face. “There is always hope.”
He stepped back. “Not for me.”
Shanna waited, hoping he would say something, confide in her just a little, but he remained silent. She pivoted, looking around her. Another guard stood in a dark corner. There were two doors along the hallway, and between them, a large painting. She moved closer to study the landscape. It portrayed a sunset over a green, hilly land. Down in the valley, a mist hovered among the ruins of stone buildings, fashioned in the Romanesque style.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“It’s… it was a monastery in Romania. There is nothing left of it now.”
Nothing but memories, Shanna suspected, and not very good ones judging from the harsh expression on Roman’s face. Why would he keep a painting of Romania here if it disturbed him? Oh, right. Duh. The man liked misery. She took a closer look at the painting. Romania? That would explain his slight accent. Perhaps the buildings had been destroyed during World War II or the Soviet occupation, but somehow, the destruction looked much, much older than that. Strange. What could the ruins of an old monastery have to do with Roman?
He moved toward the door on the right. “This is my office.” He opened the door and waited for her to enter.
A sudden impulse streaked through her, urging her to bolt down the stairs. Why? The man had saved her life tonight. Why would he harm her now? Besides, she still had her Beretta. She removed her purse from her shoulder and held it against her chest. Damn, after all she’d been through the last few months, she was incapable of completely trusting another person.
And that was the worst part of all. She would have to be a loner for the rest of her life. All she had ever wanted was a normal life—a husband, children, good job, a nice house in a nice neighborhood, maybe a white picket fence. Just a normal life, dammit. And it would never happen. The Russians might not have killed her like they did Karen, but they had still managed to steal her life.
She squared her shoulders and walked into the large room. She looked around, curious about Roman’s taste in furniture, when a movement across the room caught her eye. Out of the shadows emerged two men. Connor and Gregori. She should have felt relieved, but their stern expressions worried her. The room felt suddenly cold. Too cold, with icy air swirling around her head.
With a shiver, she turned toward the door. “Roman?”
He locked the door and slipped the key into his pocket.
She gulped. “What’s going on?”
Roman stared at her, his eyes wavering like golden flames. Then he stepped toward her and whispered, “It is time.”
Chapter 7
Vampires had been using mind control for centuries. It was the only way to seduce mortals into being a willing food source. And it was the only way to erase their memory afterward. Before inventing the formula for synthetic blood, Roman had used mind control on a nightly basis. He’d never felt any qualms about it. It was a matter of survival. It was normal.
These were the facts he’d told himself when he’d led Shanna up the stairs to his office. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Once he, Gregori, and Connor took over Shanna’s mind, he could command her to implant his fang. Then, when the job was done, he could erase her memory of it. Simple. Normal. Then why did he get more frustrated with each flight of stairs? By the time he reached his office, he had serious doubts about this plan. Three vampires ganging up on one mortal? It might be the only way to break through Shanna’s mental defenses. It might be the only way to get his damned tooth fixed. But it was starting to feel like a vicious assault.
Now, as she stood in his office at their mercy, guilt surged inside him. There was no other way, he told himself. He couldn’t be honest with her. If she found out he was a demon, she’d never volunteer to help. Without waiting, Gregori and Connor pounced. He could feel
He stepped back. “Not for me.”
Shanna waited, hoping he would say something, confide in her just a little, but he remained silent. She pivoted, looking around her. Another guard stood in a dark corner. There were two doors along the hallway, and between them, a large painting. She moved closer to study the landscape. It portrayed a sunset over a green, hilly land. Down in the valley, a mist hovered among the ruins of stone buildings, fashioned in the Romanesque style.
“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“It’s… it was a monastery in Romania. There is nothing left of it now.”
Nothing but memories, Shanna suspected, and not very good ones judging from the harsh expression on Roman’s face. Why would he keep a painting of Romania here if it disturbed him? Oh, right. Duh. The man liked misery. She took a closer look at the painting. Romania? That would explain his slight accent. Perhaps the buildings had been destroyed during World War II or the Soviet occupation, but somehow, the destruction looked much, much older than that. Strange. What could the ruins of an old monastery have to do with Roman?
He moved toward the door on the right. “This is my office.” He opened the door and waited for her to enter.
A sudden impulse streaked through her, urging her to bolt down the stairs. Why? The man had saved her life tonight. Why would he harm her now? Besides, she still had her Beretta. She removed her purse from her shoulder and held it against her chest. Damn, after all she’d been through the last few months, she was incapable of completely trusting another person.
And that was the worst part of all. She would have to be a loner for the rest of her life. All she had ever wanted was a normal life—a husband, children, good job, a nice house in a nice neighborhood, maybe a white picket fence. Just a normal life, dammit. And it would never happen. The Russians might not have killed her like they did Karen, but they had still managed to steal her life.
She squared her shoulders and walked into the large room. She looked around, curious about Roman’s taste in furniture, when a movement across the room caught her eye. Out of the shadows emerged two men. Connor and Gregori. She should have felt relieved, but their stern expressions worried her. The room felt suddenly cold. Too cold, with icy air swirling around her head.
With a shiver, she turned toward the door. “Roman?”
He locked the door and slipped the key into his pocket.
She gulped. “What’s going on?”
Roman stared at her, his eyes wavering like golden flames. Then he stepped toward her and whispered, “It is time.”
Chapter 7
Vampires had been using mind control for centuries. It was the only way to seduce mortals into being a willing food source. And it was the only way to erase their memory afterward. Before inventing the formula for synthetic blood, Roman had used mind control on a nightly basis. He’d never felt any qualms about it. It was a matter of survival. It was normal.
These were the facts he’d told himself when he’d led Shanna up the stairs to his office. He had nothing to feel guilty about. Once he, Gregori, and Connor took over Shanna’s mind, he could command her to implant his fang. Then, when the job was done, he could erase her memory of it. Simple. Normal. Then why did he get more frustrated with each flight of stairs? By the time he reached his office, he had serious doubts about this plan. Three vampires ganging up on one mortal? It might be the only way to break through Shanna’s mental defenses. It might be the only way to get his damned tooth fixed. But it was starting to feel like a vicious assault.
Now, as she stood in his office at their mercy, guilt surged inside him. There was no other way, he told himself. He couldn’t be honest with her. If she found out he was a demon, she’d never volunteer to help. Without waiting, Gregori and Connor pounced. He could feel
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