The scream that rent from the room was enough to wake a sleeping vampire. It was enough to make a person's blood curl, enough to instill fear in the fearless.

But it didn't faze Devlin. It couldn't. He was, after all, the one causing the screams.

And the screams were coming from Bob.

Devlin gathered Bob's hair in his hand and pulled it. Bob was whimpering and pleading.

"Where is she?" He ground out.

All he got was a whimper. He raised his fists and slammed them into Bob's guts. Bob howled in pain. Devlin stood. He moved back and picked a whip.

"You failed at two of your duties. You drank on duty and you lost her." He moved closer to where Bob's hands were hanging from the ceiling with a chain. "It's either she comes back, or I kill you."

Devlin's eyes were bloodshot red. He was breathing hard, his white shirt rolled up at the arm and smeared with blood.

"Where is she?! HOW DARE YOU LOSE HER?!" He raised his arm with force and was bringing the whip down at him.

"Devlin, NO!!"

His hands froze mid-air. He held his breath, hoping the voice belonged to whom he thought it belonged. He swirled around and came face to face with Pamela. Her face was silhouetted in the dark dungeon so he couldn't see the expression on her face. The whip clattered to the floor.

True, he couldn't see the expression on her face, but her voice held contempt, more than he'd ever heard from her.

"You bastard! You animal!" She cried with contempt and rage. She moved closer to where Bob hanged and bile rose in her throat. He was looking even more battered than he'd been when Cody had shown her his picture. She broke down and wept.

"Bob I'm so sorry." She said, bitterness and guilt weighing her down. How could Devlin do something like this? She couldn't believe days ago she'd thought he was a good man. Anger flared in her.

"Release him." She said turning to look at Devlin. "Release him, you bastard!"

He gave her a cool glare, his jaw tightly clenched. He motioned for someone who was standing beside him to release Bob. When Bob was released, he hit the floor groaning in pain. All parts of his battered body hurt, no doubt. Pamela knelt beside him.

"Call 911 somebody! We need to get a hospital. Bob, I'm so sorry." She apologized, tears rolling down her face and he gave a strangled cry of pain in response. "Call 911!" she bellowed.

When no one budged, she directed a glare at Devlin.

"You're seriously not going to leave him like this are you? Not like I would put it past you." She said sneeringly.

One long step brought him close enough to grab her by the hands, and when he did, he started moving.

"Let me go!" She cried. She used her free hand to rain blows on his hand that held hers but he didn't flinch. He didn't even act as if she was doing anything to him. He was a goddamned brick wall. Bastard.

"Get him a doctor." That was all Devlin said to whoever was listening before they stepped out of the dungeon.

"Let go of me!" She screamed. "Let go! I don't want to go anywhere with a heartless animal like you! Let me –"

With one swift motion, he carried her and propped her against one shoulder as if she weighed next to nothing, moving with purposeful strides.

Pamela kicked and used her fists to hit his back but it did nothing to deter him. If anything, the impact of her fists on his brick wall back was hurting her. After so many failed attempts, she got tired and stopped struggling, resigning to fate.

They moved through a set of dimly lit passageways until they got to an elevator. He placed her into the elevator and hit the button to close them in. She wondered where they were going but didn't say anything. She was too angry and too embarrassed to speak. She noticed them descending.

Seconds later, the elevator dinged and swooshed open. He held her arm in an iron-tight grip and pulled her towards a passageway lit by a dull fluorescent bulb. They kept going for almost three minutes. Pamela became weary. Just how long is this freaking hallway? she thought to herself. There were no doors at all. Just thick concrete walls with weapons hung on the wall just like the first time she had met Devlin.

Finally, they stopped before a massive iron door. Pamela became warier. Why was he taking her here? Another of his dungeons? Would he tie her down with an iron chain or something? God, she was so sick of being a prisoner. Was it a mistake she was born?

