I noticed the change in Keir’s stance. His shoulders stiffened as he looked toward the door.
A man with a shaved head and a five o’clock shadow stood in the entrance. He was tall and muscular, with broad shoulders and, holy wow, hot looking. Like Jason Statham hot. But it was his eyes that made him look scarier than Keir and Damien and Balen put together—ice blue and colder than the Arctic. He looked like he could kill with one hand and not even think twice about it.
A snake tattoo was on the side of his neck that curled behind his left ear. There was no doubt this guy was another friend of Keir’s.
He nodded to Keir and Anstice, and they started to walk from the room.
“Whoa. Wait a sec. Anstice?” But they were already gone.
Snake tattoo guy remained at the door, watching me, his legs slightly parted in an intimidating stance. When he spoke, his deep English accent sent a chill down my spine.
“I’m Waleron,” he said. His eyes roamed over my body as if he could see beneath my duvet. Then his penetrating eyes met mine and, for once in my life, I knew to be a little more careful with what I said.
“The head doctor.” He sure as hell didn’t look like a head doctor. “Well, I’ll save you the trouble of doing all that double-meaning questions shit. Been there. What I need is for everyone to leave my place.”
“You slept with him,” Waleron said.
My mouth dropped open. Was he some psychotic pervert who watched me and Balen from the alley?
Waleron’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “I know because I smell his scent all over you and this room.”
“But that’s imposs—”
“Quiet.”
I sat up, willing myself to face this brute of a man on my feet. Gone was my common sense to keep my attitude under wraps. I met his stare and glared back, then tossed the covers aside and slid my legs over the side of the bed.
“You leave that bed, you’ll fall.” He said it matter-of-fact, like he knew exactly how weak my legs were. Well, he didn’t. He knew nothing about me.
“Well, then, wouldn’t you have a nice laugh. Looks like you need one. Now, if you don’t mind, get the hell out of my place.”
“I’ve returned with Balen,” Waleron said.
I froze just as I was attempting to stand. I sank back down. “It’s him, isn’t it? That’s why I feel okay again. He’s here.”
He nodded.
“I knew it. I just knew it. Okay, so there’s some device implanted in me or something that makes me sick whenever he leaves. Why? Who would do that? God, that’s just wrong.”
“I don’t know what’s going on.” He reached in his back pocket and took out a little narrow container that looked like it had a duck’s head on the top. The beak opened and whatever was inside popped out and he put it in his mouth.
Candy? He was eating a freakin’ candy?
He approached me and I was beginning to wonder if maybe I should’ve been nicer because that tat on his neck with his broad muscular stature was intimidating. “The pain has lessened?”
“Umm, yeah. Pretty much gone now.” I didn’t know why this man would know the answer, but I had to ask. “Will I die? I mean, is this device going to explode or anything?”
“There is no device,” he said. “But without him, you will suffer.”
“Okay, maybe I’m a little lightheaded right now, but what you’re saying sounds crazy. No device. No implant. Okay, so a voodoo thing-a-ma-jig. Come on, Doc, are you purposely trying to get me committed?”
“I don’t know what’s causing this.”
“Where is he? If he has to leave again, then I’m going with him.”
For the first time, I saw his expression falter with surprise. In a flash, the look disappeared and the cold demeanor returned. “You’re human. That’s impossible.”
“Of course I’m human.” Then my breath hitched as the memory of the man who had abducted me and Balen came rocketing into my mind. The fangs. The blood. His laughter.
“Yes,” Waleron said. “Your memory returning is unexpected. It has not happened before.”
What the hell was going on? Why did everyone know about what happened to me except me? Who was this guy? Another of Anstice’s brothers? “How do you know so much about what happened to me?”
“We rescued you and Balen.”
I winced. Guess I had to tone down the bitchiness. “You rescued us?” That was why Anstice and Keir wanted me to meet Waleron. Holy crap, he must be a cop. No, that didn’t make sense and he sure as hell didn’t look like one. “Is this Ryszard still alive?”
“No. He’s dead.”
Well, there’s one good thing out of this mess. “Why was Balen there with me? Why did Anstice keep it a secret? No bullshit.”
Waleron said nothing.
“Ryszard. He had fangs like a dog and smelled like black licorice. He bit my neck and . . . he drank my blood.”
Waleron stepped closer to the bed. “Vampire. Ryszard was a leader of a group here in Toronto.”
Vampires. Vampires? “Are you insane? Seriously . . . think about what you just said.”
“They feel constant thirst and the only way to ease it is to drink blood. If a woman consumes a vampire’s blood, they become his slave. And a slave to one of them is worse than death. Vampires have no remorse and kill for the mere pleasure of it.”