“You son of a bitch!” Chris screamed.

“I knew you wouldn’t do it,” Caroline said smugly. She didn’t seem upset at all. In fact she seemed relieved. Her eyes darted to Madison for a quick second and it became obvious. She was jealous and worried that Ephraim cared about her. Well, she just got her answer. Madison wanted to cry for herself, but she loved him too much even if he didn’t love her she needed him to leave.

Chris’ grip tightened around her. “It’s okay, Madison. I’ll take care of you.”

Ephraim turned around and stepped up to Caroline. He gripped the bottom of his shirt and tugged it over his head, throwing it to the floor. Then he pulled off the cross necklace before she asked him. “If I were you I would make it last because the very second I escape you’re dust.” He reached up and clasped a cuff around his wrist. It closed with a sickening "clink." He held up his other wrist and looked at Caroline. “You may do the honors.”

With a smile Caroline did just that.

Chapter 23

“Please stop!” Madison cried. She tried to pull free from her chains and go to him, but they wouldn’t give. Chris grabbed her and pulled her back.

“Oh, don’t worry, dear, he can’t die.” With a tilt of her head she considered Ephraim. “I believe I could do this forever.”

Ephraim stood erect looking ahead and seeing nothing. He didn’t react. That was one thing he stopped giving to Nichols years ago, a reaction. The bastard might have had his fun with torturing him, but he never gave him the satisfaction of a response after the first five years. He would do the same with this bitch no matter how much it hurt.

Holy f**k did it hurt. She was enjoying this too much. The wounds she inflicted on his face, neck and stomach hadn’t healed yet and weren’t going to for a long time. He was losing too much blood and couldn’t heal fast enough. The sound of his blood dripping to the ground let him know that he was standing in a rather large puddle of his own blood.

He heard the whip shoot through the air and the snap as it struck his skin. He ground his jaw. “No, please stop!” Madison screamed. When she wasn’t screaming she was sobbing. It was killing him to have her see this.

She dropped the whip to the ground. “Well, that’s not working. Let’s see what else we have in our toy box, shall we?” Caroline said cheerfully.

She looked over the table and then back at him. A wicked smile tugged at her lips. She walked over to him and unbuckled his belt, slowly.

“What are you doing?” Chris demanded.

Caroline ignored him as she undid Ephraim’s pants. He kept his eyes glued to a spot on the wall. “Oh, let’s empty the pockets before we continue. Wouldn’t want anything to get in our way now would we?”

She reached into his pockets, making sure to give Madison a good view. Her hands reached in and pulled out his keys, cell phone and Madison noted his sleek black Sentinel cell phone had a green light blinking. That was odd. It usually blinked red when he had a call or a voice mail. Green meant something else he told her. It took a moment before it came to her. He set off an emergency signal. She had to hide her smile as Caroline threw it on the floor with the rest of his things.

“Did you tell her about all the fun things we used to do together, Ephraim?” Caroline asked, taunting Madison who was sobbing softly as Chris held her.

Ephraim ignored her. “It’s too bad all those times didn’t make the baby we wanted, isn’t it?” She smiled. “We must have f**ked day and night. I have to tell you it came as a surprise to me that all that sex didn't make a child. I was told a male Pyte could reproduce with a vampire I guess they were wrong.”

For the first time in three hours Ephraim spoke. “Yes, from what I’ve been told they can,” he chuckled weakly. “I have a secret to tell you, Caroline. Do you want to hear it?”

“Yes,” she said cautiously.

He leaned forward until his chains tightened. “First off, I only f**ked you twice so don’t try to cause any bullshit and we both know the only reason I did that is because you lied and said you could bring me to others like myself. Second, I never came inside you. In fact, I had a hard time keeping my c**k stiff in that cold dry pu**y of yours. My palm felt better than what you call a slit. My seed never entered your body.”

She growled and screamed. “Liar!”

“Am I?” He laughed. “Think back, how long did I last?”

Caroline looked like she wasn’t going to answer but then did. She was just as curious as Madison and apparently Chris.

“A minute. You said you were too excited.”

Ephraim shook his head. “Chris, block your ears for a minute.” Chris covered his ears, too afraid for Ephraim not to do as he asked. “Baby, on a bad day how long does it take me?”

Madison was torn between embarrassment and putting Caroline in her place.

“You’re full of shit. You couldn’t get it up more than once and you only kept it up for a few minutes at the most,” Caroline declared. She ran her eyes slowly over Madison and then scoffed. “Besides she’s not one tenth as beautiful as I am. I doubt you could get it up without the help of a pump.”

That did it. “Well,” Madison tried to sound and look thoughtful, “you only last a minute, maybe a minute and a half-“

“I knew you were full of shit.”

“-when I use my mouth, but I believe the shortest time was ten minutes when you had me bent over the front of your squad car in back of the movie theatre.” She shrugged and smiled. “The theatre was closing soon, we had to rush before the parking lot filled.”

“You bitch!” She stepped forward to slap Madison.

“I thought you were going to torture me some more. I knew you were full of shit.” Ephraim’s weak voice stopped her.

Caroline turned around with a forced smile pasted to her lips. “Oh, I believe I have a wonderful idea. Let’s see how long you last after all. Madison can time us.”

He laughed weakly. “I would agree that being between your legs again would be torture.”

She reached out and ran her nails down his already bleeding stomach and scratched her way down his body, leaving behind five fresh lines of blood. His stomach muscles clenched tightly.

“Why don’t you tell me how to turn me into what you are, Ephraim? I know your little secret, your blood will kill me, but I know there’s a way. Tell me.” Her hand pushed its way under his boxers.

Madison felt her heart breaking. She didn’t want to see this. She didn’t want to see him with another woman no matter what the reason. It damn near killed her when he finally reacted. He dropped his head back and gritted his teeth the way he’d done with her so many times.

Caroline began screaming.

“What the f**k?” Chris crawled on his knees to get a better look. “His pants are smoking!”

“Holy water, bitch,” Ephraim ground out. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

She yanked her hand out of his pants and began stumbling around the room while she stared at her hand. “Holy shit! Would you look at that?” Chris muttered.

Madison was looking. Caroline’s hand erupted in flames, seconds later the flame was gone and her hand was a gray ash. She stumbled into the wall. The bump was enough to disturb the ash that was once her hand. It crumbled to the ground. New screams left her mouth. “My hand, you son of a bitch! You took my hand away!”