His eyes narrowed when she purposely took her time replying. “No.”
“Good, then we’re on the same wavelength.” His smile was cruel as the door opened, Floyd his personal security waiting with his hand wrapped around a gun. Earth, timber and fur, that’s what she remembered every time he was close, the taste on the back of her palette. The other meathead, who she was never given the name of, had tasted of grass, citrus and what she assumed was parental disappointment.
Her scent had improved along with all her other senses, but not enough to gloat about. Being able to smell fish and salt despite not being able to see any body of water was more of an inconvenience than anything. They must be by the sea, or maybe further down The Thames, the seagulls above squawking high in the sky. It matched the time she counted on the drive, at least two hours out of the city.
Lifting her arm she studied her skin beneath the sun, frowning at how perfect it was. There were no spots or blemishes, nothing other than the small silver scar from when she was a child that was so faint compared to before that if you didn’t know it was there you probably wouldn’t see it. She didn’t even burst into flames like the ridiculous rumours she had heard as a kid, despite it being common knowledge that vampires didn’t, in fact, die at the sign of a little vitamin D. She grew up in a small town that had an even smaller Breed population, and out of three-hundred kids at her school only twenty hadn’t been human. She had never met a vampire until she moved to London.
Glancing around Eva was faced with shipping containers, the pinks, blues and greens rusty and stacked on top of one another between three to five high. They surrounded the large, derelict warehouse, blocking it mostly from view.
Five more metal containers were stacked in front on the left, hiding the smashed glass and graffiti that just peeked at the side. She squinted, her eyes more sensitive than she remembered. Three of the five were open, empty other than dust, grime and some thick ropes, the edges frayed.
“Are we ready?”
Floyd nodded, his irises brighter than they were, his thick neck darkening as if fur pressed beneath his skin. “Dutch is inside making a mess,” he said with a rumble.
“Dutch is supposed to be in a meeting, what do you mean he’s making a mess?” Augustine frowned, storming through the heavy metal doors.
Inside was what she would expect from the outside, dilapidated and worn with a circular desk in the centre. Every window was covered, more containers blocking the sun, pressed as close as possible to the glass. It made the room dark enough Eva had to blink a few times for her sight to adjust. It took a second, but she realised she could clearly see the health and safety poster pinned on the opposite wall despite the lack of light.
Blood was a strong scent, the copper pleasant enough that her stomach tightened and her fangs descended a little.
It had only been a few hours since she had fed, and already she felt… better. Her senses heightened. Augustine had been right, when she ate from someone other than a vampire she noticed improvements. Even her throat had healed entirely, leaving only smooth skin.
Augustine’s hand on her lower back, pushing her through a set of double doors. “What the fuck is this?” he growled at the half naked man in the centre.
A masculine voice chuckled in reply, loud enough it echoed around the room, open two stories with empty balconies overlooking scarred concrete. The windows had been blocked there too, making the room dark except for a few streams of sunlight caused by holes in the roof.
Dust glittered in the rays, and Eva couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the particles, almost clear enough for her to count until the owner of the laugh stepped forward, acting as if it were his own personal spotlight.
“Hello there pretty lady. Have you come to watch the show?” Eva pulled her eyes from the surrounding dust to settle on him as he pressed a bloody palm across the large snake tattoo on his bare chest.
It took a second to realise what he had meant, her attention settling on the pool of blood by his feet. Eva blinked, watching it ripple before tracking the drops to where a man hung from a metal hook, impaled through the shoulder. He swung gently, eyes open and empty with his mouth taped shut. He made no noise, no groans or grumbles, nothing other than the delicate patter of his blood and the slight creak of the rope.
She shouldn’t have been able to see how his hands were held at his chest, wrists attached together with metal manacles, not in the dark. Yet she could make out that the tips of his fingers were missing, every single one just a bloody stump. His feet were bare, only his big toes absent.
“First your mate, and now this,” Augustine shot at the bare-chested man, who in return grinned. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Dutch?”
“Just kill Hana, I’m bored of her anyway and I’ll just find another bitch to fuck.” Dutch shrugged before letting out a low whistle, eyes dipping to the brands on her arms. “She will do.” Another laugh, the manic sound bouncing between the old rusty boats at the edge of the space.
“This one’smyfledgling,” Augustine said, anger curling his fingers.
“Oh really?” Dutch clicked his tongue, his hair the same dark shade as Augustine’s, but longer, sweeping past his ears. “She must be something special then.”
Augustine pursed his lips, gesturing to Floyd who positioned himself closer.
“Is there a reason you have a man hanging there? We’re supposed to open in a week and you’re out here torturing one of your toys. Where the fuck is Bishop?”
“Bishop couldn’t make the meeting, which is fine considering he’s asilentpartner. But he sent us this present.” Dutch grinned, almost frantic in his expression. “I was going to put him with the others, but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“You wanted his investment and assured me he could be trusted.”
“Patience, uncle. We have his money and we both know we don’t need his opinion in the way we run things. It’s perfect.” He clapped, loud enough that Eva flinched.
Augustine cocked his head. “Why the man?”
“This is our gift from Bishop. He was caught stealing.”
“Stealing?” Augustine turned to Eva, his eyes hard. “Isn’t that what your boyfriend did?”
