Page 21 of Deadly Cravings

“The stomping. Does she have weights on her feet to be making such a racket—” Tobias’s words cut off when he saw me from where he stood at the banister.

My lips flattened before I forced a smile to stretch. I was pretty sure a blush creeped up my entire face.

I waved with my fingers in an awkward little move, and Asher’s hand pressed to my spine, guiding me into the hallway.If I kept looking at Tobias, I would break my neck, so I cleared my throat and faced forward.

Asher’s side brushed mine, arm fastened around me. His boundaries were nonexistent and it put me on edge, causing my teeth to grind. I inched to the left, but he followed, not detaching.

“What has you so intrigued by the offer?” He asked it so casually. A vampire, being casual.

Telling him I wanted money straight out seemed weird, but I saw no other way to phrase it. I was about to spit it out and lay it all out in the open, but Jax’s voice echoed into the hallway before I could get a word out.

“She wants money.”

I pressed my lips together as Asher guided me into an open kitchen. Polished dark granite glinted across every surface, including the island near the stove. Tall seats lined this side of the island, the back of the chairs tall, metal cylinders. To the right of the room stretched a huge refrigerator where Jax leaned on the open door, in search of something. All I could see of Jax was his lower half since his head was in the fridge.Vampires ate?

My gaze dropped to what was in his hand as the fridge slammed shut. It was a plastic bag with red liquid sloshing inside.

Oh.

Jax’s expression remained flat as he met my eyes and ran his tongue over his front teeth. The sharp incisors elongated and he pierced the plastic bag, sucking as he squeezed.

My stomach soured at the sight. Blood wasn’t usually a big deal, it was more the fangs that freaked me out. He didn’t move those blue eyes off me as he drank, and his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow. A trickle of blood slipped from thecorner of his mouth and his tongue lashed out to swipe it, flashing bloody teeth.

“Right? You need money?”

How did he know that?

“How . . .?”

“There are only a handful of things that coax flawed humans. One is money.” The dispassionate way he said it flushed embarrassment through me, and I rubbed the back of my neck. “You know there was no way we’d let you go, so you’re biding your time. Playing two sides of a coin. You get some money as you work for us, and you bide your time to figure out how to run away.”

It was my turn for my throat to bob. I smoothed my expression.

“Ignore him, he was dropped on his face when we were children. It damaged the speaking skills.” Asher rubbed his hand down my arm. Like yesterday, it relaxed my tense shoulders. I exhaled at the warm friction.

“Yes, I want to help in?—”

“You mean, you’ll work.”

Jax made things sound dirty and wrong. My eyes lowered to the ground, fixing on the frayed hem of the dark jeans near his boots as my temper lashed out.

“You didn’t let me finish. Yes, I want to help in exchange for payment—seventy thousand.” Asher’s eyebrow twitched.

“Why do you need the money?”

Jax’s abrupt question shouldn’t have taken me off guard. God, I felt like a mouse being taunted by a cat.

“My debts.” I never spoke about my brother.Never. It would put him in danger.

Jax snorted and tossed the blood bag into the trash overflowing with others just like it.

“Are you sure? It’ll be dangerous.” Tobias leaned against the entrance way, watching me with gray eyes. “We can’t ensure that you’ll survive.” I bit back my scoff. I wouldn’t survive either way, so why was he acting like I had a choice.

“Are you trying to scare her off?” Jax snapped.

“Yes,” he responded crisply. From what, why did they even need me?

His gaze didn’t waver from mine, and there was nothing I could tell from his expression. His emotions were veiled behind the calm, put-together mask.

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