However, he didn't deny Gerald’s words, andshe felt like she was missing something vital.
“Why didn’t she kill you?” Gerald demanded.“I ordered her to do it.”
He’d ordered her to do it! Nausea churned inher stomach as she realized this prick had messed with her head,and she hadnorecollection of it. The vampires on theisland had violated her by imprisoning her and stealing her blood,but at least they left her mind alone.
Now, this asshole had come in and violatedher in a whole new way and planned to do more to her! Every beat ofher heart sent more fury through her until she could barely thinkbeyond seeing this monster dead.
“She tried to kill me,” Julian said.
“Idid?” Aida squeaked.
Gerald’s laughter sent a chill down her spinebefore he spoke. “It seems I’m not the only one who’s messed withyour mind lately.”
It took a minute for his words to penetrate,and when they did, her sense of betrayal intensified. “What is hetalking about?” she demanded of Julian.
“I’ll explain later,” he replied. “But youagreed to this.”
“I wouldneveragree to let a vampiremess with my mind!”
“Not most vampires, but you would agree toletmedo it.”
“I haven’t seen you in years!”
Gerald laughed as he hugged Aida closer tohim. “You’re fucking a very tricky vampire.”
His words brought forth an outpouring ofemotion that rolled through her. She didn’t know if she wanted toscream, cry, or vomit more. What had she forgotten? What had Julianmadeher forget? Bile rushed up her throat as the worstthought of all occurred to her. Had she been aware she was havingsex with him?
“No,” she whimpered. “I’m, ah…”
Her voice trailed off as she held back thewords. Neither of these d-bags needed to know she was still avirgin, but apparently, she wasn’t. “No,” she whispered.
Julian recognized the signs of the impendingspiral she experienced last night. “Aida, it’s okay. I promise youwhen this is all over, it will all make sense again”—or at least hehoped it would—“but you have to trust me like you did when we wereyounger. Please, give me that.”
It was the plea in his voice and the anguishin his eyes that swayed her far more than his words. He’d left her,but before then, he was her best friend. Mollie was a member oftheir family, and Kyle and Cassidy were his siblings, but theywould never allow him to rape her.
She didn’t know what was happening, but shehad faith in the Byrnes. However, she would deal with Julian later;she had to survive this shitshow first.
The door from the main room silently opened,and Cassidy slipped inside.
“Stop!” Julian commanded his sister whenGerald jerked Aida’s head up until she stood on her tiptoes andthose horrible choking sounds came from her again.
Cassidy froze and held up her hands in adisarming manner. Gerald crept toward the back door, and Julianstalked him, but Cassidy didn’t move.
When Gerald’s grip on her eased again, Aidagasped in air as she blinked to clear her eyes of the tears formingevery time he choked her. When she could see again, she studiedCassidy as Gerald maneuvered her around some crates and toward thedoor. Cassidy wasn’t shocked to see Julian here, and she didn’tseem surprised to discover Gerald with her either.
Cassidy knew someone had messed with Aida’smind and allowed it to happen. She wouldneveragree to thatunless Aida did too, or unless it was the only option, would she?Cassidy was Julian’s sister, and if Aida tried to kill him,wouldn’t she want Aida punished?
Maybe shehadagreed to let Julianmess with her mind, but why would she do such a thing when shebarely knew Julian anymore? Was she sleeping with him? How couldshe have sex with someone and not remember it?
She felt like Alice spiraling down the rabbithole, except she was bashing against the sides, spinning around,and flipping upside down until everything in her felt battered andbroken.
Something in the gloomy recesses of her mindtold her she could trust him and they would get through thistogether. She didn’t know where the certainty came from, but shetrusted her instincts.
Julian followed Gerald around the crates asthe niggling in the back of his mind increased. If the man hadlonger hair and a beard…
CHAPTER 44
The niggling grew into a memory of three vampiresattacking a woman. “Greece,” Julian said. “That’show I knowyou.”
