Page 52 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

I hate being caught by him. Panic claws up my throat. “You’re not getting in my head,” I say, a tremor in my voice. “Get away from me.”

Henry doesn’t back up. His eyes rake over my face as if he’s drinking in the sight of me, and slowly his demeanor changes. He’s getting distracted being so close to me. His attraction to me has always gotten the best of him. He lifts his hand toward my face. I jerk my head away, but I can’t get out of reach, and Henry combs his fingers through my hair. “It has been agonizing staying away from you,” he says.

The man is so infuriating. I welcome the anger he stirs in me. Anger is better than fear. The anger clears my head, and Rook’s training kicks in. I lift my leg and smash my knee into Henry’s crotch as hard as I can. It’s an unoriginal move, but it’s also the first thing Rook taught me. A well-placed kick to the groin is one of the easiest and most effective ways to take a man down.

A very unsuspecting Henry cries out and keels over. I break away from him and make a dash for the elevator. Henry’s enforcers are still blocking it. “Get out of my way,” I demand. “Henry’s got no right to keep me here.”

Neither of the vampires moves until Henry roars, “Grab her!”

The vamp closest to me moves so quickly he’s just a blur, and by the time I can blink, he’s got me trapped in his arms, my back to his chest. I know I have no chance of escaping against his vampire strength, but I fight anyway. I smash my foot down on the man’s instep, thrust my elbow back into his gut, and throw my head back into his nose. I feel a satisfying crunch but get little more than a few grunts from the man.

The more I fail to escape him, the more panic takes over. I kick wildly and yell out in desperation. “Let me go!”

Henry grabs my face, and when I see his fangs and his glowing red eyes, a terrified scream rips from my throat. Is this the moment his obsession with me finally drives him to insanity and he kills me?

“Be still!” he snaps.

I don’t realize the order is a vampire compulsion until my body freezes against my will. I suck in a gasp, and angry, terrified tears sting my eyes. “Let me go, Henry.”

Henry’s fangs retract, but the faint, red glow stays in his eyes, letting me know the control he has on his temper is precarious at best. “Not until I have what I need.”

He reaches for me, and I pinch my eyes shut. He’s going to take my memories again. I don’t want him in my head, but I know I won’t be able to keep him out. I beg anyway. “Please don’t do this, Henry. Let me go.”

His gentle reply comes from so close I can feel his breath on my cheek. His fingers comb through my hair. “Don’t fight me, love. I hate hurting you.”

There’s no talking him out of it. Henry Stadther does what he wants.

I’m so overwhelmed with fear. If I could move, I’d be a trembling mess. But I’m angry at the same time. I hate that he can do this to me, that he has this power over me. I’m supposed to be a powerful fey, yet I can’t even…

My thoughts trail off as I realize I’m not helpless. I’ve been compelled to not move, but I can stillsing. Determination flares inside me, filling my body with renewed energy.

Henry places his hands on my temples, and his thoughts fill me. He’s excited to do this again. The first time was so addicting. Plus, it’s the only way he can get intimate with me. My memories are real, and when he’s in my head, I can’t hide from him.

As I suspected, he has no intention of taking only the memory of the killer’s face. He wants it all. He especially wants to figure out which man in my life I’m dating. The rumors and speculations have been flying around town.

I really don’t want Henry crawling through my private moments with my guys. I’m finally starting to loosen up with them. I don’t want Henry to set me back.

Henry enters my mind, and I react instinctively, trying to push him out with a mental shove. I’m strong enough that he has to push back, but I know from experience that he’s stronger and that all fighting him will do is painfully shred my mind.

“Stop fighting me, Nora.”

“No, you bastard!”

“You’re only hurting yourself. You know you can’t beat me.”

I push as hard as I can, but my head throbs. A few drops of blood trickle from my nose. My energy is fading fast. If I want to find my power, I’m going to have to stop resisting him. Dropping my resistance is almost impossible, but I stop fighting and instead try to figure out how to call on my power.

“That’s better,” Henry murmurs and immediately starts rifling through my memory. “What have you been up to, Nora?” he asks as he watches this morning play out. “The werewolf!” He sounds shocked. “I was so sure it was Parker. After all, he betrayed me for you.”

“Damn it, Henry! Get out of my head!”

With my eyes still pinched shut, I try to ignore Henry’s presence and turn my focus inside me. I’ve only used this power a couple of times, and I’m not really sure how it works, but it’s always come from deep inside. Kind of like a strong gut feeling. I search for that feeling now with intent.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Henry says, now witnessing my evening with Parker and the handoff from him to Oliver. “What does he mean, it’s your nature? Just what type of fey are you?”

He’s about to find out. I’ve discovered my power resting within my core, and it’s surprisingly easy to call on it. It’s as if it’s been waiting for me to acknowledge it. As soon as I feel that inner warmth, I grab on to it. Instinctively, I know that it’s ready, and all I have to do is bend Henry to my will. “Henry,” I say.

My voice is different with my power running through me. It’s softer and musical. It’s pure seduction.

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