Page 72 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

“None of yours,” I say, squeezing the phone. “Can you help or not?”

“If you want my help, I need to know. No offense, Demi, but destruction has a way of following you around. I’m not going to risk my friend’s life without good reason.”

His words hit a little too close to home and I have to pull my gaze away from Mateo’s.

He must have felt everything when I fell apart earlier. How much did he glean from the bond?

“Nix took X.”

“What makes you think she’s in the Underworld?” A beer can cracks open from the other side of the phone, or at least, I’m pretty sure it’s beer. Blaze doesn’t strike me as a soda pop fan.

“Because she used a portal demon to get away from me.”

Blaze coughs and sputters on the other end, clearing his throat a few times before he speaks. “Nix is working with a portal demon?”

“It appears so. Is that a good enough reason to help me or was your debt to me posturing for Evelyn’s sake?”

He grunts. “It wasn’t posturing, and I can help. Give me two days.”

“Two days? That’s too long—” I cut off when he disconnects the call.

This isn’t my phone or apartment, so I resist the urge to smash it into the window out of frustration.

Two days and X could be dead. Two days is too long.

“Blaze will deliver. He may be a mutt, but he’s reliable.”

Mateo’s words don’t do much to help me feel better about sitting around waiting for two days while X is being subjected to Odin knows what.

“I’d like to speak to Demi, alone.”

Colt lifts his scarred eyebrow. “Does Demi want to speak to you?”

The bigger vampire growls and Grayson nudges me, reminding me of our earlier conversation which Mateo no doubt heard.

Ever the opportunist this one.

“It’s fine,” I say to Colt. “Is there an apartment for my parents on my floor?”

He nods. “I’ll get it ready for you. Whenever you’re done here, Mateo can text me and we can get them situated.”

“Thank you.” I smile at him and he returns the gesture.

Grayson ruffles my hair and he and Colt get on the elevator, leaving me with Mateo.

When the engine kicks on and the elevator leaves his floor, I close my eyes and curse myself for agreeing totalk.

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