the damage,” he said with a forced patience.
“Have Liam do it,” I told him, more to see his reaction than anything else.
“It’s in your best interests that I do this,” Thomas said, giving me a sharp smile as he grabbed my hand and held it in an unbreakable grip. “This is better suited to my skill set than his.”
Liam stood behind him, unmoving. I took that to mean Thomas wasn’t lying.
I forced myself to remain still as Thomas’s power swept through me, brushing against my insides. It wasn’t a bad feeling, more uncomfortable than anything. Like someone shoving a needle into the nerves just under the skin, a thousand pinpricks that made me want to rub my hands down my body to dispel the sensation.
