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My lip trembles, but I can’t get my voice to work. I can’t explain any of this because I just don’t know anything yet.
“I knew there was something amazing about you,” Sawyer finally says after a moment of silence. “A dhampir. You’re a fucking unicorn. You’re incredible, Hayley. You’re mine. Just because you’re a dhampir doesn’t change anything. It just makes sense. It explains why it’s so easy to be with you and why Aris is horrible.”
I smirk at his words, watching his confusion and fear morph into something indescribable. Maybe fascination. Maybe wonder. All I know is that in this moment, I feel like the most precious being in the world. I feel so very loved.
“Do you know anything about dhampirs? Lawrence didn’t tell me anything. I’m afraid.” I lean forward and rest my head on his shoulder, just listening to the sound of our hearts beating.
“I only know the stories, but I’ll tell you anything I can. And I’ll get you out of here. I swear. My promise to you stands. You’re my woman. I want you to be my entire existence, too. I will do anything.” Sawyer hugs me tighter.
And I believe him.
For the first time in days, I feel as if I’m going to be okay. I’ll be better off than okay.
I think I finally found my strength.
Lawrence was wrong about me being just a donor even though I’m a dhampir.
I want to prove the stories right.
Lawrence will learn. He will see that I’m not a donor. I’m part of the Bella Crew.
We will take him down.
Chapter 7
KNOX
Deals
I SMIRK AT Monroe, listening as silence falls between Hayley and Sawyer in a fucked up prison room. He won the game of Rock-Paper-Scissors to get her in the first place, and I’m glad he did. Had it been Monroe or even myself to win, there would’ve been a huge problem. It was bad enough Sawyer started a fight with the shadow dweller. But thankfully, when Lawrence showed up, he got his shit together and remembered not to do anything stupid. Monroe would’ve lost his head or some shit. Me? Who knows. Sawyer has always been incredible at thinking on his feet. I make a lot of judgment calls with my heart. And my cock. Right now? My damn cock aches as I think about Hayley. Sawyer got to fuck her in a way that I crave. Our short time trying to leave wasn’t enough. I don’t know how long Sawyer will be with Hayley in that cell, but I wish it were me.
“I feel like a fucking psycho right now.” Monroe keeps his voice low and stabs his blade into the concrete floor, chipping away at the foundation.
“Only right now?” I ask him teasingly.
He jerks his hand and stabs the blade an inch away from my leg, missing me on purpose. “Fuck off. You know what I mean. A part of me wants to rub one out because I’m so damn horny, and I can’t stop staring at this weird-ass setup. I thought the leadership was bad. Can you imagine what it’s like for these guys here? Like what the hell.”
He’s right about that. These bunk beds filled with bodies are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve lived a long time. I didn’t notice them at first until Lawrence dragged out the young vampire from the cell with Hayley and hooked him up to the top bunk in the far corner, knocking him the fuck out only to jab him to send blood into a tube feeding an unconscious donor. It’s twisted.
And I can’t help the curiosity coursing through me. That guy might know things. It seemed as if Lawrence trusted him enough to keep him with Hayley. And now that Sawyer can focus on the world outside of Hayley since he’s not screwing her, I can focus on other things too.
I push to my feet. “Keep an eye on the security feeds and watch the door. I’m going to free the asshole Lawrence had in the room with Hayley.”
“Fine, but you better fuck him up a bit. He drank from our girl.” Monroe cracks his knuckles and gets to his feet, dusting off his pants. He pulls his com device from his pocket and taps the screen, peering the security feeds around The Whiskey. We managed to hack into the system, and while we can’t do certain things like unlock the gates, we can at least have a visual of what’s monitored.
“Sure thing, dickhead.” I don’t plan to do what he says, because the guy is obviously a prisoner. I doubt that he would stand up beside Lawrence, and if I can get him to trust us, he might be able to help us. He knows more about this place than we do. We might be able to make a deal to get him out of here.
Monroe flicks my shoulder. “Fucking liar.”
I shake my head and stride away from him, not giving him a chance to stab me in the back or something. It bothers him more than it does me. I heard Hayley offer her blood to the guy. She wanted his in exchange. I might dislike the idea, but I know she was doing what she had to do.
Making my way through the aisles of stacked beds, I glance at the bodies, wondering if they ever get out of this state or if they’re basically flesh bags of blood on tap for the duration of their lives. Lawrence keeps them like animals—fuck, maybe worse. It’s one of the few things that La Vega doesn’t allow. Because when humans are treated like animals, they are more likely to fight back. I know this because I would too. I didn’t suddenly lose my morals when I transformed. I remember certain parts of my life, and I don’t think of donors as any less. That’s why I stand with the Bella Crew. That’s why I want to change La Vega. I think donors need better. They would thrive if the circumstances weren’t so fucked up. If they thrive, so do we.
I reach the corner of the room where Lawrence forced the vampire onto the top bunk, and I tilt my head and stare at him in silence. He’s gagged, but he’s no longer unconscious. And what the fuck. He’s strapped down in such a way that he could never escape, forced to lie here and have his blood pumped into what looks like an old man beneath him. From the gray hair of the donor, the old man doesn’t look like he’s going to last much longer in these conditions. His body might heal to regenerate more blood, but donors need more than that.
I step closer and peer down at the young vampire. He can’t be much older than the age he turned as a mortal. How do I know? Because he was too compliant. Whatever got him into this mess probably involved his transformation. He still has the demeanor of a donor. He wouldn’t have it if he were as old as the Vampire Uprising or The Divide. Sure, I could be wrong, but I’m usually not. I used to see this type of shit all the time.
The vampire’s eyes widen at the sight of me, and he mumbles something I can’t hear with the gag. It could be a plea for help or a warning. I guess I’ll find out. Darting out my hand, I rip off his gag and pull it out of his mouth. A long tube drags from his throat, and the guy coughs and groans, but he can’t sit up because of the restraints.
