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“My vigilance is mostly for attacks by other vampires,” she answered, “but dissolute vampires also tend to breed vampire hunters
Which is another reason vampires like Ruskin are a problees in atrocities with children like he does, tends to create faeance But my father wasn’t like Ruskin He was set up by his enemies”
“Your family seems to attract an awful lot of trouble” Dev squatted beside her, ran his hand down her back
“We’re the only uely “The rest have property, but nothing like ours And my family is well established, old You kno it is, Dev There are always some who feel they can take what they haven’t earned just because they haven’t been as fortunate, or made decisions as wisely Or fate hasn’t blessed the”
When she finally lifted her face, he was struck by her classic beauty and reserve As well as why her explanation see his hand on her arain
“It’s you,” he said “You’re the draw of it It’s this crazyabout That’s why you left forty years ago, as well To take you out of the equation, let your mother live in peace for the re you could think of to help her But you’ve suspected, ever since you killed him, that Ian may have driven her to her death specifically because it would bring you back”
“Dev, don’t” But he saw the truth of it flash through her eyes, the guilt and useless anger He shook his head, took her other arm
“You’re the prize You’re young, and the property and title pass to you Not to ive a damn what Ruskin says, he and every one of therity and power both You should be the Region Master He knows that So he wants you gone, or under his thumb You’re Oz’s princess, love That’s what it is”
“I don’t want that I’ve never wanted it” She pulled away fro after he killed Sean There are five thousand of us in the bloody world, Dev You’d think we could spread out far enough not to bother one another, but no, we have to act like a bunch of rats packed inside a daet to the top of that stupid heap It’s suffocating, and I won’t bear it”
“Soht up with her as sheoff in the sand It would have been a, for she swore pretty crook, and her frustrated sto as a hu in his face, he wasn’t feeling amused at all When he pulled her around by her arm, he met her killer look and hiss
“Knowing all this, you set out across the desert with two guides and threeto run a station with a handful of stockmen and a bunch of maids? You need an army, love”
As well as a servant, linked to her raph inforh her mind Now he understood the look that passed between Ian and Ruskin that night when she’d brushed off the idea of having a third- herself one of the most potent weapons a vampire could have And she would still be without one, if she hadn’t decided it was the only way she could try to save his life Because he sure as hell wouldn’t have tolerated her being branded or flogged, unless he was a corpse
“I don’t have a full servant,” she retorted “I’ve neither asked for that commitment from you, nor have you offered it, for thatfree, she leveled a glare on him “The Council particularly protects the born vampires”
“You forget I was there, love Ruskin is right Seeet worked up about your death, but only after it happens
They’re not near protective enough, not if I was the only thing that kept you fro barbecued out in the desert”
“Why, Dev, I didn’t realize you had a clucky side Are youme?”
“No,” he snapped “If I were your father, I’d put you overso careless of your own life” She stopped and turned Blinked at him with those luminous blue eyes “Well, that htsDad”
When he lunged at her, she was ready for hi away and around hirasped the stockwhip coiled on his hip and snapped it out It not only caught her in ht notthe element of surprise