Page 58 of Seduction in Blood
I glanced around my bedroom and realized I'd grown accustomed to living here. To being near Devon. The thought of moving back to that dingy apartment in a bad neighborhood twisted my guts. Was it the luxury I'd been living in, the one I'd known all my life growing up, that I missed? I'd been happy a couple of weeks ago. Well, maybe not happy, but satisfied. I had a job that I enjoyed and a great friend in Ginger, who was outrageously fun to spend time with and who kept me on track. Once my debt was paid off, we could save for a better apartment in a safer neighborhood, and I would still have money to stash away.
What would I do when I thought I had enough money? That was the problem. Enough for what? I'd been fighting for survival for so long, I had no idea what my hopes and dreams were. Who was Cressa Langtry?
Damn. That question circled more frequently these days. And rather than face my next steps when I finished this job, all I could think about was why I hadn't had the dream last night.
My growling stomach ripped me from my musings. With little sleep, I'd need nourishment to get me through the evening. After a hearty breakfast, I spent a few hours with Anna reviewing the protocols for a Blood Ward attending this particular event—a formal ball. All of the elite vampires would be there, including the Council members. There would be other humans mixed in the crowd, but the bulk of the guests would be vamps of various ages. For once, I paid attention.
After a light lunch and an hour break, I met Sergi and Lucas for my last round of dagger and martial arts training. I wasn't sure who was more impressed by my new adaptive responses to their attacks, mixing my martial arts training with a dagger—me or the vamps. We were all surprised when Devon joined us.
He prowled the room, closing the gap between us as he circled. He must have been working out in the gym because his skin glistened with sweat, his hair was damp at the temples, and his eyes glimmered with that low pulse that happened whenever he exerted himself. He was agitated, and as the circle tightened, his pacing slowed, his fingers flexing into tight fists that made the muscles in his arms strain.
His gaze pinned me, and I readied myself, knowing how fast he could attack, how brutal he could be. And whatever riled him to his current state, I was thankful Sergi and Lucas were in the room with us. At least, I assumed they would hold him off from actually killing me. One of the few things I'd learned about vampires was that once their true nature got past a certain point, especially when hunting, it was extremely difficult for them to pull back. That was not a point I wanted to find myself in, not with vamps who were supposed to be on my side.
Sergi and Lucas divided, each taking a position to my left and right. I released a brief sigh when they turned to face Devon. I settled into a defensive crouch.
"Leave us." Devon's growl raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
A cold tingle of fear ran down my spine, and I glanced at Sergi and Lucas, questioning gazes already passing between them.
"I won't ask again."
With a great amount of reluctance, Sergi straightened, bowed his head, and walked out without a backward glance. Lucas followed until he reached the door.
"Devon," was all he said, but he waited.
"She'll be fine." Devon bit out the words, which did nothing to comfort me.
Lucas gave me a long look before turning away, the soft click of the door signaling I was alone with a ramped-up vamp.
His attack wasn't as fast as it could be, but he still caught me and flipped me to the ground. When he moved to pin me, I rolled away and was up, swinging out a leg that knocked him off his feet. I only had a few seconds reprieve before he was up and on me. We sparred for fifteen minutes—full speed and without a break. When I landed on the mat for the fifth time, I released my muscles and melted into the floor, refusing to get up.
"You're never going to best a vamp, little thief." He stood over me, legs apart, arms folded.
"One day," was all I could manage.
"Never. And it seems I need to spell it out since you've had an entire week and have yet to grasp the objective of these training sessions."
"Oh?" That piqued my interest, and I managed to rise high enough for my elbows to brace me. "Are you going to share with the class?"
He smiled, or maybe it was a leer. It was tough to tell. The glow in his eyes had receded, but his gaze held a steely edge. The man had ice for blood. Did vamps have blood? After a moment of glaring at each other, his leer shifted. A bit of a smile and something else. Respect? No, that seemed impossible. He held out a hand to me.
Resigned, I accepted the offer and let him pull me to my feet. Once there, he didn't let go of my hand but gripped it tighter and pulled me close. "Your objective wasn't to beat me or Lucas, and certainly not Sergi. Your mission was to last long enough for help to arrive or for you to find a way to escape. And you've proven yourself capable. It's becoming more difficult to take you down."
My temper flared, and from Devon's expression, it didn't surprise him. "Why didn't you tell me that from the beginning?"
He let go of his grip and turned toward the table with the weapons. "Because no one fights for their life unless they have to." He picked up a steel blade and ran his fingers over the edge. "And for a human, fighting to escape is the same thing. Always know you're fighting for your life, Cressa."
"I thought I had been."
He was on me in a flash, and once again, like on that first day of training, I found myself pressed against the wall, feet dangling. This time the hand around my neck didn't pinch as tightly, but the glow in his eyes was back. Not the scary ice blue, but the soft glow of moonbeams on the surface of a warm lagoon. My body responded with an urgent tightening between my legs.
He leaned in, breathing in my scent, as his other hand rested on my hip, a thumb rubbing soft circles. Did he know he was doing that? His lips were close, and I parted mine, hoping for a kiss. Wanting it. Needing it.
I was positive he was going to kiss me, but something shifted in his gaze. His lips grazed my ear, his voice barely a whisper. "What are you, Cressa Langtry?"
The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, dropped like a spent rag, and Devon was gone.
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