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“That might be true, but we’ve found that prices are higher when the buyers don’t have to see the sad, self-defeating look that goes into a vampire’s eyes before it’s destroyed,” he said. Then, again. “Blindfold he
r.”
The blindfold was soft and velvety. I didn’t care that I was naked. I didn’t care that there were going to be people looking at me. All I cared about was the fact that I hadn’t gotten a proper chance to say goodbye, and that sucked. It was a horrible feeling.
Liam was going to live the rest of his life thinking that I didn’t love him back.
“Please,” I whispered.
I would beg if it meant I got to see him. I would beg for anything and everything. I would trade anything I had if it just meant that I didn’t have to die today.
I didn’t want to die just yet.
“Pathetic,” Hank said. “No wonder I cheated on you. Gag her.”
The gag was placed in my mouth next. I didn’t bother fighting it. The girls working for Hank weren’t my enemies. They were probably victims like I was, and if I fought them, I knew that they were just going to get in trouble, so I stilled my body as the gag was placed.
Being a vampire had heightened my senses, but so had being blindfolded. The door to the room was at the foot of the bed. That was the door they would enter through, I knew. I heard it creak open, and there were footsteps: lots of them. The two girls who had helped Hank stood on either side of my bed, and I could hear their hearts racing as the room filled up with buyers.
I didn’t know whether they were men or women, but judging by their scents, I knew they were all wildly evil. For most of the buyers, this wouldn’t be their first time. I wished I could read their mind the way Liam could read minds. Not many vampires could do that, but he could, and I felt like a talent like that could come in useful at a time like this.
“As you can see,” Hank said. “This is a fresh vampire, and a bit of a well-known one, too.”
“Is that the huntress?” Someone asked.
“Yes, it must be,” another voice said.
“Gentlemen,” Hank said smoothly. “And gentlelady, my apologies,” he must have nodded to a woman in the midst. “We all know the incredible hunter Kimberly. She’s put down more vampires than any of us could imagine seeing in our lifetimes, yet one of them managed to capture her. Funny how life works sometimes, isn’t it? Let’s start the bidding, shall we?”
And so, it began.
The tears were falling before I knew was happening. I willed myself to stay strong and silent, but it was hard. All I wanted to do was be back in the Grove. When had that happened? When had I turned so soft? I wanted to go back to the Grove and back to the mansion and crawl into bed and never come out.
The bidding started, and I was bid on by several people. They were all men: deep, baritone voices. I wondered if they were going to hurt me before they killed me. It wasn’t like I could escape. Then, a different voice placed a bid. This one was softer and more gentle, but it was also fierce and passionate.
And it was a woman.
Not only was the bidder a woman, but it was a woman that I knew: one I’d spent time with.
I was gagged, which was the only thing that kept me from screaming out her name.
Helena.
Helena was here.
If she was here, that meant Liam must be close behind.
I heard the door to the room close all of a sudden, and it was locked.
“Excuse me,” Hank said with a nervous laugh. “But that door stays open during the bidding. If you don’t mind opening it, that would be quite nice. Once the winner has paid, they’ll be able to lock the door and be alone with their purchase.”
“No,” Liam said, loud and clear. “I don’t think that’s going to be happening.”
I would have given anything to see the fight that broke out. He had come for me. Liam had come. He’d saved me. He’d made his way to wherever the hell we were, and he had rescued me. I didn’t know how he’d done it, but somehow, he’d managed to find not only me, but Hank. He’d managed to save me in time.
The room was filled with screams. There were other vampires besides Liam and Helena, I realized. I thought I heard Lex shouting. Was that Raven screaming? Someone else called, barking orders. I thought maybe it was Michael, but I wasn’t totally sure.
It was only a matter of minutes before the screams of the humans stopped. They had panicked, at first, but even a dozen humans were no match for a group of vampires hell-bent on revenge. I was silent, totally still.
