“With what? She didn’t have to prove shit to you, Ludovica. You should have trusted me.”
“I did. It was her I didn’t trust. But I do now and want to help you get her back. We need her.”
“Why?”
“Sunshine.”
I blinked. Sunshine was the poison Charles Matheson had created. He was Corrine’s ex and a monster. He was the epitome of vampire elitism. I thought my family, the Amato’s, were bad. This guy put them to shame. Matheson was cruel, just like the poison he had created.
Scout had been stabbed with a knife dipped in the golden liquid. As did Aleida, for that matter.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“She healed quickly from it. Your ex took a lot longer, and all the others we’ve tested aren’t doing great either. She’s special.”
My blood ran cold. “You think I’m going to let you get your hands on Scout to test that shit on her?” I spat.
“No,” Ludovica replied calmly. “I want some of her blood. I want to study her lineage. Why is she reacting to things differently than others?”
I grew silent. That was a good question. The vampire that had visited me at my apartment came to mind. He had come all the way from Mexico, claiming that Scout was the niece of a high priestess. Could she really have special blood?
“If you hurt her, I will end up killing you. That’s not an empty threat amongst friends,” I told her. There was a pause, and I could almost see little Ludovica considering my words.
“I understand. Learning how Sunshine works and if there’s a way to combat it is worth it. I won’t touch her without her permission. Where exactly are you?”
I rattled off the address.
“K, don’t be stupid. I’ll be there soon.”
I hung up with her and looked around the room.
Shit.
I needed to clean this up. There was no way I’d be able to sleep here with the blankets torn to shreds. Hopefully, room service could bring me some more.
Ludovica knocked on my hotel room door that next night.
“How did you catch a plane so quick?” I asked.
She laughed.“Private flight. How are you? You look terrible.” She pushed herself inside my room and sighed. “Why am I surprised?”
I cringed as I looked around at it as well. I had attempted to fix what I could, but other things, such as the coffee maker, a few lamps, and one of the nightstands, had been reduced to a broken pile on the floor.
I shut the door and watched as she stepped over everything to sit at the desk. She was dressed in a pink ruffled dress, and her innocent face held annoyance.
“Elvie,” I started, moving slowly and sitting on the edge of the bed. “You said you think Scout is special. How so?”
She smiled. Her fangs, much like everything else about her, were tiny and almost childlike.
“Well, at first, I thought it was just pure luck that she had healed fast from the Sunshine. Corrine and I have been trying to recreate it, and we’ve come up with an almost exact copycat recipe. Nothing in it strikes out as the key to her not reacting like the others. But then, I heard about your guys’…” she gave me a knowing look, and I blinked in confusion. “Kink? You drank her blood, and you didn’t die.”
“So? Arsenio was the one who told me about it. He said he’s done it before,” I defended. I didn’t judge her on whatever she liked to do in bed. I was a little offended. She shook her head.
“No, he hasn’t. When have you ever heard Arsenio not brag about ridiculous stuff just for attention? I’ve done my research, little brother.” She tapped her temple. “Did she ever drink from you?”
I licked my lips and then nodded. “What happened both times?”
My eyes went to the ceiling. I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation with the vampire I considered family. “When I drank from her, the bite made her sick, but that was because I drank too much. She tasted…” I couldn’t look Ludovica in the eye as I spoke. “Really good. She had to go home and rest. And then her leg looked weird for a few weeks.”
