Page 36 of Pike

“No.”

“Move. Get out of town and forget her.” He flashed his rows of sharp teeth. “I can help take care of your little broken birdie.”

“Like. Hell.”

“Aw, come on. She’s never going to trust you again. I know the type. Once they’re shattered, the pieces don’t come back together.”

Pike balled his hand into a fist. “Then you don’t know her.”

“What, like you’re going to make the effort to win her back?” Ezollo chuckled. “Do what you do best and run. There are other towns, other countries. Where you’ll have a cornucopia of females throwing themselves at you. You’ll never starve.”

“No, you’re right.”

“Live like a king. I know a great spot off the coast of Greece where you’ll be treated like a god.”

“And leave Lavinia to you?”

“Exactly.” Ezollo gave a short nod. “Leave her to me. Haven’t you done enough damage?”

If he’d had the energy, Pike would have laughed. Lavinia, hooking up with this gossipmonger. There was no chance. She’d break his nose if he got too close.

Indeed, he’d spent enough time with her to know what she was capable of doing. More than even she understood. There was a world of strength hidden in her petite frame.

Pike left the bar and went home, changing into a dark sweater and worn jeans. He brushed his hair into a semblance of order and kept it tamed with a palm full of gel. Then he downed half a bottle of aspirin to squash the headache blasting him. Whether a product of his guilt or whatever drink he’d managed to finish at Kraken Down, he wasn’t sure.

For a man who’d been alive for a little less than four centuries, he was sure good at making his life into a mountain of crap.

Bollocks.

Ezollo might have been a soulless demon with a penchant for gossip, but he was right. Pike had no friends except for Lavinia. She was the one who kept coming back, despite the many times he’d sent her away. She gave him warmth, affection, an ear to complain to and a smile that lit his darkest moments.

What did he have to offer her? Nothing.

It was hard facing the facts. He had nothing to offer anyone. Lavinia was good, and light. He was nothing but a louse, preying on a precious emotion. He did it because he had to. For the first time in his life, he hated himself.

What a thing to admit. His healthy ego had taken not only a beating, but also a slam in the dirt. He’d done nothing but cause grief and heartache to countless women. He hadn’t given it a thought until he hurt the one person who’d stood by his side. The one who saw beneath the arrogance, the booze. Everything.

What was it she’d said about love? Maybe he should try feeding on everlasting love instead.

It was impossible. His mentor, the vampire who’d made him what he was, had told him so.

Pike was walking toward the door when a tingling began in the back of his throat. Heat shot down his spine.

“What—”

His focus dimmed, hand falling listlessly from the doorknob. As a vampire, he didn’t have special powers beyond a keen sense of hearing and the ability to see in the dark. He certainly didn’t have visions. Those he left to the psychics. But as a moving picture as real as life flashed behind his closed eyes, it took everything he had inside him not to scream.

What he saw had his knees shaking and his stomach squirming. He saw himself. And Lavinia. Tangled together, with their legs wrapped around each other, soft music playing in the background. Her lips fell lovingly on his forehead and she smoothed a lock of hair away from his face.

His vision self reached for her. Pulled her to him, hugging gently and carefully.

Carefully?

Carefully because of the basketball-size swell of her belly.

Lavinia was pregnant.

CHAPTER 11

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