The tunnel was equipped with low level lighting strips running along the floor, the same type of strips that guided passengers on a plane to the emergency exits.
Luther looked over his shoulder. Katie’s emerald eyes sparkled in the dark like a beacon. It wasn’t hard to guess why she’d gotten movie roles. Even he could tell that the camera loved eyes like hers, expressive and full of mystery. With those eyes she could capture her audience and make them forget everything around them.
“What is it?” she suddenly asked and stared past him.
Luther forced himself to look toward the end of the tunnel, motioning to it. “Once we’re out of the tunnel, you need to do exactly as I say. Your life will depend on it.”
She nodded, her jaw tight.
“Can you see well enough?”
“I’ll manage.”
He reached for her elbow and noticed her jolt at the contact. “I’ll guide you until we’re out of the tunnel.”
“I don’t need—”
He started walking, not giving her a chance to complete her protest. “Just accept my damn help when I offer it. Next time I might not be offering.”
He’d never heard a woman grunt, but by God, his ears were not fooling him.
“You’re welcome,” he ground out and continued marching toward the end of the tunnel.
Her arm felt rigid under his grip. As if she was disgusted by his touch. Less than twenty-four hours earlier she’d sung an entirely different tune. She’d yielded to his touch. None of that submissiveness was evident now. Well, it appeared kissing Katie against her will had been a stupid move. One he wasn’t going to repeat.
“Where does this corridor lead to?” she suddenly said into the silence.
“We’ll emerge in cold storage.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “What’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
He slowed as they came to the end of the tunnel.
“There’s no door!” Katie’s voice was laced with panic.
Luther squeezed her arm. “There is. It’s just not evident. Trust me.” He let go of her and ran his hands along the left side of the wall. He felt the indentations almost instantly. His fingers slid into the grooves. With only the lightest of pressure he pushed against the indentations.
A small number pad appeared, and he typed in the same combination as before. A series of clicks confirmed that the code was correct.
“Step back.”
The wall moved toward them, swinging to the side. Blue light flooded into the corridor, making him adjust his focus. Cold air blasted him and the low humming sound of a motor reached his ears.
“Stay close behind me,” he ordered and stepped forward. A cloud of fog built in front of his face as he exhaled.
“It’s a refrigerator,” Katie said in surprise.
“I hope you’re not squeamish.”
“Why would I—” She stopped and let her eyes wander around the large refrigerated storage room. “Oh.”
Luther motioned to the bags of blood that were stacked neatly on stainless steel racks, sorted by blood type and age. “They can’t let the prisoners starve.” Even though some of the guards had surely tried.
“How many prisoners do they keep here?”
He shrugged without looking at her. “The facility is built to hold 480 prisoners.”
“That’s not a lot of blood for that many prisoners.”
Curious, Luther turned to look at her. “Trust me, it’s enough.”
Katie pointed at the bags of blood. “Maybe for one day. Haven says—”
“Whatever your brother told you doesn’t apply here. There are different rules in prison. The daily rations… they are…” He hesitated, not knowing why he even bothered explaining and decided to say no more.
“They’re what?”
The honest curiosity in her gaze made him reconsider. He couldn’t brush her off now, not when she showed concern about men she didn’t even know, convicts, prisoners, vampires.
He reached for a one-pint bag and held it up. “This will feed one prisoner for four days.”
Katie’s chin dropped slowly and her bottom lips quivered from the cold. “That can’t be. I know how much Haven and his mate consume. No adult vampire can survive on so little.”
“It’s a prison, not a country club.” He turned toward the door. “Let’s go, you’re cold.”
Her trembling lips and chattering teeth weren’t the only indication of her sensitivity to the cold environment. Underneath her cardigan, her nipples were hard. And as much as the sight enticed him, this wasn’t the time or the place to act upon it. Nor did he expect a warm reception from Katie should he be so stupid as to touch her again.