Page 64 of Bonded By Blood
By the time they caught sight of Kendall, impatiently waiting outside the pick-up entrance to the building, Joe realized there might have been something to Jasen’s warning. It didn’t help that the sun was only then starting to set. Between the uncomfortable burn on his skin—at least he’d acclimated himself to that, he supposed—and the flow of pedestrian traffic, the fangs in his mouth suddenly felt heavy. Sharp. Distracting, in a surreal sort of way.
A man brushed by, dragging a rolling suitcase and paying no attention to the people in his path, slamming his shoulder against Joe’s. The stranger barely slowed and didn’t even bother throwing a look behind him as he continued forward.
Joe, however, paused and followed the older male with his eyes.
The man was angry, for whatever reason. His blood raced hot in his veins. Hot, and tempting.
Joe shook his head and physically turned away. You’re a vampire, yes, but you don’t have to be a monster. Somehow, that thought reminded him of the feeling of Matilda’s body going limp in his arms, her blood still warm on his tongue. And that memory was enough to douse whatever hunger had woken up inside of him, for a while.
“I don’t know why you had to come,” Kendall said defensively. “I know how to meet people. I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Good,” Jasen said. “I don’t babysit.”
Kendall arched a brow.
Joe stepped close enough to speak quietly. “I’m keeping you company. He’s stepping in as liaison.”
Kendall kept pace beside Joe without argument. “Uh, pretty sure I call—”
“You didn’t.” Jasen’s words were clipped and he glanced over his shoulder, dark eyes narrowed, as if daring either of them to speak against him.
Joe understood what Jasen was getting at. He remembered Trista saying she didn’t want anyone else knowing who was really responsible for the Slayer’s presence in Sacramento. He just wasn’t so sure that tactic would work on Kendall. And since he was also aware of the fact that anyone could overhear them at any point, he opted to take a different approach and typed out an explanation on his phone. Then he passed it to Kendall, for her to read. He could have texted her, he supposed, but this way he could delete the words as soon as she read them and there wouldn’t be any written trail.
Though he doubted he needed to be that thorough.
“Oh,” Kendall said, quietly. “Fine, I guess.” She handed back his phone.
Joe erased the message and tucked the device away as they reached the designated area.
Jasen reached out and snatched Kendall’s elbow, jerking her aside seconds before two vampire males came rushing by, suitcases swinging in their wake.
“H-hey!” Kendall exclaimed.
Joe steadied her as Jasen let go and twisted enough to keep a lingering eye on the two, but they kept moving. Unaware or uncaring of who they’d nearly crashed into.
“You okay?” Joe asked as he removed his hand from Kendall’s shoulder.
She smoothed out her shirt sleeve with a frustrated exhale. “Yeah. Totally fine. Jerks.”
“Cowards,” Jasen said.
Joe looked over at him curiously. “What?”
“They were fleeing.” Jasen slid his gaze around the space as he talked, never raising his voice. “Like frightened prey.”
The analogy confused Joe for a moment, before realization kicked in. Those vamps had been on the flight with the Slayer they’d come to meet, and instead of trying to use their destination as some sort of home field advantage, they’d run away. In terror.
Kendall laughed under her breath.
A strange, foreign chill stole down Joe’s spine.
“There,” Jasen said. He raised his voice. “Colt.”
Joe turned his gaze toward the escalator. He heard Kendall’s heartrate speed up as she shifted her weight beside him.
There was only one man riding the escalator, a large duffel bag slung over his shoulder. He was tall, well-built, with a full head of brown hair and sharp blue eyes. And there was no doubt in Joe’s mind, that was the Slayer. Adrian Colt.