Playing With Fire by Cynthia Eden Page A

anything to get what he wanted.
    His eyes narrowed. “Getting away isn’t an option.” His nostrils flared. “You know . . . you smell even better now than you did when I first met you. But that’s part of what he did to you, isn’t it?”
    He . . . Jon wasn’t talking about Dante. He was talking about her father.
    â€œNo one knows the full extent of my father’s experiments,” she said. “His files were destroyed when the two Genesis labs were—”
    â€œObliterated?”
    They had been.
    â€œI know what your blood can do.” Jon was staring at her neck.
    She could feel her heartbeat drumming madly and wondered if he saw the frantic movement of her pulse just beneath the skin.
    With his enhancements, she bet he could.
    â€œYou’re a weapon, Cassie, one that I intend to use.”
    He surprised her. “You—you brought me here for my blood?”
    â€œUm, that’s part of the reason. I’ll take that blood, study it. Replicate the poison.”
    The poison that could take down a vampire in seconds. The poison that lived in her.
    â€œBut I want more, Cassie. I want you to work with me. You’re the best researcher in paranormal genetics. You could create soldiers, design a fighting force that the world has never seen.”
    A force that the world wouldn’t be able to handle. No, thank-you.
    â€œI’m not making any more monsters.” She shook her head. “You can keep me locked up for as long as you want, but I’m not doing—”
    He was laughing at her. “Cassie, Cassie . . . so brave, now. But as we discussed, you really don’t know much about torture.” He backed away from her. Looked mildly regretful. “That’s about to change.”
    She knew more about torture than he realized.
    The door opened behind him once more.
    â€œThis time, you get to see what it’s like to be the test subject,” Jon said as he tilted his head to study her. “And I’m afraid that this part will hurt. ”
    Guards came in then. They grabbed her. One lifted her upper body, one caught her thrashing legs. In less than a minute’s time, they had her strapped down on a gurney. The wheels were squeaking as they rolled her down the hallway.
    She screamed for help, but her screams were met with silence.
    Jon brushed the hair off her forehead. “You should probably save your strength.”
    â€œAnd you’re a sadistic bastard who should let me go!”
    He just smiled. The smile that flashed his dimples. The smile that chilled her.
    She was pushed into another room. A room with even brighter lighting. And men and women in lab coats came toward her. A hysterical bubble of laughter broke from her.
    Jon thought he was so smart, trying to frighten her by making her the test subject. I’ve been the test subject my whole life. Try again, jackass.
    â€œRemember times like this?” His hand was still on her forehead. “I was strapped down once.”
    He’d volunteered for it. Been eager to jump on that gurney. No one had taken him, kicking and screaming.
    â€œBut you still came in that day, and you tried to get me out of there. Tried to get me to leave.” His brows lowered. “What the hell were you thinking?”
    That she could save him.
    But he hadn’t left. He had turned her in. If it hadn’t been for her family connections, she would have been killed for her actions that day.
    â€œWe need to find out what dear old daddy did to you. That way, we can do the same thing to others.”
    And what? Eradicate the vampires with her poison blood?
    â€œShould we sedate the patient?” one of the doctors asked.
    â€œI’m not a patient!” Cassie screamed. Seriously, they saw that she was fighting.
    â€œNo sedation, but we should probably gag her.” Jon did. The bastard actually tied a gag around her mouth.
    The doctors just watched.
    â€œDr. Shaw,