Refugee (The Captive Series Book 3) by Erica Stevens Page B

moment to pull her hood back up. “You can
see,” Gideon said in amazement. Braith remained silent, he wasn’t
going to respond to him, wasn’t going to relax until Gideon moved
away from them. “And it’s because of her.”
    “Gideon,” Ashby cautioned.
    “You did not feed from my
gift.”
    “We are not here to discuss this,”
Braith informed him.
    “Have you lost your mind!?” Gideon
exploded. “She’s a human Braith.”
    “We are not here to discuss this!”
Braith roared trying to control his rising temper as Gideon focused
on Aria again. “This topic is off limits, for now,” he amended,
knowing that it would have to be addressed one day, but not
today.
    Gideon stalked back to his desk. “I
should just have you all killed now,” he muttered. “Save myself the
aggravation.”
    Fury boiled through Braith at the mere
thought that Gideon might do something to one of them, to her. It
took everything he had not to leap over the desk and beat Gideon
into a bloody pulp, but beating him senseless, or just flat out
killing him, wouldn’t do any of them any good.
    “If you think you could,” Braith
grated.
    Gideon glared at him. “You’re in my
world now Braith, I rule here!”
    “And just what do you rule?” Braith
demanded. “Some brothels and bars, farms, a trade ring, a smuggling
business? You rule nothing Gideon. This is a poor substitute for
the life you used to have and you know it. With your help Gideon,
we may be able to get that life back for you. But don’t think I
won’t destroy you if you try to harm one of us. You don’t have to
help us, but you will not threaten us.”
    Gideon turned slowly back toward
Braith, but it was not Braith he focused on. His fascination with
Aria was pushing Braith closer and closer to a deadly precipice.
“What is it that you require?”
    “You must still have friends; you must
have stayed in contact with the other collaborators that were
against my father.”
    Gideon grunted in displeasure and slid
into the chair behind his desk. “I may still have contacts, but
what exactly is your plan here Braith? What do you
propose?”
    “To take control from my
father.”
    Surprise flickered briefly over his
features. “And you are going to lead? You are going to be the man
that rights the wrongs?” Gideon’s tone was sarcastic, almost
hostile as his gaze focused on Aria again.
    Braith pressed Aria against the wall,
pinning her against his side. Her displeasure was obvious as she
tried to push away but he was not going to let her out. “It doesn’t
have to be me.”
    Gideon motioned to someone behind them.
Aria inhaled sharply as a servant girl hurried passed them wearing
almost no clothing. Bite marks marred her neck, but she didn’t seem
overly used as she flashed a smile at Braith and Ashby before
bending to pour a glass of liquor for Gideon. Gideon smiled at her
and lifted the glass in salute. “Thank you Dara, my friend here
might like to meet with you later.”
    “Anything he desires,” she replied with
a saucy smile that lingered on Braith. Aria shot the girl a dark
look that would have amused Braith at any other time. Right now
though, he was too hungry and too tense about this situation to
find anything humorous.
    “I’m fine Gideon,” Braith
grated.
    “Oh not you Braith, I can tell you’re
not relinquishing your meal anytime soon. I meant
Ashby.”
    “I’m fine also,” Ashby assured
him.
    “Oh well then, perhaps the young human,
he seems rather interested.”
    William closed his mouth as he ducked
his head and blushed just as vibrantly as Aria suddenly did. Her
discomfort was nearly palpable as her fingers curled into his
shirt. Braith hated this, hated that she had to be in this awful
place, exposed to some of the worst forms of debauchery he knew.
But for all of his numerous faults and all of his sinful tastes,
Gideon was a strong vampire and a natural leader. At his core he
was not an evil being. It wasn’t easy to discern that at