Page 24 of Blood Vows
“How did you know that?”
“Because I know more about you than you think,” he said, his voice low again. A flicker of unease rippled through me, chased by curiosity.
“And what do you know exactly?” He leaned a shoulder against the mantel, looking at me like I was a puzzle he was still learning how to solve.
“You work in a bookstore, called ‘Written in the Stars’ in the Fulton Market Building, you lived with your best friend, a Goth named Stacey,that was before my brothers got their hands on you.”The way he said this last part had every word dripping in bitterness. I stared at him, shock stealing my voice for a moment. Especially as it was the first time he had mentioned the elephants in the room…his brothers.
“So, what, you’ve been watching me? Following me?!” He arched a brow, his tone turning deliberately casual despite my outburst.
“On account of the stalking, yes.” My mouth fell open slightly.
“You’re actually admitting to it?” A dangerous smirk tugged at his lips.
“I like to think of it as research.”
“Research,” I repeated dryly.
“Do you… research all your victims?” I forced myself to ask.
His smile faltered then, the light in his eyes dimming. He turned his gaze to the fire, the shadows dancing over his face.
“Only the ones that matter.” He said unwaveringly, and I gasped at the admission. The silence that followed felt like it held more truth than he intended to give. I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening as I dared to ask,
“And me? Am I one of your victims?”
He didn’t answer right away. The flames crackled between us, and for a long moment, he simply stood there, watching the fire as though it might speak for him. Might help him with the answer.
When he finally looked back at me, his expression was unreadable, his voice quiet but heavy with something that made my heart ache.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
10
UNSPOKEN WORDS
Those ambiguous words hung in the air, like a noose haloed over my head, one just waiting to drop and tighten the second he finally decided my fate.
For a long while, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, exactly, just heavy… Full of dark promise.The kind that hummed with unspoken things neither of us was ready to give voice to. Vas stood near the mantel, one hand braced against it, his head bowed slightly, lost in thought. The glow from the flames only highlighted his handsome features, and for a moment, I forgot that I was supposed to fear him. I felt the weight of all my unsaid questions pressing against my lips until he broke the silence with a quiet rumble.
“I can feel the questions you’re dying to ask,” he said, his tone low, almost amused.
I smiled faintly, grateful for the break in tension.
“Let’s not use the word dying, considering you haven’t decided yet if I’m to be a victim or not,” I said, reminding him of his earlier comment. A remark that earned me one of his rare smirks, sharp but softened by the hint of amusement.
“Fair point,” he said, and then, after a moment, added teasingly,
“My apologies, little rabbit, for my poor choice of words.” The teasing in his voice sent a faint warmth through me, one I refused to acknowledge. I toyed with the metal studs on the leather Chesterfield I was sitting in, trying to sound casual when I asked,
“Do you live here alone?” Something in his posture shifted. His gaze flickered away from me, back toward the fire.
“I do,” he said, his tone quiet, guarded. I hesitated before pushing further.
“And the wing of the house you told me to stay away from…does that belong to you?” This time, he didn’t answer right away. His eyes lifted, fixing on mine, unreadable.
“Why do you want to know so much?” he asked, his voice harder now.
“If it’s to plan your escape, then you can think again.” I frowned, more hurt than I wanted to admit.
