A Castle of Sand (A Shade of Vampire 3)

CHAPTER 40: DEREK

We were at my penthouse. I was leaning back over the edge of my living room couch and Sofia had her back leaned against my chest. I absentmindedly played with the ends of her hair, my thoughts occupied by Ben and the recent reports from Eli about the possibility of tapping into the supplies of blood banks.

“Do you trust him?” I asked Sofia. It’d been three days since Ben’s arrival.

She nodded her head. “I want to. If he’s still anything like the Ben I knew, then he seems sincere…but Derek, I’m worried about his family…little Abby is the sort of girl Lucas would love to sink his teeth into. Ben is convinced Lucas poses no threat to them, but you know how scheming your brother is.”

“I know you see them as family, but I’m not going to risk losing you on their behalf.” My hand tightened around her waist, fearing that she’d act on a whim and do something stupid.

“What are we going to do then, Derek?”

“I think we have no choice but to trust Ben and trust that the hunters are fully capable of keeping his family safe.”

She licked her lips, worry evident in her green eyes. “I have a very bad feeling about all this, Derek.”

“So do I…but what I know for sure is that you cannot—under any circumstances—step out of this island. If Lucas is out to get you…” The thought sickened me. After everything Lucas had already put Sofia through, losing her to him was something that I could never allow to happen. “I think it’s best to have you stay here at the penthouse with me for now?”

To my relief, she agreed. “I think that’s best for now.” She paused. “I’m scared, Derek.”

I couldn’t deny the truth. “So am I.”