"Move, Samara. I need to look at my patient and you're in the way," Joseph growled from out of sight.
Samara rolled her eyes at me but sat back.
The vampire’s primary healer moved into view. Joseph’s examined me with hazel eyes that always reminded me of a tiger's. His skin was a light brown and arrogance was written on every inch of his face.
He held up two fingers in front of me. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
"If I answer correctly, will you go away?"
I thought I caught the faintest trace of amusement before his expression smoothed out again. "No. Now, answer."
"Two."
That seemed to mollify him. His face moved out of view and a set of hands steadied me as I sat up.
My chest, arms, and head all still ached. My chin felt like it'd been hit with an anvil. Liam's blood was a super healer. If my body hurt this much, it meant I'd taken a hell of a blow.
I looked around at the rest, taking in the faces of those around me. Nathan and the other enforcers seemed concerned. Sam, or Samara, whatever her name was, and her partner looked amused.
Liam's expression was the one I was most concerned about. It was curiously blank. No emotion there. None.
"Did I win?" I asked.
A relieved sound left Nathan. Liam thawed enough for one corner of his mouth to tilt up.
It didn't touch the raw look in his eyes, but I counted it as an improvement.
It didn't escape me that no one had answered my question.
"Seriously? Someone want to tell me?"
Nathan scratched his chin, looking contemplative. "Actually—"
"It was something of a draw, I'd say," Daniel rumbled.
Eric nodded like he agreed.
I squinted. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're an idiot." Joseph snapped closed the black bag he'd brought with him and rose to his feet. "Try not to kill yourself in the next week. I won't be so gentle when I repair you if I see you before then."
"You weren't gentle this time," Samara called after him as he headed for the gym's exit, stepping past a vampire who'd entered while we'd been preoccupied.
Kat Davinish gazed around her with an expression of distaste, acting as if her presence in this section of the house made her skin crawl.
It very well might.
Seeing she had our attention, she smoothed down a lock of her long, luscious, and glossy hair. Her high heels clicked over the floor as she prowled in our direction.
"Oh, lord, here we go," Samara said in an undertone.
My eyes jumped to her. I didn't think anyone could dislike Kat as much as me, but it seemed I had a contender.
"Don't lose your composure, Sam," her friend cautioned.
Sam ignored him, watching Kat approach with a dark look.
"It means you held onto the ball even after you were knocked unconscious," Anton drawled, ignoring the wicked witch's looming presence. "But because you lost consciousness, we can't say you won either."
