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"Jeez, Adrian," Vashup "One would almost think you didn’t trust me"

CHAPTER 10

"How’s the shoulder?" Vash asked Lindsay as the helicopter lifted gracefuly into the scorching desert sky with Raze at the cyclic The car she’d stolen hipped with sand scattered by the revolving copter blades, but that probably wouldn’t matter as much to the owner as the dents Adrian had left behind

"Good as new" Lindsay’s voice betrayed her irritation "Are the blindfold and restraints real y necessary?"

"I could knock you out," Vash offered, s because the other woman couldn’t see it

"Gee, you’re so helpful," Lindsay muttered

"I try"

"Doesn’t sound like that worked out too wel for Elijah, considering he’s on his deathbed"

Vash took the hit with clenched fists She felt guilty and worried, herahead of her co after Sentinel blood That she’d done so for a lycan who intended to kil herforward, she tapped Raze on the shoulder "How’s the Alpha doing?"

"How do you think? He’s like a wolf in a bear trap--he’s snarling and snapping at everyone Not that the lycans see to take care of hi to riot when he was unloaded from the chopper, but they calmed dohen he told them he was jumped and you saved his ass" The Fal en captain looked over his shoulder at her "He won’t stop asking for you I tried to distract hi the trick"

Her lip curled as she reer to tend Elijah’s injuries and remain by his side

Vash fel back into her seat with a heavy exhale, struggling to find her balance She was an e fifteen ine, Vash shoved the door open and hopped out "Get her Keep her eyes covered until we’ve got her in a roo lot and she entered the warehouse to find an industriously working crew Van Halen blared on the radio as various groups went about unpacking andits significance to a roup of minions and lycans Syre stood in the center of the vast space, clearly the orchestrator of activity

Dressed in sleek black trousers and a gray silk shirt, the Fal en leader was drawing the eye of everyone in the roo A crazed minion had once cal ed him the antichrist, the dark prince ouldabout its destruction A ridiculous assertion if one knew Syre’s heart at al , but she conceded that his charish to bend the wil s of even the most contained of individuals Even Vash, as used to him as she as drawn to hireeted hias is an unexpected surprise"

"An appreciated one?" he queried s her features

"Depends on whether or not you’re here for the fun of it or because you think I need a hand"

"Would the latter be so terrible?"

She sighed "I’ile"

"You don’t like to think so" He held up a hand when her ility isn’t always a weakness, Vashti It happens to be one of your greatest strengths"

"What a crock" Her mouth twisted rueful y "Sir"

He shook his head at her, then froze, his gaze locked on so without looking Daotten Syre would be present to see the hter’s reincarnated soul

"What have you done?"

"No more than Adrian al owed me to do Lindsay offered to cohtly "What purpose does her presence serve?"

"She’s a Sentinel blood source, in lieu of Adrian--" She gasped when Syre cut off her breath with a crushing hand wrapped around her throat

Her boots dangled two feet off the floor

His eyes burned into hers, his fury stunning and frightening "You went after Adrian?"

"H-Helena…actual y," she e to claw at the constriction that impeded her ability to speak

He threw her thirty feet across the rooht her deftly The warehouse fel into silence as soitated lycans ruled free of Sale so publicly chastised and worried about Syre’s cracked control He didn’t use physical force as a rule; he didn’t need to He could et his way

She was his fist At least she had been until now

Brow arched, Raze had stopped his progress across the warehouse floor halfway between theLindsay’s elbow She was stil bound at the wrists and blindfolded…by her choice Her vath could easily break the rope She could lift her hand and push the blindfold up at any ti to make Vash suspicious

"Where’s Elijah?" the blonde asked sharply "I want to see him That was the deal"

The lycans responded with low rumbles The ones ere seated rose to their feet, while those who stood sidled closer

Unsure of whether their support lay with Lindsay or Elijah, Vash caught Raze’s gaze "Take her to hia curt nod Al heads turned to track Lindsay’s progress The smel of fear became thick and oppressive

No one in the roo was tied to theirs Adrian’s wrath was soh one of the office doorways lining the rear wal , the room as a whole seemed to exhale in a rush

Syre pivoted and disappeared behind another door The latch engaged with a quiet click, but the sound struck everyone like a gunshot report

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Saleh her hair "I wasn’t"