Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48783 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 244(@200wpm)___ 195(@250wpm)___ 163(@300wpm)
Strange. She seemed familiar somehow.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Damien didn’t know what had changed Maxton’s mind to leave the jungle, but he worried about the second part of the deal. Would Maxton agree to meet with Cimil? Until Damien had a firm answer, he wouldn’t feel at ease.
“May I?” Damien pointed to the seat beside Maxton.
“As long as you do not yammer like that MF.”
Damien’s hackles rose. “MF is always willing to roll up her sleeves when I need her. She is loyal, and that is all that matters.”
“I do not care. I am not planning on needing her. What do you wish to discuss, tailor? Make it fast. I sense I am going to enjoy this plane ride even less than the helicopter.”
“Noted.” Maxton had looked like he’d been about to lose his vampire cookies on the first leg of the trip. “What did my beast say to change your mind?”
Maxton stared ahead, transfixed on something. “He said that your argument made sense. This is all.”
Damien’s gaze flickered with doubt. It felt too easy a response. “So, that was it? He told you to come to LA, and you simply changed your mind?”
“Yes. As I said, it all made sense. I served no purpose rotting in the jungle. Now, I will serve a purpose.” Maxton’s voice was almost robotic.
Something is up. Almost like he was reciting lines. “Are you amenable to seeing Cimil?”
“Yes. Of course. It is why I am going there. I must make her happy so she will allow you to choose the love of your life, Willa.”
Damien swallowed hard. Maxton had clearly been given the whammy. But by whom? There was no one in his party capable of such a thing, and there certainly hadn’t been any brain benders in the village.
Damien nodded, unsure if he should look a gift horse in the mouth. At least he’d get to pick one woman to save. But which one?
No, no, I cannot think like that, he told himself. He had to find a way to save both women. But first, he wanted to find out more about this spell placed on Maxton.
“I am glad you’ve come around,” Damien said. “So what would it take to get you to negotiate with Cimil?”
“Negotiate about what?”
“Cimil must have big plans for you, Maxton. You’re the last living vampire. That means you have significant leverage. I’m asking what it would take for you to use it.”
Maxton stared. “I want to return to my lair.”
“That sounds fairly easy. After this is all over—”
“No. I want to return now.”
“Now?” Damien wasn’t following. “I thought you wanted to go to LA with us to meet Cimil.”
Maxton’s eyes went blank again. “Yes. LA. Cimil. Must go.”
Oh boy. His head had definitely been meddled with. “And when you get there, and you are standing in front of Cimil, all I am asking is for you to demand that both women, Sky and Willa, are allowed to live. I will still choose one for my partner, but the other cannot be killed.”
“You must choose Willa. Only Willa. The other must go.”
What? “Why must it be Willa?” Damien asked.
“If she dies, I will explode.”
“Explode?” Damien swallowed hard. This could only be one person’s work. Willa. He looked over his shoulder. No sign of the witch, but who else would do this?
The challenge was, he couldn’t turn his back on Sky. This spell is not going to work. Damien’s only shot at saving both women was to convince Maxton to help.
“Maxton? I need you to listen to me. Someone has put a spell in your head. I will have it removed, but only if you promise to help me. Do we have a deal?”
Maxton nodded, his eyes empty.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The plane ride had been hard on the vampire. Especially after Damien had had Bonbon and Gorgonzolina remove the mind fuck from Maxton’s head. With just a few rounds of hugs, they’d completely drained the energy in his body without risk of death since he was a vampire. Then MF had revived him with her blood.
Sadly, there had been a moment when Maxton was biting her wrist that she looked like she was going to cry. It must’ve been truly disappointing when he said he would not change her.
After Maxton was back to himself and past his panic attack following takeoff, Maxton explained that a woman with straight black hair had appeared near his lair and cast a sort of spell on him. She’d told him he would leave the jungle, go to LA, and meet with Cimil. He’d then overheard her tell the beast that she planned to ensure Willa was the chosen one.
So the beast and Willa conspired during my blackout. Interesting.
“You must return me to my lair,” Maxton said. “I cannot be out in the wild like this.”
Strange how he called being in public “the wild,” but it supported Brutus’s hypothesis.