Page 52 of Blood Owed (Blood Mafia 1)
“I’m not interested in cooking lessons.”
Those blue eyes meet mine. “Don’t be coy, I’m offering to teach you how to kill properly. I won’t offer again.”
This is one hell of a proposition considering he’s one of the vampires I want to kill.
“I’d like that,” I say, keeping my face neutral.
He studies me for a moment. “I thought you might. Are you hungry?”
“Always.”
Grayson stands and stretches. His shirt lifts, revealing a very tantalizing V which I can’t pull my eyes from.
Down Demi, he’s not the food.
I bite my cheek and drop my gaze to my fingernails which are in bad shape. The red nail polish is fading and they’re misshapen from my struggles. My wrists and ankles are still raw and sore from the ropes.
“Would you like some of my saliva?”
“Ew, Grayson. No.”
He points to where my hand is rubbing at my wrist. “It will heal those wounds.”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to forget what you’ve done to me.”
Grayson sighs. “You and Colt are exactly the same. Removing the scars won’t take away the trauma.”
“Colt has trauma?” I laugh. “We’re not the same, Grayson.”
He nods. “Keep telling yourself that, tiger.”
Chapter Fifteen
Demi
When Grayson mentioned food, I expected take out. Nothing could have prepared me for the full-scale fine Italian restaurant on floor number one. Stepping into a dining room full of primly dressed patrons is overwhelming. My Weezer shirt can’t compete with slinky black dresses and fancy suits.
“Mateo has a private room,” Grayson says when he senses my discomfort.
Not only do I look ridiculous and out of place, I’m also still technically kidnapped. Well, not truly since Mateo gave me a chance to leave. He knew full well I wouldn’t take it though, not without figuring out what’s so special about my blood.
I let out a soft gasp when Grayson grabs my hand and leads me off to the side, bypassing the tables filled with couples. I ignore my immediate reaction to junk punch him, reminding myself I’m no longer a prisoner.
Maybe if I keep telling myself that I’ll actually start to believe it. All I did by staying was trade one sort of captivity for another. I’ve been welcomed into the Blood Mafia, and something tells me I won’t be able to waltz out of this building and return to my life without serious repercussions.
My parents probably don’t even realize I’m gone since they’re so busy traveling in retirement. They can’t know what’s happened, they’d never look at me the same. Mom barely managed to keep her cool when I kept getting into fights when I was younger; she and Dad enjoyed peace and quiet. While I listened to them growing up, getting into brawls wasn’t exactly part of their perfect family vision. This whole being kidnapped and then choosing to stay business would give them a heart attack. I’m not even sure Lexi would understand why I stayed after they kidnapped me.
There’s no way I can go back to being the same old Demi.
That won’t stop me from trying to escape once I figure out what I am.
We reach the far corner of the restaurant where a glass-paned wall separates the rest of the room from the general public. A large family-sized table is surrounded by a high-backed booth, the back side providing another layer of privacy to the room. Anyone looking in would only see the back of the booth.
Grayson opens the door, and my stomach flips with unease. I don’t know who’s waiting for us, if anyone.
He slides into the booth with practiced ease, gives me a curious look, and pats the seat. “I won’t bite, well, unless you ask me to.”
Deciding I don’t care who might be sitting on the other side of the booth, I walk over to the table. To my relief, no one is in the booth.
