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“Alright, I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere,” he instructs.
“I’m not stupid,” I scowl.
“Uh-huh,” he mumbles as he leaves.
“What are you up to?” Quinn asks.
“Nothing,” I lie. “I want some time to myself. I feel like I haven’t been alone since I met Bash.”
“Fine, I’ll be in my office.”
I breathe a sigh of relief once I’m in my office with the door shut. I did need a few moments by myself. My life has changed so much within a few days, and I have been consumed with everything that’s Bash. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but my mind has to catch up with all that has happened.
At the same time, it feels wrong to be away from him. I’m falling for him. My heart aches to be near him. The only time I spent with him yesterday was when I was drunk off my ass—waking this morning and finding him gone bruised my ego even more. Does he not feel the pull? Does he miss me?
I shake my head and sit at my desk. I pulled out my phone, hoping that Bash had sent me the message. I’m not that lucky.
I’ve got your vampire! He fights dirty, but I have a secret weapon! If you want to save him, come to your apartment. Do not tell anyone. I’ll know if you do. See you soon, sweets.
What the fuck! Panic floods through my body. Shit! I stand quickly, intent on telling Quinn, but I fall back in my chair before taking a step. What if he knows? He followed me before.
The smart thing to do would be to tell Quinn. I can wait until Bishop comes back, and he can call in the calvary. I don’t know if I can take the chance of Bash getting hurt. How did he get the best of him? He said he had a secret weapon. I know there are drugs out there that can incapacitate shifters. Is there one for vampires?
I can’t wait. I jump up and head to the door. I have to walk past Quinn’s office to get out. My hands shake as I crack open the door, listening. I hear Quinn’s voice booming. He’s on the phone. I have the slightest chance to make it out without being seen. I walk softly but fast, peeking at him while going past, but he doesn’t look up.
I shut the front door quietly and sprint down the street. So fucking stupid, but I don’t have a choice. My breathing is harsh as I run. My feet keep moving without thought. All I can think of is Bash hurt, or worse, dead. Logically, I know vampires are hard to kill, but it can be done. I can’t lose him. He made me see the life I could have. I won’t allow that life to disappear.
The fog starts to lift from my brain a block away from my apartment. I stop running and lean against a stone wall. What am I doing? I don’t have any weapons. What will I do if he has a gun? I have zero arm strength. I’m out of breath from running fast. I don’t work out. I never took Ava up on her offer to pay for a self-defense class. He would bat me away like a fly.
I have to call Quinn. Bishop is bound to be back with food and panicking when he finds me gone. I reach for my phone. I freeze when an arm locks around my neck, and I’m pulled into an alley.
“No changing your mind, sweets,” a man’s voice rasps in my ear.
Adrenaline spikes through me, but before I can do anything, a needle slides into my neck. “Who—” I mumble.
“You’re mine now, Marie.”
I try to force my eyes to remain open but fail.
***
A light touch of a wet towel runs down my face. It doesn’t take me long to remember what happened. My eyes jerk open to stare into the crazy green eyes of my abductor. I try to move back but can’t. My wrists are tied to a headboard, and my feet are spread wide, my ankles tied to posts. Fear paralyzes me. My eyes dart around the room. I’m in a cold, dark, small basement. There’s a toilet in the corner and a chair next to the bed I am on.
“Marie, so sorry to have to tie you, but I don’t know if I can trust you yet,” he says sympathetically.
“Who are you?” I ask, voice trembling.
“You don’t recognize me?” He sounds hurt.
I try to calm down enough to study him. He has a long face and sandy blonde hair. His body is athletic but not as muscular as Bash or Bishops. A memory tugs at me. I have seen him before. My drugged brain is trying to catch up and push through the fear. I know it’s important to him for me to remember. I have to keep him happy until someone comes for me.
“I do know you,” I say. A few months ago, Quinn gave me a case. I started following a man. His girlfriend hired us to investigate him, but Quinn took me off the case when it got too big for me. We discovered the man was abusing his girlfriend and other women. We turned it over to the authorities. This is not good. “I followed you,” I say, swallowing hard.
“That’s right.” He smiles wide. “You stopped, though, and I was sad.”
“Sad?” I ask, afraid of his answer.
“Yeah, I liked having you around.” He pushes my hair behind my ear. I have to control my cringe. “Did you like it when I followed you?”
