Page 19 of Rescued By the Vampire Assassin

Mihai shrugged. “Anatol’s the mad scientist, not me.”

“Why would he think giving a human that much power over a vampire is a good idea?”

Keri shivered at the violence in Joshua’s voice.

“As long as the human is controlled by a Vasile, it’s fine.”

“And this has worked before?” Joshua asked incredulously.

Mihai moved his palm from side-to-side. “It hasn’t been perfected. The humans are fragile and they die. The vampires go insane. It’s a work in progress. We thought we nailed it with the two of you.”

“Why?” Keri asked.

“Because Nicolau is an older vampire and very strong. And you were very responsive to all of Anatol’s commands.”

“I’ve never met Anatol.”

Mihai laughed.

Joshua cuffed him.

“What? She’s been walking around this mansion for a week.”

No, that was impossible. Panic welled up inside her. “That’s not true,” Keri said, shaking her head. “What day is it?”

“Friday,” Mihai said.

She slumped in relief. She had talked to Chrissy on Thursday. “He’s lying,” she told Joshua. “Rip his heart out.”

Joshua paused and looked at her thoughtfully.

“No, I swear it. It’s Friday the 13th,” Mihai said.

Keri staggered back. The last day she remembered was Thursday the 5th. She knew it was the fifth because she had just submitted an article that had been due that day right under the deadline.

She had been Anatol’s pawn for a week? What else had she done that she couldn’t recall? What had they done to her?

She didn’t remember making a sound or falling, but she suddenly felt the rug under her cheek, and those mewling sounds were coming from her throat. Joshua dispatched Mihai in his usual bloody fashion, and then he scooped her up in his arms and brought her over to the couch. He held her while she shook and cried.

Keri leaned into his touch, drawing comfort from the simple contact. "I was his pawn. I still am. It feels like I’m breaking apart inside.”

“If you can still cry, you haven’t broken.” Joshua's thumb traced her cheekbone, sending a shiver through her. "You're stronger than you know," he said softly. "I've seen countless humans break under far less pressure than you've endured."

Nestling deeper into Joshua's embrace, she curled up in his lap. His strong arms encircled her, providing a strange comfort that belied their dire circumstances. She inhaled Joshua's unique scent – a mix of sandalwood and winter air that calmed her racing thoughts.

"I left my family because I didn’t want to be controlled," Keri murmured, her voice muffled against Joshua's chest. "And now look? I’m cattle."

Joshua's hand moved in soothing circles on her back. "No, you're not," he said, his deep voice rumbling through her. “I will annihilate this entire clan, and that will be the end of Anatol Vasile and his serum. And if you want, I will do the same to your family as well.”

It was tempting, but her family had no means to harm her. The Vasiles, on the other hand... “What if he sent me to trap other humans like Chrissy did with me? What if I hurt someone?”

“Then it wasn’t you. Any blame is all on him. He made you a weapon, and I’ll make him pay,” Joshua said, rubbing her back.

“What if he tells me to hurt you?”

“You can’t.”

“What if he captures me and threatens to kill me if you don’t kill your whole family like he planned?”

---