Page 80 of A Bond Beyond Blood

Chapter Twenty-Five

Vinny

Our two weeks were officially up.Elias would return any moment now, and I had no idea what that meant for Jacqueline.

We’d danced around the conversations we needed to have multiple times over the past fourteen days; I’d been a coward.

I couldn’t delay any longer.

My secret would continue to eat away at me, though, continue to threaten whatever was happening between us, until I laid it out on the table.

I’d lied because I wanted to be near her, and telling her the truth, informing her that she didn’t stand a chance against any vampire, would have only driven her away.

Which could still happen now, but she deserved honesty—both about what I’d done and the gravity of Elias Bristol’s presence in her life.

I wanted her to know everything so she could be strong and prepared for his arrival.

As a vampire king, royalty simply because he’d beenbornrather thanmade, Elias was a formidable adversary.Themostformidable.I doubted Jacqueline had any damn idea of the trouble she was in now that she’d caught his attention.Hell, even I didn’t have a clue, but nothing good could come of the king’s return—and his interest in my girl.

After a quick shopping trip downstairs, where I’d double checked the locks on every point of entry to the butcher shop and ensured Jacqueline’s employees—both those she’d hired and the staff I’d brought in to help while she recovered—had turned off all the lights after their short shift this morning, I’d prepared a meal fit for a queen.

Or the princess of the Fiorino family, as it were.

Setting up the first course for my girl, I plated aged soppressata and bresaola beside some fresh burrata, arranged the baguette slices around the outer edge of the wooden board, and grabbed a bottle of red wine, setting it all out on the coffee table.Her eyes widened comically as she took in the charcuterie, then she grinned up at me as I uncorked the wine and filled our glasses.

Admittedly, I was trying to butter my girl up, sweeten the blow of what I was about to tell her, but also...making her smile had quickly become one of my favorite pastimes.

I offered Jacqueline a glass of wine and settled onto the couch beside her, propping one leg up between us to keep a little safe distance.Experience told me that if I got too close, I’d be unable to keep my hands off of her.

“Cheers,” she said, offering me a glimpse of that sweet smile.“To new things.”

I smirked and clinked my glass against hers.“New things like us?”

Jacqueline’s gaze fell and she bit into her bottom lip, but I didn’t miss the faint flush reddening her cheeks.

“To us,” I said firmly.

Jacqueline met my gaze, gave a quick but firm nod, then took a drink.

I took a sip from my own glass, letting the tart cherry essence of the wine linger on my tongue before swallowing, then I reached for a slice of bresaola and popped it into my mouth.

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