Page 35 of House of Crimson Hearts
“You give me my fucking money back or I swear to the three houses I will gut you where you stand and feed your entrails to the rats,” a woman says.
A woman I am far too familiar with. “I—I—,” the stuttering buffoon about to have his guts torn out says.
I should stop this, intervene or something. My little hunter is about to get herself in a world of trouble. This is Peace Territory, we’re not allowed to kill on this land.
But here is where I confess a secret… I know about her addiction. I’ve known about it for a while.
And I control the blood she drinks, in fact, I control every dealer in this city. And Red only drinks my blood.
She just doesn’t know it.
I sigh inwardly. I knew this was all a mistake, I should never have gotten involved. Not the first time, I should have let her die. But I didn’t…
Which means… her addiction is probably getting worse.
Shit.
“Well?” Red barks and grabs him by his collar. She picks him up and slams him into the building wall. I tilt my head, raise a single eyebrow. I forgot how strong she is despite her short stature.
I stick to the shadows and silently edge closer. She’s at the end of the street. The chap she’s manhandling is one of my local dealers. I recognise him, though his name escapes me. When you’ve lived as long as I have, remembering this Bobby, Alexis, Geoffrey from that one becomes a trying affair. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve compelled all the dealers in the city. They all know if Red comes to them, they’re only to give her specific blood and they’re to come to me directly.
That’s when I notice Red is sweating. She’s pale too, paler than normal even for her usually fair skin.
She’s having withdrawals.
“I swear, if you don’t give me my fucking money back or a vial of blood replacing that half measure you gave me, I will?—”
“It was a f-full measure,” the dealer stutters.
Letting her continue to have my blood was a mistake. It’s too much, too strong. Which means it’s my responsibility to fix this and get her off it…
“My arse,” Red says and pulls a knife to his throat.
Time to intervene. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I say and slide out of the shadows.
“Isn’t this just delightful,” Red snarls. “A real-life drainer come to play. A snatcher of sisters and ruiner of lives.”
“Highly-strung this evening, aren’t we?” I say, the hint of a smirk on my lips.
The dealer is skittish as he glances between me and Red. Her head snaps to face me. She looks much worse than I expected. Definitely withdrawal. She won’t like what happens next.
“It appears the hunter has a blood problem. Weren’t you only here a day or so ago asking for blood?”
“He sold me a duff dose,” she says and pushes the blade harder against his throat.
His beady little eyes widen, his Adam’s apple bobbing against the knife just enough to nick his throat. Both Red and I snap to face him as the pungent scent of blood flows through the alley.
“Too bad for you, human blood doesn’t cut it for me,” Red growls at the dealer.
“Did you sell her a dodgy dose?” I ask the dealer.
He shakes his head, his whole body trembling against the wall. We both know he didn’t. I personally hand my vials to them and compel each dealer to only sell those vials to Red.
“Liar,” Red hisses.
“What’s your name?” I ask the dealer.
“N-name?” he stutters.
