With a sigh, Tommy turned to one of the other men she didn’t know. “Nigel, run out and get the lady some juice and a hamburger.”
Oh God. If she could just get Nigel to her hotel room…maybe… “And my meds,” she called. “Because without them, you’re not keeping me alive long enough to bleed me dry. Unless one of you jerks remembered to grab my purse when you kidnapped me?”
Ewan shook his head. “I’m sorry, lass. I didn’t know ya needed them.”
She didn’t. Not truly. But if they believed she did, and Nigel went to her hotel… If Declan showed up right after sunset, he might be able to follow Nigel back here.
Thinking about him brought a wave of dizziness, and then anger and frustration prickled over her skin. They didn’t feel likeheremotions, though. More likehis.But the sensation didn’t last. It had to be the blood loss taking its toll.
Tommy busied himself with glass slides and tubes, finally nodding at the microscope. “Go ahead and look. This is your blood.”
Trying not to face-plant into the expensive scope, she leaned forward. “Yep. Misshapen red blood cells, packed too tightly, slightly gray in color.”Wait.That’s new.Some of the cells were…shiny. Like they were covered with a thin sheen of silver. She schooled her face into a mask, hoping Tommy wouldn’t notice her surprise. But he was too busy withdrawing a bit of blood from another tube with a pipette.
“I’m going to add the vampire blood now. Watch closely.”
The darker, thicker drop melded with Riley’s blood, and in the small field of view, Riley’s red blood cells throbbed and morphed, attaching themselves to the nice, round globules from the vampire. Then, the entire substance turned black and took on the distinctive crystalline shape of…was that soot? Ash?
Tommy withdrew the slide and let her see the gooey, sticky, dark mess. “You’re burning them from the inside out,” he said. “You’re the secret weapon we’ve been looking for.”
“I’m not aweapon. I’m a human being.” She jerked to her feet, knocking the stool over. “And in case you forgot…avampiresaved me the other night. And my blood didn’t hurt him at all. So…I don’t know what sort ofsecret weaponyou think I am, but you’re wrong.”
Tommy grabbed her by the arms, shaking her. “I don’t give a shite about Declan Bonney. Other than wanting him as dead as the rest of those abominations. So he saved you from others of his kind. You were being kept as ablood slave. Did you forget that part?”
“No.” Riley’s voice cracked, and she struggled in Tommy’s hold. “I’ll never forget. I was terrified. But you’re just assuming all vampires are evil. And that’s not true.”
“Of course it’s true,” he muttered. “There’s no reasoning with some people.” Shoving her at Ewan, he tucked the pint of her blood into an insulated pouch and shoved it into a satchel. “Keep her locked up. In four hours, take another pint. I’m going hunting.”
Ewan led her into a sparse, windowless room. Only a metal cot with a thin mattress, a toilet, and a sink broke up the gray monotony. “These walls are soundproof and lined with silver,” he said, a hint of sorrow in his voice. “As soon as Nigel gets back with the food, I’ll bring it in. Until then…get some rest, Riley.”
After he’d helped her down onto the cot, he removed the soft restraints from her wrists. “I wish there were another way.”
“Declan’s not evil.” She flexed her fingers, trying to restore her circulation. “I remember now. What happened when he rescued me. You do too, don’t you? Patrick was trying to drain you. And Declan stopped him. He saved your life. Please, Ewan. Let me go. I’ll leave Ireland on the first flight out.”
Backing towards the door, he shook his head. “They’d find you. We have ranks all around the world. And you’re…you’re like our savior.” Ewan lingered for a moment, his blue eyes glistening. “Tommy lied, lass. A few pints? It’ll never be enough.”
The click of the door shutting was like the lid coming down on her coffin. She’d never leave this place. Not alive.
“Declan, I’m so sorry,” she murmured as she curled into a ball on the thin mattress. “I never should have left you.”
