“Yes.” He smirks. “Fresh blood, on the other hand…”
“How presumptuous of you.” I stand there, not sure what to do. When I was in the locked room, away from him, it was easy to plot his demise. But now, standing in front of him, it’s harder to muster the same courage. I know he’s powerful—I’ve always known—but the closeness takes it to another level. I can somehow feel his power vibrating within my bones.
He only stares at me. Waiting.
I pull off my top and drop it at my feet.
My bra’s also soaked with the old blood, so it comes off next. I meet him behind the desk. He turns in his chair to face me fully.
“I know what you’re thinking, Monty,” he says.
I make myself say it, say his nickname I gave him what feels like a millennium ago. “No, you don’t, Lucy.”
He trails a finger over my flesh, making me shiver, but he pauses at my wound. “Look.”
Against my will, I look down.
All that remains is a puckered, angry scar. “What…?”
“Part of being a vampire. Healing is preternaturally fast.”
“It wasn’t fast.” As I found out when Vittoria grabbed me, it’s still tender.
He doesn’t lift his fingers from my skin, and his touch burns deep into me. “I heard your heart stop beating after the bullet hit you. You were bleeding out… So I saved you.”
“Cursedme.”
He shakes his head. He wants to say something more. It sparks in the air between us.
After a long moment, he says, “It’s a gift. And all gifts have weight to them, no matter how light in the hand. Besides, I wasn’t rea?—”
Frowning, he stops suddenly, lets me go, and stands.
“Lucian?”
Lucian doesn’t touch me again. He just points to the door to the right. “There’s a suite through there. Bathroom, shower. Soap. And on the bed is a change of clothes, some things Vittoria got for you.”
“I’mherplaything?”
“No, Monty,” he snaps. “I am busy, so I asked her to help out. She did.”
I bite my tongue as more insults and accusations threaten to roll.
If I want my freedom, want him to let his guard down, I need to play the part. “What do you have in mind?”
“If you’re up to it, you can come and see some of what we do on occasion. It’s rare, but I take part when I need to. And this time, I need to. This is payback for what was done to you with de Santis. I figured you’d want to participate.”
My heart starts to beat hard. This is going to be a test. I can taste it, but revenge sounds delicious. Especially if it involves me being able to sink my teeth into a live vein.
“You want me to come?” I ask.
“If you’re up to it.”
“I am.” In ways he doesn’t see.
“This is me trusting you, Elliot,” he says.
I nod.
