Read Online Out for Blood by Kristen Painter - Free Book Online Page B

she pronounced vampires gave it an extra syllable. Vam-pi-years.
    “Would you have stopped him if you’d known how?”
    She nodded, eyes downcast. “I would have tried. Sinjin was not… an easy man to have his mind changed.”
    Doc snorted again. “You don’t have to tell me.”
    She looked up. “He kicked you out, yes?”
    “Yes.”
    “And now you are pride leader.” Her fingers twisted the rock that was her engagement ring. “And my husband.”
    He shifted forward. This was just the opening he needed. “Look, I know you didn’t sign on for this—and I’m sure you never agreed to get hitched thinking you’d have a stranger for a husband a few months after you said I do . I’m cool to have the whole thing annulled or whatever needs to take place to make the marriage go away.”
    Her fingers stopped fussing with the ring and her head jerked up, her spine straightening like a rod had been shoved through it. “You think I am so easy to get rid of? Do you know who my father is? Rodrigo Silva. The São Paulo pride leader. He commands more than ten thousand varcolai. Do you wish to anger him? Because I’m sure he would love to hear how you so casually desire to toss me aside.”
    Dammit. “That’s not what I meant. I was trying to do you a favor.”
    “A favor. Pah.” She spat air at him, flicking her fingers. “We are married. You must accept that.” She crossed her arms and stared away from him, muttering in Portuguese.
    “Look, you don’t understand. I have—”
    Her head whipped around. “What is the matter with me? Do you not find me attractive?”
    “Of course you’re attractive. You’re beautiful.” Some of the anger left Heaven’s face. Thank Bast Fi wasn’t here. “But it doesn’t matter what you look like, because—”
    “Ah, I see now.” She raked her gaze down his body, head waggling back and forth. “You do not like the girls, eh? You prefer men—is that it?”
    “No! Hell no.” He growled softly. This was so not going how he’d pictured it. “Listen to me. What I’m trying to tell you is I’m already in love with another woman.”
    “Love.” She waved her hand at him. “An emotion that comes and goes.”
    “Heaven, she’s my fiancée. I plan to marry her.”
    He waited, watching the words sink in. Her expression went blank; then her eyes took on the greenish gold of her true nature.
    “So the rumors about the ghost girl are true?” Her mouth twitched into a grimace.
    “Yes.”
    She shook her head. “You will not marry her. Because if you do, I will kill her.”

 

Chapter Eight
     
    C hrysabelle followed Fi down into the freighter’s hold, each of them carrying a rechargeable flashlight taken from the galley. The solars were still lit but growing weaker as the night wore on. The last thing either of them wanted was to have the light fail while they were confronting an aged, noble vampire. Fi could turn ghost and escape, but Chrysabelle and Damian, no matter what their training, were still human.
    Chrysabelle squinted, testing her night vision. It was decent but starting to fail. She couldn’t speak for Damian, but he’d been without a patron for long enough now that her guess was they were both suffering from a lack of bite. Their heightened comarré senses were diminishing with each passing day.
    Damian. Why had she said his name during her recovery? What had the Aurelian told her that made her unconscious mind focus on him? Could he really be her brother? She’d not seen him during the time he’d been quartered at her home. Did he remember her? Hopefully he’d know something that would help her solve this mystery.
    Fi made circles with her flashlight beam. “You’ll have to throw your weight against the door. Hinges are for crap. I just ghost through unless I’m bringing him food.”
    “You’ve been taking care of Damian?” She wasn’t sure why that surprised her. Fi was young and sometimes did things that showed her age, but that didn’t mean