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“Vzar’s coming along. I’ll keep him with Katina if that’ll make you feel better.”
“The guy from New Orleans?” I pull away to look at her face. Her nose is scrunched, signaling she’s not entirely impressed with that setup.
“Not a fan?”
“I wouldn’t say that. It’s just... can you trust him?”
I sigh. “Vzar was a close friend for a number of years. We’ve lost touch, but yes. I think we can trust him. I need more vampires on my side, Marina. I need to consider Council replacements.”
“And you think that guy would be good for the Council?” She’s definitely less than impressed.
“You met him once. Give him a chance, Marina. I trust him, and you should too.”
She blows out a breath. “I don’t like it.” She says this mostly to herself. I don’t like the fact that I need to put my friends’ lives at risk, but here we are. I won’t voice that concern, though. I’m not about to give her any more reasons to worry. We need all the help we can get.
“No more talk of the auction and the count,” I say. “Tonight, it’s just you and me.”
She doesn’t say a word as she sits up and crawls on top of me.
Life is good in this moment.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“Not a chance in hell, Marina.”
Julian thinks he’s going to stop the auction while I sit in this car with Bash watching over me like an infant. Over my dead body. This is one argument he will not win.
“That auction stole my life, Julian. I won’t back down. I’m going in whether you like it or not.”
He groans, slamming his head back into the headrest.
“For once, can you make things easy, Marina? If I’m worrying about you the whole time, I’ll be distracted. That’s dangerous.”
It’s not that I don’t understand where he’s coming from, but I can’t sit here. I didn’t sign up to watch all of my friends walk headfirst into danger while I sit out here safe. It’s wrong. This very auction literally stole me from my life. I can’t miss its downfall.
“It took me away from my family, who needed me, Julian. It’s the reason Shannon is suffering.”
He nods. “But it also brought you to me, Marina.” The vulnerability in his voice has me pausing. My words were thoughtless, because he’s right. Despite the fact that my abduction was wrong, it did bring us together, and that’s something I wouldn’t change. If I had to go through it all again to be with Julian, I would.
“You’re right, Julian. And I wouldn’t change that part of my path for anything. You’ve made me stronger. You’ve given me something to fight for.” I smile at him. “Those girls in there need someone to give them hope. A reason for them to fight. After everything, I have to be in there to see it fall.”
“You’re not ready to fight it if becomes necessary.”
“We discussed this, Julian. Maggie and I will go straight to the girls and help them get out. Katina will be with us. This is important to me.”
He sighs. “You’reimportant tome,” he stresses. “Madame Shante warned that you were in danger. This is likely the time she was talking about. I’m not going to willingly put your life at risk. How do you expect me to stop him while trying to keep you safe?”
“He could get to me out here,” I yell, trying to reason with an unreasonable vampire. “How am I in any more danger in there than out here?”
“Bash is out here. Hewillprotect you. He’ll die before anyone places a hand on you, Marina. Shante and the others will be out here too. You’re safe in this car,” he grinds through his bared teeth. “Nobody knows you’re here.”
He may be angry, but he has no idea how pissed off I am. He’s not considering my feelings. It’s been my people who have been stolen from their lives, enslaved, beaten, and killed by his kind. I have to have a hand in ending it.
“I can’t do this,” I admit. “I might not be a vampire, Julian, but I’m strong. I’ve been through a lot in my lifetime, and I refuse to be treated like a helpless child.” My hand reaches out, grabbing his. “If this relationship is going to work, you have to trust that I won’t walk headfirst into danger.”
He groans, but doesn’t say a word, his quiet deliberation making me squirm in my seat. Eventually, his shoulders slacken, and I know he’s taken to heart what I’ve asked. He turns fully in his seat and pulls me against his chest.
“I can’t lose you, Marina,” he whispers into my hair. “What if Shante’s vision is correct? What then?”
