Page 48 of Blood Bonds

So being too scared to find out what he would do, I picked up my spoon and started eating, giving him a scathing look as I did. Unfortunately, it was one he completely undermined the strength of as he tagged me at the back of the neck, pulling me closer, and he kissed my forehead, telling me,

“Still fucking cute.”

I swear I nearly hit him with my spoon but when I turned, I found Talon had taken the seat next to me and had his own spoon in hand. He even tapped it to my own and said,

“Cheers.” Then he began to dig in to what was left in the tub as Victor chuckled and left the room.

What the fuck was going on? How was it possible I was sitting here expected to eat ice cream next to the Vampire who kidnapped me for the second time? But it also made me wonder, if this was all so normal, then just how far could I push this?

“I need my bag,” I said to Victor the second he came back into view without his suit jacket.

“Why?”

“My friend, she will be worried about me if I don’t message her. She might even call the cops like last time,” I said, shooting Talon a look and making him wink at me like this was all one big game. In fact, life in general looked like one big game to him, and it made me wonder if the guy ever took anything seriously. Well, clearly the other brother did, because he leaned his weight against the back of the couch and folded his arms as he looked at me.

“And I would like to know exactly what it is you would tell her and what your reasons would be for not going home tonight?”

I swallowed down the lump forming in the back of my throat at just the thought of spending the night with the brothers.

“That I met a hot human man and decided to spend the evening partaking in safe sex with no blood play involved, whatsoever,” I said, making Talon scoff.

“Sounds fucking boring to me.”

I refrained from answering that one, despite wanting to say, ‘Of course, after all, what is sex with a little maiming?’

“How about we keep it simple?” Victor suggested, his tone holding a hint of humor, like he found what I had said funny.

“Okay, how about I met up with an old friend who just moved to the city and I’m staying over her place to help her unpack?” I offered, knowing Stacey wouldn’t buy it anyway because I never mentioned any ‘old friends’ from my past.

“Alright, I can’t see the harm in it,” he agreed, making my heart beat faster.

Would this be my chance to call the cops? The next thing I knew he was walking toward a control panel on the wall and making demands about having my bag brought up to the apartment. Something that didn’t take long, because soon a man I recognized was entering through the door and I couldn’t help but react. I scrambled out of my chair and strangely did exactly what I done that night…found safety behind the Vampire who ended up taking me.

But as I cowered behind Talon’s large frame now, he seemed just as surprised as he had done that night to find me gripping onto his T-shirt, shaking behind him. He glanced down at me over his shoulder for a moment, looking like his brother as he raised a dark blonde brow at me.

However, he didn’t say a word to this. Instead, he spun his chair, forcing me to let go as he was now facing me. But before I could retreat, he wrapped his big arms around me and tucked me to his wide chest, letting me feel every hard, taut muscle for myself. And he did this all without a single word. Not even mocking my fear or making me feel foolish about going to him for comfort. He just did this like it was his job to protect me and the most natural thing in the world.

Again, I couldn’t understand it. It was like it happened without thought, like it was instinct that he would keep me safe just like last time. That must have been it, the memory of having that big brute come at me with a knife in hand and having Talon be the one to tell him to put it away.

“Something I should know?” I heard Victor ask, coming to stand next to us, and I sneaked a peek from where I had buried my face in Talon’s T-shirt. The scent of him again near made me dizzy. It was fucking addictive. Would his brother smell thisgood? I was almost too afraid to find out, knowing that if he did, then that was double the amount of a dangerous addiction.

Victor had his arms folded and I looked up when I heard Talon say, “That will be all, Andras.”

“So?” Victor pressed, and as Talon looked down at me, he told his brother,

“Let’s just say she didn’t receive the best first impression of our friend.”

“And what the fuck does that mean?” Victor snapped, making Talon sigh, all humor gone.

Then, as if he knew the memory would be a chilling one, Talon started running his fingers up and down my back as he told him,

“She was introduced to his knife before she was introduced to his hand.”

Victor released a growl so deadly, I flinched in Talon’s arms.

“I will kill him!”he snarled like some wild animal, but before he could storm off toward the main doors, Talon’s hand shot out and landed on his brother’s chest.

“Calm, Brother, he never got close, for she did as she does now, knowing I would protect her. He didn’t know at the time who she was to us,” Talon said, making me wonder what he meant by that…who I was to them?

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