Page 84 of Blood and Bonbons

Was I okay? Hell no. I understood very well how close Vena and I had come to serious trouble.

“They locked us in a room,” I managed. “I won’t be all right until we get out of here.”

He took my hand and led me from the storage room. The dressing area looked like a tornado had hit it. Sequined thongs were everywhere, and tiny feathers from a torn boa still drifted down in the air.

My phone lay on the floor in the chaos. A bloody feather was stuck on the screen. I pointed at it, and Vena scooped it up.

“Got it,” she said softly.

The first body I saw was one of the dancers we’d spotted earlier. He lay face down in a pool of blood, and my steps faltered.

“Why?” I whispered.

“Don’t look,” Cross said, urging me forward.

“It’s hard not to look,” Vena said. “Especially when we’re slipping in blood. Not complaining since the assholes did lock us in a room, but I’m not sure it’s worth their lives.”

“Isn’t it?” Cross asked with an angry edge. “I promise they wouldn’t have hesitated to take yours.”

My hands started to shake as I gave into Cross’ urging. We passed several more bodies on the way out. The bouncer lay in a heap right inside the door. I wasn’t as upset seeing his eyes vacantly staring at the wall.

However, as soon as we were out of the building, my shaking increased.

“I’m driving,” Vena said, noticing my composure dissolving.

I nodded and got into the passenger seat that Cross held open for me. His eyes had mostly returned to their normal soft brown. Vena started the car and waited for him to get into the back before peeling away from the curb.

“Not to be a Debbie Downer, but we just drove away from a murder scene. How attached are you to this car?” Vena asked me.

I hadn’t thought of that and started to hyperventilate again. Cross reached around from the back and set his hand on my shoulder.

“There’s no need to worry,” he said. “No one will report any murders.”

“How do you know that?” Vena asked, shooting him a look in the mirror.

“That place was a feeding ground for my kind. I smelled old blood when I entered.”

The tubes… The syringes…

I clenched my hands in my lap to try to stop the tremors wracking through me, and Cross’ hold on me tightened. “Why would you go there?” he asked softly. “If you wish to donate, I am happy to accept.”

“We weren’t there as feeders,” Vena said. “We were looking for some information pertaining to my brother.”

“Is he the person you mentioned who is missing?”

“Yes, and we didn’t know it was a feeding ground when we went there.”

“You should have waited for me.”

“Waited for you?” she asked. “Why?”

“Because you’re reckless and foolish and could have died.”

Vena’s grip tightened on the steering wheel.

“Do you want to know why women changed so much? Because we got tired of the disappointment of waiting for a hero that never showed up. We learned that if we wanted to be saved, we needed to save ourselves. You made it clear when we met that you weren't here to help us...that we're here to help you. So don't act all upset now. You didn't earn that right.”

He sighed, gave my shoulder another reassuring squeeze, and released me. I took a few calming breaths and told myself we were safe for the moment and that I wasn’t going to go to jail for accessory to multiple murders.

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