Red lightning cracks from my stakes in my hands, bathing Laurent and the alleyway with red light. From behind him, a man approaches, and for one quick second, I am almost relieved when I think it’s Griffin. I hate him, but could sure use his assistance right about now.
“Hello, darling,” the voice says.
“Beck.”
“Fancy meeting you again,” Beck says, still not revealing himself fully from the shadows. “Are you ready to put the stakes away so we can have an adult conversation?”
Castilla
“Fuck you,” I snarl. “Fuck both of you.”
Laurent growls at my words, his face dropping until his lips brush against my neck. A shiver of fear rattles through my bones. Having his teeth so close to my neck terrifies me. I close my eyes, waiting for him to take a bite.
“Castilla,” Laurent murmurs, his lips caressing my neck in a way that sends a whirlwind of confusing emotions spinning inside me. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”
He presses a gentle kiss to my pulsing vein before he pulls away. Beck approaches and I get a good look at him. He can’t be any more than sixteen or seventeen if he were human. I’ve learned not to go off human appearance when it comes to vampires. Some of the young ones are incredibly old and extremely powerful. Beck already confessed to being an ancient vampire. If he wanted to destroy me, he could do it in seconds. For some reason, he hasn’t.
“I’ll hold onto these until we finish our talk,” Beck says, plucking each of my ruby stakes from my grip. His hands are protected by leather gloves. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t feel too good on his undead hands. He stows the stakes inside his long, black coat. We’re once again bathed in darkness, which unnerves me.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I grind out, no longer fighting against Laurent’s hold considering I need to save my strength and it’s pointless since he’s so much stronger.
“Then you can just listen.”
“Let me go,” I order. “I won’t talk until I’m free.”
Beck waits what feels like an eternity before he answers. “Very well. Laurent, release her.”
Laurent inhales me but then lets go, stepping back into the darkness away from me. My heart is pounding hard inside my chest. I try my damnedest to slow it down so that I’m not tempting the two vampires in my presence.
Breathe, Casti. Breathe.
“We have a mutual agenda,” Beck says from somewhere to my left. “Perhaps we continue this conversation in privacy.”
“No,” I grit out. “And I can guarantee you our agendas vary vastly.”
Beck chuckles. “Feisty female. I like you.”
“Sorry, buddy, I can’t say the same.” I edge toward the door, keeping my movements slow. “What did you do to him? He seems better now.” Better, but still going to die by my hand and soon.
Mercy be thy way.
“I’ll tell you when we have privacy,” Beck says. “Take us to your apartment.”
“Absolutely not,” I growl.
“We’re not here to hurt you or Mercy.”
“Keep my daughter’s name out of your mouth,” I snap. “Speak now or don’t. I don’t care.”
Beck sighs, his footsteps drawing nearer. “Either take us there or I’ll be forced to carry you up there myself.”
Upstairs, I have other things I could kill them with.
“Fine,” I acquiesce. “Though—”
“She be but little, she is fierce,” Beck finishes. “A Shakespeare fan myself.”
“I was going to say, though if you make one wrong move, I’ll end both of you without thinking twice.”
Beck and Laurent both chuckle, putting me even more on edge. I’m used to hissing, pissed off killing machine vampires. Not this. Not talkative, agenda seeking ones. I admit, my curiosity is piqued.
I slowly make my way from the wall to the door into the building. It’s probably extremely stupid on my part, and Jude would kill me if he knew, but I need to see what Beck wants first. If he can help me with the pale-haired twins, I will take it. They’ve been terrorizing NYC for far too long.
As soon as I step inside, I peek over my shoulder at the vampires following me. Beck is much shorter than Laurent. Both are wearing black slacks, white button-down crisp dress shirts, and long coats. Each of them has on a pair of expensive looking leather shoes. It’s almost amusing how properly dressed they are. As though they’re ready to go to a gala rather than to my tiny apartment I share with a child and a bat.
I step into the stairwell and Laurent strides forward, prowling ahead as though hunting. I’m confused because it almost seems as though he’s trying to protect me, which is silly because he’s a freaking vampire.
When we reach my floor, he pushes through the door and holds it open for me. I’m forced to brush past him as I enter the hallway. Laurent’s palm finds my back as to guide me. A shiver trembles through me.