AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"But you also want the vampires to be completely exterminated." Milo jumped in and pointed a finger at Massimo, reminding him of his commitment to the hunting group.Can’t forget that.
"Ahh, yes. Of course, dear boy." Massimo squeezed Milo's shoulder in a traitorous act of solidarity. "It will come to fruition in good time, no doubt."
So I had been right with my initial assessment. This bastard was playing both sides. When his little charade went awry it would be spectacular, and I hoped I'd be there to witness it. Honestly, I hoped I was still alive to be there.
I looked up at Milo, addressed the hunter directly. "Milo, surely you can see that he’s straddling the line and bullshitting the vampiresandthe hunters.” If he couldn’t see it for himself, I was going to do everything I could to point it out. “How could you possibly believe that he wants his own kind eradicated from the face of the earth?" I stood and gestured toward Massimo, who was barely three feet from me with a smirk on his face. He was so damn cocky.
"Don't worry, Cordie. Massimo has killed more vampires than most of the vampire hunters." Milo paused and stepped within an inch of me so I could feel the heat of his breath on my skin, which made my skin crawl. Lowering his head to meet my gaze, he continued. "He's certainly killed more than you, so I'd shut up if I were you." Massimo was killing his own kind? I wasn’t as shocked as I expected at Milo’s words. Now that I thought about it, Massimo would probably kill his own mother if it suited his purposes.
The vampire, smarmy bastard that he was, bowed slightly toward the hunter. "You're certainly correct, Milo. Cordelia here doesn't seem to know when to keep her mouth shut." Massimo reached for my arm, and I instinctively pulled it away. Chances were, with the strength of his hunger and the effect touch had, if he so much as laid a finger on me, his hunger might overpower his senses.
"I don't think I need to wait for permission to feed from you, my dear." Massimo lunged forward and shoved me against the wall. Held me there with his hands curled into my biceps and his body pressed into mine.
Panic gripped my throat as I tried to pull my arms from his grip, but he was too strong and any resistance was futile. Even the weakest vampire was dramatically stronger than me.
Eventually, he yanked my left arm out into the open and shoved my sleeve up to my elbow so hard my skin stung. He forcefully slathered his rigid tongue onto my wrist and leered up at me as he seemed to enjoy a lingering taste of my skin. I wanted to vomit.
"Please, don't do this," I pleaded. If only there was some way Rook could feel my desperation, my terror.
"Oh, but I must. I need to know what Rook finds so irresistible about you. That kind of knowledge will only assist me in finding his weak points." Massimo pressed closer, and I tried to take a step to the left. There was nowhere to go. I was already in the corner.
He reached for me and I flinched, then instantly hated myself for letting him see my terror, but he only took hold of my chin, tilting my head up to meet his eyes. "Look at me, little girl."
I did as he said, trying not to display the fear that was coursing through me. That I somehow managed to stop myself from trembling was a small victory.
He leaned in, his face inches from mine. "You should be honored. I don't often drink from another vampire’s leftovers."
Before I could respond, he lowered his head and sank his teeth into my neck. I cried out in pain. This was nothing like when I fed Rook. That was sensual. This was violent, without any of the pleasure I experienced with Rook, only a sharp pain radiating down the entire left side of my body.
I tried to struggle, twisted, shifted, thrashed as hard as I could, but Massimo was too strong, holding me down with his body weight as he forcefully drank from me. I could feel the blood being pulled from my veins, gulp by gulp, could feel myself getting weaker and more lightheaded by the second. Finally, as I was about to fade to black, he released me, and I slumped against the wall, trying to catch my breath.
"Did you like that?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Or were you just pretending to be turned on by it like all the other sluts who lust after vampires." There was no pretending. No liking whatsoever.
I glared at him, too angry and hurt to speak. Milo had watched the whole interaction intently, a strange look on his face. It was almost as if he was enjoying my suffering.
My cheeks flushed with anger and humiliation, and my eyes filled with tears. I wanted nothing more than to get away from them both, but I was trapped in this room with no way to escape.
"I think she liked it," Milo said finally, breaking the silence, and I wanted to kill him, hoped he died. "She's definitely turned on by vampires. I can vouch for the fact that she finds human men repulsive." Milo turned to leave and Massimo followed him out, shutting the door behind them. A loud thud indicated that the door had been barricaded and so my only option for escape was the window. And it wasn’t really an option since I would have to stand on one of their shoulders just to reach it, never mind shrinking so I could fit through it. Didn’t see that happening.
Once they were gone, I allowed the tears to flow. I glanced around, trying to find something, anything that could help me get out of my hostage situation. But the room was completely bare except for a child sized bed in the corner. There was no way out.
Shoving my hands into my pockets, I searched frantically for my cell phone. Of course, it was gone. No kidnapper worth his salt would leave the hostage with a cell phone. And a quick inspection of my jacket led to the realization that they had taken the dagger, as well.
I had no choice but to wait for Rook to come and rescue me. But I had no idea how long that would take, or if he would even be able to find me. I was completely at Massimo’s mercy which was not a place I wanted to be.
I had no idea if it was possible for me to make it out alive without Rook getting caught in the crossfire. But I highly doubted it. It didn’t help that I got the sense that Massimo would be thrilled with either of us being hurt. Whether Rook died or I did, the vampire prince was going to be in pain, which was the last thing I wanted.
All I could do at this point was rest and hope that Massimo didn’t come back for round two any time soon, because I knew, without a doubt, that if he took any more blood from me I would die.
4
Cordelia
After realizing that Massimo and Milo wouldn’t be returning any time soon to the small cell I had been forced into, I crawled onto the strange little cot that was in the corner of the room. Just that small movement made me feel like I wanted to throw up or pass out.
The headboard was rusty and the length was shorter than any bed I’d ever seen. But it wasn’t like I had other alternatives so I curled into a ball on the mattress. I just hoped it didn’t make me sick from all the dust and mold that was probably in it.
A deep sob worked its way up and out of my throat, and I eventually cried myself to sleep on the rough, wool blanket my less than generous captors had provided.
