Page 43 of Kiss of Blood and Sin

As we approached the front door, I cast one last glance at Louise, silently promising to make it up to her somehow. Little did I know, that would be the least of my worries in the days to come.

I wasn’t sure I should leave. “Where are we going?”

He nuzzled my neck, his breath hot against my skin. “How about my place, princess? I promise it’s much more fun than this snooze fest.”

I stopped and put my hand on his chest. “Wait. I have to apologize to Louise.”

Dimitri rolled his eyes dramatically. “Why? You didn’t do anything. It was all me. I’m the big bad vampire, remember? It’s kind of my thing.”

When I hesitated, he shrugged with exaggerated nonchalance. “Suit yourself. I’m going to get another bourbon. Maybe two. Hell, why not the whole bottle?”

As he sauntered back to the bar, I watched him down bourbon like it was punch. He was far from all right but getting him to admit that would be harder than climbing Mt. Everest blindfolded.

I called after him, “You know, drowning your sorrows isn’t actually going to drown them. They’re pretty goodswimmers.”

He turned, flashing that infuriating smirk. “Who said anything about sorrows? I’m celebrating my newfound career as a bodyguard. Cheers to bad decisions and even worse hangovers!”

I sighed and headed over to Louise who gave me a look that froze my heart.

I held up my hands as if to ward off her evil eye. “I’m sorry.”

She glanced over at Dimitri then back to me. “You’re really mated to him?”

My spine stiffened. “Yes. I didn’t chose it, Louise.”

She rubbed her forehead. “Gianna, he’s going to break your heart.”

I braced my shoulders. “No, he won’t. If that were true, the fates wouldn’t have chosen him for me. I have been a vampire for almost four hundred years and nothing like this has ever happened to me.” I clasped her cold hands and winked. “You have to trust the fates sometime, don’t you?”

“But what about Angelo? He’ll make him disappear like all the others,” she said softly.

“But I wasn’t ready to fight for the rest of them. None of them touched my heart like Dimitri. If Angelo tries to hurt him, I’ll disappear.”

“But you have a price on your head,” she said.

Like I didn’t know this. I was tired—bone-deep tired—of living a life of loneliness, being put up on a fireplace mantel like a china doll. I could almost feel the dust settling on me, coating my skin with years of isolation.

Angelo was smothering me, his overprotectiveness a noose slowly tightening around my neck. Each day felt like another gasp for air, another struggle to breathe in a world that was becoming too small, too constrained.

I needed more than just a breath of fresh air. I needed a storm, a hurricane to sweep away the cobwebs of my old life. And Dimitri…Dimitri was that storm.

My heart raced at the thought of him, a flush of warmth spreading through my chest. The words tumbled out, raw and honest, surprising even me with their intensity. “I’d rather be dead than live without Dimitri.”

“Gianna.” Her voice rose an octave, shock evidence in her tone. “You can’t be serious. That’s being a little dramatic, isn’t it?”

“Is it?” I gave her a challenging look. My pulse quickened as I spoke. “Tell me, Louise, what would you do if our roles were reversed, and someone was determined to keep Augustus from you?”

She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “I admit it. I’d move heaven and earth to be with him.” A rueful smile tugged at her lips. “You don’t play fair, do you?”

I met her disappointed gaze, refusing to back down. My jaw set with determination as I thought of the challenge that awaited me. Louise would be easy. The Rock of Gibraltar waited for me in New Orleans, and it would really take heaven and earth to move him. “No, I don’t,” I said, my voice low and intense. “Not when I’ve finally found my fated mate.”

I kissed her onthe cheek. “Happy birthday, Louise.” I cupped her cheek. “I’ve got to go. Dimitri’s waiting for me.”

I slipped away from her before she said another word, my blood thumping between my ears. As I made my way toward Dimitri, my fingers trembled with anticipation. Petar suddenly blocked my path, his imposing figure looming over me.

“You’re making a terrible mistake, Princess.” With each word, he pounded his chest as if he were King Kong, the thudding sound making me flinch involuntarily. “I’m your bodyguard, not Dimitri. Angelo won’t be pleased.”

I forced a curt smile, even as my stomach churned with anxiety. “Not anymore. I fired you.”

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