Page 92 of Sinner's Sacrifice

Yvgeny got to his feet with an unsteady lurch, then walked slowly toward the sniveling coward. He twisted his torso, as if working out a couple of kinks in his back.

He should be dead on the floor, but not only was he not dead, he seemed to be recovering from what should have been lethal trauma with miraculous speed.

None of this, not any part of what she was witnessing made sense. Fear, anger, worry, and terror were dragging her emotions from high to low and back again so fast she was dizzy.

The man continued to beg. “I didn’t do anything or hurt anyone.”

“Oh stop,” Yvgeny said, speaking slowly and slurred. “I’m not going to kill you.”

The man stopped talking, but he continued to stare at Yvgeny like he was the devil incarnate, hyperventilating so hard every breath was audible.

Yvgeny approached him, grabbed one of the man’s wrists, and pulled the visibly shaking asshole toward him. Crouching on the floor, Yvgeny brought the man’s wrist closer to his face, then paused before glancing up at the security camera. He knew he was being watched.

He adjusted his position, ending up with his back to the camera, and did something that caused the man to cry out in pain.

“What is he doing?” she whispered to herself.

He stayed there for almost half a minute, before dropping the man’s arm and rising to his feet. He turned and faced the camera again.

Sam’s stomach dove straight down to ground level as she took an involuntary step back.

His face had more blood on it than before. All the way around his mouth, like a little kid who’d been drinking a too full glass of milk.

“What the fuck?” Brian’s voice sounded strained.

Sam couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing. Maybe she was interpreting it wrong?

“He didn’t just drink that man’s blood,” she said, sounding completely uncertain. “Did he?”

“I didn’t see what he did,” Nika replied in a tone that said she knew exactly what happened.

“Vampires are a myth,” Brian declared.

“Yes, they are,” Nika agreed easily.

“They all have teeth filed to sharp points,” Sam heard herself say. “Yvgeny said it was a stupid thing he and his cousins did when they were young men.”

“Yup, it’s also a cultural thing, or so I’ve been told,” Nika said, her tone calm. “Every one of his family members that I’ve met has those filed teeth.”

“Slovenians are known for speaking multiple languages, not sharp teeth,” Brian said with an incredulous expression on his face and a squeak to his voice.

“Is the hotel secure?” Yvgeny asked.

Sam checked the screen to see who he was talking to. Mason.

“Yes, sir. Single team from England.”

“They didn’t bring nearly enough people,” Yvgeny said, and he sounded disgusted. “I’m pretty sure I know what their goal was, but did any of them confess?”

“We want the woman you found,” the other man in the bloody blue suit said.

Sam’s spine stiffened. They were talking about her. Again.

All those people had come for her.

Yvgeny snarled wordlessly for a moment. “You can’t have her.”

The man laughed but there was no humor in it. “Neither can you.” He looked at Yvgeny’s aunt. “Isn’t that right?”