Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Before he could respond to that, she cleared her throat. “And I apologize if I sound like a bitch. But this has been a very long night. I’m tired, and you scared the shit out of me, and my father really pisses me off. So that’s where I’m at.”
Everything about her, from the flush on her cheeks, to the way she crossed those arms, to the scent of her and the rhythm of her words, became vividly, achingly clear to him. Then again, the fog that covered everything and everyone around him—that was so innate to him that he didn’t really notice it anymore—never had applied to her.
He had always seen her clearly.
“Why’s your night been so hard,” he asked softly. “Apart from me playing dead back there. And the lesser thing. Well, things, really, ’cuz there were two. Then your dad. Actually, you’re right. That’s a list right there, isn’t it.”
Her eyes flared in surprise like people didn’t ask her for personal details very often. He felt the same way. They weren’t something he asked for very often. Or at all.
“I, ah, I started it with a fight with my best friend.”
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “I know what that feels like.”
Not that he and Shuli had been friends for a long time. But they absolutely had had conflict in that Tesla.
“Some nights are better off not starting,” he muttered.
“You’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Your definition of ‘nothing’ and mine are different.” She paused, as if to give him an opportunity to speak. “But there you go.”
As she took a step back, he wanted to ask her to stay with him. Yeah, and then what? They were just going to stand here, shooting the shit, while he dodged her entirely reasonable questions and they were sitting ducks for lessers?
“I’d tell you to take care of yourself,” she murmured, “but like you said, I’m guessing that isn’t necessary. Anyway, thanks for having my back over there, and here’s your phone.”
He accepted the thing from her. “You’re welcome—”
With a curt nod, she was up and out, the thin air she left behind nothing compared to her physical presence.
As he felt a letdown, he reminded himself that he had more important things to worry about than a female who was never going to be his, anyway.
Time to go get rid of that body.
* * *
A couple of blocks away, in Bathe’s VIP section, Bitty was hitting the proverbial wall. It wasn’t that the people around her weren’t fun. They were laughing and enjoying themselves, for sure. And it wasn’t that she felt unsafe. She was surrounded by other vampires, many of whom had been trained by the Brotherhood to fight. And it wasn’t that she minded the music or the presence of humans or the attention her dress was getting her.
Well, she was a little tired of hem maintenance.
But she was ready to leave. She didn’t hate the club scene; it just wasn’t her—and she had to admit that Nalla might have a point. Going out just to not be home wasn’t much better than staying home to avoid going out.
A cup of coffee would have been better.
“Lyric,” she said. “I think I’m going to go.”
The female turned away from the guy she was talking to, her beautiful silver dress shimmering as her body moved. “But you just got here.”
“It’s been an hour.”
“That’s no time at all.”
“I have to go to bed early today. I’m working a double tomorrow night.”
That wasn’t exactly true. She was going to volunteer for a double so that she had an excuse in case anybody asked her to do something.
“Well, I’m so glad you came.”
Lyric threw her arms around Bitty, and the hug was so genuine, so not a social performance, that there was shy happiness in the way her presence was accepted by one of the “in-crowd.” And yes, that was kinda high school–ish, but the fact was, Shuli, Rhamp, and Lyric were a trio people gravitated to and revolved around.
“You’ll come again, right?” Lyric asked.
The hopeful expression was kind of inexplicable, but Bitty found herself nodding and feeling optimistic. It wasn’t always the club that they all went to. The group did movie nights and pancake marathons, mountain climbing and house parties. She would like to be a part of all that. Or some of that.
Or at least have the option to go to a few things.
“I would love to.”
“Great.”
There was another hug, and that started a rush of embraces—except for Shuli’s six-pack worth of rat pack, as he called them. Those aristocratic males hung back, even as she clinched up with everybody else. Well, almost everyone.
L.W. was where he’d been the whole time, still in that lean-back sprawl with those hooded eyes missing nothing even though he’d been drinking all along.