Pretty When They Collide (Pretty When She Dies 0.5)(34)

“Did it work?” Frank asked testily from the room.

“Yes. It worked. The spell did its job,” Aimee answered.

Michael stepped into the hallway, leaned down, and rolled Cassandra onto her back. Pressing the tranquilizer gun to her chest, he tapped it a few times. Cassandra remained unmoving. “She’s out,” he confirmed.

Finally leaving the doorway, Frank stared at his latest acquisition. “My, my, she is pretty. I’m going to enjoy breaking her. Cuff her.”

Michael squatted over Cassandra, laid his weapon aside, and unhooked the silver shackles hanging from his belt. “I have to say, Aimee, you’re a badass witch.”

The cold hands of the vampire settled on Aimee’s shoulders as he pressed his body against her. “That’s my girl. Doing her job. Obeying me.” Frank kissed her cheek, nuzzling it gently. “You want to obey me, don’t you Aimee?”

A part of her soul was screaming in defiance, but on the surface of her mind all she felt was numb. Frank’s blood had twisted her will, making her want to obey him, to please him, to be with him, but its tendrils had not fully encompassed her. A sliver of rebellion burned inside, but it was like a tiny rowboat caught in a hurricane.

“Aimee?”

“Yes, of course,” she answered in a voice devoid of inflection.

Flipping Cassandra onto her stomach, Michael secured her hands behind her back, then hoisted her off the floor. “I’ll get her into the holding room.”

“I still don’t like that I can’t go in there,” Frank groused.

“The spells that repulse a dhamphir are also going to work on a vampire,” Aimee reminded him. “Others can feed her your blood.”

“It takes the joy out of it,” Frank sniffed.

Carrying Cassandra down the hallway, Michael shook his head. “C’mon, Frank. You got yourself a genuine dhamphir. You saw what she did to your men. She’s a tough one.”

Frank completely disregarded the guards slowly rising to their feet behind him. “Maybe they’re just imbeciles who have no idea how to fight like real men.” He cast a scornful look in their direction.

“I should go and make sure the spells are all active and that she’s secure,” Aimee suggested.

Giving her a dismissive shrug, Frank gestured after Michael. “Fine, fine. Go do that. I have to yell at some idiots. I need you to come around in like thirty minutes. I’ll give you some of my blood to give to her. I want to start binding her to me immediately.”

Aimee nodded, her stomach twisting in knots.

“I wonder how long it will take to get her completely in my thrall.” Frank sighed. “She better not be another one like you.”

“I’m sorry for upsetting you, Frank,” Aimee said in a hushed tone, her head lowered.

“You see, that seems sincere. It feels sincere. And I like it.” Frank kissed the top of her head. “Now, go check on my prize.”

Following in Michael’s wake, Aimee flinched when Frank started to scream at his guards. It made her shudder in fear. The last time she had heard him so angry, he had been drowning her.

Hurrying up a narrow staircase to the second floor, she took several deep breaths to steady her nerves. She had done what she had to do. She had no choice. It was Frank’s fault she had been forced to do what she had done, but it didn’t make her feel any better about luring Cassandra into Frank’s trap.

The panic room that was being used as a cell to hold Cassandra was a short distance from her and Frank’s bedrooms. The product of Frank’s paranoia, it was completely secure. No one could breach it once the door closed unless they had the code and knew the location of the exterior control panel which was set under a tile in the hallway. The thick steel door stood open and she could hear Michael moving around inside. The door was camouflaged and could blend completely into the hallway. It amused Aimee to see that on the table attached to the faux wall the lamp perched on it was still lit. Frank always thought of everything.

Peeking inside, she spotted Michael securing Cassandra into place with a fresh set of silver shackles that were bolted to the ceiling. The dhamphir’s body hung limp in his arms as he checked the locks.

Hearing her soft footstep behind him, Michael tossed her a quick look over his shoulder. “Still out,” he said to Aimee.

“I see. Frank sent me to check the holding spells.”

Michael shrugged, stepping away from Cassandra. She dangled from the shackles, her head down with her hair obscuring her face. “I better check downstairs and make sure Frank doesn’t end up killing the guards. He has a temper.”

Nodding, Aimee silently agreed.

“You do good work,” Michael said, obviously impressed. “It’s not easy to take down a dhamphir. I can see why the vampires killed off most of your kind.”

Folding her arms over her chest and hugging herself, Aimee stared at the handsome man warily.

Taking a small step toward her, he lowered his voice. “I know Frank’s rough on you. You don’t deserve it.” His very warm fingers lightly skimmed her cheek, his eyes searching her face thoughtfully.

“What do I deserve?” Aimee asked, flinching from his touched.

“Better,” Michael said with a charmingly seductive smile. Without another word, he strode out of the room, leaving her alone with the dhamphir.