Page 76 of Feeding Frenzy

“The people that hurt her will pay.”

“Promise?” She hiccupped.

Her arms wrapped around me, and she sobbed into my chest. I patted her back, letting her cry the next bout out.

Eventually, the loud, gut-wrenching sobs tapered off and in between were shoulder wracking hiccups.

“I know it wasn’t the vampires she worked for. She talked about how they helped her.” Sydney sniffled and dashed the back of her hands across her nose. “She loved one called Talia, but my mom never let me meet her.”

“She knows who you are.” I smiled softly. “Do you want to see your mom’s body before she’s buried?”

“She wanted to be cremated.” She hiccupped and sniffed in hard. I nodded slowly and stood, holding my hand down toward her. She reached for me, and I pulled her to her feet.

I didn’t let her hand go as I guided her to the pink room. The door was already open, and Talia sat at the edge of her bed, combing Maddy’s hair back.

Sydney pulled free and leaned over the other side of her mother. I swiped my fingers across the few tears that escaped.

“You’re a sensitive little one,” Bastien murmured into my hair. He kissed the top of my head and straightened.

“Let’s get her home,” Asher murmured. Talia stood from the bed, giving Sydney privacy with her mother.

“Sydney will stay here with me. I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

I turned to look at the young girl not letting go of her mom’s hand.

“Please call if she needs anything,” I said with effort. Talia finally looked at me and nodded.

“I will call my Sire, if I need to contact you.” I didn’t pay any attention to the slight bite in her tone. There was a bit of possessiveness to how she spoke about Asher, but there were more important things to worry about.

***

Ren turned the SUV onto the main road Crimson Manor sat upon. We’d all packed into one vehicle, which was how I ended up wrapped up in Asher’s arms, reclining on his lap. Light flickered in the sky. The orange hue a striking difference from the dark backdrop. I straightened, leaning forward.

“What is . . .”

“Fuck,” Ren hissed. Ren stepped on the gas. The inky fog came closer and closer. The top floor of Crimson Manor was on fire.

Smoke plumed into the sky and dark smog coated the house. Fire engulfed the garden and sputtered out of the broken windows.

My hands began to shake. Again?

“My things,” I whimpered. There goes everything I’d collected since the last time, but this round hurt just a little less. “My laptop,” I shouted. I crawled over Asher’s lap to press my palms to the window. Yellow and red flames flickered from the top of Crimson Manor.Everything I’d collected.

My lip trembled. The car jolted to a stop.

A door snicked open and closed, in the same breath.

“Where are you going?” Asher shouted. “Ren!”

All I saw was his back as he disappeared through the gate. I yanked at the door, but Asher kept it closed.

“You’re not going in there.”

I kept yanking even though I knew Asher wouldn’t give in. “What is he doing?”

The siren of a fire engine spilled through even the closed doors of the car. A sudden slam rocked the SUV side to side.

Ren, soot covered, slipped into the SUV and shut the door. He put it in drive and peeled around to race away from the burning building.

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