I found it strange that a vampire with the power to make an entire building vanish into ruin would speak with such timidity to Cyrus, human or vampire. Then again, mortal terror of his dear old daddy probably inspired unusual reserve in most of his followers.

I heard Cyrus’s sigh of contentment over the rustle of sheets as he arranged himself on the bed. A pang of longing speared through me, the exact feeling someone would get watching the ex they dumped shopping happily for china patterns with his new love. You can put the vampire into the human, but you can’t take the human out of the vampire.

When the bathroom door closed and I heard the sound of running water, I made my move. I came down the steps as quickly and quietly as I could, but he still heard me. My eyes adjusted easily to the darkness and I found him, staring at me in disbelief as he sat up on the bed.

He was still human. I could tell from the smell of him, and the warmth that seemed to wrap around me. He’d cut his hair.

He opened his mouth, probably to shout to Angie for help. All he managed before I covered his mouth and nose with the chloroform-soaked scrap of my burned T-shirt was “No, she’s—”

Then it was done. He dropped, limp and unconscious, to the bed, and I lifted him over my shoulder. Carrying his weight this way was easier, but getting up the stairs took a bit more effort. Luckily, the woman in the bathroom seemed to be filling the tub. She never heard me struggling up the steps, into the hall and back through the kitchen.

If my departure had set off any sort of magical alarm, it was too late. I dumped Cyrus in the back of the van and drove into the desert before anyone could pursue us.

Chapter 16
Unpleasant Discoveries

Despite the fact she could barely walk, the damn woman insisted she come along with him.

Max ground his teeth as he paused for the umpteenth time for Bella to catch up. “You know, this would go a lot faster if you’d just stayed at home.”

“That place is not my home,” she snarled—actually snarled, the vicious bitch.

“You know what I meant.” He let her pass him a few steps before he started again. “You’re not exactly incognito with the smell of blood all over you.”

“If you would have done a better job patching me up, I would not smell like blood.” She limped a few steps, then visibly forced herself to straighten her leg.

Max sighed in frustration and caught up with her easily. “Do you want me to carry you?”

Her gold eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. “Absolutely not!”

Damn. It might have been fun to let her climb on him piggyback style, her legs wrapped around his waist.