I felt an overwhelming sense of reliefcoupled with a stranger emotion…emptiness. I was alone inside myskull and I knew I should be happy about it. Instead, I feltso…so…isolated.
The weird feelings made me even angrier, butthis time at myself. Stop it! What’s wrong with you? Likeyou want him in there, controlling yourevery move? Well, no, I didn’t like that part. But theintimacy of having him inside my head…it was weird. Deeper thananything I had ever felt, deeper even than sex. Was this thesensation glam-addicts went chasing at the clubs, giving every lastdrop of their blood to feel this closeness, this intimacy just oncemore? I had always assumed it was just about sex but this…this wasstrange.
“Addison?” Corbin looked at me with concern.“Are you all right?”
I took a deep breath. “You’re…gone. I mean,I don’t feel you anymore.”
“I know,” he said quietly and brushed astrand of hair from my face. “I miss you, too, darling.”
“Don’t call me that.” I pulled away from hishands and he let me, though he was certainly strong enough to haveheld me in place.
“Inquisitor,” he said, turning to Roderickwho was watching us with a calculating expression I didn’t like atall. “I trust these proceedings are at an end?”
“They are,” Roderick acknowledged. “But Ihave yet to examine your establishment, Corbin. Be ready for metomorrow night.”
“Understood.” Corbin nodded. “Will you needaccommodations during your inspection?”
“I will.” Roderick nodded. “And I willrequire the use of one of your females for my comfort during mystay with you as well.”
My whole body tensed and I looked at Corbin.Surely he wouldn’t…
“I will ask if any of the females under mycare wishes to curry favor by submitting to you, Roderick,” hesaid, frowning. “But I will not force anyone into sexual servitude.And if one of the girls does wish to come to you, I mustforbid you to abuse her. I treat my underlings…differently thanCeleste does hers.”
Roderick smirked. “For a vampire of your ageand standing, you are strangely compassionate, myfriend.”
“Not at all.” Corbin looked at him steadily.“I find that treating my underlings well inspires loyalty ratherthan hatred.” He shrugged. “It’s simply good business sense.”
“I find it better to make them fear you,”Celeste chimed in, looking bored.
Corbin gave her a sarcastic smile. “I thinkyou may be confusing fear with loathing, Celeste. Any one of yourunderlings would drive a stake through your heart in an instant ifgiven half a chance—but I’m sure you already know that.”
She hissed at him like an angry cat, thenturned to Roderick. “Come, Inquisitor, you still have at least onemore night at my house. Let us go and enjoy ourselves.”
“I fully intend to,” Roderick said. “Butfirst I wish to clarify something.” He pointed at Corbin. “I do notwait to see if a female wishes to come to me—I will pickwhich of your girls I prefer. In fact, I have already made mychoice.”
“Oh?” There was a glint of danger inCorbin’s eyes. “And who might the lucky girl be?”
“The one you took from Celeste—the one shegave to me originally.” Roderick snapped his fingers. “What was hername again?”
“Her name is Taylor,” I said, my voicehoarse with anger. “And you are never going near her againor so help me God—”
“Addison!” Corbin gave me a warning glare.“Forgive her, Inquisitor. She cares very much for the one inquestion. And speaking of Taylor, she was wounded by your lastencounter. I am afraid she is too weak to receive your, ah,attentions at this time.”
“Then give her some blood and heal her up,”Roderick said impatiently. “And don’t worry, little human,” headded with a nasty grin. “I won’t use her too roughly this time. Isimply want a female to fuck when the notion takes me—that’sall.”
“That’s all? That’s all?” My voicenearly broke on the last word.
“Addison…” Corbin put a hand on my arm. “Besilent. We will speak of this later.”
“No!” I shrugged off his arm. “No, I won’tbe quiet. Not about this.” I turned to Roderick. “I don’t care howyou intend to ‘use’ Taylor, you’ve already raped and tortured heronce. Do you really think she’d want to go back to you afterthat?”
Slowly, deliberately, Roderick came down offthe dais to stand in front of me. Beside me, I felt Corbin tensebut I was too angry to care. I glared furiously at the vampireInquisitor. Bring it, you slimy bastard!
“Listen to me, human,” Roderick said,pushing his face into mine. “I don’t particularly care whatyour little friend wants. She has a luscious body and I enjoyseeing the broken look in her eyes when I fuck her.” He gave me acold smile. “She looks so deliciously hopeless when I fillher cunt. It is most…moving.”
“You sick son of a bitch…” My voice trembledand my hand was reaching into my purse for the solid grip of myGlock before I knew it. I pulled it free and pointed it atRoderick’s heart.
“Addison, no!” Corbin shouted.
“You listen to me,” I told Roderick, keepingmy voice level and cold. “If you touch her again, if you so much asgo near her, I’ll—”
“You’ll what, little human?” he taunted,taking another step toward me. “You’ll shoot me? You wouldn’tdare.”
“Watch me,” I said and pulled thetrigger.
Chapter Twelve
Everyone has heard the old saying, “fasterthan a speeding bullet” but Corbin actually was.
As Roderick stood there, taunting me, Iheard the gun go off with a deafening bang. At the sametime, I felt Corbin jerk my arm up, changing the trajectory of thebullet. It went wild, ricocheting off one of the metal beams thatheld up the industrial chic ceiling and burying itself inthe floor with a harmless wisp of smoke not two feet fromRoderick’s left foot.
For a moment we all just stood there,stunned by the noise. Then Corbin took the gun from me and pushedme behind him in one motion.
“You dare threaten me? You dare try to harmthe Inquisitor of the Empress of Darkness?” Roderick thundered.Though I was standing behind Corbin, I could still see
