There was a brief flicker of something unpleasant in his eyes, but he had no choice now. He smiled at her as he stood and threw out his arms like an enthusiastic priest at a lectern. “Let the fun begin.”
If I had holy water, I’d throw it at the fucker.
Monique closed the doors behind him, and someone turned the music up. Was it loud enough they couldn’t hear us?
“Asshole,” I said. I hoped he heard that.
“Yes, dear, that one is,” Mary muttered, distaste twisting her features. “But never mind Rodney.” Her eyes drilled into Karson. “What were you thinking allowing that thing in your house around these girls?”
“Some things are unavoidable,” Karson said quietly. “I need to know why he is here.”
“Be careful in your quest for knowledge you don’t lose what’s already tangible and of much greater value.” She glanced at me again, then to Georgie, who was rounding the top of the stairs with Josh.
Karson drew in a deep breath and let it out again. When he didn’t respond, Mary patted my arm. “I’m just down the road if either of you girls needs me.”
Karson followed her out.
I felt hot, I felt cold, I felt sick.
Should I leave and just let him party with other women? I stared at the door. He loved me, and he was treating me like I didn’t matter. I knew it was to keep me safe, but that didn’t make it any easier. Would he feed from them? Would there be some kind of vampire orgy he’d be involved with?
Do not hate me.
I would fucking hate him if he did that. I closed my eyes, trying to quell the distress roaring through me. I could pretend to be alright that he couldn’t show he cared, but this, this was another level. This I couldn’t accept.
“Amy,” Josh said quietly. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, sympathy in his gaze. “Are you alright?”
I shook my head, my words trapped in a throat too tight to speak.
“Come upstairs with us.”
“I’ll be up in a minute,” I rasped. I needed time to collect myself, to think. Probably I needed to use violence.
Josh’s eyes lifted behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know Karson was standing there. I could feel his presence vibrating through me.
I turned back, my jaw gritted, my fists curled.
His eyes darted to the closed entertainment room doors and back again. There was an uncomfortable look on his face, and he hesitated as if he didn’t know what to say or how to fix … this.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Amelia?—”
I didn’t want to hear his excuses, I was too angry, too hurt. “Don’t,” I whispered.
He drew a deep breath, and in a flash he had me in his arms and we were in the kitchen. He set me down. Two twenty-something women were packing away the last of the dishes.
“Get out,” he snapped.
They gasped as their eyes shot to us and practically ran out of the door. He closed the door behind them, then rounded on me.
“We have two options. You can come with me and stay by my side and see things you will not want to see. Or you can go to our room and trust I will not touch any girl bar to feed.”
I swallowed. I knew he fed from humans. Of course he did; all vampires did, aside from Josh. But he’d never done it in front of me … Knowing and seeing it were two very different things. The thought of his mouth on another woman?—
Made me feel sick.
Made my want to break something.
Made me want to cry. Again.
