Page 5 of Bold Mercy

“So we need a plan,” he said. “When the killer takes her, we’ll be waiting.”

“We’d better be.” I slid his key into my pocket. I didn’t ask him if he wanted it back now that I’d told him about my part in his trouble. “I can’t let anything happen to her.”

“What did they do to me, Kait?” he asked abruptly. He got to his feet, his hands at his sides, his face blank. But I saw what was in his eyes.

I lifted a hand to my stomach, pressing lightly, as though I could push the dread and pain and fear away. I hurt for him. He only watched me quietly, waiting, and maybe there was a little reluctance in his stare. Maybe he didn’t want to know the answer to his question. Not really.

“They chained you,” I said, finally, “and they hurt you. They beat you, cut you, terrorized you.” I swallowed hard. “They bit you.”

“They…” He shuddered. “They drank my blood?”

And so much more. But I didn’t say that. I only nodded. He still hadn’t really grasped the truth, not completely. He didn’t quite believe that real vampires had taken him. That they even existed. He hadn’t seen one yet.

But he would.

“So…” He shook his head and laughed, a harsh bark of sound that hurt my heart. “Does that mean I’ll start growing fangs and craving blood?”

“No,” I whispered, then cleared my throat and tried again. “No. He didn’t turn you. He would have, I think, had I not found you.”

“I should thank you, then.”

“No,” I said again. “God, no. You should not thank me.” My lips trembled and I pressed them together, forbidding myself to allow so much as a single tear to spill over. “I’m sorry you were hurt. And I’m sorry you were hurt because of me.”

We stared at each other silently until finally, I turned to leave. I’d give him time to process what I’d told him, and he would call me. When he did, we’d discuss a plan for catching the killer who was going to take Lucy.

We had time. I had a feeling that bastard was going to fuck with us as much as possible before he came after her.

We just needed to be ready when he did.