Page 33 of Bite of Sin

I swallowed thickly, realizing it was going to show off part of my tattoo. The ink covered my entire back, from my shoulder blades all the way to the top of my ass. Tattoos weren’t allowed in Project Hope, but this one was important. It was needed. If the vampires found out the reason I had it, I’d be just as screwed as if they found my weapons.

I slipped off my shirt and then took my boots off with every intent of wearing them after I changed. I couldn’t bring myself to part with my stake. Plus, the heels that were left out for me were at least four inches high, and I’d break my damn neck if I wore those. The pants Gia had left for me were black leather just like the corset top. It took me forever to pull them up. I sucked in my stomach, buttoning them before reaching for the shirt.

“These clothes are fucking ridiculous,” I grumbled, annoyance filtering through me. It took me another couple of minutes to tighten and tie the strings of the corset, and I froze when I realized how much it pushed up my breasts. I’d never shown cleavage like this in any of my regular clothes.

There was a knock on the door. “Gia still needs to show you what you’ll be doing. Hurry up.”

Since it was a feminine voice, I was guessing it was Dee outside the door. I bent over and slipped on my boots, glad the stake could stay hidden. There was no mirror in here, so I ran my fingers through my hair, wishing I’d pulled it up before Zan showed up at the hotel. My hair had natural loose curls, and I usually slept with my hair braided to help keep it from frizzing. Most of the time, I kept my hair in a ponytail, but unfortunately, my hair ties were in my backpack.

Wearing my hair down like this was just another vulnerability. It was easier for people to overpower me if they got a hold of my hair. These clothes made it even worse. I couldn’t move as freely as I liked. Not that any of it really mattered when I was surrounded by vampires here. I couldn’t fight my way out, even if I wanted.

Taking a deep breath, I shut out everything. My worry. My fear. I relaxed the muscles in my face until I knew I wasn’t portraying any emotion before I reached forward and opened the door. Gia was behind the bar, and she beckoned me over when she saw me. The place was still empty, and Dee was nowhere to be seen. It was quiet, but I knew that wouldn’t last much longer when they opened the doors to this place.

I was halfway to the bar when I heard a sharp intake of breath and then a muttered curse. A glance over my shoulder revealed Zan and the twins sitting in the same corner they’d brought me to last night. The only reason I could tell which twin was Viggo was because of the white shirt I’d already seen him in. Pax was wearing a hoodie. All three of them were staring at me until Viggo whispered something in Zan’s ear and then let out a laugh. Zan’s face darkened with a scowl, and he shoved Viggo away.

“Why aren’t you wearing the heels?” Gia asked sharply, making me look back at her.

“They didn’t fit. And I’ve never worn them,” I explained stiffly. “I wouldn’t get two steps without tripping.”

She nodded, seeming to accept my reasoning. “Fine. The boots match the outfit perfectly anyway. Even though they’re a bit worn.”

“I didn’t spend my days drinking and partying like everyone here,” I mumbled, letting my tongue run loose before I could stop myself.

Gia’s usual grin was gone in an instant, and she studied me. “It might look like fun here, but this was not how we spent our lives before this. Don’t judge. It’s rude.”

“Sorry,” I forced out, not wanting to test her patience after what Zan had said.

“I’m guessing you’ve never made drinks before?” she questioned as she continued washing the glasses.

I shook my head.

“Then you’ll serve the drinks.” She eyed me. “You can carry a tray, right?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t look so glum.” Her smile was back. “This place is great. You’ll learn what you need to without knowing the shit life at the center. Consider yourself lucky.”

Lucky. I was lucky to escape Project Hope with my life. But being here and lying to stay alive was hell. And I had a feeling it was only going to get worse.

My gaze fell on one of the cages and the woman inside who was curled up, sleeping. There were eight cages throughout the room and five had humans in them. Guilt crept in before I could stop it. Maybe I could find a way to get them out.

“You don’t need to worry about them,” Gia said, coming up beside me. “I have someone who deals with them only.”

“These humans are different from the ones last night,” I observed, glancing at the other cage.

“Yes.” She waved her hand toward a door in the back. “We have a whole room back there where they stay. We switch them out. Where they get showers and bathrooms.”

I turned to her in surprise. “Why?”

“Because the smell would be unbearable if they stayed in here.”

I nodded because that made more sense. For a moment, I’d considered that they cared about the humans, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

“Go finish wiping down the tables,” she ordered. “We’ll be opening the doors soon, and it’ll only take minutes for this place to fill.”

She tossed me a rag, and I moved to do what she said. The back of my neck prickled, keeping me fully aware that there were eyes on me. I subtly looked out of the corner of my eye, noticing Zan was still staring while the twins were talking to each other. Biting my tongue, I turned away from him, cleaning off a table before moving to the next one.

Gia kept me busy for the next half hour, and I’d finally stopped fidgeting with my top, feeling confident that it wasn’t going to fall. Zan’s necklace was on full display, and I caught Dee and Gia glancing at it more than once.

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