Page 32 of A Bond Beyond Blood

I grimaced.

“Where the hell have you been, Gannon?”When she strode past me, I had to clench my fists to keep from reaching for her.He was a baby vamp, sure, but still stronger than she was, even with all of her training.

I met his gaze, a warning in my eyes, and hoped he wouldn’t force me to rip his head off in front of her.She’d suffered enough loss in her young life.

“Jackie—”

“Don’t call me that.”

He flinched at the venom in her tone.

Shoving her finger against his chest, she said again slowly, “Where.Have.You.Been?”

“Baby—” He reached for her and she growled.She fuckinggrowled, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever heard.He dropped his hands and I had to roll my lips together to keep from laughing.

This wasn’t the girl he ghosted a year ago.

I met that girl, broken and beaten by grief and abandonment.

And then I trained her into this.

Fierce...and strong...and so fucking sexy it made me ache sometimes.

I showed her she could count on me.Gave her the stability she needed when she needed it most.We were finally getting somewhere, finally moving forward, and I wasn’t about to let a little nostalgia get in my way.

He didn’t deserve her then and he wasn’t getting her now.

“Jacqueline,” I said, taking a step toward her.

“Don’t you say another word.”She looked back at me over her shoulder.“I’ll deal with you in a minute.”She returned her focus to him and leaned forward, lowering her voice as she said, “Get out of here, Gannon.I don’t care where you’ve been or why you’re back.”She dropped her finger and crossed her arms over her chest.“I never want to see you again.”

“Jackie, come on,” he stepped toward her and I moved quickly between them, snarling when he bared his teeth at me.

“She’s said all she has to say,” I snapped, even though she hadn’t said the one sentence that would expel him from the shop.

His lips twitched on a snarl, baby fangs peeking out in a comical show of defiance.

I lowered my voice and leaned in.“I suggest you sheathe those before I tear them out of your skull.”

After a tense beat of silence, my threat hanging in the air between us, he nodded, then tucked his fangs away.When he spoke again, his fangs were retracted.“I’m so sorry.Please let me explain.”

“You’re a vampire,” Jacqueline whispered, shock trembling her voice.

The kid’s shoulders slumped.

“Gannon Hayes,” she said, and I couldn’t fight the smirk pulling at my lips.Poor fucker was about to learn the hard way who was in control.“I revoke your invitation to enter this building.”

His brow furrowed, but then he walked past us, movements stiff as the power of her words compelled him from the building against his will.We both turned slowly to watch him leave, and when he was gone, she spun on me so fast I nearly stepped backwards in shock.

“You too.”

“Jacqueline.”

Her eyes narrowed and she pointed to the door.“Don’t make me say it, Vinny.”

“I was trying to keep you safe.”I raised my hands in surrender.“I would have returned the keys.”

“I’ve been controlled by men my entire life.Good men.Men who just wanted to keep me safe.”She sighed, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling, and my eyes zeroed in on the pulse in her slender throat.

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