Page 73 of Blood that Burns
“Oh God,” I cry out.
“What’s happening?”
“I see it. I see... you.”
His eyes go round in dread. “You... are seeing what’s in my head?”
“I... I don’t know what I’m seeing.”
His hand runs down his face and the images stop as though he finally threw up that wall, shielding me from his mind.
Thank God for that.
It was too much.
“I don’t like this. None of it,” he practically snarls, drawing my head toward him.
He doesn’t have to elaborate. I know exactly what he doesn’t like. The fact that I know exactly how devastated he was while I was missing.
He’d had his dick in any woman who was willing.
“Maggie,” he warns, reading my mind since I’m unable to control my thoughts like he is.
Screw it. I want him to hear every damn word of my revulsion.
“Looks to me like you were well cared for in my absence.”
“Maggie, I—”
I throw my hand up to stop him. “No need to talk about it. It’s not my business.” I inhale and exhale, trying to give myself some time to rein in my temper, because the fact is, he isn’t mine. He wasn’t then and isn’t now. It might hurt, but he did nothing wrong.
I shove down the pain and mask my hurt with a blank stare. He was right to avoid me last night. These conversations can’t do any good.
“We need to prepare for what’s to come,” I say, refusing to look at him. “I need to mentally prepare.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds before he says, “I wish you weren’t here. Can’t you stay in the car?”
My head snaps to his. “They said Marina has to be here, and if she’s coming, I’m coming.”
His hands ball into fists at his side. “It’s dangerous. Neither of you is prepared to take on a human, let alone immortal vampires. This is insane. I never should’ve agreed to it.”
My chest tightens, and shivers break out along my spine. It’s not my emotions I’m feeling, but his. He’s scared. And that manages to chase away the hurt and anger of before.
I place my hand on top of his. “It wasn’t your decision to make.” I sigh. “Plans are in place. We’ll be careful.”
“But I won’t be there to watch your back.”
My brow lifts. “If Katina were in here, she’d take offense at your lack of trust in her abilities.”
“I don’t give a damn,” he snarls. “I don’t trust anyone when it comes to your safety, Magdalena.”
There it is again. That full, awful name that only comes out when he’s chastising me or worrying over my well-being.
“I’ll be careful,” I promise. “Straight to the stage and out the exit as soon as possible with the human girls in tow.”
He sits back roughly into the seat, huffing. “When this is over, you’re getting more self-defense lessons. Seems like running headfirst into danger is a Drake specialty.”
I laugh even though I know he’s not being funny. He’s right. Being thrust into this new world, it will be difficult to avoid dangerous situations. We’re surrounded by vampires, and that alone is reason enough to learn to fight.
“I wouldn’t mind that. I actually enjoyed it when I was with—”
I don’t say his name, because I know what’s about to happen with Marcellus is also plaguing Law.
I squeeze his hand once more in feeble reassurance. The truth is, I can’t promise him I won’t get hurt today. None of us can promise that. We’ve gone over the plan several times and precautions have been taken for Marina and me to get to the stage and exit quickly. If all goes well, we should be outside within the safety of other vampires and the witches within minutes.
If something goes wrong... then we’re in trouble. Lucresse made it very clear that Marina must be at the auction. Whatever’s to happen is fated in a way that I can’t understand. I can only have faith in the vampires I’ve chosen to call friends.
I want to force Law to say more, but it won’t do any good. It’ll only end in an argument, and neither of us needs that before heading into the auction. We have a lot to discuss, but it’ll wait. It has to.
So, I do the one thing that I’ve never been very good at... remain quiet.