Frostbound by Sharon Ashwood Read Free Book Online Page A

landing, neither speaking a word—Talia because she refused to let her voice show her fear. That just turned some bastards on.
    Lore was letting the Ruger do his talking for him. Man, she hated the strong, silent, carry-the-big-gun type. Worse, she was fairly sure he wasn’t short on brains. Silent didn’t mean stupid. In his case, she was willing to bet the opposite.
    The fluorescent lights in the stairwell hummed and flickered, the harsh glare showing every gum wrapper, every bit of chipped paint. She was starting to get dizzy from staring down so many identical flights of stairs. By her count they were halfway to the parking garage, where she would no doubt be stuffed into the trunk of a car and driven off to whatever new outrage the universe had planned.
    But isn’t that what you deserve? If Michelle hadn’t taken you in, she’d still be alive. Just by being there, didn’t you murder her as surely as if you’d swung that sword yourself? And she wasn’t the first casualty, the first loved one you destroyed.
    A stab of despair suddenly robbed her knees of strength. She sagged a moment, stumbling. Lore grabbed her arm and heaved her toward the sixth-floor fire-exit door.
    “Where are we going?” She should demand answers, proudly rage against him, but instead her voice sounded breathy and weak. She had to fight, but she was drowning in grief.
    He paused a moment to make sure the hallway was empty before marching her from the stairwell into the hall. “I’m locking you up, remember?” he muttered.
    For a second, incredulity trumped everything else. “In your condo?”
    “What do you want? A crypt? Sorry, not available.”
    A sick fear jolted through her. Keeping a prisoner took soundproofing, locks, privacy. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment project.
    She swallowed hard. “Keeping girls locked up is your special hobby?”
    “Shut up.” He shoved her against the wall, the gun between her shoulder blades while he unlocked his door. “Don’t even think about making a noise. Vampires are hard to kill, but they still break.”
    Her cheek pressed against the wallpaper, Talia gazed longingly down the hallway, willing with all her might for a neighbor to wander into view.
    But no one ever rescued her. She just wasn’t that kind of girl. You’re a monster. She could feel a tear leaking down her cheek, but she didn’t dare move. Save me, save me, save me . She could hear Lore breathing, rattling keys in his left hand.
    She could hear that his heartbeat was slightly fast, as if taking a captive was the exercise equivalent of a brisk walk. Her window of escape opportunity was closing fast, but there wasn’t a damned thing she could do while the Ruger was still planted firmly against her spine.
    She tried to care, but all she could see in her mind’s eye was Michelle’s dead body. Why did I let her try to help me? Why couldn’t I just leave her alone?
    “Consider this your formal invite.” He grabbed her above the elbow and pushed her through the door. Talia stumbled. His fingers tightened, keeping her from spilling forward. “Sorry.”
    He let her go as she leaned on the corner of the wall, steadying herself. Lore’s apology had been automatic. At some time in the past, manners had been drilled into him. That made her feel just a little bit better. Too bad that innate sense of etiquette didn’t extend to, say, not handcuffing a girl on first acquaintance.
    Is it anything more than you deserve?
    Now she could hear the police sirens again. Rack lights splashed on the thin drapes, showing the first squad cars had arrived. But who had called? Lore hadn’t had time. Perhaps another neighbor had found Michelle while investigating the sound of their scuffle? Or maybe the killer himself had called, anxious for his fifteen minutes of fame?
    Lore had gotten her away from the crime scene just in time. She was safe from the law. But really, how safe was that? Talia looked around, sick with anxiety.
    She saw at a