Page 21 of Resurrection
“You still fear me, April.”
“No shit I fear you, Sebastian.” I can’t hold my tongue. “What did you think? You’d tell me a story, and I’d get all warm and fuzzy? Jump on the crazy train to resurrect your long-lost queen, or whatever? You must think I’m an idiot.” When he keeps watching me, saying nothing, I get uncomfortable, so I continue talking. “Granted, I can’t blame you if you think I’m stupid. I haven’t been acting very smart since you’ve seen me. In my defense, that’s what people do when they are cornered…or abducted. They act in self-preservation, on instinct.” With a firm nod, I finish my speech.
One side of his lips twitches slightly.
“What?” Anger at finding myself in this position makes me snap at him.
“I love how brave you are.”
Taken aback by those words, my mouth opens and closes a few times as I squirm a bit before I can speak. “Wha…what?” Yeah, I know, a brilliant reply.
“You fear me, yet you fight me with every breath you take.” A smile like pure sin blossoms on his face. My stomach somersaults, my thighs clenching in reaction.
His nostrils flare, that smoldering fire returning to the intent gaze. Gulping air, I stare at him. Sebastian shakes his head slightly as if to clear it and turns around. His long legs take him to one of the chests of drawers, and he rummages through it. After a moment, he comes back in front of me and hands me what looks like a black t-shirt. A very large black t-shirt.
“Put it on.” His words come out as a growl, and I jerk back, bumping my head on the wall. “Please,” he tries again, softly, after clearing his throat. “I would like to keep my word, but your scent is too tempting. I think this will help…hopefully,” he adds as if telling himself that last bit.
I am all in agreement as soon as he says it will help him keep his word. Reaching for it, I yank the shirt from his fingers and look at him expectantly. He gives me a smirk, but thankfully, he turns his back. Not wanting to tempt Good Fortune, in case she decides to join Luck and Hope in becoming a bitch and the bane of my existence I pull the shirt over my head, shoving my arms through the holes as fast as possible. When I stand up, it drops down, covering me a few inches to my knees. It’s not the best, but it’s better than being naked.
“You can look now.” Kicking the towel away with one foot, I pull my hair out of the shirt.
“Let us organize ourselves before we answer the summons.” After sweeping his gaze over me from head to toe, he offers his hand.
I look at it like it’s a snake ready to bite me as soon as I touch it. Not daring to look into Sebastian’s eyes, I push his hand away and stomp towards the living room. There is no getting away right now, but it doesn’t mean I’m happy about being here. His chuckle from behind me makes me stomp harder.
Chapter Twenty
SEBASTIAN
The woman is oblivious.
Holding myself back, fisting my hands at my sides, I stride into the living room. I can feel April’s bare feet padding softly behind me. I am acutely aware of her every breath, of each beat of her heart that is fluttering like a hummingbird in her chest. Yes, she is oblivious to the effect she has on me, but Marcus and Andrei are not. Two sets of eyebrows hit hairlines when I appear. The males are smart, keeping to themselves whatever comments were swirling behind the stunned looks on their faces.
Pouring whiskey in the glass I left earlier, I slowly lower myself in the chair. April is standing at the entrance of the hallway, unsure of what to do. I should’ve let her stay unwashed, grime and dirt covering what is now revealed to my hungry sight. An oversight on my part. One for which I’m paying dearly now. She’s not a girl. Oh, no. Very far from a girl, in fact. Dressed only in my t-shirt, her pale arms and legs are contrasting perfectly with the black color of the fabric.
April is all woman.
Even malnourished, that fact is evident to me, and everyone else. The swell of her breasts and the dip of her hips cannot behidden, however. She fidgets where she stands, and with each movement, she taunts me. Aware that I’m staring at her, ready to pounce and devour her—like the monster she accused me of being—I glance at the drink in my hand. No deep breaths can stop what she has awoken in me. A groan passes through my firmly pressed lips. A snicker, followed by a cough, comes from Andrei, and I turn the anger at my own inability for control on him.
“Enough!” April startles, taking a few steps back when I snap at Andrei. Clearing my throat, collecting myself, I point at the sofa across from me. “Sit, April.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Her drying hair swings around her face when she shakes her head adamantly. “I can hear whatever you have to say from here. I don’t need to sit, really. I’m fine.” With an audible snap, she closes her mouth to stop the nervous blabbering. Crossing her arms over her chest in what I assume is an attempt to look more convincing, she nods at me once.
Blowing a deep breath through pursed lips, I press my thumb and forefinger over the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. Everything is going to shit. Everything I had planned for when I found her went wrong. I’d looked at every step, every move, to the most delicate details, for centuries. Everything was set in motion, only waiting on her to appear.
Rubbing my forehead, then scrubbing a hand over my face, I take a gulp of the whiskey. The damn thing is not doing what it’s meant to do. Eyeing her through the rim of the glass.Not yet,I remind myself.
“Marcus, report.” Not looking away from her, I hold her captive with my gaze.
“There is talk that one of the Guardians managed to escape when the human brought April to the hotel.” Frustration makes him growl low in his throat. “It’s impossible, we were thorough, making sure no witnesses were left. That leads me to believe thateither we were not as careful as we thought we were…or, we are missing something.” I glance at him and see him frowning at Andrei. “We removed all devices from this place, right?”
“Of course!” Glaring at Marcus, Andrei turns to me next. “Everything was removed and replaced with our own. We are sending them recordings occasionally, so they think that the listening devices are still in place. I’m sure of it. I made no mistake.”
“You have spoken to no one about April being here.” Watching them both intently, I don’t miss Marcus when he flinches slightly. “Who?” My question is growled through clenched teeth.
“I called Bran, to notify Mary on my way to the Council Towers.” Mary is a master vampire in France. She is one of the first I recruited after finding that parchment. She’s been helping with organizing spies, covering our tracks, and everything that has been delivered as information to the Council to keep them off our trail. I know she has been losing hope, but having the girl in my possession is the only thing that has prevented me from contacting her. Marcus has obviously overstepped his boundaries. When my glare deepens, he lifts both hands in surrender. “I only told them we found one runner. I know she will understand what I’m trying to say. They needed motivation, and it had been too long since they’ve had any. Their hope was dwindling, so I did what I thought was best in order to help.”
“Idiota!” Andrei burst out in Italian.
