Page 28 of Stitched Up in You
“Let her go,” I say, clenching my hand at my side to keep from letting go of the tight fist I have on my power.
My gaze lands on the open door behind our little entourage and the billow of storm clouds brings a frown to my face. I walk back toward the door, liking how the miniscule female straightens to her full height, entirely unafraid.
The sky darkens as I stride closer, stopping just before her so she’s forced to arch her neck to look up at me.
“You will behave,” I say, unable to stop myself from reaching out to her.
Remarkably, she stays silent as I reach for her arm and touch her in exactly the place Bruno had, her chin tilted up defiantly and anger sparking in her gaze. The moment our skin grazes the voltage inside me becomes a crescendo, and the pulse of electricity startles me. She doesn’t seem to notice, but pulls away regardless.
“Where is Edgar?” she snaps, “I want my cat and some comfortable clothes if I’m being forced to stay here. In case no one noticed, I’ve been wearing the same pair of sweats for two days, and I would really love a bubble bath.”
I glance down at her attire and awareness washes over me, causing me to lose my concentration, but my anger fizzles as she goes on her tirade. “Oh?”
“Yes. And I want my freaking phone back. In fact, I want all of my stuff back,” she says, throwing her arms over her rather expansive chest. “Iknowyou took stuff from my house, because I overheard the goon squad here discussing it. I want my things,or I am not moving another inch, and I promise you if you thought Talbot was cute, you’ll think what I do next is absolutely adorable, capisce?”
She tries and fails to punctuate her words by stabbing a finger at my chest, her face screwed into a scowl of contempt that sends amusement coursing through me. Her head barely reaches my chest.
“You may leave,” I tell the men, unwilling to waste any more of their time. I’ve brought her here, which makes her my responsibility, and I have no desire to allow anyone else to watch how this plays out, not with her obvious lack of decorum and inability to guard her viperish tongue.
She scoffs and turns up her nose at me, and my lips twitch with the hint of a smile.
This woman hasn’t once treated me the way the social climbing humans try, nor is she really after my wallet, I surmise. The fact that she donated twenty million to the animal fund is not the issue, the sum is pocket change in comparison to the chaos she could have caused. Mikael told me the moment she made a call to Romania. I just find it interesting she didn’t act maliciously until after her phone call to Vlad’s new mate.
But it’s the sheer audacity of her, as if she were trying to toy and play with me, not to truly harm or destroy. It’s almost as if she’s a bored child wanting for a new game and she acted in a pique of temper.
I glance up at the staircase and white crown moldings, and I can’t believe what I’m about to say. And to a human no less. “Have dinner with me, and we can discuss your demands.”
“What?” she asks, but I can tell I have her attention.
A frown pulls between her reddish-brown brows and her stance changes imperceptibly, as if she’s trying to perceive a threat.
Oh sweetheart, I don’t need to make threats to get what I want. “You will have dinner with me, consider it a business meeting.”
I step back a moment and reach up to tug at the tie at my throat, loosening it, and I get a peek of that ridiculous barbell as she swipes at her lips with her tongue.
“Get me my cat and I can maybe be persuaded to come to your business meeting then,” she says.
Intriguing. This tart is attempting to push my buttons on purpose just as I suspected. How amusing.
“I’m not so sure you’re in a good position for negotiating, Miss Crenshaw,” I say, stepping closer once more.
A bright grin effuses her face, and a tinkle of laughter escapes her. Her green gaze lands on me and somehow finds something on my person amusing, sending her into another fit of laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’ve been kidnapped by the billionaire vampire, who just so happens to take me to his mansion.”
I go still at her words.Where in the fuck did she get the idea that I’m a vampire?Vlad’s mate, the human, would have told her what I am. Unless Vlad hasn’t told her, which means he isn’t as stupid as I thought.
“And for all intents and purposes big guy, we’re engaged,” she continues, amusement spiking her tone, “It’s like a fairytale, or something out of a really fucked up romance novel, except for the part where we’re negotiating about my cat.”
I decide then and there I will shut up that annoying mouth of hers one way or the other, but not now, later—after I’ve gotten rid of some of this excess energy that seems to have accumulated overnight. The woman can believe me as a vampire all she likes, better than her learning the truth.
The sound of a car pulling down the drive, away from the house, reaches my ears and I turn to leave her in the entryway, knowing Bruno and Nero won’t be back until tomorrow.
“Pick any bedroom upstairs down the left hall. I don’t care which. Dinner will be in a few hours. I’m sure you can keep yourself occupied.” She can sleep on the fucking floor for all I care, and it will be a cold day in hell when I waste my precious time showing a human around my house.
“Has anyone ever told you the word, no?” she mutters, her tone full of derision.
