Page 14 of Bent Out of Shade
“It’s Craig’s people,” he said. “Find Sabrina. And her abductors.”
He’d kill them. Presuming Vincenzo’s hypothesis was correct, and it was another human who’d targeted Sabrina? I worried at my bottom lip. She had a solid conviction rate under her belt, and along with that came enemies.
Did any of them deserve to die if they’d gone after her?
Did I care?
A group of women danced onto the sand along the shore, drinks in hand. Did Bree make it to dinner, flush with triumph, and accepting well-deserved toasts?
“Okay,” I said.
“One other condition. No one outside your firm is to know she’s missing.” Vincenzo’s eyes glowed a burnt crimson.
A human bride would be seen by many in the supernatural community as a huge weakness on BatXoha’s part. His power and reputation would stave off all but the most foolish or arrogant taking him on, but if his fiancée was missing? It wouldn’t matter if it was because she did a runner or was kidnapped, others would take it as a rallying cry to attack the vampire who couldn’t even babysit a human.
I nodded. “Provided the case doesn’t run us up against Zev BatKian, in which case he’d have to be briefed. Otherwise you have my word.”
“Your word isn’t enough. You will swear a blood oath.”
A what now? Nope. Didn’t need to know. Wasn’t happening. I wasn’t about to sacrifice my free will with a magic promise to some unfamiliar vampire. Correction: anyone familiar or not. “I’m more a pinky swear person.”
“It’s nonnegotiable,” he said.
“You should have thought of that before you gave me the details. I won’t swear a blood oath, and if you kill me, you’ll upset my boss. She’ll probably drag the Lonestars and Mr. BatKian’s crew into it.” I shrugged. “You have my word, and now I’d like my partner—fuck!”
Faster than I could process, he’d bit my wrist. The pain was a quick sting; far worse was that my magic had gone dormant.
The tied-back curtains fluttered free to enclose the three of us in the gazebo, and struggle as I might, Vincenzo was too strong to pull free of his grip.
His eyes flashed and his fingers bit into my flesh. “Say you swear you will do everything in your power to find Sabrina and only share information about her disappearance with Tatiana.”
My foot twitched. I longed to kick him in the shins, bite his hand, or play dirty in any way to free myself, but Emmett was still frozen, and while hurting the vampire would feel great, there was a lot to be said for biding my time. I’d make him pay for this, but it would be at a moment of my choosing, when he least expected it.
I brought my emotions under control with steely determination. “I swear to do everything in my power to find Sabrina and only share information about her disappearance with my team,” I said coldly.
Vincenzo glanced at Emmett. “Very well.” After I made the vow, the vampire impatiently prompted me to finish it with May the binding magic bleed me dry should I break this oath.
“Bleed me dry?” When his fingers pressed hard enough into my flesh to bruise it, I repeated the rest of the phrase like a good girl. My body tingled and the skin around his bite turned red and painful enough to make my eyes water. I pressed my lips together. Just when I thought a cry would burst out of me, the ache disappeared.
“If your intentions weren’t pure, you’d have died.” Vincenzo released me, the tight lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth easing and his shoulders relaxing. “I had to be sure. Bree is everything to me.”
I shook out my arm. The mark had faded but not disappeared. Just like my resentment. If I was in his position, I’d also want an iron-clad guarantee, but he’d stolen my consent. I probably would have agreed! This just made things between us feel sour from the start.
I couldn’t do anything about it because the asshole had suppressed my magic when he’d bitten me, and it was only the faintest tingle now. “How long will the bite last?”
“A few hours. However, the oath stands for all time.”
“I figured.” Why should any of this be easy? I folded my sleeves over my hands.
“You will keep me continually updated.” He paused. “Please.”
I sighed. “Of course.”
Vincenzo clapped Emmett on the shoulder, and the golem shook himself like a cat rousing from a nap. “Tatiana has a reputation for being the best. Don’t make me doubt the veracity of that. Find Bree quickly.” He strode off, a deceptively lithe powerhouse in top-dollar threads.
“He turned me into a goddamned statue.” Emmett clenched his fists.
I placed my hand on his shoulder, putting any lingering resentment at his earlier assholeness aside. “Yeah, but it’s because he perceived you as a threat.”
