Bound by Danger (The Alliance #6) - Brenda K. Davies Page 0,19

her skin too. “We don’t exactly blend in.”

“We’re going to steal a car and get out of whatever city this is before nightfall.”

“You know how to steal a car?”

She didn’t know why she was so shocked by this revelation, considering he had red eyes, fangs, and was an immortal creature. But then, maybe he wasn’t immortal. Just because he was a vampire didn’t mean he could live forever.

Everything she knew about vampires, she learned from movies and books. She’d certainly never expected to find herself standing face-to-face with one.

“Yes.” He dug into his pocket and removed the metal key he’d taken from the Savage earlier. He turned it in his hand as he examined it; he could only hope it unlocked his manacles. “But first, we need to see if this key will unlock my chains.”

Callie studied the key as it glinted in the light beating down on the burning bodies. Thankfully, the fires were dying down as there was little flesh left to consume, and the fire wasn’t spreading across the floor as fast as she’d assumed it would.

“Can you unlock this?” he asked.

Callie started to tell him no, but the word froze in her throat. He’d managed to get them out of that place with those chains on, and he’d killed these two, but if he remained shackled and those monsters discovered them, he would eventually lose.

Besides, he’d gotten her to freedom; as much as she didn’t like it, she owed him for that. However, her feet remained planted where they were as she gazed between him, the burning vampires, the key, and back again. She didn’t want to get any closer to him.

Seeming to sense this, Lucien sighed and trudged toward her. She almost felt sorry for him as his head bowed and his shoulders hunched up. He’d spent a month in captivity with those things torturing him. And from what she could see, they’d done an excellent job with that torture as she seriously doubted he looked this awful before they got their hands on him.

When he stopped before her and held out the key, her hands trembled as she took it, but she slid it into the lock. Neither of them breathed as she twisted it to the side.

Something clicked, and the manacles gave way with a rattling clink as they hit the floor. Callie didn’t look at the metal. Instead, her gaze remained riveted on his wrists. The flesh had peeled away to reveal the muscle and bone beneath.

Despite this bastard having inflicted a great deal of pain on her, her heart went out to him. She was a healer at heart; usually, it was animals she healed, but she hated seeing anyone suffering.

She started to reach for him but pulled her hands back when she recalled he could kill her with a flick of his wrist. She clasped her hands before her. When she lifted her head, she found his vivid red eyes studying her.

“We should clean those wounds, or they’ll get infected,” she said.

“Things like that don’t concern me. Once I feed, they’ll heal.”

Callie cringed, and the reminder of his penchant for blood made her glad she hadn’t touched him.

Chapter Nine

Lucien was confident in his ability to steal a car. It would be easy to walk up to someone and talk them into handing over their keys.

They were back on the street for less than five minutes before encountering a man who was exiting a car that had started rusting during OJ’s murder trial. When the man saw Lucien approaching, he scrambled into the car, slammed the door, and locked the vehicle. Lucien stepped up to the driver’s side with its cracked-open window and started speaking to the man.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said in a soothing tone and hoped he was right. The frantic beat of the man’s heart caused saliva to pool in his mouth. “Get out of the car.”

“Fuck you,” the man replied as he shoved a key in the ignition.

“Look at me,” Lucien commanded as he strained to gain control over the man’s mind.

However, the man didn’t look at him as he started the car and stomped on the gas. Lucien jumped back to avoid having his feet run over as the man squealed out of his parking spot. Before he took the corner on two wheels, the man’s middle finger emerged out the window.

Lucien seethed as he watched the car vanish. His ability to bend another’s will to his wasn’t working. It was because he