"She has a name," I say.
His whiskey eyes return to me. I can't help but notice the flecks of amber in them.
"Loyalty," he says. "It's a quality I admire. Unfortunately for you, I now know exactly what your weakness is."
He pulls a gun from his holster and presses it to Sarah's head.
Oh my God.
He's a monster.
"Letgoof her." My voice comes out much stronger than I feel inside.
"I won't hurt her as long as you cooperate," he says.
The gravel in his voice makes my core pulse with need. The timing is inconvenient to say the least.
"Don't listen to him, Grace," Sarah says. "Run for your life. The officials are going to catch him soon anyway."
My friend's words bring me back to reality. I fight through the hunger clawing at my insides.
"I'm not leaving you with him," I tell her.
There's a round of gunfire behind us. The man glances over his shoulder for a fraction of a second before returning his attention to me.
"The tunnels," he says. "Now."
He takes a step toward me.
Something crackles to life between us. I remind myself it's just the aphrodisiac running through my veins.
But whatever I just felt, I know that he felt it too.
I can see it all over his face.
Before he can hurt Sarah, I move toward the dark entrance a few feet before us. It's nothing but a black void. My heart starts racing as I get closer to it.
I step inside. The inky dark pierces my mind. I know the fear is all in my head, but it feels so real.
"Keep walking, Grace," he says. "I don't have all day."
"Do you have a flashlight?" I ask.
He turns on his phone’s flashlight. It's several degrees cooler inside these tunnels. I can make out the gleam of spiderwebs along the walls.
I steal another glimpse of him.
The flashlight casts shadows all over his face. He looks like the Grim Reaper who's come to collect souls.
There's another sharp tug inside my core. My nipples turn into painful buds that crave stimulation. My gaze grows unfocused.
"You really need to stop looking at me like that, Grace," he says.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I say.
His eyes dip to my parted lips. "I think you do."
Hate. I'm supposed to hate this man, not feel this open curiosity.
