Page 104 of Bitten By Desire
Okay, I guess that did kind of answer the question.Sort of.No one in their right mind would date a vampire or a liar or a thief. But…I still liked Callum when I thought he was a lying vampire. And I still liked Bennett even though I thought he was one.God.
I shimmied my shoulders, trying to get rid of my nervous energy. “I’m going in. But just in case I don’t make it back…I love you, Zoey. Thank you for sticking byme through the last several years of my Callum obsession. And now all this vampire craziness.”
She smiled. “I love you too. But you’re going to make it out alive. All you have to do is blow.”
“I’m not going to give him a blowjob.”
“I was talking about the garlic powder. But I love your dirty little mind.”
This was crazy. And I was crazy. But I still left Zoey’s house and walked down Main Street. There were still lights streaming between the lamp posts and pumpkins everywhere. The spooky fall decor seemed so very appropriate for the secrets of this town. I walked up the steps of the bank. I wondered if I’d run out here and die under the moonlight or if Bennett would take my life in one of his many vaults.
Stop it.I wasn’t going to die tonight. I had a fist full of garlic powder in one hand, a garlic clove in the other, and a wooden stake in my purse. I took a deep breath and somehow managed to open the door to the bank even though my hands were closed in fists.
This was a terrible idea. Just awful really. And I was finally sober enough to realize it. The only problem was that I was too late. Because Bennett and all his friends were standing in the bank staring right at me.
Well, except for Otto. I wondered why he was the only one missing. I hadn’t expected them to all be here. I didn’t have enough garlic powder. Or enough nerve.
“I’m glad you came,” Bennett said.
“Mhm.” My voice came out small and squeaky. Why had I let Zoey convince me to do this? I felt like my hands were full of contraband. I clenched my fists harder. And I realized it probably looked like I was about topunch one of them. Rather than subdue them with my garlic accessories.
Titan crossed his arms as he stared at me.
Oh God, did they suspect me?
The bank was eerily quiet.
They were probably waiting for me to step closer. But that seemed like a terrible idea. I cleared my throat. “So…um…I didn’t realize all of you guys would be here.”
“It’s not just my secret,” Bennett said. “We all have to be in agreement. And none of this can leave the bank. Do you understand?”
Did that mean I couldn’t leave the bank? Ever again? Because he was going to kill me? I swallowed hard, hating that I had started to tremble.
“I’m going to need to borrow your hand before I show you,” Bennett said.
“My…my hand?” Now my voice was trembling too. My hands were full of garlic products! Did he know? He had to know. He could probably smell an herb that was deadly to him. Or was garlic a spice? Or just a vegetable?Why didn’t I do more research?!
Huxley pulled a knife out of his back pocket.
What the hell?I took a step back.
He tossed it to Ace.
I took another step back.
“It’s not a big deal,” Ace said. “A little blood never killed anyone.”
Yeah, because it did the opposite for them. It fueled them! I took another step back.
Ace started to walk toward me but Bennett put his hand out to stop him. “You’re scaring her.” He grabbed the knife from him.
But instead of putting it down on the counter, Bennett started to walk toward me with it. He stopped right in front of me. “Give me your hand.” He put his hand out like he wanted to hold mine.
I couldn’t give him one of my hands. They were both full. And what the heck was he planning on doing to me? Cutting me and drinking my blood that way? Wasn’t he supposed to be biting me?
“Emma,” he said. His hand was still outstretched.
I wasn’t going to let him cut me. Couldn’t he cut one of his friends and show me his vampiric ways on one of them?
