Elemental Assassin 03 - Venom

promised. But I couldn’t fault her for it. Not after everything that she’d already been through.
    “No, you’re not going back to Slater,” I said in a quiet voice, handing her the tissues. “We’re getting you out of here and away from the giant for good. Now, let’s get you cleaned up before we go.”
    Once Roslyn wiped away her tears and runny mascara, the three of us left the salon. I curled my arm through Owen’s, and we strolled back toward the hustle and bustle of the main deck. Owen still hadn’t said anything, and I was grateful for his silence. Roslyn walked behind us, moving at a slow, steady pace just the way I’d told her to.
    I glanced over my shoulder at the vampire. “Five more minutes, and you’ll be safe in Finn’s car. Five more minutes. Just remember that, Roslyn.”
    The vamp nodded, but her toffee eyes were dull and flat in her face. Exhaustion and fear tightened her features.
    Owen and I rounded the corner and stepped onto the main deck once more. Roslyn joined us. Owen and I moved toward the gangplank, drawing as little attention to ourselves as possible. We walked several feet away from the wall, creating a sort of human screen for Roslyn, trying to shield her enough so no one would realize that she was leaving.
    At this point, we were five hundred feet away from the gangplank. Four hundred. Three.
    We walked on, Roslyn picking up speed with every single step. She pulled ahead of us, moving out into the open for everyone to see, but there was nothing I could do to call her back without drawing even more attention to the vamp.
    Two hundred feet. One hundred—
    “Roslyn!” Elliot Slater’s voice boomed through the crowd.
    She hadn’t been quick enough. Roslyn froze at the sound of the giant’s voice, fifty feet away from the edge of the gangplank that led down into the dark night and to her freedom.
    The giant used his speed to maneuver through the crowd. Five seconds later, he reached Roslyn’s side. I pulled Owen back against the wall that fronted the dining hall. We stood ten feet away from the other couple.
    “Where are you going, baby?” Slater asked. “I told you to wait for me at the blackjack table.”
    Somehow, Roslyn managed a trembling smile. “I got cold. I was just going down to get my coat out of the limo. I’ll be back in a minute.”
    She started to walk past the giant, but he put his hand on her arm, stopping her. Roslyn flinched at the touch. The giant’s hazel eyes narrowed. He wasn’t buying her excuse.
    “I’ll have one of my men get it,” Slater said. “Until then, you can stay right here next to me where it’s warm.”
    Roslyn stared past Slater at me. Emotions whirled in her dark eyes. Panic. Fear. Hate. Disgust. Rage. So much rage. The vampire dropped her gaze from mine and shuddered out a breath. For a moment, I thought she might give in, might go with Slater and erode a little more of her soul in the process.
    Roslyn huffed out another breath. Her whole body stilled, as though she’d been frozen alive by an Ice elemental. Another breath, this one so shallow that her shoulders barely lifted. Then, her spine slowly straightened, and herwhole body lifted up, as though she was gathering her strength for what was to come. Roslyn raised her head last. For a moment, she swayed side to side, like a delicate flower tracking the movement of the sun. Then her eyes snapped open. Hate made Roslyn’s dark gaze burn as bright as any Fire elemental’s.
    “Don’t put your hands on me.”
    Slater frowned. “What did you say, baby?”
    “I said don’t put your fucking hands on me!” Roslyn screamed.
    She shoved the giant as hard as she could. Like all vampires, Roslyn had above-average strength. But Slater was a giant, and a big one at that. He took only two steps back. But Roslyn didn’t care. Everything that she’d been suppressing these past few days—all the anger and rage and fear and helplessness—all of it just erupted. Spewed out of her like foul venom from a copperhead’s pointed fangs. And Roslyn finally let out the heavy, terrible secret she’d been carrying.
    “You’re never touching me again!” the vampire screamed. “Never! Do you hear me, you sick bastard? You’re never putting your filthy hands on me again! I’d rather die first!”
    All conversation on the deck stopped. All the drinking, all the gambling, everything. Everyone in attendance focused on Roslyn Phillips. With her clenched fists, trembling body, and