Blood Price by Kit Tunstall

busy road, where anyone could pass by and see her drinking this man’s blood. Not only that but the men were sure to be following them. They were probably expecting a call from the driver or had been following in their own vehicle. Either way, they couldn’t be far behind.
    Most importantly, she hadn’t heard a peep from Atar. What if the dart had done more than put him to sleep? With his physiology, it might have poisoned him.
    She tore her mouth from the man’s throat, eliciting a moan from him before he returned to unconsciousness. Turning back to Atar, she felt his neck, finding a slow but steady pulse. The drug had induced a deep sleep but he didn’t seem in imminent danger of dying.
    She fumbled in his pocket for the key to the cuffs. Her heart jumped when she brushed against his cock but she forced away the reaction, knowing this wasn’t the time. She retrieved the key and unlocked the cuffs from her wrist and then his. Holding the cuffs, she reached for the handle. This was her chance to escape Atar. It was obvious he was the target of the men, whether he believed that or not. He wouldn’t find her this time, not while dealing with them.
    She hesitated, torn between knowing this was probably her only chance and fearing what would happen to Atar if the men caught him. Logically, she knew she owed him nothing. Despite the attraction burning between them, he still intended to deliver her to a possible death sentence. Who would blame her for leaving him to a similar fate?
    With a sigh, she opened the back door and climbed out. Instead of setting off at a run, she went to the driver’s side and opened the door, pulling the slack driver out onto the pavement. She made certain he wasn’t in the flow of traffic before getting behind the wheel. Disdainfully, she tossed the handcuffs into the passenger seat and drove away with a peel of rubber. Fool that she was, she couldn’t leave Atar defenseless to whatever purpose those men intended.

Chapter 7
     
    Nikia made several random turns, taking them deeper into New Town. Pedestrians were numerous and unpredictable, darting out in traffic without a thought for the vehicles. It forced her to focus on the road every second, although she wanted to turn and check on Atar. He hadn’t stirred since the dart hit him and she was at a loss for what to do. She wasn’t at all familiar with Prague and had no idea where they might hide.
    Slowly, a low beeping sound caught her attention. She dared to look away from the road, hoping one of the many people out to experience nightlife wouldn’t run in front of the mini. She scanned the dashboard and gauges quickly then checked the road ahead again before looking down. The beeping came from the box that should have displayed the toll for the ride. Instead, it was a black screen with a red and green dot. Both were moving approximately the same distance apart. Her brow furrowed, she tried to work out what it was. Her migraine intensified with the effort, dwindling the fragile source of strength that had somehow kept her going during the incessant pain, until she wanted to curl into a ball and sob. It was tempting to stop trying to solve the puzzle to bring relief but Nikia sensed the answer was crucial, no matter how much it depleted her reserves.
    Cursing and yelling caused her to look up and she slammed on the brake, stopping within inches of hitting a small group of partygoers dressed in suits and flashy dresses. One of the men cursed at her and stopped to pound his fist on the hood before they continued across the street.
    A horn beeped impatiently behind her but Nikia’s racing heart prevented her from moving the car. She took a deep breath, steadying her hands on the wheel, not wanting to think how close she had come to running down someone. When the horn sounded again, she resisted the urge to respond with loud expletives and took her foot off the brake. As she did so, her eyes fell on the display again, revealing the green dot