She was not innocent or naïve—indeed, she seemed remarkably intelligent. She impressed him with her capacity for rational thought and her shrewd navigation through a difficult conversation. He had done his best to keep her off balance. He had decided quite instantly that she was adorable when she was flustered.
No, it was not because she was a wallflower or an ignorant child that he would have her easily. It was for the simple fact that he, where apparently all else had failed, could touch her. By her own admission, she had never felt a hand against her own skin. And from the way she had trembled and shaken in his arms when he let his fingers caress her cheek, he believed her words. She had been so wonderfully frightened. And not only of him.
What a tragic thing to suffer. Especially for a beautiful child such as she. He had adored the way her chocolate eyes grew wide at the sight of him. The way her long dark waves tangled in his fingers, soft as silk.
To live a life alone…
He knew what it was like to love and suffer the agony of loss. But to never know the solace of another’s embrace was something not even he could fathom. He had never been shy with his desires toward others, nor had he ever been short on bedfellows, companions, or those who would share love with him for a time. The thought of being bereft of that sounded like the path to madness.
Her fear was delicious. She had begged him not to touch her for fear of harming him—he, who she had joined with others to kill! It was clear that she was a gentle thing. Kindhearted. The sympathy that had burned in her eyes when she had felt his soul had melted something in him that had been frozen solid for a long time.
Her words had cut him to the quick. He did not doubt her claim to hear the whispers of the souls around her. She had spoken to him the truth of his nature that he had never heard aloud. But it was not anger he felt at such a revelation that she had paid him.
It was hope.
She had felt the abyss that dwelled in him, and she had not turned away in revulsion. She had looked up at him with such compassion that he knew he must have her. The war—this city and his new empire—was now secondary among his goals.
You will be mine, Maxine Parker.
Bella impacted the wall hard. She caught most of the blow with her shoulder and grunted from the pain. The ghoul who had thrown here there had been intending to tear her to pieces. She would take the wall over its claws any day.
She pulled two more knives from their holsters on her legs and glared at the slavering, drooling monster. Its teeth were all worn sharp, looking like a fish’s maw more than the human it had one been. Its features were sunken and sallow. Skin hung loose on an empty frame.
Eyes that had once belonged to a person were now black from lid to lid, with only a single red dot in the center of each. It knew nothing of compassion or humanity. It only knew hunger.
The creature jumped at her again, and she dug her heel against the wall, ready to meet it with her blades.
Bam.
Its head rocked to the side with the impact of the bullet that blew out its skull. It dropped to the ground, shrieked, and burst into flame. Bella stood and watched as the thing reduced to ash. She rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead. She didn’t know if it was sweat or blood on her, but she didn’t much care. She was probably just smearing it around. But it was starting to run into her eyebrows.
“You’re welcome,” Eddie said with a lopsided smile.
“I had it under control.” She smiled back at him. “But yes, thank you.”
“Are you two done?” Alfonzo called from the end of the alley. “Two ghouls, and it took you five minutes. You should be faster than that.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Eddie walked toward their leader, and Bella followed. She couldn’t help but chuckle at Alfonzo’s constant training. Even in the middle of a fight, he was always trying to teach them something. It was as charming as it was annoying sometimes.
Eddie popped open his revolver, plucked the empty shells from their holes, and replaced them with bullets from the