WHERE DARKNESS LIVES

He frowned. “The imp?”


“Yep.” She turned to glare at the unmoving Were, not having to feign her simmering anger. “Right before you went all Man vs. Wild on me in the parking lot, he revealed that Luc had lied to me.”

Watching him with an eagle eye, she easily caught the faint twitch of his ears.

Guilty conscience?

Or annoyance at having been busted?

“What was the lie?” Morton wanted to know.

She pointed a finger toward Luc, again taking a step forward. Just a few more feet and she would be close enough to knock his ass to the ground.

She didn’t have a plan after that, but she was willing to play it by ear.

“He’s not a bodyguard like he told me,” she revealed. “He’s a right-hand man to Salvatore and he was sent to Chicago to spy on me.”

Morton scowled, obviously reluctant to believe her. Her outrage at Luc’s betrayal did, after all, ruin his diabolical plans. But even a stupid cur could sense the sincerity of her angry words.

“Why would the king wish to spy on you?”

“He obviously believes I’m too stupid to make my own decisions,” she snapped. “An opinion shared by that Were lying on the floor.” She moved toward the cur, keeping her steps slow and unsteady, as if she was having trouble with her balance. “So if you hope to use him as a bargaining chip then you’re shit out of luck, because as far as I’m concerned you can dig his grave and toss him in.”

“No.” Morton pressed his gloved hand to his forehead. “You’re trying to confuse me.”

“What’s confusing?” With another step she was able to reach out and grab his white polo shirt, giving him a small shake. “Where’s your gun? I’ll shoot him myself.”

“Stop... .” He regarded her in puzzlement, unaware of his danger. “Don’t do this... .”

Knowing she’d only have one shot at escape, Sophia pulled back her arm and smashed her fist into his face with enough force to make him fly across the cell and smack into the far wall.

If she’d been at full strength, the bastard would have been dead.

As it was, he was only knocked loopy.

With her heart lodged in her throat, Sophia darted toward Luc, who was on his feet, regarding her with a burning black gaze.

She didn’t need to be able to read his mind to know he was furious she was trying to rescue him rather than escaping.

Ignoring the massive fangs he bared as she knelt beside him, she clamped her hands around the silver collar. The silver seared into her skin, burning away the flesh, but there was no time to search for a key.

Already she could feel Morton stirring.

Luc growled, using his large head to try and push her away, but she held on. She could feel the silver stretching and weakening beneath her powerful tugs. Just a few more seconds and she’d be able to snap it in half.

The prickle on her neck was the only warning before a bolt of electricity shot through her body. She screamed, her back bowing beneath the impact, but grimly ignoring the brutal pain she continued to pull at the collar.

Distantly she was aware of Luc’s furious growls and yet more lightning dancing down her spine. Christ. She was about to black out.

Again.

Out of time, Sophia gave one more massive tug, not certain if she actually felt the collar snap beneath her grip, but there was no mistaking the sensation of Luc’s massive body brushing past her as he launched himself forward or the shrill screams of Morton.

Death screams.





CHAPTER 9





Once again Sophia was struggling out of a blanket of darkness.

This time it took only moments to realize she was lying on her own bed wearing a clean camisole and silk shorts. And that she wasn’t alone.

Luc filled the room with his presence.

The rich, male scent. The restless power of his wolf.

And above all, the prickling awareness that set her blood on fire.

For a crazed moment she felt an overwhelming surge of relief at the knowledge that they had both survived the basement from hell and that they were seemingly safe from Morton the crazy-ass cur.

Then she abruptly remembered that Luc was a total creep who’d played her for a fool.

And that she wanted to kick him in the nuts, not shiver in pleasure as he settled on the mattress beside her reclined body and gently tucked a curl behind her ear.

“Sophia?” he murmured softly. “I know you’re awake.”

She kept her eyes squeezed shut. Maturity was highly overrated.

“Go away.”

“No.”

She heaved an aggravated sigh. “I hate you.”

He trailed his fingers down the stubborn line of her jaw. “Sophia, open your eyes.”

“Will you go away if I do?”

“No.”

“What if I get a gun and shoot you?”

He chuckled, his fingers shifting to outline the curve of her lower lip.

“You won’t shoot me.”

Her eyes snapped open. How else could she glare into his handsome face?