Page 121 of Bite Me

“Good. I hope you enjoyed your fun and got your fill of blood because this is where you’ll be for the next week. I’ll be bringing the papers in for you to sign shortly.”

As the door shuts, I start my search of the room inch by inch. The floors are dusty, and the light makes everything dim. It smells faintly of bleach. What did my grandfather use this for? Torture seems to be the only logical explanation.

If he locked me in here, what else would he do to me? To Emma or Florence?

I thought I’d known what my grandfather was capable of, that I knew him better than anyone else, but I’m beginning to think I haven’t scratched the surface.

I have to get out of here.

Chapter Forty-Five

Emma

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. My hands are tied.” Mrs. Abrams places both hands behind the desk in front of her.

“Bullshit.”

I think that might be the first time I’ve heard my dad cuss.

My entire family, including Parker, is standing in the dean’s office. A blanket of stars accompanies the candlelight from her desk. There are no solid stone walls. Instead, her office is one big, windowed dome that reminds me a lot of Luxxia because of the blue accents everywhere. Mrs. Abrams must love blue because her hair is also a dusty blue that she pins up in curls.

“Dad.” Eva grabs his hand.

This is his boss, after all, but I don’t think he cares right now. He’s extra angry because Mrs. Abrams was in meetings all day, so Evangeline had to attend the entirety of the Donor Program orientation.

“No, there is no way this is a binding contract,” my father says. “She signed documents on your campus that she did not consent to.”

“I understand that, and I agree with you completely. This is unacceptable, and we’ve opened an investigation into the matter based on Emma’s information. But I don’t have the power over the Donor Program. You will need to appeal through program channels. That said, Evangeline has my full support behind an appeal.”

“That could take months.”

Evangeline has picked the skin around her nails to the blood. She’s been quiet, maybe to avoid worrying anyone else, but I know her. This is what she does, complete internal shutdown. I grab her arm and hug her close.

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing more I can do for tonight,” the dean says.

My stomach is in knots after dropping Evangeline off at her room, and I make my way toward Luxxia House. The ground is still wet from another afternoon rain, and the lights along the path illuminate the stones in an oil-slick-like haze.

I haven’t heard from Dacre all day long. I thought surely I’d get a text.

Something is wrong. Why else wouldn’t he answer a single one of my texts?

Maybe his phone died, or maybe his meeting with his grandfather is going extra long. It might be both.

I’m not having doubts about Dacre. I’m ready to make something of this, and last night was incredible. We clicked in a way that I’m sure I don’t need to be afraid anymore. So why is he not texting me back? One of the richest families in Vviveren doesn’t have charging cords available in their plethora of limos?

Dacre’s hands still feel as if they’re all over me. His lips brush the space behind my knee. The words of praise he whispered make my skin shiver.

No. He loves me. Everything is fine.

I check my phone again, even though it’s only been a few minutes.

My heart jumps as I read Dacre’s text on my home screen:

“Meeting is taking longer than I thought. I’ll be gone for the next few days. Don’t wait for me. Luv U”

I stare at my phone. Crickets softly sing, and they shuffle around my feet in the low light of the lanterns. An eerie calm settles over me in the middle of the path as I read the text over and over again.

The air grows thick with my unease, and I break the text down section by section.