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As she stared into his gold-flecked eyes, and drifted her fingers over the tough muscles of his shoulders, she asked, “So, not to change the subject, or anything, but have you seen any of Eve’s shows?”
Marius didn’t answer right away, but a speculative light entered his eye. She could tell he was weighing his responses and finally opted for, “A few.”
“Being careful, I see. Gauging your words.”
Marius chuckled. “Trying to.”
Shayna couldn’t help but laugh. “This is such a different world. I’m used to having my nose in a book and here you are, a vampire warrior in your world, and we’re here in Rumy’s secret villa with Yvonne and all the other former slaves who live here, and talking about Eve’s sex show.”
“So how many former slaves are we talking about?”
“Yvonne said they had at least two hundred people living here, fifty of them chil
dren.”
“Fifty children? Wow. How is that possible?”
She shrugged. “You have to remember that the women are human and probably have brought our quick-procreation genetics to the table.” She thought for a moment. “Why did Rumy bring us here? I mean, if he’s kept it secret for so long, why now?”
At that, his tension returned, a heavy vibration through the chain at her neck. “When I contacted him after we left Costa Rica, he said that Daniel had The Erotic Passage crawling with his men—otherwise, Rumy would have given us an apartment to use. He just didn’t think we’d be safe anywhere else. We’re targeted now, both of us.”
“What do you mean targeted?”
At that, his expression grew grim. “Daniel has called out a warrant for our arrests. Apparently, I’ve committed treason and you’re a CIA spy sent to expose our world.”
At that, Shayna burst out laughing. “Really?” She wrinkled up her nose. “Who’s going to believe that? I mean, me? A spy?”
“The truth doesn’t matter, only that he’s offering a reward for the capture of either of us of two million dollars apiece.”
“Wow. Two million. I guess he’s serious, but I have to say I think this smacks of desperation.” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “He definitely wants us out of the way.”
“I think you’re right.” He then searched her eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I was tired after the flight and I needed to rebuild my blood supply, but they gave me a transfusion and some soup. I’m also siphoning your power again so I feel great.”
“That’s not what I meant. When I spoke with you earlier, telepathically, you seemed angry about something.”
“Oh. That. Yeah, well, I was thinking about my ex and realizing he was a bad man. Until I met you, Marius, I didn’t have a decent frame of reference. I’ve lived on my own a long time and I barely knew my father. The boys I’ve dated have all been so immature, which was why Michelson fooled me. He seemed all grown up, caring, smart.
“But when I really look back at the way he talked to me and the way his words made me feel, I’m disgusted that I was ever with him or that I ever believed a word of his left-handed compliments or his outright slurs, all meant to be helpful criticisms. Especially when he demeaned my body.”
Marius’s brows rose. “He found fault with your body? That’s not possible.”
“All the time. He thought my breasts were too big and my hips too wide. He thought my knees were bony.”
“He wasn’t just an asshole, the man was blind.” He narrowed his gaze. “Or he had a small cock. That could explain a lot.”
She bit her lip and felt guilty saying it, but she said it anyway. “Well, there was that.”
Marius smiled and finally Shayna released a long-held sigh, something she’d been holding back for months now. “I thought the world of him as a teacher and I wish now I’d had enough wisdom to not get involved with him. He did inspire me to take up anthropology as a profession and I’ll always owe him that because I’m built for this kind of work. But he hurt how I viewed myself.”
“That’s unforgivable.”
She shrugged. “What Daniel does is unforgivable. What Michelson did was controlling and self-serving. I’d like to see his ego flogged, but I want Daniel dead and I never thought I’d say that about another person in my entire life.”
CHAPTER 10
Marius drifted his gaze over Shayna’s face slowly, memorizing each feature so that he could remember her when she left his world and returned to her life in Seattle. His chest ached in a way he’d never experienced, which was one more reason he needed to get this job done, keep the final extinction weapon from falling into Daniel’s hands, and get Shayna home.
