Page 100 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

She was dressed in black spandex—so different from her usual. There were large rips across the fabric, and what looked like demon blood splattered on her face. I hugged her again anyway.

“I was so worried,” I admitted.

“Completely unnecessary. You should have seen your Laurent. He was a wonder to behold.”

“Lily.” An achingly familiar voice made my stomach lurch. Laurent stood beside Vittorio, eyeing me carefully. Vittorio’s lips moved rapidly, his voice only audible enough for a vampire. With each word, Laurent’s gaze darkened while his face remained granite.

Zola spared Laurent a curious glance before saying to me, “We will speak tomorrow, yes?” She leaned in and kissed my forehead then disappeared.

Laurent took her place, looking me over. Like the others, he was disheveled and splattered in demon blood. “You are unharmed?” he demanded, his voice rough.

“I… There was…” I struggled for words.

He reached for my hand. “Come. Let us get you back to your room.”

His words made me aware of how heavy my limbs were. How overwhelmed I was. The comfort of my room sounded like the best idea in the world.

We climbed the stairs, leaving everyone behind to make our way through the manor. I stopped outside my door. He reached for my wrist, his thumb brushing over my pulse. My heart took off at a gallop—something he could certainly feel. Self conscious, I pulled away and walked into my bedroom, searching out Cinnamon. She was still in her crate, subdued. Her eyes blinked open at the sight of me before falling closed again.

A smile pulled at my lips. Just the sight of her lifted my mood. She was too cute.

Laurent followed me in. He placed a hand at my back and guided me over to the sofa. “Wait here.”

He disappeared through the door that was usually locked—one that apparently joined our rooms together. I’d unpack that later.

Less than two minutes later he was back in a fresh change of clothes, the blood gone from his skin, his moonlight hair hanging in wet strands from his ten second shower, showing me a glimpse of his pointed ears. He might move fast for a vampire, but he couldn’t make air dry his hair any quicker.

He took a seat beside me, closer than usual. I caught the faint whiff of something citrusy mixed with his usual musk. I didn’t feel the urge to scoot away. Our knees brushed and my eyes darted down at the brief contact.

The tray from earlier was still here with my half finished hot chocolate long gone cold. There were two slices of lemon blueberry bread remaining. I grabbed one and sat back, if only to give myself something to do.

“Tell me what happened,” he said. “Start at the beginning.”

I wanted to jump ahead, but did as he asked.

“I was waiting on the stairs while Vittorio made me tea,” I said, giving him a cobbled together explanation. I told him about the struggle in the kitchen, the shadows swarming in the entryway, and the appearance of the demon. I shuddered when I recounted his appearance. “It was a diversion. They wanted you gone so they could take me.”

Laurent’s unreadable expression cracked. “I should have been here,” he growled. “I am sorry.”

“No—“ I let out a long breath. “You were exactly where you needed to be, rescuing Zola.”

“What happened next?”

“He tried to capture me.”

“Did he hurt you?” The lethal tone made goosebumps spread across my skin. I was suddenly certain of the fate that awaited the demon below. “Answer me, little flower, and do not lie.”

“It’s not important.”

“It is to me.”

I licked my lips. “He… He grabbed my ankle. When I kicked him, he tackled me and dragged me down the stairs by my hair.” Laurent let out a low growl but remained motionless. “Then he hit me.”

Laurent’s hand darted out, fingers grasping my chin in a vicelike grip. He tilted my face into the light. His next words were measured. “That demon is very lucky the bruise has already healed. As it stands, he will pay tenfold for the pain he caused.”

I shuddered because I was fully aware of what Laurent could do.

He released my chin, giving it a gentle caress as he did. “Continue.”