Page 104 of Bite of Sin

“Get dressed,” he told me, keeping his back toward me. “We’ll talk about this later.”

He stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him. I bit my lip, not moving a muscle. Warner would never understand what I’d just done. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it now. With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and quickly threw on a bra and a T-shirt before slipping on a pair of leggings. After tying my boots, I glanced in the mirror, attempting to rearrange my hair to hide the hickeys.

“Shit,” I mumbled, giving up. There were two that were in plain view, and I didn’t have any clothes that would cover them.

There was a knock at my door, and I hurried across the room, pulling the door open. Warner was waiting, and he wouldn’t even meet my eyes.

“They want us downstairs right now,” he said gruffly. “Well, they want you downstairs. Since you’re the one who has been with the vampire every day, they want to talk to you.”

He headed down the hall, and I trailed after him, the silence tense and suffocating. He was my best friend, and he wouldn’t even fucking look at me. Once we got to the first floor, it grew chaotic. There were people running around, packing their things and making plans. I wasn’t kidding when I’d told Zan that we’d leave. Staying here when he knew the location wasn’t happening.

We didn’t stop to talk to anyone, making our way past the kitchen. The basement door was already open, and we bounded down the steps, hearing arguing coming from the room where Zan had been held. Warner entered the room first, and he sucked in a quick breath. I peered around him, my eyes widening in shock.

The floor was wet and stained red. A mangled body was in the middle, and it was impossible to recognize who it was. His limbs were bent at odd angles, and his throat was completely torn apart. My stomach rolled with nausea. Zan had done this. There wasn’t a question about it. He was a ruthless monster. A creature I’d been taught to hate. Taught that the world would be better with vampires extinct. And I’d had him in my bed.

“Kali. What did you talk to the vampire about the last time you were down here?” Garrett asked in a dangerous voice.

Memories of sitting on Zan’s lap filled my head, but I kept my face blank. “Exactly what I told you. The warehouse with hawthorn.”

“You were down here for hours,” Garrett snapped. “That’s all he fucking said?”

“He’s not very forthcoming,” I retorted. “He only gave me what he wanted to share.”

“Did you know he was going to escape?” Garrett asked.

“I had no idea.” I crossed my arms, keeping my eyes off the body on the floor.

A cruel gleam lit Garrett’s eyes when he glanced at my leg where Zan’s bite mark was. “Did you help him escape?”

“No,” I snarled, my pulse thudding. “I would never help him.”

“Don’t pawn off your mistake on her,” Warner spoke up, glaring daggers at Garrett. “She didn’t have the key to his chains. She wasn’t on watch. There’s only one body. I thought there was always supposed to be two men down here. Where was the second?”

“We had business to deal with, and I needed more men outside,” Garrett gritted out, clearly unhappy with Warner’s accusations.

“That’s on you,” Warner stated, standing at my side. “Kali was with me all night. Don’t try and blame her again, or I’ll tell Tim that you’re using your role as leader here to throw others under the bus for your mistakes.”

Garrett’s face turned a shade darker, and the two other men in the room shifted uncomfortably. Garrett was the boss here, and everyone followed his orders. Warner and I were new and clearly rocking the boat.

“We can’t stay here,” Garrett finally bit out, breaking the tense silence. “We’re all leaving in small groups and staying in safe houses until we can set up somewhere new. I want you two to go with Matt and Paul to a cabin a few hours from here. I’ll meet you there in a few days.”

It wasn’t lost on me that those two men were Garrett’s trusted friends. He wanted eyes on me. Warner nodded, his fingers interlocking with mine.

“Go pack,” Garrett ordered, running a hand down his face before glancing back at the body. “What a fucking shit night.”

Warner didn’t release my hand as he turned around, pulling me with him back up the stairs. We didn’t say a word as we went back to my room. People were still running around, and by sunrise, we’d all be gone from this house. Once I stepped into the room, I tugged out of Warner’s hold and grabbed the duffel bag that was in the corner. I heard the door close, and nerves skated through me.

“What are you doing, Kali?” Warner asked, his voice barely controlled. “Why the hell was he in here? Did you free him?”

“No, I didn’t.” I turned to face him. “I had no idea he’d gotten out until he showed up in my room.”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“Yes,” I whispered in a strangled voice. I couldn’t lie to him. No matter how badly I wanted to. Even if I did, he’d know. He could read me better than anyone.

“Fucking Christ,” Warner muttered, looking at me like he didn’t even know who I was. “He can’t entrance you. You willingly let him fuck you. A vampire. Did you see what he did to Rick? He’s a monster, Kali.”

“I know,” I cried, crossing the room until I was standing in front of him. “I don’t know how it happened. He acts differently with me. Sometimes it’s hard to remember what he is—”

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