Page 24 of Resurrection
“We have work to do.”
Snatching me by the arm, he leads me back to Sebastian’s bedroom. There is no point in struggling, he is much stronger and faster than me. I follow him mutely, wondering what turned him from a soft-spoken guy to a drill Sargent. He marches me inside the room, depositing me on the bed. My butt bounces on the soft mattress, and I scoot away from him.
“Stay there!” Eyebrows scrunched up, he gets on his phone again. Whoever he is calling picks up instantly. “I need feeders. Five or six, all female. And I need a dress for a petite woman, something the feeders would wear.” My chest feels tight when I hear those words. He doesn’t look away from me. “I need them all here within fifteen minutes, and they all need to be dark-haired, petite. No blondes or redheads, no large breasts or big curves, am I clear?”
“Andrei…” I have no idea what is going on, but I really, really don’t like the sound of those words. Dread pools like lead in my stomach. He obviously ignores me, listening to the person on the phone.
“I need to explain nothing to you! We are Italian, we like our women dark haired. They better be here before the time is up or I will personally pay you a visit.”
He ends the conversation while the person on the other side is still talking. Swallowing the lump that lodged in my throat, I blink at him stupidly. What the hell happened, and why is he looking at me with anger and fear mixed in his gaze? Summoning all the bravery I have, I move closer to the edge of the bed.
“Andrei, what happened? What is going on?” Reaching a shaking arm towards him, I take his hand in mine. “The Councildidn’t hurt Sebastian or Marcus, did they? Why do you need so many women?”
He pins me to the spot, his fingers gripping my hand so tightly I can feel the bones grinding. “We will have a visit from the Council.” My hand spasms in his and now it’s me squeezing him as hard as I can. “I need you to do everything I say, April. You must obey without question or a word. I will hide your presence only if you don’t give yourself away. Do I have your word?”
“Please let me go.” With a last-ditch effort, I try playing on his softer side. “You said you would protect me. If I hide, they’ll never find me. I promise.” I don’t mention that neither will he find me. Better to not remind him of that little detail.
“That’s exactly what I’m doing, April. Sebastian will have my head if you’re not here when he gets back. There is no safer place for you than in this apartment. Promise me you will do everything I say.”
Jerkily, I nod my head in understanding, not releasing the grip I have on his hand. We stand like that until he tilts his head, listening to something. Pulling me along with him, he opens the front door and five women walk in, all of them around my height, with long, dark hair in different shades. Standing among them at the entrance of the penthouse, I finally understand why Andrei told me I’m safest here.
He will hide me in plain sight.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“The dress I requested?”
All five of them turn to Andrei at his words, staring up at him adoringly. I have an urge to grab them by the hair and smack them around. Because of idiots like them, some of us lost families and live in sewers like cockroaches. While we are starving, scraping molded leftovers from dumpsters to feed ourselves, they are visiting monsters, all dolled up. Skintight dresses, mostly in red but one of them black, barely reach to the middle of their thighs. High ponytails or messy buns sit at the crown of their heads, leaving their necks open. Bruises cover their shoulders and necks, scars from fangs visible, but not as bad as the one I have. The one in the black dress hands Andrei a zipped-up bag she is holding. Snatching it from her hands, he turns his back on them.
“Sit in the living room and don’t move,” he tells them over his shoulder, leading me away.
Letting Andrei drag me away, I twist my neck, walking sideways so I can keep looking at them. Glares and hostility meet me when the vampire has his back to them. Frowning, I stumble, nearly falling on my face. Andrei catches me, scooping me upfast as lightning, and continues walking with a purpose. After depositing me on the same bed, he disappears for a minute, coming back with his hands full of stuff. I’ve seen those being used by my mother, back when I had a family and a life. Sitting next to me on the bed, Andrei turns me so we are facing each other.
“Where did you find these?” Glancing at him through my lashes, I poke around at the makeup he dumped between us with one finger.
“Feeders always carry it with them. They think by painting their face they will taste better.” At my frown, he smiles. “Women always carry makeup.”
“Umm…” My frown deepens, making him chuckle. He lifts my face up with a finger hooked under my chin.
“Women that are not in hiding, I should say.”
“Whatever.” Jerking my face away from his touch, I clench my jaw.
“You don’t need it.” Speaking softly, he starts picking through the makeup.
I sit still, closing and opening my eyes when I’m told. With swift strokes, he wields brushes like a pro. Stunned at the look of concentration on his face, I hope I don’t end up looking like a clown, getting more attention than he expects. When he tells me to close my eyes again, I try picturing the five women sitting in the living room. Some of them had black lines arched at the corners of their eyes, their lips glossy. One of them had barely any makeup on her face if I can remember correctly.
“Look at me.” Andrei pulls me out of my thoughts. “And I think we are done. Go put the dress on so I can pull your hair up.”
“How do you even know this?” Grabbing the bag off the bed, I start walking to the bathroom. “Do you do your own makeup occasionally?”
“No.” He laughs, pointing his finger at the bathroom, reminding me to hurry up. “I paint as a hobby. It’s useful in situations like this. And don’t look in the mirror, not yet.”
“Whatever, I’m not in a rush to see myself as a clown.” Stopping just shy of the mirror, I unzip the bag. A red something, I’m assuming it’s a tank top, swings on a hanger. “They forgot the bottom part.”
“Let me see,” Andrei says from right behind me and an embarrassing squeak echoes around us. “Sorry.”
“Make some noise when you sneak up on me. I’ll die of a heart attack if you keep it up.”
