Page 12 (1/2)

"That’s not how this works I’ to expose his whole network for what it is, so they can’t simply set up shop so to do"

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart I’ll do what needs to be done, and when it’s over, I’ll tell you what you need to know This is vampire business, not yours"

"Not--" Sid couldn’t for her throat "The wo Aden That makes this my business And you wouldn’t have known any of this if I hadn’t told you about it"

"Bullshit I have my own sources You just o play reporter somewhere else"

Sid stared at him in disbelief What a total asshole She couldn’t believe she’d been ready to let himFuck She couldn’t even think about what she’d almost let him do

"Tell you what, Aden," she said pleasantly "Go to hell" And with that, she spun on her heel and stor on the porch, probably worried about his precious asshole of a vaed open the screen door

"He’s fine I’ll see you later," she snapped, then alht Bastien’s quick look over her head He was obviously checking with Aden to see if she was allowed to leave She didn’t wait to find out She didn’t need anyone’s permission, nothe street, she looked both ways, calculating her best chance of catching a cab

"Don’t be an idiot, Sidonie," Aden said froe to jump, but knew she hadn’t succeeded when she saw one side of his ive you a ride back to your condo," he told her

"No, thank you," she said pri

"Have it your way," he murmured "But don’t blame me if Silas finds you"

That stopped her She spun to face hi "Dresner told Silas how she kneas coreat? Sid pulled her cell out of her pocket "I’ll call a cab"

Aden strode forward until he was blocking the street light, and she was standing in his shadow His deep voice curled around her "Let ive you a ride, Sidonie"

Sid swayed closer, then realized what he was doing "Don’t you dare do that to roupie you canyour slave"

"Be careful," he warned her "My patience is not unlimited"

"The truth hurts, Lord Aden Good-bye" Sidonie turned her back on hihtwood There were a few clubs up there in Lincoln Park that had music seven days a week She should be able to find a cab there, or at least she’d have other people to hang out with until one could arrive

It was a short walk to the corner, and she felt Aden’s stare against her back every step of the way She kept waiting for his crooning voice to drift over her shoulder, for his big hand to wrap around her waist But it never did He let her go And she told herself it didn’twas only because she was losing a powerful ally in her efforts to close down Klemens’s old network

And she nearly believed it

ADEN WATCHED Sidonie storm away down the street, as if she were in control As if she could escape hiht There were only a few hours before sunrise, and he had a lot to do before then He’d pretty much drained Dresner of any useful infor Klemens His va here in Chicago, so He wasn’t a total innocent He knew nored hual syste it irrelevant tohe would never per owned, of having one’s very existence dependent on the whiht he’d enslaved Dresner by capturing herher to tell him what she knew But what he’d done to Dresner was teh he could have, and he hadn’t stripped her h he could have done that, too Once he’d dealt with Silas pero back to her sad devotion to the dead Kle more to do with her

That wasn’t slavery