Page 51 of Blood Sport

Snatching the book off the shelf, I turn toward the front door. “Okay, I best be going now—”

A sharp gasp leaves my lips when I feel Jaylen’s hand wrap around my throat. In a split second, he has me pinned against the front door, his crimson eyes boring into mine. My eyes widen at the sight, and my body vibrates with fear and excitement.

“Jaylen,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Wh-what are you doing?”

“You’re not going anywhere, little angel,” he breathes against my lips, his scent intoxicating. “Not after how you left me the other night.”

Shit. I should’ve known leaving him hot and bothered like that would come back to bite me in the ass.

“I’ve already told you that this can’t happen.” The words leave my lips but even I know they don’t sound convincing. They sounded breathless and excited. That could be because I like the feeling of his large hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing just enough that I can still breathe but am painfully aware that he could restrict my airway with his strength in the blink of an eye. “Miles would kill us both.”

Jaylen licks his lips, pulling his lip ring between his teeth before releasing it. “We both know I can handle Miles. But what I can’t handle is you.”

My eyes widen. “Me?”

“Yes, you. You drive me fucking insane, Evie. I never know what you’re thinking, and I hate that. You’re not easy to read like others. You never have been. I can only get a read on what you’re feeling based on the rhythm of your heartbeat. But other than that, I’m fucking clueless, and I don’t like the feeling.”

I know he’s talking about other women. He has to be. With how much of a playboy Jaylen is, it doesn’t surprise me that he can easily read women. I’m sure his vampire abilities help with that. How? I’m not sure, but it must be true.

“I don’t want you to read me well,” I counter, swallowing hard despite the restriction around my throat. “This, what we’re doing, is wrong and you know that. Why do you keep pursuing me?”

“Because you’re mine,” Jaylen says, pressing his body into mine. My heart stutters at the feel of his hard length pushing against my thigh through the fabric of his sweatpants. “And I’m not going to let you forget that, little angel. No matter how hard you try to push me away, I’m not going anywhere. Your words say you don’t want this, but your body is telling me something different.”

His words crash over me like a tidal wave. In all the years I have known Jaylen, I never once expected we would be in this situation. We have always been close, but when did the flip switch? How did we go from being friends to craving each other? It just doesn’t make sense.

I hate that my pussy is throbbing. I hate that his words affect my body more than they should. And I hate that I like it.

“I would do anything for you,” Jaylen continues, his cock pulsing against the apex of my thigh. I bite back a moan, and squeeze my thighs together, which doesn’t go unnoticed by him because he smirks. “Little angel, I would go as far as to kill for you if that’s what I needed to do to keep you safe.”

My heart stills in my chest. “K-kill?”

Jaylen smirks and his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip. “Yes, kill. Have you noticed that your piece of shit ex-boyfriend is no longer harassing you?”

My mind goes back to my conversation with Preston at the Black Rose. He asked me if I had seen Roman because he hadn’t been seen by anyone all week and wasn’t showing up to practice. I thought he had simply left town to visit his parents, and that was it. The thought of something more sinister being the case never once crossed my mind.

Until now, that is.

“Did you… kill him?” My voice is tight, and my heart is nervously slamming against my rib cage.

The sinister look that crosses Jaylen’s crimson eyes gives me the answer I’m looking for.

He did kill Roman and for some odd reason… I’m not scared of him. If anything, I’m insanely turned on that he would go to such lengths to protect me.

Yes, killing people is bad, I know this. But Roman was threatening me and trying to blackmail me using photos. If Jaylen hadn’t stopped him, who knows what lengths he would’ve gone to next to try and get me back? I do not doubt that Roman was unhinged and would have potentially tried to hurt me. How? I’m not sure, but I know it was possible considering the escalation of his actions.

So, if anything, I’m grateful that Jaylen put an end to any potential harm that may have come my way.

Do I feel bad that Roman is dead? Not really, but I know I should. It’s fucked up that it doesn’t faze me, but I can’t bring myself to care when he was trying to hurt me. In my head, it only seems fair that his bad karma is coming back to bite him in the ass. I don’t condone murder, but just this once I’m willing to look the other way.

“Does that scare you, little angel?” Jaylen’s lips are barely brushing mine. I want to reach forward and attach mine to his, but his hand around my throat restricts any movements from me. “That I would kill for you?”

I shake my head the best I can. “No.”

“No?” he parrots and then smiles. I gasp for air when he releases his hold on my throat, his hand sliding down the front of my shirt until it reaches my waist. His fingertips are ice cold, but I welcome it because my skin feels as though it’s on fire. “Good, because I would gladly burn this fucking town to the ground if it meant protecting you.”

Before I can open my mouth, Jaylen has his hand over it. He spins me around so my back is flat against his chest, his eyes focused on the front door.

“It seems we have a problem.”

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