Page 31 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

“We’ll leave you with your people. I’ll be in touch about the favors.” He holds his arm out to Melony. “Come here, princess, let’s go.”

When she’s close enough he can pick her up, he bends down and scoops her up bridal style, winking at Evelyn before he uses his supe speed to dash out of sight.

“You’re good at making friends,” I whisper to her.

She smiles at me. “Thank you.”

Since this is the first time I’ve had the chance, I go over to X and hug her tight. She places her hands around my waist and lets out a soft sob. I shush her and look over her head at Zander. His eyes are filled with unshed tears as he watches X fall apart in my arms.

“Come on, love, let’s go crawl into bed.” I keep my arm around X’s shoulder and help her to the elevator. Zander joins me.

Colt follows us in and presses the button for his floor, where Zander and X’s suite also is, and lays a hand against the door to hold it open.

“When you’re ready, you know where to find us,” Colt says, running his hand over X’s hair before stepping out of the carriage and letting the doors close.

“He’s not so bad, you know,” X whispers, wiping her hand over her face.

I nod. “I know.”

We kick off our shoes when we get to their apartment and the three of us crawl into bed, Zander on one side of X and me on the other.

“She’s gone,” Zander says in the darkened room.

X hiccups and starts crying harder.

I grip her hand and squeeze, not knowing what else to do. Zander wraps his arm around her stomach and holds her. He’s crying as well, but he’s quiet about it. When one of his tears splashes onto X’s cheek, she groans and rolls over. She buries her head in his neck and they cry together. I tuck my hands under the pillow and face them, feeling a bit out of place.

“It’ll be okay,” Zander says, choking around the words. “It’ll be okay.”

I scoot closer and wrap my arms around both of them, willing their pain away. It doesn’t work; there’s nothing I can do to make them feel better.

When they finally stop crying and X falls asleep, I let my own tears fall, hating that befriending me caused her to lose the most important person in her life. Zander’s fingers wrap around my wrist and I meet his gaze. Expecting the worst, I’m surprised when I see nothing but understanding on his face.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

His words make my throat constrict.

I’ll make it up to them. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way.

* * *

The next morningI carefully slide out from under X’s arm and tiptoe away. After I use the hallway bathroom, finger brush my hair and throw it into a messy bun, I head to my apartment.

Once inside my place, I grab the burner phone Mateo bought me. I need to try Lexi again, see if she heard anything about my parents. It only takes a few rings before I hear her tired voice filter through the speaker.

“Hello?”

“You’re still sleeping, Lexi, it’s seven-thirty in the morning, the day is wasting.”

She yawns. “Demi? Why are you calling me so early?”

“It’s nice to hear your voice,” I say, lying down on the chaise and picking at the fabric. “I miss you.”

Lexi chuckles. “It hasn’t been that long since we’ve seen each other, Demi. Are you okay?”

Everything would be easier if she knew about the vampires, the hunters, and Tyra’s death. I can’t tell her though, not without sounding crazy. The compulsion locked away the memories of her time as a feeder. She doesn’t remember anything.

She doesn’t remember I was taken against my will.

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