Read Online Don't Blackmail the Vampire by Tiffany Allee - Free Book Online
Authors: Tiffany Allee
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but Kristen was a good person beneath it all. She just let her heart carry her away, certain that her prince would catch her when she fell. Too bad she’d caught herself a toad, not a prince.
“You mean like stealing her best friend’s fiancé right out from under her?”
Her stomach twisted. “How did you—”
“I keep my ears open. And since we’re considering Brent for a position at the company, I’ve made a few inquiries.”
“Why are you so interested in Brent for this position, anyway? Enough to let some puny human blackmail you?”
“Is that what I’m doing?” His gaze locked on hers, and her breath caught at the intensity there, the confidence.
No. She wasn’t going to examine that too much. If she really believed that she had no hold over him—she just couldn’t deal with one more thing right now. She swallowed hard and studied her feet, toeing off her shoes and slipping on her fuzzy, rubber-soled slippers. “Anyway, like I told you before, she made a mistake. But I think that’s part of the problem. Kristen tends to…cling a little. With men.” It felt like a betrayal to say that about her own sister, but he had to understand that Kristen wasn’t a bad person. “She believes what Brent tells her, because she has this romantic ideal in her head. And honestly…I think what she did to her friend—Alice—makes her cling harder to Brent. It’s like, she has to make it work. Or else what she did will be hollow.”
“And that would simply make her a bad person, right?”
“She’s not a bad person,” she said automatically, meeting his gaze again. This time, neither of them looked away. His expression was understanding, sympathetic almost. A deep need curled in her chest, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. Comfort from this vampire? A warm touch?
Yes.
Silence descended on them for a few moments, and finally he cleared his throat and shifted back on his heels, hands going into his pockets.
Worry hit her. What if she’d done the wrong thing by airing her sister’s dirty laundry with Charles? There were so many ways this might bite her in the ass.
“So your sister never lets go. And you don’t bother to try to date at all. What, I wonder, made you both so screwed up when it comes to men?”
She gaped at him. “What the—I’m fine. And Kristen isn’t messed up. She’s just…confused. Brent has her fooled.”
“Uh-huh.” He crossed his arms, light eyes watching her, studying her. She fought the urge to squirm. “Let me guess—”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare try to analyze me. My life—my sister’s life—is none of your business beyond the boundaries of our agreement. In fact, I want you to get out.” She waved at the door. “Now.”
“I’m not ready to leave yet, Lady Blackmailer.”
“Fine. I’ll leave.” She strode past him into the hallway, not allowing herself to limp and reveal how sore her ankle had become between dinner and their discussion. It was only when the door shut behind her that she realized she didn’t know where to go.
Mind foggy and body shaking with adrenaline, she found herself back out near the Dumpsters where she’d made her deal with Charles. Where she’d blackmailed herself a vampire.
None of this was working out as she’d hoped. Kristen was still enamored with Brent. Her tame vampire wasn’t seeming very tame at all. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that Charles wasn’t really trying to get Brent into a compromising position. Sure, his excuses made sense, and granted, they had most of the week left before they headed back to their normal lives, but still. It didn’t feel right.
Not to mention, her sister wouldn’t listen to a single thing she said on the subject of her fiancé. When had the gap between them grown so wide?
She sniffed and wiped fiercely at her eyes. The sound of snow crunching behind her made her whip around, and her heart jumped into her throat.
“Are you all right?” Charles
“You mean like stealing her best friend’s fiancé right out from under her?”
Her stomach twisted. “How did you—”
“I keep my ears open. And since we’re considering Brent for a position at the company, I’ve made a few inquiries.”
“Why are you so interested in Brent for this position, anyway? Enough to let some puny human blackmail you?”
“Is that what I’m doing?” His gaze locked on hers, and her breath caught at the intensity there, the confidence.
No. She wasn’t going to examine that too much. If she really believed that she had no hold over him—she just couldn’t deal with one more thing right now. She swallowed hard and studied her feet, toeing off her shoes and slipping on her fuzzy, rubber-soled slippers. “Anyway, like I told you before, she made a mistake. But I think that’s part of the problem. Kristen tends to…cling a little. With men.” It felt like a betrayal to say that about her own sister, but he had to understand that Kristen wasn’t a bad person. “She believes what Brent tells her, because she has this romantic ideal in her head. And honestly…I think what she did to her friend—Alice—makes her cling harder to Brent. It’s like, she has to make it work. Or else what she did will be hollow.”
“And that would simply make her a bad person, right?”
“She’s not a bad person,” she said automatically, meeting his gaze again. This time, neither of them looked away. His expression was understanding, sympathetic almost. A deep need curled in her chest, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. Comfort from this vampire? A warm touch?
Yes.
Silence descended on them for a few moments, and finally he cleared his throat and shifted back on his heels, hands going into his pockets.
Worry hit her. What if she’d done the wrong thing by airing her sister’s dirty laundry with Charles? There were so many ways this might bite her in the ass.
“So your sister never lets go. And you don’t bother to try to date at all. What, I wonder, made you both so screwed up when it comes to men?”
She gaped at him. “What the—I’m fine. And Kristen isn’t messed up. She’s just…confused. Brent has her fooled.”
“Uh-huh.” He crossed his arms, light eyes watching her, studying her. She fought the urge to squirm. “Let me guess—”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare try to analyze me. My life—my sister’s life—is none of your business beyond the boundaries of our agreement. In fact, I want you to get out.” She waved at the door. “Now.”
“I’m not ready to leave yet, Lady Blackmailer.”
“Fine. I’ll leave.” She strode past him into the hallway, not allowing herself to limp and reveal how sore her ankle had become between dinner and their discussion. It was only when the door shut behind her that she realized she didn’t know where to go.
Mind foggy and body shaking with adrenaline, she found herself back out near the Dumpsters where she’d made her deal with Charles. Where she’d blackmailed herself a vampire.
None of this was working out as she’d hoped. Kristen was still enamored with Brent. Her tame vampire wasn’t seeming very tame at all. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that Charles wasn’t really trying to get Brent into a compromising position. Sure, his excuses made sense, and granted, they had most of the week left before they headed back to their normal lives, but still. It didn’t feel right.
Not to mention, her sister wouldn’t listen to a single thing she said on the subject of her fiancé. When had the gap between them grown so wide?
She sniffed and wiped fiercely at her eyes. The sound of snow crunching behind her made her whip around, and her heart jumped into her throat.
“Are you all right?” Charles
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