She tries to lift herself, but I tighten my arms. “A moment more, angel.”
Celine stops struggling and lifts her head to meet my eyes. “Fine, but if you end up with internal bleeding, that’s on you.”
“Shhh.” I kiss her temple.
She relaxes, but it doesn’t last. As soon as her heart rate begins to speed up, I let my hands fall away from her and change my face back to its typical, bored mask.
We dress in silence, but my brain is hard at work. This pull toward her—the acute bloodlust—it isn’t normal, and I think we both sense that.
If she decides to cut me off, will I be able to control myself? The question leaves me feeling even colder than last night’s attack.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Unspoken rule of the Fringes #6:
When in doubt, shut your damn mouth.
CELINE
Alarms blare, red lights flashing in every corner of my mind.
It’s dangerous—feeling Alistair’s skin against mine and knowing my blood is helping him heal. It makes me believe we have a chance; that I’ve grown strong enough to protect them. My hands shake. I ball them at my sides. I couldn’t keep her safe, so what makes me think I’ll have any better luck with Alistair or Luca?
Memories try to escape from the orderly boxes I’ve sorted them into; the locked chest clearly labeleddo not openrattles wildly. Did she feel something similar before he lost interest in charming her and revealed the monster behind the mask? Furious with the misbehaving memories and myself, I shove the chest back in the dusty corner of my subconscious where it belongs.I am strong enough.
But I prefer monsters without masks. No pretense—at least they’re honest about what they are. Alistair, with his deadly fangs and lethal speed, should fit into that category... except he holds me like I’m precious.
The tenderness in his blue eyes is far scarier than the carnal hunger in them when they’re red. The bedroom walls close in more each time he glances at me.
I should back out before I’m in too deep, but... I need to protect him. Getting him to agree to stay with me was easier than I expected. All it took was a little resistance on my part, and then I had him. He even thinks it was his idea.
As long as Luca agrees, I’ll have home advantage in what comes next. Ciprian is an unexpected complication.
“Do me a favor, angel,” Alistair says, draping his arm loosely over my shoulder as we leave the bedroom. “And help me sort this assassin problem quickly. I have business I need to attend to out of state.”
Frowning, I shrug his arm off. The bored drawl. Muttering about business. It’s such a departure from the clingy way he held me in bed. Maybe I’m not the only one playing games. The question is, what does he hope to win?
“You can go if you need to,” I say, matching his blasé tone. “I’m sure Luca is more than capable of helping me find the last angel.”
Alistair smiles and nods, his fangs glinting in the dim hallway. The window shades in his apartment are so solid, there’s no way of knowing that it’s noon in Nevada without checking a clock first. He flips the light switch in the living room, and I blink at the sudden blinding light.
Ciprian sits bolt upright, black eyes flashing dangerously. “A warning would be nice,” he growls, massaging his temples. “Fuck. My head is killing me.”
“I took a lot of blood.” Alistair winces. “Make sure to eat plenty of iron today.”
Ciprian runs his fingers through his messy blond hair, but it doesn’t help much. The top of his head is a haystack after his night on the couch.
“A steak or five coming right up,” he says, yawning. “But before that, I have an intensely personal question for you.” Ciprian levels Alistair with a penetrating stare, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. Tension crawls through my veins. Personal questions are against the rules around here, especially in front of others.
Alistair rolls his shoulders back and stretches to his full height. “What?”
“Do vampires drink coffee or go straight for the vein every time?”
My unease disappears like mist in the wind. When I glance at Alistair’s slack jaw, I lose what’s left of my composure and giggle, only cutting the sound off when I realize how ridiculous it is to be laughing.
Alistair shakes his head, the corner of his mouth turning up. “I’ll put a pot on.”
“Consider your life debt paid then,” Ciprian says. “Because if I don’t get my caffeine fix soon, I’ll be dead.”
