Page 43 of Blood Bought

Chapter Nineteen:

Once I was dressed, I let Kellian and Renzo practically force feed me food and water. “You’re not gonna let this get awkward now, right, Addy?” Kell asked. “He’ll probably never let us touch you again, if that helps at all.”

I couldn’t think about myself or what would happen between me and Alaris right then. I’d been selfish enough enjoying what they’d done to me, but now it needed to be about her. “You honestly don’t sound that convinced. Where’d he go, anyway? He’s not going to like... kill Ciro, is he?”

“Nah. Though after the meeting we had a few days ago, he might want to. Ciro was a dick and threatened to take you for himself, so if he dies, it’s his own fault,” Renzo explained. “Kinda hope he does gut him, but it won’t happen. Alaris is too smart for that.”

That didn’t exactly make me feel better, so I stole the blanket he’d given me in the cells and wrapped it around myself for comfort. “So we just wait until he comes back?”

“Or until he gives us an order,” Kell said. “Put your shoes back on too. We might need to run if things go south.”

The thought of him in danger because of me made the whole situation worse, but things had already been set in motion. I slipped back into my boots and laced them up as Renzo and Kellian paced like caged animals, glancing from me to the door to each other every few seconds. It was making me antsier than I already was – especially since we didn’t hear anything for almost a half an hour.

“Are you sure that’s where he went?” I asked. “Maybe he went to find Sloane after all since he still didn’t let me get him off.”

“That’s not where he went.” Kellian’s tone left no room for additional questions, so I shut my mouth and joined their pacing since there was nothing else to do.

I was starting to suspect he was lying to me until Renzo abruptly picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Hold on,” he rushed out. “He’s distracting Ciro but we need to get Tamsin out and you need to say goodbye to her.”

We were suddenly moving so fast I thought my organs stayed behind, but it didn’t last long before he was dropping me back to my feet in the bloodwhores’ hostel. Dizzy as hell, I grabbed his arm to steady myself. “Oh god, I’m gonna hurl.”

“Should have let Kell bring you. Just get it together for a few minutes, Addy. You can puke later, we have to wake her up. Hey!”

Renzo reached down to shake her arm, but she wasn’t responding at all. Panic raced through me as I dropped down next to her and turned pleading eyes toward Kellian. “You have to help her. Please!”

He growled in frustration, then ripped open his own wrist with his teeth and dripped jet-black blood into her slightly open mouth, then pressed her jaw closed and waited.

A few tense seconds later, she coughed and opened her eyes. “What the fuck? Adalind?”

“Hi,” I whispered. “You have to be quiet and we need to go, okay?”

“What?” She was still disoriented, wiping the blood from her mouth lazily with a disgusted noise as I helped her sit up. When she realized there were two vampires standing over her, she gasped, pulling away like they might attack her and making Renzo hold up his hands.

“We don’t have the time to play catch-up, Addy. Kell, grab her and just fucking take her.”

He dropped down to eye level with her and said slowly, “Breathe. Relax, and don’t fight me.”

The moment his persuasion took hold, she held up her arms so he could lift her and raced out, leaving me standing there with my hand outstretched. “Where is he taking her?”

“To Draterion. Ciro won’t cross over and she should be safe there. I need to get you back in Alaris’ room. You gonna puke if I make this quick?”

I shook my head quickly and let him pick me up, but the ride made me even more nauseous. I sat down abruptly in the middle of the floor and focused on breathing until it passed, then glanced up to him with hopeful eyes. “Did they make it out?”

“Out, yes. He’s an Heir so he knows how to get in and out without anyone knowing. Alaris is fighting right now though and it’s not fucking stopping. I might have to interfere.”

My chest tightened as I stood up quickly. “Take me to him.”

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