Chapter 8 · The Price of Thirty Days

The hood came off and I saw Eli's face.

Not his real face. The smile. The kind that made you think of boardrooms and campaign donors and people who never got their hands dirty because they paid someone else to hold the knife.

He was leaning on the VIP balcony rail, looking down at me like I was a horse he might bid on. The auction hall went quiet. Karl's hand was still on my shoulder but his fingers had gone stiff.

"Amy Chen," Eli said. His voice carried. "I didn't expect to see you here."

I didn't say anything. The collar was still warm against my throat and my wrists were zip-tied in front of me and every instinct I had was screaming run.

But I couldn't. Not with two hundred vampires watching.

Eli straightened. He looked at Karl. "You brought her yourself. I have to say, brother, I'm impressed. I thought you'd burned that bridge."

Karl didn't move. Didn't speak.

Someone in the crowd laughed. Low and ugly.

Eli tilted his head. "Let's make this interesting. I'll pay double the opening bid. Right now. She walks out with me tonight."

The auctioneer stammered something about procedure.