desperate to shed her bloody clothes, to scrub the blood from her body to care. “Clothes?”
“The closet across from the bathroom. Zareb . . . entertains a lot. You should find something to fit you.”
Cassie nodded even though he still faced the fireplace. She grabbed her purse and scurried down the hallway. From the closet she grabbed a top, pants, and a pair of shoes that looked as though they’d fit, then locked herself in the bathroom.
A little of her tension eased away as the hot water sluiced over her body. Cassie scrubbed until her skin felt raw, until not a speck of blood remained. And she thought about Ethan.
What she’d felt when she looked at him, the yearning, wasn’t the same as what she’d felt for Zareb. Yes, she understood that in both cases she was reacting to the Second One in them, but still, it had felt different with Ethan—more personal, more . . . something.
Once out of the shower, she used the dryer lying on the counter for her hair and then pulled her makeup bag from her purse. The makeup, the hair, they were important. They gave her confidence, and confidence along with a few weapons would be all she’d have tonight. And Ethan. A vampire. Funny, just when she’d thought she had life figured out, it had given her a swift kick in the behind.
Cassie was still thinking about her reaction to Ethan as she dressed in her borrowed clothes and then returned to the living room. Head down, lost in thought, she had almost reached the couch before the complete silence hit her—no greeting from Ethan, no hisses from the cat, not even the crackling of the fire. She looked up.
Vampires, lots of them, stood in the shadows at the edges of the room. Motionless, silent, they watched her from gleaming eyes, hungry eyes. Except for one. He wore sunglasses and had a hoodie that hid most of his face. Which was scarier, what she could or couldn’t see? Her breath caught in her throat.
Zareb broke the silence. “Ethan told me what happened to both of you.” He pointed to a bag he’d set on the coffee table. “I stopped at McDonald’s. Ethan already ate.” He didn’t offer to explain.
A vampire stopping at McDonald’s. That should make her laugh, but all Cassie could do was shudder at the thought of all those silent killers listening as the water ran—imagining, hungering.
“My children and I will be paying a visit to Eternal Rest as soon as Ethan’s change is complete.” The predator lived in Zareb’s voice, his gaze. “You’ll stay here with the cat.”
Cassie opened her mouth and said what was probably the most stupid thing she’d ever uttered.
“No.”
Chapter Five
“Did she just defy you, Zareb?” Darren’s voice was quietly mocking.
Ethan frowned. Darren wasn’t one of his favorite vampire brothers. He’d killed too often with too much enjoyment, and now the Second One was close to claiming him permanently. It made him eager for violence wherever he could find it. At least he’d had the sense to wear his sunglasses and hoodie.
“Can you allow that to go unpunished?” Darren injected a fake note of concern into his voice.
Ethan ground his teeth. He’d gladly separate Darren’s useless head from his shoulders. The jerk wanted to see Zareb hurt Cassie. He lived for causing pain.
One glance at Cassie assured Ethan that she recognized the danger too. He crouched. When had his mind made the decision to defend her against his maker?
Zareb didn’t even glance at Darren. “Your need to see blood flow is much too obvious. Do you really think you can manipulate me, Darren?”
“Of course not.” Darren sounded nervous as he moved farther into the shadows.
Zareb’s smile never reached his eyes. “I didn’t think so.” He looked at Cassie. “And why do you think you should come with us?” His expression gave away nothing.
She fixed her gaze on the middle of his chest. “If someone found Ethan’s home and attacked his friends, then who’s to say they don’t have a list of where all of you live? I don’t think Cat and I would do a great job of defending the old homestead.”
“I’m certain that Cat is a ferocious warrior.” Zareb’s lips tipped up in a brief smile.
Ethan relaxed a little.
“Besides, they killed my friend. I want . . .” She took a deep breath. “I need to be there to see that they’re punished.”
Zareb nodded. “I understand the hunger for vengeance.”