Page 45 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

A dull ache pulsed at the base of my skull, and I winced, remembering all the wine I’d drunk the night before. Clearly, I’d overindulged, and now I was paying the price by having vivid nightmares about Freddie.

“Angelo?” I croaked, my throat dry and tight. “What are you doing here?” I shifted my weight on the luxurious bed. Angelo released my wrists and leaned back, allowing me to sit up. As I massaged the knot in my neck, I couldn’t help but notice the intricate thorny tattoo that snaked down his neck and over his chest, exposed by the completely unbuttoned white shirt he wore. His long, curly hair was pulled up into a man bun, a style that somehow managed to look both effortless and very deliberate, and hisdark green eyes glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window.

“I came to check on you,” Angelo said softly. “I heard you screaming.” His scowl deepened as he noticed my discomfort. “What’s wrong?”

I dragged my fingers through my hair. “It’s nothing. Too much wine last night.”

He stiffened. “Enzo shouldn’t have given you so much to drink.”

I sighed heavily, then dropped my arm. “He didn’t have a choice.”

His eyebrows raised in confusion. “Excuse me?”

I met his gaze head-on. “I told him if he didn’t, I would tell you that he touched me.”

He threw his head back and an enormous guffaw burst out of him as his eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, aren’t you the little minx.”

His laughter caught me off guard. It was rich and warm, filled with genuine amusement, and for a moment, I forgot myself. I forgot the fear, the anger, the confusion that had been my constant companions since he’d taken me, and a smile danced over the corners of my mouth.

But the moment was fleeting. As quickly as it had come, it was gone again as reality crashed back in, and the smile died on my lips. I couldn’t let myself be swayed by a charming laugh or a playful nickname. This man was my captor, not my friend.

And so I schooled my features into a neutral expression, trying to ignore the way my heart had leaped at the sound of his amusement. “I’m glad you approve,” I said in an evenvoice, “but don’t let it go to your head. I’m not here to entertain you.” The words were a reminder for myself as much as they were for him.

Angelo’s eyes narrowed slightly, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in their depths. Disappointment? Frustration? I couldn’t be sure. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the same amused sparkle as before.

“Oh, of course not,” he said, his voice still tinged with laughter even as he tried to be stern. “But there’s no harm in enjoying yourself a little, is there? After all, we’re going to be spending a lot of time together.”

As much as I didn’t want to give into the feeling, his words made me want him to hold me. Maybe he was using some kind of compulsion on me? Or was it something deep inside me that yearned for someone to take care of me?

He inclined his head and his eyes traced over my body, sending a shiver down my spine. He gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes and whispered, “You look absolutely breathtaking in the morning, Serenity. I could wake up to this every day.”

My chest tightened as sudden fear coursed through me. I edged away from him. “Are you going to feed on me?” My voice trembled.

He immediately snatched away his hand and a sorrowful look flashed in his eyes. “No, little one, I’m not. I would never hurt you. You’re mine to protect.”

“Why do you keep saying that? Unless you mean you’re just protecting your investment.”

He smiled again. “You’re much more than an investment.”

“If there are bad guys out there ready to snatch me up, then I need to protect myself. I know how to fight with a knife. Can I get either a switchblade or a blade?”

He slowly lifted his eyebrows. “Do you really think either of those will kill a vampire?”

I searched his eyes, trying to gauge his sincerity. Was he mocking me, or was he genuinely trying to help? I couldn’t be sure, but if I was going to survive in this world, I needed to understand the rules of engagement.

“So…I need a stake?” I asked, hating the uncertainty in my voice.

Angelo shook his head, a hint of a smile playing around the edges of his mouth. “Stakes are a myth. Truthfully, you need a sword. You saw how poor Jacques was killed. You need to cut a vampire’s head off to kill them. If you shoot us or stab us, it’s like a bee sting. All you’ll do is piss us off.”

I swallowed hard, the image of Jacques’ decapitated body flashing through my mind. The utter brutality of it, the finality, made my stomach churn. But beneath the revulsion, there was something else: a tiny spark of hope. If Angelo was telling me this, if he was telling me how to defend myself, maybe he wasn’t entirely the monster I’d thought him to be.

“Why are you helping me like this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Angelo’s gaze locked on mine, and for a moment, I felt like I could drown in the depths of his eyes. “Because I want you to survive,” he said, his voice low and intense. “I see something in you, Serenity, something special. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone, human or vampire, snuff that out.”

His words sent a shiver downmy spine, and I couldn’t look away. There was a sincerity in his voice, a raw honesty I couldn’t ignore. But there was also a fierce possessiveness. I didn’t know how to feel about that, just as I didn’t know how to reconcile the warring emotions that swirled within me. But one thing was clear: if I was going to make it out of this alive, I needed to learn how to navigate this world, and Angelo, for better or worse, was my guide.

He blinked. “Wait. You said you knew how to handle a switchblade or a knife? How did you learn how to fight?”

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