Page 30 of Guarded By the Vodnik

“Everyone!” he bit out, his eyes growing reddish with pain. “All lamias!”

I pressed the muzzle of the jet gun to his side and tightened my hold. He screamed when I pulled the trigger, and the jet propelled us across the lake bottom, but I held on fast.

“Try the truth this time,” I snapped.

“They will! Please, they will! We told many!”

I gritted my teeth. It sounded unlikely that all lamias would come together for one job, but I couldn’t disregard that answer. If he was telling the truth, we were in deep shit.

I pressed the gun to his cheek, right underneath his milky eye. The lamia scrunched up his scaly face as if that would prevent him from getting hit.

“How did you find this place?”

“Searched and searched until we found the cameras.”

Of course they did, because they knew I guarded a human, and if someone approached them asking about it, of course the lamia told. He hated me.

I should have killed him when he saw me with Zoe, and it was all my fault for letting him live. I was too cocky in my belief lamias were scared of me. I underestimated them.

The safehouse was well hidden, too, and yet, they found it, even though it took them three weeks.

Damn, those lamias were determined.

“Who told you to come after her?” I asked, my voice dropping to a threatening rumble.

“Human diver!” he screeched at once. “Offered us a bounty. Gave us an advance. More after we get him the girl.”

“And where will he wait for delivery?” I asked finally, pressing the gun deeper until it ground against his cheekbone.

“He didn’t say! Just said get her and wait!”

“Wait where?” I growled.

“In the lake! Please! Let me go, let me go, let me go!”

I exhaled through my mouth, releasing a flurry of bubbles. It seemed like I wouldn’t get anything more out of him, so I shrugged and lifted the gun until the muzzle pressed into his open eye.

I squeezed the trigger. Blood inked the water as his eye burst open. He spasmed and was still.

One threat less.

Even though I was desperate to check on Zoe, I gritted my teeth and did a full sweep of the area to make sure no more lamias lurked around. When I didn’t find any more, I unlocked the safehouse and went inside, my tentacles squirming with impatience as I waited for the water to pump out of the lock.

As soon as I could, I opened the door to find her waiting on the other side. She wrung her hands, looking anxious and terrified. When she saw me, she took an impulsive step forward and then stopped, vibrating with tension.

“Are you all right? Did they get you?”

I shook my head, scanning her from head to toe while she did the same to me. It was ridiculous on my part. Zoe was safe all along, locked up in the safehouse, and yet, the adrenaline in my system made me worry excessively.

“I’m fine, but we have to go,” I said, guilt and shame twisting in my gut. “I suspect Carver’s people know you’re hiding in the lake. They enlisted the lamias’ help to find you. This place isn’t safe anymore. If we stay, they will swarm us, and if they are smart enough, they might damage our systems.”

She hugged herself, looking desolate and shaky. I lurched forward with the urge to touch her, but halted at the last moment. No, it wasn’t prudent. If I crossed that boundary, it would be a slippery slope. I’d probably try to fuck her, and that couldn’t happen.

“Zoe, put on the suit. We’ll also pack a bag. Only necessities, like food or warm clothes. Things you can’t survive without.”

She nodded, giving me one last, yearning look. I saw the way her hands shook at her sides, palms clenched into fists. She leaned forward, as if her body was helplessly drawn to me.

It seemed cruel to deny her that comfort. I gritted my teeth, my resolve cracking. I raised my hand, planning to put it on her shoulder, when Zoe turned on her heel and hurried to her room.

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