Page 11 of Deadly Cravings
“And don’t forgetdelicious,” Asher chimed in.
Tilting my head so I could see around Tobias, I noted the flush creeping up Jax’s neck.
“Breathe, brother, if you don’t simmer down, we’ll have to have another blood run.” Asher smirked, obviously enjoying poking at him. “And like you said, we can’t be going out too much, considering everything going on and with Ren gone?—”
“Shut it,” Jax roared. The hair on my arms lifted and I pushed off the seat as I slinked behind Tobias. His backtightened against my palm. My thumb slipped into the ripped hole in his soft sweater and pressed gently onto his spine. A tremble coasted up his back, and I swallowed hard as I snatched my hand back.
“We must kill her.”
“Jax, calm yourself.” Tobias’s deep voice vibrated over my skin.
“She’s just a human.” Jaxreallydidn’t want me around.Fucking dick.
I sucked in a breath when Asher elbowed Tobias out of the way. His glittering blue eyes seemed much deeper up close. An inquisitive, mocking expression marred his face as he peered down at me and lifted his hand to cup my cheek.
I sucked in a breath and Tobias hissed, but it did nothing to stop him as Asher rubbed my lower lip with the pad of his thumb.
“Lovely, just as I thought you’d be,” he purred. What?
His pupils expanded, engulfing his eyes with near darkness. He breathed me in and my body reacted to his nearness, nipples pebbling. It was too hot in here, but I didn’t fan my face like I wanted. Instead, I stilled like I was near a predator, because that was what he was, and I had a feeling he’d like it if I ran.
One of his hands slipped to the dip in my waist, but he didn’t stop there, and with each inch he lowered, my heart thundered louder in my ears. My skin prickled with awareness and his grazing touch left a fire in its wake. My body was betraying me. It didn’t get this hot unless I was near designer stuff. I sank my fingernails into my palm.Theywere not sweet like the vampires in my books. If I repeated it to myself enough, it may sink in.
But why were they just as seductive?
“Enough.” Tobias shoved Asher by his shoulder, and Asher tilted his head back, laughing.
“Don’t like what’s going through my mind, Ancient One?”
Tobias said nothing as he stared back. What did he mean by “going through my mind?”
“Can you read minds?” The question slipped out before I could stop it.
The brothers were different kinds of dangerous. It was a good thing I’d just taken a pump of my medicine because it was holding my lungs over even as my pulse skyrocketed.
Tobias’s brows lifted at my question. “Not yours.”
So, some vampires read minds then. Jax had mentioned something earlier about compulsion, and I’d read enough to understand what that was, yet he said that didn’t work on me. My attention jumped from Jax’s stiff face to Tobias’s concerned one to Asher’s curious one. I needed to say something, I had to muster up the courage so my voice didn’t shake.
“I already knew about your kind,” I muttered. “I’ve known for years. Do you think that’s why it doesn’t work?”
“How did you know about us?” Jax crowded me. My gaze ping-ponged as I switched from face to face. They were all within touching distance, towering over me like statues. “Are you owned? Who do you belong to?” The rapid-fire questions forced me back until the back of my knees pressed against the edge of the couch. I was already shaking my head, only understanding about half of what he was saying. “Who sent you to spy on us?” His leaned into my face, so close that my ass dropped onto the couch. I grunted upon landing, leaning away until I couldn’t. His palms slapped on the furniture, his arms corralling me and his body blocking my view.
“N-no one sent me.” I lifted my hands in front of me and waved them in a calm-down motion.
His sweet breath fluttered the hairs that had escaped my ponytail. I gritted my teeth and forced my eyes to meet his. The pupils expanded for a different reason than Asher’s had and the hair on my arms lifted. Jax’s hands slammed into the cushions,and his thumbs pressing into my thighs as he leaned over me, face an inch from mine—using his body to intimidate me. Looking into my eyes like he could see into my soul. He was the dangerous one. I wiggled my bare toes and fixed my eyes on his nose.
“Just kill me if that’s what you’re going to do.” Tears helplessly gathered in my eyes and the vampire blurred into a large blob hovering over me.
“No one is killing you, Pet,” Asher’s disembodied voice murmured from somewhere behind him. He was so similar, yet so different to his twin.
Jax shoved off the couch and scoffed, disgusted.
FIVE
catalina
Asher slinkedover and ran his hand down my arm. It was strange seeing such a concerned expression on a face that had glared at me so fervently. Miraculously, some tension fell away under his reassurance. Now that I had a moment to think, I couldn’t help but be grateful they hadn’t slapped me around or locked me in a cave.