Bound by Danger (The Alliance #6) - Brenda K. Davies Page 0,111

empty chair at the table. He kept a smile in place and didn’t raise a hand to shield his eyes from the sun’s burning rays. She would only become concerned if he did, but its rays stung his skin and eyes in a way they never had before he killed Carter.

However, he would gladly take the uncomfortable sensations, and more, if it meant keeping her safe from assholes like Carter and Yannis and it would eventually fade.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

Callie smiled reassuringly and squeezed his hand before releasing it. When she turned to watch him stalk back to the room, guilt tugged at her, and she almost rose to follow him.

He shouldn’t face this alone, but he wasn’t alone. He had his brothers with him, and he didn’t want her there. It would only be worse for him if she went after him.

Burying her guilt, she turned to face the other women and smiled as Kadence leaned over and rested her hand on top of Callie’s.

“Are you okay?” Kadence asked and squeezed Callie’s hand before releasing it.

“Yes,” Callie assured her before turning to Simone. “Lucien told me what you did. Thank you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

Tears clogged her throat and burned her eyes as she pondered what almost happened, and what would have happened to Lucien if she died. She blinked them away. If she started crying, she wouldn’t stop, and now was not the time to become an emotional mess.

Simone’s pretty green eyes danced as she grinned at her. “I’m glad I could help.”

Settling back in her chair, Callie stared across the smooth sand to the flowing ocean. Usually, the briny scent of the sea and the soothing rhythm of the tide calmed her, but she couldn’t find any tranquility with that thing so close.

She turned to look back at the room.

“He’ll be okay,” Elyse said.

She faced the women again. “Will he?”

“They all will,” Kadence assured her.

“That thing….”

“It’s awful,” Elyse said when Callie couldn’t say anything more.

“It’s almost over,” Simone said.

“I hope so,” Callie murmured.

“We have to leave here soon,” Vicky said.

Callie seconded that sentiment; she wasn’t in a rush to die… again. She looked down at her chest, but her blue T-shirt covered the hole in her still healing flesh. She wanted to go home, heal, and spend time with Lucien before he plunged back into the war he’d waged for centuries.

And he would return to it soon. He’d spent far too much time away, regaining his strength and healing from his imprisonment.

But he was healed, she was a vampire, and they were mated. Now, nothing would hold him back, and once he returned to the war, she would spend her nights worrying about him. However, that was a concern for the future.

First, she had to get out of here. She tried not to let her imagination run away from her, but she couldn’t help picturing more of those hideous monsters creeping through the sand toward them.

She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as the sun warmed her. They wouldn’t come here in the daytime, or at least the demons and the worst of the Savages wouldn’t. They still had time, and they would be out of here soon.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Lucien returned to the room and closed the door behind him. He glanced at the others who remained stone-faced as they stared at the demon. Their faces were pinched, and their eyes remorseless.

He didn’t know what had happened in this room or what they did to this creature, but it hadn’t been good.

“Did you learn anything?” he asked.

“Only that this thing doesn’t tan very well,” Saber said.

“It hasn’t revealed anything to us, but for all I know, it might not speak any of the languages of Earth,” Ronan said. “However, I suspect it does, and it’s just refusing to answer our questions.”

“Which is amazing, considering….”

Willow’s voice trailed off as she stared at the demon, but Lucien heard what she didn’t say... considering what they’d put it through.

Declan’s gaze traveled to the door behind Lucien as he removed a lollipop from his pocket. He stared at it for a minute before returning it. “We have to leave before the sun sets. We’ve already spent too much time here.”

Lucien agreed with that.

“We have to see if we can learn more from it,” Killean said.

“It’s not going to reveal anything to us,” Declan said. “Other than what it already has.”

“And what has it revealed to us?” Saxon asked. “This thing hasn’t uttered one