Page 14 of Sinner's Salvation

Several more seconds passed before Brian asked, “And how often do men who think their stupidity is justified, stop, apologize, and make things right?”

She thought about it. “Actually, I’ve never seen that happen.”

“So, we’re doomed?”

She laughed again. “You remind me so much of Yvgeny when he was younger.” She sobered. “Yes, we’re doomed.”

“Great.”

“Rest, Brian. Live in the moment. Worry later.”

“You sound like my mother.”

“Then she is a wise woman.”

He didn’t answer, but his breathing did deepen and even out as he fell asleep.

Anna envied him. She hadn’t slept in so long, she sometimes wondered if she ever had. Not everyone who became a vampire could cope with the inability to sleep. While meditation worked for most of them, a few went crazy within weeks and had to be put down.

It was another reason on the long list of reasons why their numbers were so low.

Only a few people in the whole world even had the potential to develop the autoimmune disorder that made them different. A few hundred, a thousand at most, out of eight billion people.

Some couldn’t mentally cope with the changes, going on a rampage of assault and murder before they had to be terminated. Usually, by her. Though, in the beginning, her son Baz had done it. Until he decided they were all better off dead.

Perhaps he’d been right all along.

Perhaps she should finally stop trying to keep their entire insane, bloodthirsty bunch of lunatics from killing themselves. Withdraw from the world and let it burn.

Except, Baz had found something to live for again, and Yvgeny, for the first time, showed some real interest in leadership.

Anna frowned. These thoughts were unlike her, but perhaps this was a sign of how badly she’d been injured. Healing took a lot of energy, and she’d lost a lot of blood. She would need to feed soon, and something told her that none of the soldiers in this place would be volunteering to provide her with a pint or two.

The memory of Evander Gunn, his arms crossed over his chest, putting the ring on his little finger on display, rose up in her mind. His sharp gaze and almost friendly smile reminded her so much of her old friend from the war. She’d fed from Bernard, only once, but he’d volunteered and hadn’t been afraid of her afterward. It was why she’d given him the ring. Anyone in her family who saw it would know he was under her protection.

Would Evander Gunn allow her to feed from him? He was taller and more muscled than her old friend. The smile was the same and so was his watchful gaze, as if he couldn’t wait to hear what you would say next.

Thinking of Evander Gunn did something to the pit of her stomach. Anticipation? Desire? It had been so long since pleasure had been part of her life.

Anna let her head fall back, her eyes close, and her breathing deepen. Putting herself into the meditative state that allowed her to get the rest she needed. She was still fully aware of her surroundings, but she could ignore them.

How long would their kidnappers allow them to rest?

***

Evan marched down thehall, fighting to control the anger and outrage roiling through him. Ledger had just thrown a damned diplomatic grenade into a situation that could easily develop into a political nuclear blast.

Shooting a foreign diplomat and an FBI agent, then kidnapping both of them with the intent to torture and experiment on them. The man had lost his mind, and now Evan had to figure out how to defuse the situation without causing a diplomatic incident or a shoot-out.

God damned entitled asshole.

Evan walked into the security room to find Ledger with two other men he hadn’t seen before. They had their heads together, whispering, as they watched the feed from the room Stettler and Anna were in. They were both dressed in suits, expensive ones, tailored to fit them properly.

They should give Ledger some tips on dressing for success.

They turned to stare at him as he walked up to them.

“You’re awfully chummy with that...creature,” the man on Ledger’s left said, with a sneer twisting his average features into something ugly.

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