Page 92 of Heartbeat Girl
“I miss you even when I’m looking right at you.”
“Then why have you been so distant?”
“Because if I’m near you, I want to devour you. I want to fuck and adore you. Over and over for eternity.”
I scrunched up my face. “And why is that bad?”
“Because look at what I did to you the other night!”
“I’m not afraid of you!”
“You slept an entire day. You couldn’t walk.”
“We’ll learn.”
“Yes. Little by little, but that’shardfor me right now. I don’t know how to love you in measured amounts. Everything I feel for you is so extreme.” He thumped his torso.
My eyes stung, and I didn’t dare blink.“We’ll learn.”
He kneeled on the bed. When he leaned closer, heat engulfed my stomach. “I wasn’t trying to make you feel unappreciated. I just don’t know how to talk or even be near you without taking you completely.”
I placed my hand on his chest before he got any closer. “Liam.”
He lowered his head against my arm. “The answer is always going to be no. I’ll never let Larissa keep you.”
“But—”
“No.” His gaze moved toward my phone. “I won’t let you call her either.”
“Liam!”
“I’m serious. I’ll hear if you call or text.” He tapped his ear.
I shoved him off the bed. “You’re bonded with someone else.”
“It’s not like that.”
“It is to me. And I can’t stand it! Just go…” I whispered and hugged my knees.
“The only creature I could ever exist for is the one right here.” Liam ran his thumb across my chin. “I’ll be free, my heartbeat girl, but it won’t be at your expense.”
As he walked away, I whimpered and ran my fingers through my hair. Pain ripped through my chest every time I thought of Liam and his sire. Even though it wasn’t love between them, the idea of him belonging to someone else made my stomach sick. I hated it. I wanted to tear that bond to shreds. That must be why people spoke so much of love in hundreds of different ways. I was willing to do anything for it. I would trust a stranger with my life to protect the home I found with Liam, Steve, and Pete. People, jobs, and things come and go, butLiam—he was mine to keep. Liam’s love and affection were mine. Steve and Pete’s friendship were mine to cherish. I’d be damned if I let some vampire named Marilyn mess with our lives.
Chapter Thirty
PETE
The tension skyrocketed on the bus. Every time Jayne averted her eyes or didn’t speak to Liam, he clenched in his jaw. And each time she walked away from him, his shoulders would droop, and sadness entered his eyes.
Sweet, naïve Jayne. My favorite human. But Liam was right. She would never bend us to the idea of her staying with Larissa and her lackeys. Jayne didn’t discuss the matter either, like she already knew we wouldn’t change our minds. Instead, she huffed and puffed at us and only responded with a single word or nod when we asked her something. That was how the day and evening went. Things didn’t get better after the concert either. We couldn’t stay in a hotel that night since we had to make it to the next gig on time. Jayne didn’t even complain about not getting to stay in one because she’d have to speak to us to whine.
I found it cute the way she showed her anger to us. Reminded me of all the days she spent running from us, and how hard she fought our friendship, even on the days we made her smile. Thoughts of the past made me think about Ruth, and how much she made us promise to leave Jayne alone. Maybe Ruth sensed music wasn’t the only thing that led us to Black Hearts. Ruth might not have known Liam led us to Jayne again, but she must have noticed us observing her red-faced assistant.
Meeting Jayne that night, bare face, bruised, teary-eyed, and terrified. It was like opening a door to something hopeful andbetter.I never believed in connections and bonds before I became a vampire and learned how invisible chains could bind us to people in good and terrifying ways. Being trapped with Marilyn had been hell, but through her I found brothers in Liam and Steve. In the same way she bound us to her, it bound us to each other.
It was also the reason Steve nor I fought Liam when it came to Jayne. His possessiveness bled through us.She’s his. There was no changing that. Liam’s feelings for her were strong enough he’d turn on his own brothers, if we dared to ask for her hand as well. I got it. I did. If I had Jayne, I wouldn’t want to share her either. Jayne’s pain…her heartbreak…everything from that first meeting was eye opening. Seeing someone else struggle made me think of mine less.
It reminded me that awful shit happened even when you had your own will. I didn’t dare blink or question Liam when he took her memories. Jayne bloomed into the strong willed, albeit still slightly scared person she was in a matter of years. But his choice led him right back to her.Liam never planned to lose sight of her, but she left the apartment out of the blue. It took him a few months to find where she worked, and then…the rest was fucking easy. Jayne’s work fit right into the music world we joined.