Page 45 of A Sip of Sin

Hollen jerked as a cool hand touched his cheek, opening his eyes at the sudden shock that strengthened him. Munro stared at him with his forehead furrowed, a frown twisting his lips. It took everything in Hollen to turn his head away and not lean in. Tearing away his gaze made his chest ache in a way he wasn’t sure would heal.

Munro had protected him from Rhys and the others that night, but George was right. They were on different levels of the same food chain.

“I can’t stay here, Munro.” Hollen closed his eyes, leaning heavily against Sean as his vision swam. “It’s not safe.”

“I wouldn’t hurt you,” said Munro, the deepness of his voice breathtaking. Sean was shaking—or maybe it was Hollen trembling in his hold.

Hollen tilted his head back, trying to keep from looking. “You want to bite me.”

It wasn’t a question. Munro had been staring at his wrist since he’d arrived, his gaze flickering to his neck throughout the night, especially after Rhys had been sent away. Every time Hollenbrushed against the marks that were barely tiny pink raised bumps, he wanted to tilt his head and feel those teeth pressed somewhere more intimate and dangerous.

If he moved with Munro biting him, would it kill him? His teeth had been so sharp—sharp enough to dent bone and slice through muscle.

“I won’t.” This time Munro did growl. Sean shifted, but he was too slow to get away before Munro placed a chilled hand on Hollen’s shoulder. “I’m a vampire, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to my nature. I’m not a beast.”

“He’s lying,” said George, hissing in Hollen’s ears. “He’s a murderer—a monster. He’s killed more people than you could imagine. Empires have fallen at his feet.”

Hollen shook his head, trying to chase the voice away. None of that made sense. He didn’t know who to believe. His heart snapped in two.

Hollen struggled to open his eyes, finding Munro in the dimming light. “If you bite me again, it will kill me. Now, a month from now or in a year—it won’t matter.”At this rate, that’ll be this week.

“Oh.” Munro rocked back on his heels, dropping his hand to his side. He narrowed his eyes, the look on his face heartbreaking. “I don’t need to bite you to love you.”

Love?Hollen trembled under the force of the word. He felt the connection, too, running deep and thick and binding him to Munro, even though he should have run away at first sight. He hadn’t realized it might be love because he’d never felt anything like it.

“Can you take me home, Chef?” asked Hollen, his voice trembling as his eyes burned. He couldn’t look at Munro right now—not with his heart sliced into little bits with the offering of a life he could never have. Munro was a vampire, and Hollen was always going to be part of the menu.

“Hollen—”

“I got ya, buddy,” said Sean, cutting Munro off. “Let’s get you home. Boss, I’ll be back in a few. Hold down the fort for me, will ya? And make sure all those vamps leave.” He gestured toward the dining room.

The world tilted as Sean stood, half-dragging Hollen to his feet. Sweat clung to every bit of him, all the blood from his body rushing straight toward his toes.

“Fuck, you’re heavy for a small guy.”

Hollen tried to help, but his feet slipped over the floor uselessly, buckling under his own weight. Sean strained, letting out a soft laugh under his breath.

George cleared his throat, drawing Hollen’s attention. “Allow me.”

Energy zapped through his limbs, a yelp pushing through Hollen’s lips. A moment later he was standing on his own, Sean looking at him with wide eyes and Munro with confusion etched into his features.

Every nerve buzzed, the kitchen highlighted with bright reds and oranges as a final tremble traveled down his leg.

“I should be good.” Hollen held out his hands, staring at them. He couldn’t exactlyfeelthem in the way he normally could. It was almost like an echo—like touching someone else’s hand and imagining what they were feeling. When he clenched his fist, his fingers reacted a moment too late, curling before his eyes until his fingertips were pressed into his palm.

Sean let out a soft whistle. “Let’s get you home, kid.”

Hollen waved his hand. His gut was churning uncomfortably, but he was steady, the fuzziness mostly receded. “I don’t want to be a bother. I can find my way home now that I’ve got my second wind.”

Sean gave him a skeptical look as Hollen avoided Munro’s gaze. If he looked now, he would just end up lingering a fewbeats too long. The idea of Munro’s bed soundedsogood right now.

“Are you going to be okay?” Sean dropped his hand, cleaning the breadcrumbs from his knees. “It’s really no bother to take you home. I’ve got my truck parked out front, and Munro will make sure all but the crew are cleared out.”

“I’m good.”Better than good.Other than some weird tingling, he could probably run home and still have enough energy to make Adair a batch of cookies. Adair could struggle through them when he accidentally mixed up the sugar and salt, which was something he did way too frequently.

His hand trembled, the tips of his fingers strained dark against the paleness of the rest. Without looking back, he headed outside, sidestepping Munro’s outstretched hand.Get out. Get out!

“You know, for almost being dead according to you, now I feel great,” said Hollen, picking up his pace as soon as he hit the street and ducking into the alley that took him the short way home. It also would avoid any strange looks that he would probably get from his very white uniform and the rapidly spreading stain on his fingers. His knuckles were already getting darker, his nails the color of liquid ink.

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