Her eyes widened with understanding. “You’re their leader! You own the brothel.”
“Smart girl. Maybe even smarter than some of my guards. They never caught on to the fact that I was checking up on them by pretending to be a client. They never suspected a thing.”
Ursula felt shivers race through her. So it was true then that the owner had a spy who would report whether the guards were doing their jobs, only that the spy was the owner himself. Clever. And now he was here to take her back. Frantically, she searched her brain for what to do. She had to stall him. If she was lucky, her dinner would arrive soon, and with any luck, Vera would be the one to bring it and be able to help her.
“How did you find me?”
Corbin laughed softly. “Your boyfriend brought me the wallet you stole from me. I knew that somebody in the brothel had stolen it and had the place searched, but nobody could find it. When Oliver brought it to me, I knew it had to have come from you. You were the only one who got out. I knew then that I would find you.”
She swallowed.
“And then your little friend claimed he’s a client. How stupid do you people think I am? I know every client by name. There was no Oliver Parker among them, if that’s even his real name.” He glared at her. “So I followed him, and guess where he leads me to?” He looked around the room. “This beautiful establishment. So, what did you give him to help you? Just your pussy? Or did he drink your blood too? Did you promise him a lifelong supply if he helped you?”
Corbin jerked at her arm, pulling her closer to him. His eyes were red now, and she saw how his facial muscles hardened, and his fingers started turning into claws.
“No!”
“No matter. Because he’s not getting anything at all from you. Because you’re coming back with me.”
“You have nowhere to run! He’s freeing the other women tonight!” she cried out.
Corbin let out an evil laugh. “Oh, you mean at the warehouse in Oakland that I gave him the address to?”
Oh shit! Oliver had told her over the phone that Corbin had been the one to provide him with the address. He would be running into a trap. They would kill him and his colleagues. “Oh God no!” She had to help him, get a message to him. But her cell phone was tucked underneath her pillow and out of her reach, not that Corbin would give her any opportunity to even press the call button.
“Yes, when your friend and his colleagues arrive at the warehouse in Oakland, they will be annihilated. There’ll be a dozen heavily armed vampires waiting for them. They’ll be walking into a bloodbath. And in the meantime, the girls are being packed up and loaded up. We’re leaving town tonight, and you’re coming with us.”
She shook her head, but he grinned.
“Let’s go!”
He tried to pull her up, but she kicked her leg against him. He cursed, but his grip loosened by a minute fraction and she twisted, stretching her arm out to reach under the pillow. Her fingers gripped the cell phone. But he jerked her back, and the phone slipped from her fingers, sliding to the edge of the bed, before she could press the call button.
Corbin’s eyes fell on it. “Disobeying again? I’ve heard that about you! You were a trouble maker from the start! Never knew what was good for her! Now take this and see how you like it!”
He slapped the back of his hand across her cheek, whipping her head to the side. Pain radiated through her, making her feel so dizzy she thought she’d lose consciousness.
She groaned.
“I’ll teach you to disobey me!”
He raised his hand once more.
“Do it and I’ll make you suffer!” a male voice warned from the window.
Was she hallucinating already, or had he really come to save her?
36
Oliver watched in horror as Corbin pulled Ursula in front of his body like a shield. Oliver had reached for his gun the moment he’d entered the room from the balcony, but he hesitated now. He wasn’t a crack shot, and if Corbin moved in vampire speed, dragging Ursula with him, the bullet could hit her instead. He couldn’t take that risk.
“Look who’s joined us!” Corbin said to Ursula. “Your boyfriend. Shame he’s too late.”
Corbin reached into his pocket producing a handgun which he now held to Ursula’s temple.
Shock coursed through Oliver, but he forced himself to remain calm and sound unconcerned, when he answered, “That’s not how I see it. I came just in time. Granted, I found your house empty when I got there. Are you moving?” Oliver asked casually. “What a shame. That was a nice house.”