Page 94 of The Monster and the Last Blood Match

“She doesn’t come right out and say it, but I’m saving up for a ring.”

Reyna looked down at her hands. Her brother was going to get engaged soon. Wow. She’d known that stuff would change while she was gone, but she hadn’t realized how fast their lives would move in her absence.

“Well, I’m happy for you. Perhaps it’s time for that ring after all.”

Drew nudged him in the ribs. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

“And you?” Reyna asked him. “Any woman in your life? Or do you insist on getting old all alone?”

He shrugged, averting his gaze as he said, “No women in my life, Rey.” Then he cleared his throat and looked up at her. “Just you. And I’m glad you’re back. Everything else can wait.”

She slung her arm around Drew’s waist and leaned into him. It was nice to feel loved again and to have the easy, comfortable companionship of her family. But it didn’t dull the ache of her missing Beckham, and she wondered if he had realized yet that she’d left the house and the check behind. What would he think when he saw it? Would he cut his losses? Would he care at all?

She tried not to think about it any further. There was nothing she could do. The past was the past, and she doubted she would have changed any of her decisions.

They stayed up talking half the night until the guys swore they had to get to bed to stay on schedule for work. The next day was their one day off that week, and they spent it messing around like old times.

In the morning, Reyna cooked breakfast and was pleased that someone else was there to enjoy it. They walked around their seedy neighborhood, and though it felt like home, it made her miss the clean park where she had taken a picture of Beckham. It made her miss her camera.

She splurged on lunch at a nearby restaurant that had been there forever, not that it was anything fancy. Then they spent the night playing board games and reading to one another from Drew’s favorite fantasy novel. It was warm and comfortable being with them, but her heart was missing Beckham. Even if she hated herself for thinking so, she still went to bed that night wishing he was nearby.

The next morning, she got up extra early to walk her brothers to the warehouse for work. She couldn’t count the number of times she had done so in the past. Reyna took a sorrowful look around the apartment, then followed her brothers down the stairs. It was a nice day despite the fact that she had a heavy heart.

When they reached the warehouse, her brothers each gave her a hug and promised to see her when they got off work. She watched them walk away with dueling thoughts battling in her mind. On one hand, she was so happy to be here with them, and on the other, she had never felt more alone, watching them disappear and having absolutely no options.

Before, she had always had Visage as a last resort. After she’d exhausted her last option on getting a job, she could always become a blood escort. She had hated the idea—not because she had anything against vampires, but out of fear of the unknown, her fear of needles, and the thought of becoming a food source, which wasn’t exactly appealing. Now that unknown had been her reality, and she couldn’t turn back to it. Not now. Not ever.

With a sigh, she left the warehouse and started toward the road for home. She only made it a few feet before she heard her name called. It was strange being in a place where people knew her again. She could have walked anywhere in the city and never had a single person recognize her. She only knew a handful of people in total, anyway.

And in the warehouses, this was the last person she wanted to see.

Steven.

“Hey,” she said, trying to act casual. After the last time she saw him, she wanted to punch him in the face. But he was much bigger than her, and she couldn’t rely on her brothers getting her out of the situation this time.

“Little Reyna Carpenter!” he said in greeting. “Back from her blood whore days.”

Reyna rolled her eyes. “What do you want?”

He smiled at her, and she wondered why she had ever found him attractive. He was nothing compared to Beckham.

“Vampires get tired of your blood? Or something else?” He eyed her up and down suggestively.

“I’ve had a really long weekend. I don’t want to deal with you right now.” None of what he said was true, but it didn’t hurt the sting that Beckham had let her go.

“Let’s have fun like old times, Reyna.”

“No thanks. I don’t want any of your fun.”

She walked away, but he grabbed her arm. “You can’t tell me you’d rather have vampire cock than mine.”

“And if I did?” she spat.

He was staring at her menacingly, but then his eyes widened and he didn’t respond.

“What?” she asked, turning to see what he was staring at.

“Your chariot awaits.”

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