Laughter rings out from the kitchen, and I refuse to stay here a second longer. My heart twists, knowing the decision is already made. In a way, I can't regret taking his knot because at least now I can walk away from him.
No, that must’ve been some kind of spell work as well. I bet they thought that was hilarious, convincing me that vampires could be fated. Even the advice column is starting to sound a little too convenient.
I zip around the room in under a second, stealing a hoodie from his closet and gloves for my hands. I make quick work of the window and pull the hood down over my eyes before sneaking out, the sound of laughter chasing me across the footbridge.
I dash at the drops of blood that fall from my eyes. At least if I take myself to my parents’ house,no onemakes any money off me.
Moving about in daylight is more difficult, not because of the sun, which is easy enough to keep off my skin, but because I’m unable to move at my normal speed without attracting a crowd. It takes a while to get to my parents’ house in the Garden District, and by the time I do, my chin is burned, and my heart is broken.
7
Lazare
“Dude. Fucking that freaky little vampire is not worth losing out on a hundred thousand dollars.”
“Don’t you fucking talk about him like that,” I growl, right as Lillian and Jameson join us. Their thin-lipped amusement is annoying as hell.
Eloy snorts. “What, did you fuck up and develop feelings for this guy?”
Lil and Jameson break, laughing at me. I shoot them the finger.
“It's not funny. I just know we can't use him like that. We'll have to find cash elsewhere.”
Doc walks out of my room, holding a throw pillow. “I was about to check on Remy, but I hafta know—is this from Pottery Barn?”
I grab it out of his hands to even more uproarious laughter. “That's none of your business. Stay out of my room.”
“Happily. Smells like a bucket of cum in there.”
“Probably because I came buckets with that little slice of immortality.”
Doc looks at the pillow in my hand and cocks his head to the side. “He solve your knotting problem?”
“None of your fucking business.”
Doc scratches his head. Then his eyes go round. “No fucking way.”
“Shut up, Doc.”
“With avamp?”
“Shut. The. Fuck. Up.”
Doc bends over double, laughing so hard he's practically hyperventilating. Miss Lillian bites her lips and looks down. Eloy looks over at Jameson and throws up his hands. “What does everybody know that I don't?”
“Hey, hey, everybody. Miss me? Also, why does it smell like a sex dungeon in here?”
I groan, my shoulders slumping. Galyna, back from her trip to the Caribbean, looking tan and happy, walks into the room.
A hundred years ago, she’d been pressed into joining a traveling circus, which is where we found her. She’s a large girl, to be sure, but the man who bought and paid for her was a feeder and an abuser, making her gain weight so that he could dub her the fattest woman in the world. No one knows what she is, but whatever her supe heritage, it kept her alive in conditions that would’ve killed a regular mortal.
Once she was with us and knew that she was safe, she slimmed down rather quickly to a svelte four hundred pounds and has been much happier ever since.
She's like a sister to me and I love her to death. Unfortunately for me, she's also smarter than anybody I know, and she's about to ruin my fucking day.
“Oh goddess!”
Yep, even faster than I thought.
