Page 23 of The Vampire's Storm

And a dead man walking.

The question was, would she and Isabella survive before that happened?

“Please. Just one glass of water.” Willow begged. She would do anything for her child, even beg the evilest man alive.

He raised a single brow, amused by her humility, and watched them both for a long moment. Then Nikolay stepped back and nodded at the guard. “Get her some water.”

She almost thanked him out of habit.

“Don’t mistake this for kindness. I want you alive for my benefit.” He sneered, then walked out of the room.

The guard followed him, and Willow returned to the bed to strip the wet diaper off Isabella.

“It’s okay, baby. Daddy will find us.”

I hope.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Ineed to get in the air.” Craig growled as he stood with his legs wide and arms crossed, facing the king.

“I’m as furious and worried as you, Craig,” Vincent replied, mirroring the commander’s stance except his hands were planted on his hips.

Craig's gaze dropped to the floor in front of him as he shook his head.

Vincent understood his frustration.

Craig was a man of action, but if he let him loose without a plan, he’d scour the earth looking for his prince and best friend. And god knows how many people he’d kill.

“Ari?” Vincent glanced at his uncle. “Any clues where he would have gone? Or where the princesses are being held?”

“We have a few ideas. None with much substance, if I’m honest,” he admitted. “One location in Manhattan where we think the most recent vampires captured were held.”

“A team on the ground is scouting the location for us now. Brayden will go there first.” Craig nodded.

Vincent slid his eyes back to Ari.

“Two or three mafia production sites on the East Coast are possible, but it's unlikely they have tungsten to hold them,” Ari continued, then rubbed his face. “Assuming they’re not just dosing them up repeatedly on serum.”

Vincent felt sick at the thought.

Despite his interesting relationship with Willow, she was a Moretti, part of his family, and his brother’s mate.

His enemy had their princesses.

They could be dead.

His brother could now be dead.

Not knowing was infuriating, but there had been no other choice for Brayden. He’d had to go after them.

So yeah, he understood Craig’s fury. His own was simmering just beneath the surface, and the sound of Kate’s tears when he’d told her was not helping.

How dare that motherfucker take them!

This meant war.

They all knew that.

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