cautiously, “You’re smart for an empath., but maybe too smart? Maybe you know too much for your own good?”
My eyes bulged and my throat went dry, but what did I do? I took a drink of my beer when I heard the very words that I’d feared coming from a vampire. Those words were never followed by anything good.
CHAPTER EIGHT
What do you do when you’re in a room of vampires and the most dangerous one tells you that you know too much? You bolt. What did I do? I hyperventilated. “Oh yeah? You think I can’t handle all of this?”
“Relax,” Roane chided softly as he moved closer.
I tensed, but he only placed his drink on the counter behind me. I waited for him to move back, but he didn’t. Then I hyperventilated a little bit more…
“I told you, relax.” Roane shifted closer and his chest was nearly pressed against me with an arm tucked around me. To the outside observer, we were a couple on the quick way to a dark corner. To my inside observer, I was pretty sure I might’ve wet my pants.
‘ It’s not him. It’s not him,’ I chanted to myself.
Roane chuckled softly against my cheek. “You’re right. It’s not me. It’s your ex.”
My eyes flew wide open—I’d closed them without realizing it, but I caught my breath when I saw Roane watching me knowingly, amused, and did I detect some sympathy too? My hand tightened around the beer bottle. It was my only weapon of defense.
“You’re freaked out about all vampires because of one bad seed.”
“You’re all bad seeds.”
“True, but most of have us enough control and self-discipline. We have carnal desires, but we don’t act on them. If we did vampires wouldn’t be a secret to 90% of the world’s population.”
True, but… they were still evil. I took a nervous sip of my beer, but I didn’t taste it. In fact, as I felt the lightened bottle, I realized that either it had evaporated or I’d drunk most of it already. I wet my dry lips and hoped it had evaporated. “What… what did you mean before when you said that I know too much?”
“You do.” Roane tucked his hand that had rested on the counter behind my back and pulled me close. We were now flush against each other.
Craig was the reason why I was feeling this jittery, hot flash, shivering reaction. It had nothing to do with this vampire.
Roane’s breath tickled my cheek. “There are a lot of vampires here and there is a reason. You’re right. I’d been hoping your friend was here for you. I doubt it, though. That’s why I brought you here.”
I was dumbfounded… and a little woozy.
“Do you see her?” Roane urged me forward. We were embracing now, but he tilted my head to his shoulder where I was able to prop my chin up and then my eyes went wide when I saw what he wanted.
Kates was grinding against her vampire, but I didn’t see lustful Kates. She was on the prowl and I saw a predator glint in her sapphire eyes. She didn’t move thick with desire. She was alert, primed and it didn’t sit well with me.
Roane felt my tension and he nuzzled underneath my ear. “She’s not here for you. She’s not even here for the same reason the rest of us are here. She’s here because she’s about to do something that I don’t want her to do.”
“Why?” My whole body grew numb from the shock.
“You know the decree that was approved by both boards.”
It was the one where hunters replaced slayers. Gulping, I knew where this was going.
“Her mother was ripped to shreds because she violated the decree. That power went to your friend. She was branded because of that. Every vampire will know she’s got slayer power, but if she does what I think she’s here to do—you know what will happen.”
That was the problem. “Please? Just…” ‘…don’t kill her.’
To my surprise, Roane didn’t respond right away. His hand cupped the back of my