Without Regret (Pyte/Sentinel #2)(80)

Plus, I have a feeling I that I really wouldn’t like whatever it is that you and Eric have planned for me.”

“Give me the f**king key!” he snapped when she disappeared into the bathroom.

A minute later she stepped back into the room wearing his jeans and tee shirt. “Sorry, I can’t do that. But what I can do is tell the nice man at the front desk not to disturb you, and,” she said, grinning hugely as she pulled his wallet out of his pants pocket, “pay for another night so that you can enjoy that nice comfy bed and I can get the hell away from you.”

“I’ll find you,” he gritted out.

She merely shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“There’s no maybes about it, Munchkin,” he said, straining to sit up, but couldn’t, “when I get my hands on you I’m going to make you pay for every f**king minute that you leave me here. Then I’m going to ship your ass off to an island that you will never f**king leave!” he bellowed.

Chapter 27

“W-what did you just say?” Isabella asked, praying that she’d heard him wrong.

“You heard me,” he bit out coldly as he yanked on his handcuffs again.

“I don’t want to go to an island,” she mumbled as she scratched her neck. She’d planned on picking up some aloe for the scratches when she escaped, but that would be impossible now.

At least for a day or so.

She’d have to hide out and avoid any place with a camera or small crowds for a while. Right now her best bet was large crowds and anonymity. She’d have to travel at night to make it harder for anyone to spot her, but she could do it. She couldn’t touch her credit cards now, but thankfully there was enough money in Chris’

wallet that she should be able to hole up somewhere for a week or two while she transferred some of her money into a new online bank account and had the debit cards expressed to her. She could do this, she could”That’s not your choice to make, Munchkin. Your life as you know it is over. Right now you need to be a good little girl and uncuff me so that I can protect you,” he said harshly as he yanked on his cuffs again.

“I don’t need you to protect me. I can take care of myself,” she snapped as she reached down and grabbed her pants as they started to fall.

She did not appreciate it when he started to laugh at her.

“I can,” she stressed.

“Puhlease, Munchkin. You wouldn’t last an hour without my help now.”

“Wow, I couldn’t? That’s funny, because somehow I survived the last twenty-seven years without your help,” she snapped as headed for the door only to come to stop at his next words.

“You didn’t have demons, vampires and shifters after you before. But you do now. If you walk out that door, Munchkin, I won’t be there to protect you. Look outside,” he said conversationally. “The sun has gone down and it’s the night after the full moon. Every shifter that knows of your existence is going to be on the hunt for you along with every vampire that wants to please its Master. You leave right now and you’re going to have a nasty surprise.”

“Then again if you go out during the day without me you’ll have to worry about minions, demons and shifters looking for you. There will be nowhere for you to hide, Munchkin. You don’t have the skills or the resources to survive on your own.”

“That’s not true,” she mumbled weakly as his words sank in.

“You leave and you’ll either be dead by morning because someone got a little overzealous or you’ll end up a Master’s pet. Then again you might just killed in crossfire as they fight over you. If you’re lucky you’ll only be tortured and used for your skills.”

“You’re saying that I don’t have many choices,” she said quietly, realizing that he was right. She didn’t know how to fight never mind fight what was out there waiting for her.

“You walk out that door and you’re as good as dead or you release me and I can protect you and get you safely to an island where no one will ever find you and you can live a full life and be productive,” he said, sounding calmer. “All you have to do is let me go, Munchkin, and I can protect you.”

“And be a prisoner?” she asked, wondering where the hell the upside was.

“It’s better than being dead. Then again if you don’t do whatever they want you to do you’ll probably wish that you were,” he bit out coldly as he yanked uselessly on his cuffs.

She shook her head. “This can’t be it. There has to be another choice. Why can’t I stay in this country? I heard someone talk about a compound. Why can’t I stay there and work?”

For a moment he didn’t say anything, but she didn’t miss the way his expression became guarded. “Oh my god, that is an option, isn’t it? But you don’t want me to stay. You’re the one who wants me to go away,” she said, knowing it was the truth as the words tumbled out of her mouth.

“You’re weak, Munchkin,” he said harshly. “If anyone ever gets their hands on you-“

“You’re afraid that I’ll talk about something. Something you don’t want anyone to know about,” she concluded, cutting him off.

When he didn’t answer her she knew she was on the right track. She leaned back against the wall as she racked her brain for an answer. What could be so damn important that he’d be willing to sacrifice her happiness and freedom for?