Renata, ingesting Breed blood provided even greater strength. Longevity too. A Breedmate could live for some long centuries with regular feedings from a vampire’s nourishing veins.
Until two years ago, Renata had no idea why she was different from everyone else she knew, or where she might belong. Crossing paths with Sergei Yakut had quickly brought her up to speed. He was the reason that she and Lex and the others were on guard tonight, prowling the city and looking for the individual who’d been asking around for the reclusive Yakut.
The Breed male Renata found at the jazz club had been so careless with his inquiries all night, she had to wonder if he was trying to provoke Sergei Yakut into coming to him. If so, the guy was either an idiot or suicidal, or some combination of both. She’d have her answer to that question soon enough.
Renata took her cell phone out of her pocket, flipped it open, and speed-dialed the first number on file. “Subject retrieved,” she announced when the call connected. She gave their location, then snapped the phone closed and put it away. Glancing over to where Alexei and the other guards had paused with their limp captive, she said, “The car’s on the way. Should be here in about two minutes.”
“Drop this sack of shit,” Lex ordered his men. They all released their grasps on the Breed male, and his body hit the asphalt with a jarring thud. Hands on his hips, fists framing his holstered pistol and a large hunting knife sheathed on his belt, Lex peered down into the unconscious face of
12
the vampire at his feet. He pulled in a sharp, disapproving breath, then spat, narrowly missing the blade-sharp cheek below. The foamy white glob of his saliva landed with a wet splat on the dark pavement not an inch away from the man’s blond head.
When Alexei glanced up again, there was a hard glint in his dark eyes. “Maybe we should kill him.”
One of the other guards chuckled, but Renata knew that Lex wasn’t joking. “Sergei said to bring him in.”
Alexei scoffed. “And give his enemies another chance to take his head?”
“We don’t know that this man had anything to do with the attack.”
“Can we be certain he didn’t?” Alexei turned to stare unblinkingly at Renata. “From now on, I trust no one. I would think you’d be as unlikely to risk his safety as I am.”
“I follow orders,” she replied. “Sergei said to find whoever was in town asking about him and bring him in for questioning. That’s what I intend to do.”
Lex’s eyes narrowed under the severe brown slashes of his brows.
“Fine,” he said, his voice too calm, too level. “You’re right, Renata. We have our orders. We’ll bring him in, like you say. But what are we going to do while we wait out here for pickup?”
Renata stared at him, wondering where he was heading now. Lex strolled around to the side of the unconscious Breed male and gave an experimental jab of his boot into the unprotected ribs. There was no reaction at all. Only the soft rise and fall of the male’s chest as he breathed.
Alexei peeled his lips back and grinned, jerking his chin toward the other men. “My boots are dirty. Maybe this useless baggage will clean them off while we wait, ah?”
At the encouraging chortles of his companions, Lex lifted one of his feet and let it hover over the unresponsive face of their captive.
13
“Lex—” Renata began, knowing he would ignore her if she tried to persuade him to stop. But it was at that precise moment that she noticed something strange about the blond male lying on the ground. His breathing was steady and shallow, his limbs unmoving, but his face…he was holding himself too still, even if he truly was unconscious. He wasn’t.
In a split second of clarity, Renata realized without a shred of doubt that he was very much awake. Very much aware of everything that was happening.
Oh, Christ.
Alexei chuckled now, lowering his leg as he started to
Until two years ago, Renata had no idea why she was different from everyone else she knew, or where she might belong. Crossing paths with Sergei Yakut had quickly brought her up to speed. He was the reason that she and Lex and the others were on guard tonight, prowling the city and looking for the individual who’d been asking around for the reclusive Yakut.
The Breed male Renata found at the jazz club had been so careless with his inquiries all night, she had to wonder if he was trying to provoke Sergei Yakut into coming to him. If so, the guy was either an idiot or suicidal, or some combination of both. She’d have her answer to that question soon enough.
Renata took her cell phone out of her pocket, flipped it open, and speed-dialed the first number on file. “Subject retrieved,” she announced when the call connected. She gave their location, then snapped the phone closed and put it away. Glancing over to where Alexei and the other guards had paused with their limp captive, she said, “The car’s on the way. Should be here in about two minutes.”
“Drop this sack of shit,” Lex ordered his men. They all released their grasps on the Breed male, and his body hit the asphalt with a jarring thud. Hands on his hips, fists framing his holstered pistol and a large hunting knife sheathed on his belt, Lex peered down into the unconscious face of
12
the vampire at his feet. He pulled in a sharp, disapproving breath, then spat, narrowly missing the blade-sharp cheek below. The foamy white glob of his saliva landed with a wet splat on the dark pavement not an inch away from the man’s blond head.
When Alexei glanced up again, there was a hard glint in his dark eyes. “Maybe we should kill him.”
One of the other guards chuckled, but Renata knew that Lex wasn’t joking. “Sergei said to bring him in.”
Alexei scoffed. “And give his enemies another chance to take his head?”
“We don’t know that this man had anything to do with the attack.”
“Can we be certain he didn’t?” Alexei turned to stare unblinkingly at Renata. “From now on, I trust no one. I would think you’d be as unlikely to risk his safety as I am.”
“I follow orders,” she replied. “Sergei said to find whoever was in town asking about him and bring him in for questioning. That’s what I intend to do.”
Lex’s eyes narrowed under the severe brown slashes of his brows.
“Fine,” he said, his voice too calm, too level. “You’re right, Renata. We have our orders. We’ll bring him in, like you say. But what are we going to do while we wait out here for pickup?”
Renata stared at him, wondering where he was heading now. Lex strolled around to the side of the unconscious Breed male and gave an experimental jab of his boot into the unprotected ribs. There was no reaction at all. Only the soft rise and fall of the male’s chest as he breathed.
Alexei peeled his lips back and grinned, jerking his chin toward the other men. “My boots are dirty. Maybe this useless baggage will clean them off while we wait, ah?”
At the encouraging chortles of his companions, Lex lifted one of his feet and let it hover over the unresponsive face of their captive.
13
“Lex—” Renata began, knowing he would ignore her if she tried to persuade him to stop. But it was at that precise moment that she noticed something strange about the blond male lying on the ground. His breathing was steady and shallow, his limbs unmoving, but his face…he was holding himself too still, even if he truly was unconscious. He wasn’t.
In a split second of clarity, Renata realized without a shred of doubt that he was very much awake. Very much aware of everything that was happening.
Oh, Christ.
Alexei chuckled now, lowering his leg as he started to
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