Page 107 of Blood Owed (Blood Mafia 1)
“I’m not hooked,” she growls, moving to lash out at him.
I grab her arm. “Whoa, girl. You’re going to assault a vampire?”
Pot meet kettle.
She turns furious blue eyes on me. “Everything I’ve done this past week has been for you, Demi. A thank you would be nice.”
She’s so angry.
I don’t blame her.
“Thank you for caring enough about me to try and find me, Lexi. Seriously. You’re the best friend a woman could ask for.”
She narrows her eyes on me. “I have to get back to work.”
What now?
Colt stands and approaches us slowly, like he’s afraid any fast movements will set her off.
“She’s hooked, Demi.”
“Shut up,” she screams and launches herself at him. I wrap my arms around her before she can get far.
“I can fix it, if you’ll let me.”
I chew my bottom lip, holding her back as she tries and fails to scratch and kick him. Those lessons with Alissa are paying off right now, Lexi is rabid.
“What does that mean?”
Colt ignores my friend raging in my arms and looks me in the eyes. “I’ll have to make her forget and compel her to stay away from here and vampires for the rest of her life.”
“No. There has to be another way.”
He sighs. “Unless she has someone who will become her master, she has no other choice.”
“Colt,” I say, grunting when Lexi bucks in my arms. “I can’t.”
The vampire gives me a sad smile. “I know, you don’t have to do anything. Let me take care of it for you, Demi. You don’t want her to be a blood whore for the rest of her life, do you?”
I mull over the idea; the humans seemed happy enough.
“Not all vampires are kind to the feeders. Not all blood whores live after a feeding. It’s a risk they’re aware of when they sign-on. Most have already been bitten a few times and don’t care enough to worry.”
“There’s no other way?”
He frowns. “Unfortunately, there are some humans who are more inclined to addiction. Your friend is one of those.”
“Oh fuck.” I sob when Lexi digs her fingers into my arms and thrashes even harder.
“Let me go, I have to go back to work.”
“Lexi, no,” I say, shushing her. “You don’t have to go back there.”
She goes limp in my arms, and for a second, my heart fills with hope. She’s going to be okay, we don’t need to compel her. Then she slams her head into my face.
Pain lances through me. I hear Lexi screaming, but I can’t focus on her words because it hurts too much.
“I need your permission, Demi.”
