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asleep on the sofa and Rory’s head was flopped onto the back of the chair. They had obviously waited as long as they could and then had passed out from the sun. Russell suddenly realized that it might be nightfall before he had an answer.

Chapter 5
     
    Em opened her eyes screaming. Russell ran to her, shutting off the heater and dropping to his knees before her. “You’re alive.”
    “Ah. Ot.”
    “I know. You were encased with ice. I wanted to melt it off to see how much damage there is. What do I do?”
    “Ory.”
    “I can’t wake him up. I have been trying on and off since I got back.”
    “Ungry.”
    “You’re hungry?”
    “Es.”
    Russell realized that it must be too painful for her to move her lips. “Shit. I didn’t want the humans to see you like this.”
    “Ennis.”
    “Dennis. He will be the least freaked out. What about one of the women watchers?”
    “Ah.”
    “Okay.” Russell got up and hurried down to Wesley’s room. He knocked on the door. Dennis answered wearing only a thong.
    “You’re back. Did you find Em?”
    “Yes. She is badly burned. She asked me to get you. She needs to feed.”
    Dennis grimaced. “Wesley fed from me last night. Did you ask Samantha, Marilyn, or Leeah?”
    “No. Em is in pretty bad shape. I was reluctant to ask anyone else.”
    “I would ask them before you go to the humans. What did Rory say?”
    “I can’t wake him up. I think that he and Salt stayed awake as long as they could and now they are both out cold.”
    Dennis nodded. “See if the other three are awake. They may not know about sunburned vamps, but they might.”
    “Sunburned is a very general term. Em looks more like she was charred over an open flame.”
    Dennis grimaced. “She will heal. Go talk to the others.”
    With a nod, Russell headed down the hall. He knocked on Adrial’s door. Samantha answered and frowned. “Did you find Em?”
    “Yes. She is in bad shape and she needs to feed. I don’t want you to see her, though. It will give you nightmares.”
    Samantha walked back into the room and returned with a sleeping mask. She smiled. “Will this work?”
    “You are a genius. Can you go get a few others for me? Ask them to wait in the hall until I get them. I can blindfold each person before they walk into the room.”
    “No problem.” Samantha headed down the hall and Russell walked back to check on Em.
    Russell explained to Em what was going to happen. Em was awake, but he had no idea how she was going to feed with her lips all burned. When someone knocked, he looked at her. Em could obviously see him, but one of her eyes was burned shut. “You sure?”
    “Ah.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Em watched in silent agony as Russell walked to the door. It was little more than his thick shape and his distinct voice that made him identifiable. The woman who walked in had a thin waist and large breast, but Em wasn’t sure if it was Marilyn or Leeah. She expected a reaction of gasping surprise or stunned inhalation, but got none. When they got closer, she forced herself to move her mouth to speak clearly. “Lips. Prick her finger.”
    Russell obviously understood her because she felt the warmth of blood drip onto her torturously burned lips. Em had to suppose that all the pain her men had inflicted on her over the years was now helping her to cope. Her pain tolerance scale must be off the charts. The blood helped some, her face still feeling scalded and taut. She could only imagine what she looked like. “More.”
    The blood fell in small forced droplets, the woman grimacing softly as the prick in her finger was milked by Russell. If Em was capable of laughing, she would have. She would love to switch places with whoever was standing over her.
    Reluctantly moving her mouth, she discovered that the skin had gained back some of its flexibility. She had been keeping her fangs at bay, but now she let them come forward, snapping into place in her mouth. Russell took the hint and asked the woman