Corey whimpered on the table as Pavlos took his hand.
“Unfortunately, Miss Shaw, as a sweetblood female in her childbearing years, you’re too valuable to sate my temporary needs right now. But if you don’t pass our tests, we’ll get to know each other a hell of a lot better. I promise.”
Tests? A new round of panic shot through her. They’d find out she wasn’t capable of getting pregnant and would be worthless to them. Either way, death would be a better alternative.
His wicked yellow smile made her gag; she didn’t attempt to disguise her contempt. “But your brother on the other hand, he’s just a bonus. Nice to have, but definitely not necessary. If I slip up, oh, well.”
Pavlos brushed the tip of his nose along the inside of Corey’s wrist and inhaled. “Mmm, you Shaws smell simply delectable. Even those without the sweetblood. Your father wasn’t a sweetblood, did you know that?”
Her father? Mackenzie felt as if she had been punched. Pavlos kept talking, but it took a moment for her auditory nerves to start functioning again.
“But he obviously carried the gene, as he passed it along to you. I do remember him being surprisingly sweet for a Standard.Let’s see.” He tapped his forehead. “San Diego? Has it been twenty years yet?” Mackenzie gasped. “You see, your family and I go way back. I’ve been feeding off them for years. And I never forget a good one.” He snapped his fingers, and a guard produced a cluster of small cards on a three-inch metal ring. Pavlos sifted through what had to be thirty or forty before he opened the ring and flung one at her. “When I heard you were on your way, I fished that out of my mementos. Thought you’d enjoy seeing it.”
The white card lay crooked at her feet. She toed it with her sneaker to straighten it. A California driver’s license. The picture was small, but unmistakable.
It was the smiling face of her father.
Dom cranked the steering wheel and brought the SUV to a halt on the side of Highway 2. Mackenzie’s sudden agony struck him like a whip and he sucked in a deep breath. Since he’d been driving, he’d felt her a few other times, caught snippets of her thoughts, but this was the strongest. Could he be getting closer?
He sensed that she was crying and his arms ached to hold her. To protect her.
Kenz, are you out there? Am I getting close?
Dom...Corey... -doned old building...middle of nowhere…my father...
A few more words this time, but still not enough. His cell phone vibrated.
“Lily, talk to me.”
“Just got a text from my contact. He’s at the lab now, but he arrived on a day transport and isn’t sure of the exact location.From downtown Seattle in rush hour, it took them an hour and fifteen. He thinks it’s northeast of the city, but isn’t sure.”
Northeast? Dom was northeast of the city now, on the highway leading over Stevens Pass. An hour and fifteen? Was he north enough? Or east enough? Or had he gone too far? The night sky was beginning to lighten. Daybreak was less than an hour away. He didn’t have much time.
“And, Dom?”
“Yeah?”
“Pavlos is there.”
Mackenzie’s body went boneless and her ears rang with the pain of growing up without a dad. No fatherly arms to comfort her. No one to protect her from spiders, or joke with her first date about inflicting bodily harm if she came home late. No one to teach her to drive or give her away at her wedding. No grandfather to hold a baby in his arms.
All because ofhim.
Her nostrils flared and a burning heat made her fingers and toes tingle. Flexing her fists, she narrowed her gaze on the monster who had destroyed her family. Her breath stilled and she wanted with all her heart to see him die. The ringing in her ears increased to freight train-like intensity until she exploded with rage.
She twisted, kicked, scratched, but Alfonso held her tight. She didn’t care that if she had broken free, she'd still be no match for Pavlos or any of his people. She wanted to gouge his eyes out. To see his life ebb painfully away for what he had done to her family and Dom’s. A stake would be too kind. She envisionedcrushing his skull beneath her boot and peeling that hideous skin from his face with her nails.
“I’m going to kill you,” she screamed at him when she subsided enough to realize the only attack she could mount against him right now was a verbal one.
“Is she always this feisty?” Pavlos leaned comfortably against Corey’s gurney as if he were being entertained, a hint of amusement in his expression. “I may have to rethink this whole experiment thing and keep her for myself anyway. Could be rather exciting. A veritable family affair.”
He turned his attention back to Corey and leaned in close. “We’re going to find out if you carry the gene, as well. We’ve preyed on your delicious family for generations, but then...you probably figured that out.”
“What the—” Corey choked, struggled against the bindings when he saw the fangs.
Mackenzie groaned and lunged again, but Alfonso’s hands were twin vises on her arms.
With thick, drug-dealer-length nails, Pavlos stroked two fingers over the inside of Corey’s wrist, tapping the skin lightly to locate the vein. “Your sister has been keeping a little secret from you. Actually, it’s not quite alittlesecret. I’d consider it to be a big one. But I intend to inform you of the truth. All of it. At the moment, however, I’m a little thirsty. Talking does that to me.” He brought Corey’s hand up to his mouth and plunged his fangs into his wrist.
