“Nope, don’t look at him.” Tyson grits out. “You’re listening to me.”
“Dude, I don’t understand?—”
Tyson interrupts me. “Of course you don’t. You’re so naive. I can’t fault you for that. It’s plain to every other fucking person here but you, apparently.”
He stands up from his seat, coming to stand between my thighs. His hand comes up to caress my jaw, and I suppress a shudder. This is wrong.
“I love you, Kip. I have for years.” Tyson’s eyes are on mine, pleading for me to listen. “Why do you think I chose you to pursue and exclusively use as my blood source? Your blood was so…exquisite. Potent. Drugging. Everything was going well, and then you died. But then, I had an epiphany. I thought, I can’t have your blood anymore, not as my sole source of sustenance, but I could haveyou.”
“Tyson…” My eyes are welling up. I really am stupid. Charlie was right, Tyson is in love with me. How did I not see it before? But I can’t love him back. Not like that, not like he wants me to. My heart belongs to Charlie.
“But right after you turned, you met him.” Tyson’s voice grows darker, deadlier. “And what? It was love at first sight? That’s not real. What you two have isn’t real. Not as real as what we share.”
I hear Charlie scoff from the cell, but force my gaze to remain on Tyson. I don’t want Tyson’s attention on Charlie. This guy is fucking looney. I’m realizing now that this is worse than I thought. I knew he wasn’t who I thought he was, but this…this is next level.
“I tried to scare him away. And when that didn’t work, I had to takea new direction. Allie was a necessary casualty. And she’s fine now, so it was worth it.”
Allie…wait…“Allie, from Pump Palace?”
Tyson’s lips flip up at the corners into a small smile, like he’s recalling an especially fond memory. “Ah, yes. It was easy enough to place that backpack for her to trip over. And it worked out so well…so much blood.” His eyes flicker with lust, the tips of his fangs clicking down slightly.
“You’re joking.” I’m in disbelief. “You purposefully tripped her, letting her smash open her head, so she would bleed all over the gym and what? Make me lose it to bloodlust? Have me locked up? Why, Tyson?”
“Duh. It was all part of the plan. He said that if I got you in trouble and locked up, he’d help me with the rest.” Tyson mutters. “But then that fucking bitch, Lisette, had to get involved and clean up the council. She ruined my whole plan.”
I’ve lost track of his monologue. I have no clue what he’s talking about now. “The fuck are you talking about?”
“Oh, keep up, sugar.” Tyson says in a condescending tone. “The council. I was promised by one of the members a spot on the council. At the very top. All I had to do was prove myself. And, not only that, but he said I could have you in my thrall. Once I proved that you weren’t fit to be a free vampire, you would’ve been recruited for the council’s use, and assigned to me. Then we’d never be apart, and you wouldn’t have a say in it.”
Charlie gasps in outrage. I don’t have to see his face to know it’s lined with fury.
“So you were just going to let me be…enslaved? To you?”
“Think it through. You chose him over me. You’re convinced that you’re in love. I did what I had to do to get you back.” Tyson says it like it’s obvious. Like he doesn’t know why Charlie and I are upset. “Anyway, fucking Lisette messed it up. Kept an eye on me, and made sure you were released. So that plan fell away. Back to square one.”
“I’ve never once wanted to truly hurt someone, but I really want to fucking throttle you right now, Tyson.” I hiss. I’m fucking livid. “How dare you.”
“Oh, don’t be dramatic.” Tyson waves me off. “We’re the perfect fit. I’m way better for you than chuckles over there could ever be. We both work at the gym. We’re both built like Greek Gods. Both vampires. How can you possibly expect a future with him? He’ll die in like fifty years, and that’s if he’s lucky! He could get hit by a car tomorrow. And then you’d be alone again. He’s human, and humans are notoriously fragile.”
“Uhhh, doesn’t that argument work against you? You wanted me when I was human…” This plan is convoluted and batshit.
“Yeah, well, I was constantly feeding you my blood. It worked out, didn’t it? You climbed that tree and broke your fucking neck. You’re welcome by the way, without me you’d be rotting in the ground right now.”
“Oh yeah, thank you.” I roll my eyes, sarcasm evident in my tone. “Being used as a walking blood bag, and then being turned into a vampire against my will. Love that for me.”
Tyson ignores my tone. “You’re welcome, sugar.”
“Yeah, that was fucking sarcasm, you ass. I can’t eat burgers anymore because of you! You know that was my favorite food.”
“Ah, what is a burger compared to eternal life and my commitment to love you for all of it?” He shrugs. Fucking shrugs.
The longer I sit here, the angrier I get. How was I ever friends with this guy?
“Okay, I think we’re done here.” I slap my knees and stand up. “Tyson, the only good thing you ever gave me was a chance to meet Charlie.”
In a blink, Tyson is in the cell with Charlie, gripping him by the throat. Charlie’s eyes are wide and panicked.
“Kip, sugar, you didn’t think it would be that easy, right? You think I’d let both of you go without consequence?”