He let go of her arm to punch some numbers on a keypad. The lock code, probably. Without thought, Pamela broke into a run down the hallway. If only she could reach the lift in time, or she could dash down the stairs too – if there was one. She just couldn't stand there and do nothing. Her adrenaline was skyrocketing, her hopes of escape nil but she had to do something. There was no way in hell she was going into a freaky dungeon with Devlin without a fight, or in this case, a run.

A strong hand caught her arm and pulled her against a brick wall. She struggled with him, getting angrier as she realized the brick was his broad chest.

"You cannot possibly outrun me."

"Yeah, I noticed." She said panting, trying to ignore how sexy the low rumble of his voice was. She was worn out. All the activities of the day had been tiring. "Get off me." She struggled to free herself from his iron grip embrace.

"I'm trying to protect you." He said softly.

God, he sounded sexy. The bastard.

"I don't need your protection." She said bitterly. "Just go away. You're a bastard. I hate you. I can't believe I kissed you. I can't believe I thought there was good in you. There isn't. You're a coward and a blood-sucking animal who doesn't deserve happiness and love. I hope you rot in hell."

Pamela felt him stiffen with a jolt. She blinked. She just said all those? Gee, she must be pissed. And she's probably hurt his feelings. But please, she had every right to be pissed. What he did to Bob was inhumane. So why did she feel bad about lashing out at him?

He let go of her but still held her hands. He pulled her towards the door. This time, she didn't object.

She cleared her throat. "I may have been too harsh."

He didn't reply, which showed how hurt he was. They got to the door. He let go of her again but gave her a glare that says if she dare run...

She knew better than to run again. She was tired and shaking from fatigue.

He pressed his head against a device. A red beam scanned his eyes and turned green. He replaced it from whatever hole he'd brought the device from and the metal door opened. He motioned for her to enter as if he'd lost interest in holding her.

"You'll be safe in here." He said, his voice rugged.

Pamela stepped in. The room was dark and Devlin switched on the light. It was a miniature apartment with a bed and kitchen. Through an open doorway, she spotted a bathroom. The metal door shut with a silent thud and for a split second, Pamela thought Devlin had left her. She turned around quickly to see if he had when she bumped into him.

He'd been standing behind her the whole time.

She stepped back almost immediately. She could see his face now. The dimly lit passageways and dungeon hadn't given her that luxury. His face looked haggard and tired and weary and that didn't rub off the handsomeness from it.

With a pang, Pamela realized he'd been worried sick about her. How stupid it had been of her to run away. She'd put Bob in danger and had made Devlin worried. Everything had been her fault. She sat on one of the easy chairs.

"Where are we?"

He walked to the wet bar and poured himself a drink. "An underground safe house. You'll be safe here." He sat on another easy chair, opposite hers and loosened his tie.

"So you keep saying. Safe from what exactly? The guy that ambushed us the other day? Bull?"

He didn't respond. He kept drinking silently.

It seemed he wasn't interested in a conversation and she was tired. She yawned and rested her head back on the easy chair and closed her eyes. This was her reality now. Someone was out there to get her and so she had to do all she could to cooperate with the one person who, even if she was wrought to admit it, was capable of protecting her.

"You were right." She abruptly said. Her eyes fluttered open and she raised her head to look at him. "I'm an animal. Though I could debate the blood-sucking part."

Pamela gaped at him. Was he trying to be humorous with her? Devlin was making a joke?

"I know I don't deserve love or happiness." He continued.

Pamela's heart was wrenched with guilt. "About that –"

"I've killed people, Pamela." He cut her off, looking at her square in the eye. "And I would have killed Bob too if you hadn't stopped me just in time." He downed the rest of his drink and poured himself another.

"That's not true, you love your boys."

He snorted. "I treat them like animals."

Pamela sighed. "Please don't berate yourself. And don't mind what I said. I don't want you to rot in hell or anything of the sort."

"Well too bad." He took a gulp and said bitterly, "I'm in hell already, I just haven't started rotting."

~

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