Once Bitten, Twice Burned(17)

His laughter came, surprising her, and her lashes flew up.

He looked different when he laughed. Still dangerous, but different.

He drained your blood. Don’t go weakening around him.

“Hold that memory,” Ryder told her as his laughter faded away.

She closed her eyes again.

His mouth was on her wrist. Pressing lightly. His lips parted. His teeth sank into her wrist, and there was only the faintest flash of pain, not nearly as bad as the prick of Wyatt’s needles, then Ryder’s mouth tightened on her skin. He was sucking her flesh. Taking her blood.

The fear rose within her once more.

Hold the good memory.

She tried to hold it. Singing in the bar. Rhett shaking his head as he told her that the blues just wouldn’t ever be for her. Her mother had waved her on. Sabine had laughed until her sides ached.

His mouth seemed to harden on her wrist as Ryder took more.

The memory flew away from her as her eyes shot open once again. The stake was slippery in her sweaty hand, but she wasn’t about to let that thing go. “Ryder.”

His eyes were open, too. Open and locked right on her. His pupils were swelling as he stared at her, swallowing up the green of his eyes. So much hunger was in that stare. Hunger, desire.

A dark lust.

Her heart raced in her chest. “I don’t want to hurt you.” Was that the truth? Or a lie? She wasn’t sure. He hurt you. The stake pressed down harder. “But I will.” Sabine let the stake draw blood, just to show that she wasn’t making an empty threat.

Say it and mean it. Her father’s advice. Don’t take shit from anybody in this world. A favorite mantra of his.

Ryder’s fangs slowly lifted from her skin. His tongue swiped over the small wounds he’d left behind, lightly lapping at the skin.

The rasp of his tongue shouldn’t have turned her on. It probably should have given her more nightmares. A vampire. Drinking from me!

But Sabine could admit to herself that the bite had turned her on. Her nipples were aching and heavy, and arousal had her shifting and arching her hips slightly.

One more lick, and his head rose. “Your taste is incredible.”

Right, what was that, like a vampire pickup line?

He glanced down at the stake. Maybe he was just now realizing that he was bleeding, courtesy of her. It seemed only fair that they’d both drawn blood. He reached for the stake, but then his body began to sag.

She tried to grab him. The stake fell to the floor, and so did Ryder.

His eyes were closing. “What . . . did . . . you . . .”

She hadn’t done anything. Had she? Sabine crouched at his side. “What’s happening?” She’d been the one on the floor after the last bite.

Ryder started to shake—hard, heavy convulsions.

Then the cell door flew open. Guards stormed in, with their weapons raised.

“Get back!” one of them yelled at her.

She held Ryder’s hand tighter. Sabine didn’t even remember reaching for his hand, but now she was holding on to him for dear life. “Something’s wrong with him!”

“No, my dear,” Wyatt said as he pushed through the guards. “He’s having the exact response to the drug that we’d hoped.”

Drug? Understanding dawned. The drugs they gave me.

“Get his blood,” Wyatt ordered the man on his right. A smaller guy with nervous hands and bright, red hair. The man’s lab coat swirled around him as he hurried forward.

Sabine grabbed the stake. “Don’t you touch him!” She held the stake up like a knife.

Wyatt laughed. “Shoot her.”

What?

The guard at Wyatt’s shoulder shot her. Sabine screamed as the tranq dart embedded in her chest.

She tried to hold on to the stake, but it rolled right out of her suddenly numb fingers.

The redhead was crouching over Ryder now, taking the vampire’s blood and filling up test tubes. A lot of test tubes.

“Take the female subject back to her room,” Wyatt ordered.

Sabine’s body was about to crash onto the floor when two of the guards hoisted her back to her feet. Well, okay, her legs weren’t exactly steady, so when they started walking, her feet dragged behind them.

“Good job,” Wyatt told her with a small smile. “I knew you’d be able to get to him.”

Wait, what? Her body might not be working right, but her mind was still functioning pretty dang well. Wyatt was making it sound as if she’d been working with him.

Her gaze darted back to Ryder. Of course, his lashes would have flickered and started to open right then. His green stare was far too aware as it locked on her.

He’s awake. Which meant . . . They’re dead.

And, wow, the guy sure hadn’t been out for long.

Her expression must have given her away because Wyatt suddenly swore and grabbed for the blood-filled test tubes. “Get her out of here!”