Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory #2)(11)
Author: Cynthia Eden

“Get the vamp in a cell! Get that damn werewolf out of here!” Case barked orders. His gaze landed on Brett. “And get a medic!”

Shane didn’t fight against the hands that grabbed for him. He did look back at Olivia, though. His gaze held hers. “Love, I like the way you taste.”

She put her bleeding wrist behind her back. Lifted her chin. “That’s the only taste you’ll ever be getting.” She could still feel his mouth against her flesh. Like a brand. Hot. No, scorching.

His laughter drifted back to her as the guards led him from the room.

Other guards dragged David out of there even as two of the medics rushed inside. Olivia backed up, trying to make room for them. She backed right into Case because he’d closed in on her.

“The vampire bit you?” His eyes were narrowed with fury.

“No.” She shook her head. Glanced toward the window. The courtyard must have been at least forty feet below them. “He saved me.”

“Bullshit.”

Brett let out a low groan.

“It’s true. David—David is the one who attacked me.” What are you? His words seemed to echo in her head. “He attacked Brett and…” Her breath rushed out. “My remote didn’t work on him.”

Case’s eyelids flickered.

“Why didn’t the guards come in immediately?” Brett was being carried out on a stretcher. “They were watching. Why didn’t they come in as soon as he attacked?”

“Because your vampire hero was causing a near riot downstairs. All hands were needed. You had a guard in here,” he gritted out as fury darkened his gaze. “We thought you were safe.”

And she’d thought her remote would work. “What happened to the remote? Why didn’t it work?”

His gaze slid over the floor. He bent then and picked up the shattered remains of her remote. “Because it’s smashed to hell and back? It’s hard to work when it’s in pieces.”

He was a jerk. “David smashed it after—”

A medic tapped her shoulder. “Miss, do you need stitching up?”

Her wrist was still throbbing. She could still feel Shane’s mouth on her skin. “Yes.” The medic carefully pulled her toward the door.

“Where did the knife come from?” Case asked quietly.

She looked down and saw the bloody, silver knife near her feet. “I had to protect myself.” When the damn remote stopped working.

“You smuggled a silver knife into my prison?”

“I had to protect myself,” she said again. The medic was still pulling her toward the door.

“Why didn’t they kill you?”

At that question from Case, Olivia tensed. But she had an answer. The only answer that made sense. “Because David likes to play with his prey. He wasn’t done playing with me.”

“What about Shane?”

She glanced back at him. “You got here in time.” Lie. There was so much more to Shane than she’d realized. The vampire wasn’t at all what he appeared to be.

That was fine. She wasn’t exactly what she appeared to be, either.

***

The cell door slammed shut behind Shane. They hadn’t thrown him back in solitary. Probably because they realized solitary wasn’t doing a damn thing to him.

He closed his eyes as he stood in the middle of that cell. He could still taste Olivia on his tongue. A taste that was far too sweet, like candy. A taste that had sent a surge of power flooding right through him.

He knew the taste of humans. He’d sampled too many of them over the years not to know their taste.

Olivia looked human. She smelled human. She sounded human.

But she tasted…like something different. Like something special. Something I need to have.

Olivia wasn’t human.

He knew it, and now…so would the werewolf.

***

David slowly opened his eyes. The collar on his neck burned because the damn thing was still pumping silver into him.

They’d caged him again. Put him in the solitary confinement area designed just for werewolves—a small, two by five box with silver walls.

He laughed as he sat in his hell.

The guards had no clue. No f**king clue.

The instrument he’d needed had just been delivered right into his hands. Finally, finally, he could start his attack.

And the humans could die.

Chapter Three

Olivia opened the door to her temporary quarters—and found a guard standing on the other side. Her heart jumped in surprise because she sure hadn’t been expecting the guy. “I, um, didn’t realize I’d have an escort this morning.” The night had been hell. Every time she closed her eyes, she’d seen not David—not his claws.

She’d seen Shane. He’d been in her mind all night long.

He mentioned Pate…Shane knows that Pate sent me in to Purgatory.

“I’m not your escort, doctor. I’m here to make sure you stay in the room you were assigned to.”

Wait, what? Olivia shook her head. “I’m not a prisoner here.”

He just stared back at her.

“The federal government sent me in here!” The freaking FBI! “I’m supposed to be interviewing the inmates!” She hurried forward.

He blocked her path. “I’m sorry ma’am, but Warden Killian sent me here. You aren’t to get past me. You’re to stay in your quarters until the ferry comes back on Friday.”

That was days away. “You are kidding me.”

“He said your assignment at Purgatory is over.” Sympathy flashed on his face, but his tone didn’t soften. “So until the boat can come back for you, I’m afraid you don’t get to leave this area.”

The hell that would happen. Fury pounded through her body. “Get your warden on the radio. Now. I have connections that man can’t even dream about.” Such a giant lie. She had one connection, but she would sure use it. “How does he think I got here in the first place? And if I do not get to continue my job, Warden Killian and you are both going to find your asses facing questions from the FBI.”

The guard swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed nervously. He hesitated a moment longer.

“Get that radio!”

He snatched up his radio.

Olivia’s wound throbbed. Something is wrong here. Very, very wrong at Purgatory. Every instinct she had was screaming at her, and Olivia only knew one thing with certainty.

She had to see Shane, immediately.

“I wish you’d get out of my way,” she snarled at the guard. “Just—move.”