Page 38 of The Vampire's Hunter

Corbin sneered. “My deepest felicitations, I assure you.”

For several minutes, they were then forced to wait in silence as Cassandra and Angelo put on their little show, the traitorous siren sitting in Angelo’s lap, covering his face in overly sugary kisses and whispering sweet nothings that, had she been watching, would have made even the statue of the Virgin Mary which overlooked them blush like a whore.

Corbin rubbed his temples, already far too close to losing his patience, before the meeting had even begun, until finally their other guests arrived. Roman, Salvatore, and Mickey, Lucien’s closest ranked representative, filed in, taking their respective seats spread out among the pews. Corbin’s hit had taken out several of Lucien’s men ranked over him.

“Well, best get on with it,” Angelo grumbled from where Cassandra still peppered kisses across his face, nuzzling into Angelo’s neck.

It wasn’t as if Corbin felt any hint of jealousy toward them. In fact, if Cassandra hadn’t turned out to be such a traitorous snake all because he’d chosen to end them, he would have gladly wished her the best, perhaps even beenhappyfor her and Angelo, as disgusting as he found their blatant display of tomfoolery to be. He may have been a willing participant in public sex, but that had been inside his own club, not on a goddamn church pulpit, though the ideadidhold a certain appeal, if he was honest.

No, instead what concerned him was how silent Dani had been.

How quiet and mild and meek. As she’d always expected her to be before.

Except he’d seen a change in her over these past few days, hadn’t he?

Something that hinted at the true woman beneath.

But there wasn’t time to ask about that now, to tend whatever wounds Cassandra’s presence had opened. Instead, there was business. The plan which they’d built together.

Corbin cleared his throat, stepping forward. “I’m sure you’re all eager to know why I’ve summoned you here, and so shortly after Lucien’s near death.” He nodded to Mickey, who did little more than curl a lip at him menacingly. The Irishman would be lucky to breathe another breath when this was through, but Corbin continued, ignoring him.

“Best get on with it now, Corbin. We haven’t got all night.” This from Angelo, of course. Ever hurried.

“We’re vampires. We have an eternity,” Corbin answered. “But apparently, that isn’t long enough to teach you the concept of patience, is it, Angelo?”

Kharis and a few of the others chuckled, causing Angelo to seethe, whilst Cassandra practically licked his nonexistent wounds. It was disgusting really.

Corbin turned his attention back toward the room. “It recently occurred to me that we haven’t all come together like this in years,” he said, pointedly looking toward them. “And thus, I have a proposal to make.” He placed his hands in his pockets, glancing down at his feet, before he began circling, working the room as he had countless times before. “Any man, vampire, or woman in this room, who has an interest in what I’m about to say is welcome to stay.”

He paused, dramatically. “Anyone else is free to take their leave.”

A wooden scrape of more than one pew bench followed, Roman and Mickey, moving to leave. As he’d suspected.

“But be apprised that if and when you walk through those doors,” he said, speaking after them, causing them to pause, “there will be a legion of human hunters waiting to greet you as you do.”

Immediately, shouts went up as the other vampires rounded on him, their bloody curses and furious hissing echoing off the cathedral ceiling.

Kharis fired a round into the rafters, a chunk of granite raining down. “Quiet,” he barked.

Corbin lifted a hand in agreement, silencing every person in the room, before he continued. “However, should you like to leave here today without the true death greeting you at the exit door, there is a choice to be made.” Slowly, he looked to each one of them. “Join me, and my crew,withoutstepping down from your respective positions and the ten years of unfettered immunity and lack of bloodshed between us, which I have been so graciously offered by our human companions this evening,” he gestured to Dani, “can be yours.”

He paused, now standing directly in front of the pulpit.

“Now, I believe you have a choice to make gentleman. I’ll leave you for a moment to discuss.” He nodded, eyes flashing crimson, before he swiftly took his leave. “Choose wisely.”

10

The moment Corbin finished his speech, Dani tore from the room, more thankful than ever for the reprieve. She hadn’t been able to breathe since the moment Cassandra had walked in, moving with all the grace of a preternatural beast. A kind of grace to which she could never aspire. Not if Corbin had his say.

She found her refuge in the choir room, her heart still racing. She could hardly keep her balance, hardly think.

Why was it so difficult to breathe? Though, if she was honest, she already knew.

Because Corbin had an entire life, an entire existence before her. Hell, likely several, and yet, he’d never bothered to share it with her. It was one more sign of how little importance she was to him. One more reason she needed to take fate into her own hands.

Dani’s mind wandered, each recollection of Cassandra’s words bringing fresh pain again.

Suddenly, Dani felt as if she’d been transported then, back to several years earlier as she stood outside another mansion, another party, one that was so much like the one she’d attended with him two nights before. An unexpected rain as she’d walked up the driveaway, her taxi driver unable to navigate through the sea of town cards and private limousines, had left her soaked through, ruining her dress and smearing her makeup, until she was certain she’d looked awful, but none of that had mattered, or it at least, it wasn’t supposed to, as she’d stood on the steps, waiting outside the entrance to the party for longer than she knew.

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