Page 21 of The Monster and the Last Blood Match

She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to talk about her brothers. The more he knew about her, the more he could use against her. This was a professional relationship, and she didn’t have to share anything about her life with him.

“Well?”

“Look, if you’re going to fire me, get on with it.”

Beckham tilted his head. She stared up into the depths of his eyes, which appeared almost as black as onyx. When he looked at her like that, she would give almost anything to know what was running through his mind.

“Fire you? Is that what you think?”

“What am I supposed to think?” she asked helplessly.

“I want answers. You work for me. You missed an important meeting. I deserve to know where you were.”

Reyna looked away for the first time. She couldn’t stand there and lie to him, but she couldn’t say anything about her brothers, either. She didn’t think he was going to let her off the hook. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t immediately fired her. So, things were already looking up.

“I went to visit my brothers. I didn’t tell them I was going to Visage, and so they didn’t know where I was once I got the position with you.”

Beckham visibly relaxed at the news. “Your brothers.”

She sagged. “Yes. I needed to tell them where I was. I didn’t want them to worry.”

“And that’s all you did? You look like you’ve been rolling around in the dirt.”

“I…well”—she cringed—“I did run into my ex.”

All the tension returned to his shoulders. “You look like you literally ran into him.”

“It was nothing. He just—” Reyna couldn’t even bear to say it. How could she explain to a vampire that she was getting judged for living with him? Simply for doing what was right for her family.

“He just what?” Beckham spoke in such a forceful command.

“Nothing. People don’t always have high opinions of women who work for Visage.”

“Was he rude to you?”

Reyna actually laughed.Rude.“Now that I think about it, he’s always been rude to me. Or more like he’s never been rude, he’s always been a jackass.”

“And yet you went to see him?” Beckham asked.

What was with the third degree? And why was she answering his questions anyway? He looked so interested. In fact, it was kind of hard to tear herself away from his eyes. They were so captivating. She should have been shaking in her heels while talking to him about this, but he seemed tense, not enraged. It gave her the courage to continue.

“No, I didn’t. He works at the warehouse. I ran into him when I went there looking for my brothers,” she explained.

“And what is his name?” Beckham demanded.

“What? Why?” she asked, snapping out of her trance.

“I won’t have anyone threatening you. You are very valuable.”

Valuable. Like a diamond or a piece of art. An object. Not a human at all.

She turned away from him, the words stinging. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t turn away from me.”

Her body stiffened at the command. She swallowed hard, worried that the fierce predator would return and he’d start looking at her as if he was going to break her in half.

“We’re not finished here,” he told her, forcing her to look back up at him. “We have to lay some more ground rules. I can’t let you leave the building unless you are with my driver at all times. Additionally, I want to be informed ofwhereyou are going, not just that you are leaving.”

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