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“How long was I out for?” she asked, remembering her impromptu nap. “I really didn’t mean to drift off . . .”
“Not all that long. About twenty minutes or so.”
Mia yawned delicately, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “Sorry about that . . . You must’ve been so bored –”
“I’m never bored with you,” he said, still studying her. “I like watching you sleep. You always look so sweet and peaceful . . . like a dark-haired angel. I find it very relaxing, seeing you like that.”
Mia grinned at him. Korum could be very strange sometimes. “That’s good, I guess, considering how much I sleep.”
He just smiled in response, tucking one of the curls behind her ear. “Are you getting hungry now? Or still full from last night’s dinner?”
Mia considered it. “I could eat. But don’t we have lunch with my parents soon?”
“In another two hours. You’re probably going to starve by then.”
“Hmm, okay. I want to go for another swim first, though.”
“Sure. Want to go in now?”
“I actually have to run to the restroom first,” Mia admitted. “Will you wait for me? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Go ahead,” Korum told her, grinning. “I’ll wait.”
Jumping up, Mia ran back toward the house. Entering the fenced pool area, she used one of the bathrooms on the first floor. Then she headed back to the beach, eagerly anticipating the pleasant coolness of the water on her overheated skin.
Approaching the tall fence, Mia pushed open the gate . . . and froze.
Right outside the fence, with the landscaping blocking her from the view of anyone on the beach, was Leslie – one of the Resistance fighters Mia had worked with.
And in her slim, muscular arms was a gun pointed directly at Mia’s chest.
Chapter 19
For a few seconds, icy terror held Mia completely immobile, unable to think or react in any way. Just like a deer in the headlights, some part of her brain noted with morbid amusement. Her legs felt weak and heavy, as through she were caught in quicksand, and her vision had narrowed so that all she could see was the deadly weapon pointed at her.
And then a surge of adrenaline kicked in, clearing her head and sending her heart rate through the roof. If she didn’t do something, she would die, Mia realized with utter clarity. Korum was too far away to help her if she screamed; the bullet would get her long before he got anywhere near the house.
“Hands up, bitch,” Leslie ordered harshly, her delicate features so twisted with hatred that they were barely recognizable. “You fucking traitor, you’re going to get exactly what you deserve –”
“What are you doing here, Leslie?” Mia interrupted, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice and slowly raising her hands. Don’t show your fear to a rabid dog. Never show your fear. Keep her talking. Buy yourself time.
“Did you honestly think you could get away with it?” Leslie spit out, her arms shaking and her finger nervously tapping on the trigger. “Did you really think you could betray your entire race and live happily ever after, fucking that monster?”
Her clothes were ripped and dirty, Mia noted with some semi-functional part of her brain. The girl must’ve been on the run for quite some time.
“Leslie, listen to me,” Mia said desperately, knowing that she probably only had seconds left. “If you shoot me, Korum will kill you. You won’t be able to get away fast enough. He’ll hear the shot, and he’ll be on you –”
A mad, triumphant smile lit Leslie’s face. For a second, she looked positively gleeful. “Oh, you think I’m risking my life to kill you?” she said contemptuously. “You think I’m that stupid? No, bitch, as much as I’d love to put an end to your worthless existence, my orders are to keep you alive – alive and out of the way while he deals with your lover . . .”
Horrified, Mia stared at her, sickening fear spreading through her veins. “What do you mean?” she whispered, her brain barely able to process the implications. “While who deals with him?”
Leslie laughed, clearly enjoying Mia’s reaction. “I knew it. I knew you had fallen for that monster. I told John not to trust you, but he was stupidly convinced you were on our side. But I knew better. I knew you were just the type to fall for that pretty façade. Did he get you addicted too? Do you walk around now begging Ks to bite you every hour, like my brother did before they killed him?”
Mia’s thoughts whirled in panic, her heart pounding so hard she felt like it would break through her ribcage. At the same time, a fury slowly began to build deep in the pit of her stomach. “While who deals with him?” she repeated through clenched teeth, her voice low and mean.
Leslie’s lips twisted into a parody of a smile. “You think the Keiths were alone?” she said mockingly. “You think they got caught and that’s the end of it?”
Stunned, Mia could only stare at her in shock.
