Page 70 of Heartbeat Girl
“Careful. It’s right beside my heart. One prick and poof.” He laughed, then coughed up blood.
Tears pricked my eyes. I looked up at Liam. “What happened?”
“Four of Marilyn’s underlings attacked Steve and Pete while I was with you,” Liam muttered and glanced at Pete. “Find him someone to feed from. We can’t risk taking it out unless he’s drinking blood.”
Pete zipped out of the room faster than my eyes could follow.
My hands got clammy. “It’s that dangerous?”
“It’s a precaution,” Steve said, but the way his expression pinched told me otherwise.
“Is everything okay?” a male voice ventured toward the doorway. “Good lord! What happened?”
Liam moved in a blink. “Nothing to see here. Everything’s okay. Go back to your room.” The man stepped away, and Liam exhaled. “Pete needs to hurry. Someone may have called the police. We can say a fan threw a chair at the window or something, when we wouldn’t let them inside.”
“Wait. Why didn’t you feed from that guy?” I asked Steve.
“It’s another thing. Blood of the same gender has no effect on us,” Steve said.
“Meaning, it doesn’t replenish us,” Liam added.
Oh.
I studied my wrist, then the dark circles underneath Steve’s eyes. He looked so pale… Even his lips were dry and oddly stiff, like he was afraid to move. I couldn’t stand there and do nothing. Not when I could help them within seconds. The sudden urge to puke hit me, but waiting around wasn’t my thing. I was their assistant. There would be a lot to take care of when word of this got out. I wouldn’t risk someone seeing blood on their shirts, even if Liam altered everyone’s memories. It only tookoneperson to get away.
“Take my blood.” No sooner the words left my mouth, Steve’s eyes shot open, and his fangs lengthened. I leaned back, even though I was the one who made the suggestion.
Liam pushed my wrist to the floor, caging me from behind. “No.”
“This is quicker,” I said.
“No. We’re at a motel. Pete will be back any moment with someone.”
“Liam. She offered,” Steve mumbled.
“I will not let her sacrifice herself to either of you every time you get hurt. No one’s taking advantage of her goodness. This is only the beginning. It’s only going to get worse, and I’m not letting Jayne be a blood bag—”
“Liam,” I interrupted. Placing my other hand on the floor, I tilted my head up to look at him. The situation with Steve overwhelmed me too much to be affected by Liam’s proximity. I was scared for Steve, and no one would change my mind. I wanted this to be over with. “It’s my choice. You can’t steal it away. Steve can take just enough to pull the knife out, then he can get what he needs from whoever Pete brings back.”
Liam’s eyes blackened. His body had gone completely rigid behind me. “You realize what his bite will do to you, right?” he asked. I nodded, and that seemed to infuriate him. “You’re okay with being aroused by him?”
“The bite getsanyoneall hot and bothered,” I corrected.
“Hey, I can get you plenty worked up without the bite,” Steve piped in.
“Shut the fuck up,” Liam snarled.
“Will you get off me?”
I forced myself backward. Liam allowed me to move out of the awkward position I was in, but he stayed behind me. I offered my wrist to Steve, and he grabbed it quickly.
“Jayne,” Liam warned. “I won’t touch you after the bite. You’ll suffer until the effects wear off.”
I blinked, then gaped.Liam’s jealous.He didn’t want to share me. I wasn’t about sharing either, but… If he couldn’t stomach this, how did he expect me to watch him with another? I was one woman. Was my blood enough for him?
“I don’t want you to!” I fired back.
Before I let Liam do his vampire things on me, I would make him pleasure mehimself.I wouldn’t make this easy for him. I knew I wanted him, and he knew that. But I was a human woman and there were some things my jealous ass couldn’t overlook. It seemed to be the same for him.