Page 14 of Deadly Cravings

Vampire laws about their existence? That would make sense. I couldn’t imagine the hysteria if people knew about them.

“We need to keep her here until we decide.”

Tobias inclined his head.

I inhaled sharply and looked at the ex-priest. His eyelid twitched like he felt me looking at him, but he didn’t face me. I’d never given much thought to vampires other than they were evil, but they had extensive pasts. They’d witnessed so many historical events.

“There’s no need. You can let her return home.” I was really starting to like Asher. Relief lifted the corners of my lips. One of them had some compassion.

“After all, she lives right next door.”

I blinked at him. I lived where?

“I jacked off to her earlier.” My mouth dropped at the easy way Asher admitted it. “That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier before you so rudely interrupted. She’s our new neighbor.”

I rushed to the window and pulled the curtain to the side. The scratch of the metal rings lifted the hair on the back of my neck.

Even from the first floor of the house, it was more elevated since it was on an incline. The slanted roof of my home stared back at me from a small distance away. A huge leap over and you’d be on my house.

“You okay, neighbor?” I slowly craned my neck, nose almost grazing against Asher’s.Did he need to stand so close?

“I’m going to go,” I rushed out, hugging my Prada as I shoved past his looming form. Half of me expected to be stopped but no one did. It was a good thing, or I might have had a breakdown.

“Don’t try to run from us, human, or you won’t like it when we catch up to you.” Jax’s sharp words swirled in my head, stacking on to my dizziness.

The door was heavy, and I struggled to get it open. The chandelier lighting the entrance spilled into the darkness, and I left the front door open to guide my way.

I tripped descending the massive amount of stairs but caught myself in the last second. Fortunately, since that stumble down was steep. I reached the base with moisture beaded on my forehead, plastering the hairs to my skin. A burst of noise broke through my ragged breathing, and I yelped, cringing away from the gate. Black wings flapped with fervor, and I clutched my chest. A bat. A fucking bat. It disappeared into the night, and I staggered forward. The gate clanged as I shoved it shut behind me.

There were yards between their home and mine.Yards.

This was not good. I’d been trying to run away from vampires but instead, I’d moved in next to a group of them. They didn’t chain me up or stop me, but it wouldn’t last long. They were vampires, it was in their makeup to harm others.

The worst part was, I was stuck. There were currently no funds in my account to run.

I could try to sell my handful of luxury items I’d managed to collect over the years . . . but they were outdated and not in the cool vintage way—their resell value was nonexistent.

My hand wouldn’t stop shaking on the doorknob, making it difficult to open my front door. As my adrenaline wavered, lightheadedness surged forward, making my movements sluggish. I felt so weak . . . and aroused.

SIX

jax

“You needto approach humans with much more finesse,dumhuvud.”Irritation seeped into Asher’s tone, and I scoffed. I’d leave that to him. I didn’t have time for that bullshit, and I’d learned force resulted in many more answers than trying to cajole them out of someone.

“We can’t just let her go,” I snapped.

“For once, you’re both right.” Tobias scratched his fingers through his scalp. “Jaxon, she can’t be compelled. I can’t read her mind. And unless we kill her?—”

“We can’t kill her,” Asher said so quickly, his words ran together. “Her taste . . .” he shuddered. “It needs to be savored.”

“Besides that, she can be useful. But a human we cannot control is playing with fire. She can leave while we’re undisposed.” Tobias’s gaze unfocused as it did when he got lost in thought. It happened to him more than any of the others. Asher called it his ‘ancient gazing’.

Asher plopped on the settee, crossing his ankle over the other. “No need to worry about that.” Asher waved his hand in the air like he was batting the words away. “She doesn’t have a landline,annnnnd.” He plucked a device from his pocket.“I snagged it from her purse.” A cell phone dangled from his fingertips.

“When exactly did you discover her lack of landline?” Tobias said slowly . . . patiently. I could understand the need to smack my brother. An urge he likely fought with every carefully spoken word. “I believe you were ordered to stay away from the human.”

“I’ve just been watching her,” Asher pouted. “It’s only her living there. We don’t have to kill her. We can play with her a little while she helps us, can’t we? A willing human is much more entertaining than a screaming, crying, vomiting one we have chained up in a room somewhere.” Tobias’s eyebrow raised. “It’s not like she has a car to go off in. And look.” He waved a phone in the air. “She can’t call someone.”