I frowned watching as Martin turned to the doorway. A man with dark brown hair that fell in soft waves to his shoulders entered. His dark brown eyes met mine as he walked toward me. I swallowed hard. He was striking and handsome but looked dangerous at the same time. My gaze wandered over him.

I huffed, taking one look at his expensive suit; it wouldn’t surprise me if he worked with Dimitri Alistair himself in that getup. The man looked like he’d walked straight off a runway. His broad shoulders fit the navy suit coat like it’d been tailored just for him. His attire reminded me of Alistair’s well-paid henchmen. Was he here to kill me? Had Martin set me up? My heart thudded in my chest before I came to my senses and realized this was Martin. If there was one person I could trust in this world it was him. Shame filled me that I’d even considered him harming me even if for just a second. God these past few weeks had taken a toll on me.

“This her?” the man asked, his voice impossibly deep.

I glanced up at him, taking a moment to pause. He was handsome with his angular jaw and his eyes really were the most amazing honey color. Our gazes met and my breath hitched. There was something about him. Yes, he looked dangerous but somehow, I felt safe with him too.

“Lucian Eversole, I’d like you to meet Alex Gideon.” Martin motioned between us drawing me from my ogling.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alex,” Lucian said, holding his hand out to me.

I glanced at Martin for a minute; what was he up to? He nodded at Lucian’s extended hand and I slowly took it. The second I touched him a vision tore through me. Fire was everywhere. People were screaming and crying. Glass broke. Someone was in my arms…no not mine…Lucian’s. It was a young girl. She’d been coughing uncontrollably but had stopped. Her face was soot-covered, except where tears had left tracks through the dirt. I could feel his thoughts, he just had to make it downstairs and out the door, but his vision was waning and every breath he drew in was filled with smoke. God, he wasn’t going to make it. The heat was unbearable, it burned his lungs to where he was gasping violently for a breath that couldn’t quite be caught. There was a shadow lurking in the distance.

Lucian fell to the ground, hitting his knees first and then toppling to the side, somehow managing not to crush the little girl in his arms. A man appeared over him; I couldn’t make out the face through Lucian’s blurred vision. But he knew who he was. The man knelt beside Lucian and lifted his wrist before biting into it. Lucian cried out…and then he fell into darkness.

Gasping, I yanked my hand away. I only ever had visions of those who were dead. Oh God. He was dead. He was a vampire. I’d seen the final few moments of his human life.