A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1)(32)

"Yet here you are."

She shrugged and moaned as that hurt, too, then met his gaze. "I have to find my brother."

He shook his head. "You're a fool to have come back here. He's probably dead by now. Or as good as."

"He's my brother."

For long moments, he studied her, then finally held his hand out to her. "Come."

She hesitated, then started to reach for his hand, only to snatch hers back as she realized his pupils were beginning to turn white, his fangs starting to elongate. "You're hungry."

"You're bleeding."

She shuddered. "Right. Trust me, I'd rather not be."

At his soft snort, she looked at him, surprised to see the smile reach his eyes.

"Do you need to bite me?"

"Wish to? Always. Need to? No. Your blood is far too enticing, and you've been weakened. Again."

Despite the fearsome visage he presented, she placed her hand in his. And held on tight.

Chapter Seven

As Quinn braced herself, feeling shaken and beaten, Arturo pulled into the alley behind his house. He handed Quinn out of the Jeep and led her into the kitchen as he had when he'd caught her trying to escape him the first time. His hand circled her upper arm to steady her, she supposed. They both knew she wasn't about to try to escape. Not yet, at least. Not after what had just happened. Her back burned from Francesca's lashings, her stomach was still sore and tight from the vomiting, and she felt more than a little light-headed. Another advantage of having a vampire companion - if she stumbled, he'd be able to grab her before she fell.

"Susie!" Arturo led her to the stairs. They were halfway up the flight when the girl appeared in the hallway below.

"Yes, Master?"

"Quinn is in need of tending. Gather your supplies and meet us upstairs."

"Yes, Master."

Quinn glanced at her companion. "She's kind of young, isn't she?" He'd already admitted to having sex with her. Every third day.

"She's older than she looks." At the top of the stairs, he ushered her into the room where she'd first found herself tied, spread-eagled, to the bed. "Susie will be up shortly, then I will leave you in her care. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from attacking any more of my servants."

Quinn grimaced. "Sorry. No attacking the other slaves. Promise." She shrugged. "At least, not unless I'm provoked."

"That's what I was afraid of," he murmured.

Susie appeared in the doorway, throwing a sweet smile at Arturo before shifting a wary gaze to Quinn. Seriously? In this kid's eyes, she was more scary than a vampire?

"She'll not hurt you," Arturo told the girl. "I have her word."

Quinn felt about two feet tall.

Arturo met Quinn's gaze. "I will not be far. In case you get another urge to sunbathe."

He wouldn't let her escape again. Part of her didn't want to. Horace's words, that Arturo was the best of the lot, had been soundly illustrated today. Yet, trapped was trapped. Only free would she stand any chance of finding Zack.

Arturo left. Susie remained in the doorway, clutching a basket of medical supplies against her abdomen. Good grief, her hands were actually shaking.

"Susie . . ." Quinn lifted her hands, palms out. "I didn't mean to hurt Ernesta. I mean, I did, but only because I was trying to escape to find my brother, and she'd told me she wasn't human. I figured that meant I needed to hit her hard. But I'm sorry. It wasn't anything against her personally. And I don't want to escape this time." At least not this moment. "I won't hit you, I promise."

The girl stepped forward cautiously. "Where are you hurt?"

"My back. I was lashed."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Susie nodded toward the bed. "Take off your shirt and lie down." The girl was suddenly all crisp efficiency. And she no longer sounded so young.

Quinn did as she was told, shrugging out of her jacket, then nearly moaning at the pain of peeling her tank top out of the wounds on her bloody back. If the girl had been looking for a bit of retribution for her friend, she was getting it in spades. Quinn forced herself to yank the top free as tears burned her eyes. With trembling hands, she pulled her running bra over her head, peeling it off, too. Finally free of the garments, she lay on the bed, the cotton bedspread cool and comforting against her sweat-damp skin.

The bed sank at her side as Susie joined her.

"The ointment will heal the wounds, but the application may be uncomfortable. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

She doubted that. "It can't hurt much more than Francesca's whip."

The girl's fingers were surprisingly gentle, the ointment cool to the touch, the sting not nearly as bad as Quinn had expected.

"You were lucky the master saved you," the girl murmured, her voice soft. "They say no slave survives Francesca, not even the immortals."

"Immortals? You mean vampires?" Little by little, the pain began to disappear beneath the ointment.

"Immortal humans. They call us Slavas."

Quinn glanced back at Susie with surprise. "You?"

Susie smiled gently, the oil lamp casting a soft light over her young face. "Yes, me. It happens to all of us who've been here a while. If you live long enough, it will happen to you, too." She lifted a lock of her own light brown hair, holding it up where she could see it. "You know you've become immortal when your hair starts to glow."