Page 56 of Stalked By Seduction and Shadows

Anger battered against my cool façade, and I was quick to beat it down.

I shrugged, biting my lip.

“You’d get even more of it at one of Durian’s clubs. Black Sapphire is on track to overtaking Odessa within the year. The rules are far more relaxed there,” he said, as if that was something a defenseless human like me wanted to hear. “Say the word, and the job is yours. You’d be paid double whatever you get here, and the crowd there would go wild for a delicious little thing like you. You’d want for nothing. You’d get anything and anyone you could ever desire. Money, clothes, gifts, experiences, and all the finest elixir in the world.”

I pretended to give his words due consideration. From what I’d heard, Durian’s clubs skirted on the edge of the law. Rumors were rampant that they kept mortals drunk or drugged, that they treated them like slaves even if they’d agreed to be there.

Could Isabella be in one of them? It didn’t seem likely. From everything I’d learned, it was far more probable that she’d be auctioned off to the highest bidder at some private auction.

As I looked from Frederick to Liza, my stomach soured, and I could’ve just as easily puked all over their flashy outfits rather than given them this fake-as-all-hell smile.

I feigned confusion. “Excuse me for my ignorance. I’m just so new to this city,” I stared, watching their eyes flash with excitement. “But I’ve heard these horrible rumors that Durian’s clubs are connected to this nasty human trafficking business. At least, that’s what my manager tells us.”

Liza stroked my hair, and it took all my willpower not to shoot up from the couch again. “No, no. Durian is a religious man. Though he is Lillian’s chosen, he would never make an enemy of Helia and her beautiful, pure children.”

Ew. This woman was not helping with my nausea. The way she watched me now was nothing short of violating.

“There is no slavery, only service,” Frederick said, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up.

“I do love to serve,” I murmured, creating a double entendre.

It was nearly time for my exit strategy. Hunger was radiating from these two in waves, their eyes flickering to my arteries with reckless abandon.

Heat coiled around my neck, and I could’ve sworn I felt a squeeze.

“The born would be honored to be served by a human so lovely,” Liza said. “If you ever wanted to explore the born districts, we would be happy to act as your escorts. You would be safe with us.”

“Though something tells me you love a thrill,” Frederick said, his breath hot on my neck.

I parsed through their words, pulling them apart and peering beneath each one for useful truths. The most incriminating of all was there is no slavery, only service. Frederick hadn’t condemned human trafficking. No.

He had justified it—he’d made being a blood slave sound enticing, sensual, holy. Their words were downright horrifying. Sickening. I’d placed myself directly in the middle of two vampires, who I was now one hundred percent certain not only condoned slavery, but also actively participated in it.

And they not only had my scent, they also had my face and my place of work.

Oh, gods.

Yet, I couldn’t see any other avenue to finding out where my sister was taken. This was exactly the stupid, risky plan I’d resigned myself to in my family cottage, listening to Jaxon and Phillip talk down to me and tell me I was a dead woman walking.

It should’ve been my blood on the sheets and my scream shooting across the front lawn and my limp feet dragging across the porch.

It should’ve been me.

And that was why I opened my mouth and heard myself say the damning words, “A tour of the born districts sounds lovely. I want to see everything Aristelle has to offer.”

Shadows from the dim chandelier above made the hollows of Frederick’s face appear more sinister, his beauty more deadly.

“How much would it take, little human?” Liza whispered. “To let us take your blood’s purity?”

Their desire had reached its peak, the tsunami towering over me and mere seconds away from crashing and sweeping me away.

“Money is nothing to us,” Frederick said. “It’s?—”

“Scarlett,” a gruff voice suddenly interrupted, and I could nearly feel the vampires’ irritation prickle my skin.

I acted like I was equally annoyed with Seraph’s burly body two feet away from the couch. His arms were crossed, and he made a wordless gesture for me to follow him.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered to them.

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