Page 97 of Blood Sport

With my heart in my throat, I press my back against the trunk of the oak tree and stare up at the foliage, wondering what the fuck just happened.

“Holy fuck, man,” Ethan breathes, shaking his head. “We just had an encounter with the fucking vampire hunter committing the murders. I don’t know how we managed to walk away from that in one piece. That was insane!”

“Insane indeed,” I say, remembering their dark eyes boring into my skin. Who the fuck was that? As if remembering the lethal weapon in the waistband of my pants, I make a mental note to destroy it before we return to the apartment. “But just because we walked away now doesn’t mean we’re safe, Ethan. If anything, we have a massive fucking target on our backs now.”

31

Evie

Today is the first game of the semi-finals and the girls and I are going all out. We are wearing matching Raiders jerseys, our hair down and straight, and the team colors striped across our cheeks with face paint. With this game being as important as it is for the team, I want to show my support for Miles and Jaylen. The girls were more than happy to jump in on the matching outfits.

“Cheers to the Raiders,” Jaycee says as she holds a shot glass in the air. We are standing around the kitchen island ready to go to the stadium, but Candie insists that we take a shot of Tequilla before we leave. Something about it being for good luck, but I think she just wanted a cheeky pre-game shot.

“Cheers,” we say in unison and tap our glasses together before taking the shot.

The clear liquid burns on its way down my throat, but I welcome it. Besides the night at Black Rose with Jaylen a week ago, this will be my first proper outing since the accident. I’m looking forward to spending time with my friends as we watch a game of soccer. Fall is my favorite season, so I’m finally going to be able to enjoy the cool, fresh air without feeling guilty for sneaking out.

This past week I’ve been focusing on school and making sure I’m up to date on all tutorial work and any assignments I have coming up. I wanted to make sure I had nothing else to worry about other than this game.

Thankfully, none of my friends noticed when I left the other night. Not even Rylee, but that was because she had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room watching a movie with some of the other girls in the house. It worked out in my favor, so I’m not complaining.

“Okay, let’s go,” Rylee says and gestures for us to exit the kitchen. “The taxi is already waiting for us.”

On the way out of the house, I grab my side bag and light cardigan from the back of the couch. I catch Amara’s eye from her spot on the far side of the couch, her nose bandaged up after I broke it. She doesn’t hold eye contact for long before she turns her attention to the television. The shudder that wracks her body doesn’t go unnoticed by me, giving me more pleasure than I thought it would.

Now she knows not to fuck with me.

The four of us walk outside to the waiting taxi and pile in. Rylee and Candie slide in bedside me while Jaycee takes the front seat. We must look odd to the taxi driver, an older man with graying hair, as he pulls out of the driveway, or maybe he’s not shocked at all since I’m sure as a driver he would get this a lot around campus.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s a message from Jaylen. As the girls engaged in a conversation about classes, I read his message.

Jaylen: Are you coming to the game tonight?

Evie: Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.

I smile as I hit send, my fingers instinctually touching my neck where Jaylen had sunk his teeth into me, feeding on my blood. It was the most erotic moment I had ever experienced. Who knew a vampire sucking your blood and fucking you at the same time could bring so much ecstasy? Thankfully, the bite wounds healed quickly, so the girls didn’t notice them.

After that night together, something inside me flipped, pulling me closer to Jaylen now more than ever. It’s almost as if my body has given up on fighting this string pulling us together. I fought it for so long that now I’m tired of fighting. Jaylen has proven to me that he’s not going to break my heart. In fact, he’s willing to go to the ends of the earth for me, and that means something to me. More than I thought it would from him.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I’m willing to see where fate wants to take us.

“So, Jay, what are your plans for the night?” Rylee asks, breaking through my thoughts. “I know Candie, Ev, and I are heading home after the game, but what are you doing?”

“Um, I’m going out for drinks afterward,” Jaycee says from the front seat.

Candie squeals and claps her hands together excitedly. “Is it with your mystery man?”

I lean over Rylee to look at Jaycee through the side mirror, her cheeks a hot pink.

“Maybe, but I don’t kiss and tell.”

I playfully roll my eyes. “Are we ever going to meet him?”

Jaycee turns in her seat to face us, a smile touching her plump lips. “Soon. I promise.”

“That’s good enough for me,” Rylee says with a smile. “As long as you’re happy.”

Jaycee grins, her cheeks somehow growing pinker. “I am.”

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