friends,” Sofia said, struggling to keep the urge to scream in check. “I got that monster away from her. I at least deserve to know what’s going on.”
“You already know more than you should,” Justin told her. The look he gave Phenex was decidedly beleaguered. “Go ahead and gloat, Phenex. You Fallen were right. Hiring humans was a bad idea.”
“Told you.”
Sofia’s chin went up as she looked between them. “If I’ve already seen too much, then a little more information can’t hurt.”
To her surprise, Justin smiled then, a startling flash of humor in a face that was as serious as it was handsome. It was gone before it could even begin to set her at ease, but there was a softening in the way he looked at her that helped the raw nerves she was contending with. It gave her some small amount of hope that she would walk out of here in one piece. Still, her friends…
“You don’t cower, do you? I can appreciate that.” Justin drew in a deep breath and looked away, appearing to be in deep thought about something. At her side, Phenex leaned over to murmur in her ear.
“Relax. He isn’t going to eat you.”
She turned her head just enough to give him a sidelong glance. He didn’t seem to have any trouble being completely in her personal space, something that normally would have bothered her. Now, the fact that it didn’t bother her bothered her. Especially because he seemed a lot more dangerous than Justin did.
“Nothing about this is funny,” she hissed back.
“Sure it is. Humans just have no sense of humor.”
His amused disdain for her, well, species, did nothing for Sofia’s ragged nerves. An acid comment rose to her lips, only to be banished by Justin’s sudden reentrance into the conversation.
“Fair enough. I know you’re telling the truth, Sofia. I just wish you knew more than you do about what went on here. As it is, I’m going to have my hands full with…this…for a while.”
“Aren’t you going to call the police?” she asked. Justin’s reddish eyes narrowed, and for an instant she caught a glimpse of what he must be like when he was truly angry. It would be terrifying, she realized. Phenex might be bigger, but Justin was deadly in his own right. Like the guy in pieces on the floor. Except far, far more competent.
“We take care of our own problems here,” he said, his voice deceptively cool. “I suggest you heed that, unless you want even more attention from my kind.”
“What are you?” Sofia didn’t realize she’d asked out loud until it was too late to take the words back. She blamed the shock now setting in, making her shiver, fuzzing her thoughts. But that didn’t make the question vanish. Some part of her already knew the answer. She just couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it.
I’m no bloodsucker, Phenex had told her, seeming offended that she might think so. Justin simply arched a dark brow.
“You know what I am,” was all he said, then turned the subject with businesslike precision. “You’re free to go, provided you can keep tonight to yourself.” He tilted his head, his gaze intense. “I think you can, actually. Unusual. Which is why I’ll give you a choice I didn’t give your friend. If you’d rather just forget everything, I can accommodate that. She won’t even remember coming here tonight. I can do the same for you. You’d be happier.”
“No,” Sofia said, sure of this if nothing else. “I wouldn’t.” She didn’t want anyone messing around with her thoughts, erasing memories. Justin didn’t look surprised, though there was something calculating in the way he was watching her that she didn’t like at all.
“I can provide you an escort home, at least.”
Sofia was already backing toward the door, treading carefully around the blood. “No,” she said, hardly able to believe he was letting her go so easily. “No, that’s fine. I—I’ll get a cab. Out front. But thanks. Really.”
That sudden flash of a smile again. “No thanks are necessary. I appreciate the fact that you’re managing to stay so calm. Your injured friend will be in touch. Soon, I’m sure. And, of course, you’re always welcome at Amphora.”
The coppery tang of blood filled her nostrils, and the room suddenly seemed too bright, too harsh, too everything. Sofia drank in a gulp of air that she hoped wasn’t too noticeable as her stomach started to roll again. Reality was catching up to her…and all she wanted