Page 108 of Blood Owed (Blood Mafia 1)
I let Lexi go and hold my nose, groaning in pain. “Fine, don’t hurt her.”
“I won’t,” Colt says, snatching Lexi up in his arms.
He speaks to her in a low voice, catching her eyes with his. All the fight flees her body, and she becomes putty in his palm in a matter of seconds.
Huh.
Why doesn’t he ever do that to me?
Not that I want to be compelled, but he’s growled commands at me plenty of times while we’ve locked gazes, and I’ve never fallen head over foot like she is. The only person who’s managed to roll me is Mateo.
Once I see her relaxing, I go to the bathroom to check on my nose. I hope she didn’t break it. There’s no blood, so I’m hopeful she just hit me hard enough to leave a bruise and ache behind.
I flip on the light and remove my hand. My nose and cheek are red from where she hit me, but other than that, nothing appears to be broken. I splash some cool water on my face and go back to the living room.
This night can’t possibly get worse.
Chapter Thirty
Colt
Lexi is as soft as a pillow in my arms. She’s sleeping under my compulsion and all memories of what happened to her the past two weeks are gone. I’ve also made sure to put the fear of god—as the humans say— into her so any time she passes by this building or a vampire, she’ll feel an overwhelming urge to get as far away as possible.
“Everything all right?” Demi asks.
Her hair is messy from struggling with Lexi, and her eyes are tired.
“Oh, she’s sleeping. Did you do it?”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Yeah, I did.”
She stares at her friend in my arms, chewing on her lip and running her hand through Lexi’s hair. “What did you do?”
I walk Lexi to the couch and set her down for a moment. “I removed her memories and ensured she won’t want to come here or near another vampire ever again.”
Demi makes a distressed sound. “I’m here.”
Taking her into my arms, I hold her tight. “I know, but it’s for the best. Lexi won’t stay away on her own.”
She fists my shirt in her hand and rests her forehead on my chest, nodding in acceptance.
“I’ll take her home.”
“Let me come with you,” she pleads.
I release her from my arms and look straight into her eyes, hoping to convey my regrets. “It’s better if you don’t. No one you know can see you. What will they think after they see me carrying Lexi inside her home?”
Her eyes mist, but resignation ripples over her. “Fine.”
“I’m truly sorry, Demi.”
She sighs and goes into the kitchen, placing a piece of bread in the toaster. “It’s fine, just go.”
Those words feel like a trap, but I have to take her friend home before she wakes. She’ll feel hungover, like she partied a little too hard the night before, but she won’t remember anything about the past few weeks. As for the bite marks, the puncture marks have sealed, so she’ll just look a little banged up. Nothing a drunken escapade can’t cover for.
“I’ll be back,” I tell Demi, lifting Lexi into my arms and striding out of the apartment.
The Hunter doesn’t answer me, but she also doesn’t tell me to fuck off.
