“You know that you’re the only one who can release me from this hellish existence.”
“I do, and you’d be wise to remember that if you ever hope to escape it with your soul. If you ever hope to be reunited with Anna again.”
“Keep my wife’s name out of your damn mouth,” I spit, venom coating my words.
“I’ll say whatever I damn well please, not that it matters. You won’t remember any of this by the time I’m through with you.” Valentine takes another step toward me, reaching out to force my chin up so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “You almost fucked Evi, and, just likeAnna, you almost cost Evi her life, do you know that?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You attacked her. Bit her, and I was the one who had to make sure your venom was extracted. Oh, how I enjoyed that. Though, she still hasn’t woken up from it. Time will tell if she ever does.”
My stomach twists as I listen. He has to be lying. I’d never force myself on a woman, but then again, if he’s been giving me tainted blood …
Our deal was never supposed to go this way. I was simply looking for a way back to Anna. If I’d known what that would entail, what it would cost Evi, I’d never have made the deal in the first place.
“I thought we had a deal.”
“Oh, we do,” Valentine says, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t get the other things I want in the process.”
“You bastard,” I spit.
My head instantly snaps the side again as Valentine’s fist collides with my face once again.
“You can hate me to the ends of this earth,” he hisses, “but that won’t change what you’ve done. Evi will be mine, or die in the process. All thanks to you.”
“I won’t allow it.”
“You have no choice. The next time I send for you will be your last day on this earth, if death doesn’t come for your first.”
With that, he holds out his hand and one of his men places his cane in it. He twists it in his hands for a moment before quickly drawing back and striking me with it.
I grunt in pain, gritting my teeth against the next blow. Whatever it takes, I need to survive this. I need to fix what I’ve done.
I need to beg Evi for forgiveness … even if it’s the last thing I ever do.
11
Evelyn
My body jolts awake with a start, but it takes me several more minutes to finally pry my eyes open.
Slowly, the heavy fog in my mind clears as I look around. The sun is just starting to rise over the horizon, a warm glow gradually chasing the cool morning light from the room.
I’m back in Valentine’s bedroom.
Shifting to sit up in bed, I grimace as I suddenly realize my otherwise naked body is covered in bandages. Even wrapped like a mummy, the bandages do little to ease the pain that shoots through my body when I touch them with even the slightest amount of pressure.
Something moves out of the corner of my eye, and my whole-body tenses, my heart flying into my throat, as I turn my head to look.
I’m not in bed alone.
Valentine’s back is to me, his hair flowing over the black silk sheets like a river of pure silver. Afraid to move and wake him, I try to take deep, calming breaths to bring my heartbeat back down to earth.
Even so, my mind races with a thousand and one questions.
How long have I been out?
What happened to Luci?