Page 114 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

Oh, he’s bad.

* * *

Grayson

Demi’s parents are hilarious. I see where she gets her sarcasm from. Robert puts on a good front, being the gruff father who won’t let anyone do his daughter wrong, but under all of that I know he’s still a little worried for Demi.

Despite our promises not to hurt her, his basic human nature makes him wary. He watches things a little too closely. Demi catches him side-eyeing her for the fourth time since dinner started and huffs.

“What is it?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

She glares at him. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

Irene shoots her husband a warning look. She’s not afraid of me. Not like her husband is. I’d bet anything she’d still win a fight against Demi if she used her mom voice.

“I’m just getting a good look at my daughter.”

Demi glances at me. Her fingers are squeezing her fork so tight her knuckles have turned white. She doesn’t understand why he’s acting so strange, only that something’s bothering him.

“Demi’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

With a grateful sigh, he nods. “That she is,” Robert says, patting her hand. “She’s something special.” Then he gives me a hard look. “Are you boys behaving?”

“Dad,” Demi hisses his name. “Stop.”

I set my blood wine down—Irene bought some just for me—and smile at him. “Well, we do the best we can. Demi keeps us in line though.”

This seems to appease him because he relaxes in his seat. “Good.”

Demi mouthssorryto me but I wave it off.

“Well, who’s ready for pie?” Irene asks, interrupting the growing silence.

“Only if it’s chocolate.”

She grins. “You know it’s chocolate, Grayson, don’t tease me.” She sets her napkin down and heads into the kitchen.

“I’ll help mom,” Demi announces before racing from the room.

Once she’s there, I meet Robert’s curious gaze. “You still don’t trust us.”

“Well that’s not true!” He pulls his eyebrows together. “Why do you say that?”

“I can sense it. We haven’t hurt her. We will keep our promise; your daughter is our whole world.” I rest my hand on my wine glass.

Robert eyes me as I drink, then nods. “Well don’t forget about my shot gun. I don’t know much about fighting vampires but I know a lot about shooting guns and if I so much as see one hair out of place on her head…” he trails off, letting the threat linger in the air.

“Understood, sir.”

“All right, who’s ready for pie?” Irene rescues us from further conversation. Demi gives me a funny smile, then scowls at her dad who merely shrugs like he doesn’t know what’s bothering her.

“I’d love some pie, Irene.”

She sighs. “You are still a cutie-patootie, you know that, right?”

I grin at her and wink. “I try my best.”

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