Ethan hesitated before turning toward her.“Maybe this was a mistake.”
“No!” Maggie protested. “No. I’m not leavinguntil I see you, Aiden. Not until we get a chance to talk.”
“You want to see me?” Aiden snarled.
The tone of his voice caused those spidersto start dancing across her skin again, but she lifted her chin andstepped closer. “Yes. You have things wrong. I—”
Maggie broke off from telling him she’d goneto meet him at the hotel when he partially emerged from theshadows. She flinched away from what the light revealed before shecould stop herself. But even after everything she’d seen with theSavages, she’d never seen anything half as frightening asAiden.
No hint of green remained in the ruby eyesblazing at her. Blood trickled from his lower lip and stuck in thehairs of the black beard covering half his face. Thick, steel cuffsencircled his wrists and ankles; they jingled when he moved.
Satan himself would have gotten out ofAiden’s way if he saw him on the street.
“Do I scare you, Magdalene?” he purred in ataunting tone she didn’t recognize.
There was no point in lying to him; he knewthe truth. “Yes.”
Aiden stopped a few feet away from the door.Despite the dampness of the cool air, he wore no clothes. Shesuddenly understood why Vicky said she didn’t look in the windowwhen she spoke with him.
Maggie bit back a cry of despair and furywhen she saw the blood trickling from beneath the cuffs on hiswrists and ankles. He’d fought against his bonds so much that he’dtorn his skin worse than she’d shredded hers.
His struggles and pain had been for nothing.There would be no breaking the chains binding him. The links of thechains were easily larger than both her wrists put together and ledinside the wall where she assumed they were bolted. Those chainswere attached to the bands on his ankles and wrists and were atleast three inches thick and five inches wide.
“Why did you do this to him?” she demandedand spun on Ethan.
Sorrow radiated from his eyes as he bowedhis head. “We had no other choice.”
Maggie wanted to punch him, but instead, shefocused on Aiden again. “Aiden,” she breathed as tears pricked hereyes.
For a fraction of a second, she swore shesaw a flash of green in his eyes. Then, the red became brighter,and he returned to the shadows.
“You should be scared,” he growled.
“No, I shouldn’t,” she argued. “You won’thurt me.”
“Get her out of here, Ethan, and when I getout of this cell, I willkillyou for bringing her here. Iset her free. Let her go.”
“No, Aiden, wait!” Maggie protested. Shetried to grasp the window again, but Ethan pushed her hands downonce more.
“Don’t get any closer to him,” Ethancautioned at the same time Aiden shouted, “Don’t touch her!”
Maggie stomped her foot as she gazed backand forth between the infuriating men. “I came here to talk to him,and that’s what I’m going to do!” she declared.
She jerked her hands away from Ethan. Beforeshe could touch the window, Ethan grasped her shoulder and pulledher back. “Stop it!” Maggie protested.
“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!” Aidenroared so loudly the walls around them shook.
Maggie yanked her shoulder away from Ethanat the same time Aiden rushed at them with the speed of a Mactruck. Before he could reach the door, the chains reached their endand yanked him back. Startled by the sudden rush, Maggie staggeredaway from the door before she could stop herself.
Aiden lunged against the chains again, hisfangs snapping as his thickly corded muscles strained against hisbonds. Veins bulged from his flesh; sweat beaded his forehead andshoulders as he hunched forward to pull more forcefully on thechains.
Maggie’s eyes widened when Aiden’s skin tookon a reddish-black hue. She recalled thinking she’d seen the samething when they’d been in the ambulance. Then, she’d believed she’dimagined it, but she couldn’t deny the color seeping steadilyacross his flesh.
Metal screeched forebodingly.
Aiden lunged again, his muscles bulging asEthan gripped her shoulder again and pulled her back a step. Thesecond Ethan’s hand touched her, Aiden howled.
“What’s happening to him?” Maggie breathed.“Why is his skin turning that color?”
