Page 54 of Depths of Desire
“So… it’s in Nice?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, God. Pippa. This is everything. What’s the name—” I stop myself. “Shit. You can’t answer that. Can you text me the name of the yacht and the slip number to this phone?”
“Yes. I will do that.”
“Excellent. Thank you so much, Pippa.”
“Not a problem. Must run. Chat soon.” She ends the call abruptly, but I don’t care.
Hope. This is real hope. I can get out of here. Maybe… just maybe, I can get my life back.
I climb out of bed, grab my coffee, and head to the shower. The hot spray revives me, loosens the weight in my chest. I try to think through the logistics, but the way I’m using the washrag between my legs is a bona fide distraction. Disgusted, I toss the cloth onto the stone bench lining one wall of the shower and force myself to stand under the spray and concentrate.
How am I going to get out of this house? That’s going to be the biggest challenge. Nico will be watching my every move—and now there’s extra security. I clench my fists, frustration rising like a tide. There must be a way. I will not live like this. I am not a prisoner. Tears burn in the back of my throat, but I refuse to let them fall. My parents don’t deserve my grief. They don’t deserve a single tear.
And honestly? I don’t even know if my father is still alive. How did everything go so wrong? Was the desire for power, for beauty, for money really worth it to them? Was I worth so little that they were willing to hand me over like a bargaining chip just to get ahead? It’s mind-boggling.
Someday, I’d like to find that witch. The one who helped my mother get pregnant. And when I do? Oh, I’d like to have a conversation with her. Like what was she thinking to curse me the way she did with the deal she’d made with my mother? Can I break the curse? And why could I literally float while having sex with a vampire? Was it just a by-product of the hex? Not that it was a bad thing. I shook the thought away and quickly replaced it with idly planning the witch’s death.
How do you kill a witch anyway? Is it a stake through the heart? That’s what kills vampires, or does it? I have no idea what’s real and what’s just some movie schtick. Garlic? Fire? Daylight? What do witches fear? I have no idea.
Oh my God… Why am I even having these thoughts? Why do I have to think like this? What am I supposed to do? A wave of despair crashes into me. I brace myself against the shower wall, my palms flat against the tile. You can do this, I tell myself. You just have to figure a way out of here.
Briefly, I consider asking Carson for help—but he’s far too loyal to Nico. That much is clear. So, who isn’t loyal to Nico? Wait... he said there were issues with some of his security when those Blood Orcs showed up. Maybe some of them aren’t so loyal. Maybe—just maybe—I could find one of them to help me.
Of course, I’d be trusting a stranger. And if they aren’t loyal to Nico, God knows they wouldn’t be loyal to me. I’d have to pay them. And if they’re for sale, then someone else could always pay them more.
Maybe I could get Pippa to help. If she came here herself—in her car—maybe she could smuggle me out in the trunk. Wouldthat even work? The water was running cool by the time I’d considered other possibility, before deciding Pippa might be the only shot I’ve got. The problem is, she’d get in trouble with Luca. And with Nico. But still…it’s worth a shot.
Now shivering, I rinse off, shut off the water, and step out, and grab a towel. I dry myself quickly, then run the towel through my damp hair. As I glance around the bathroom, something hits me. There’s no clothing. I wrap the towel tighter around my torso and head back into the original bedroom I’d been sleeping in. I open the closet. Empty. I open the drawers. Also empty.
“What the hell?” I mutter, spinning around—and freeze.
Nico is leaning against the door jamb, watching me with hooded eyes.
“What happened to the clothes that were in here?” I ask.
He shrugs, looking far too amused. “Since you seem so eager to escape, it seemed prudent to limit your access to clothing.”
“Seriously, Nico? That’s fucked up.”
Another small shrug. A wicked smile. “It works for me. I like you naked.”
Heat flushes from my neck to my cheeks. My whole body warms beneath his gaze, and I hate that he has this effect on me. That he can reduce me to this fluttering, breathless idiot.He’s not a man. He’s a vampire.I repeat it in my head like a mantra, trying to kill whatever this thing is that flares between us. But it’s no use. His eyes lock on mine, and I’m drowning.
“I need to be able to get dressed, Nico. Seriously,” I say.
His gaze sweeps over my entire body, slow and deliberate, like a gentle caress. He returns his eyes to mine. “As I said… I prefer you naked.”
I let out a dramatic sigh. “Well, I’m sure Carson wouldn’t agree.”
That makes him laugh. “Fine. There are clothes for you in my room.”
I move toward the door, but he doesn’t budge.
“Are you going to get out of the way?”
