Page 65 of Blood Bound (Blood Mafia 3)

Chapter Fourteen

Demi

Once I know everything is being handled, and by everything, I mean Zander is being watched over and Lacey will recover, I take my parents to my apartment, ignoring the onslaught of questions they lob at me on the way.

Closing and locking the door after they come in, I rest my forehead against it and take a few seconds to breathe.

We lost Nix and X, but my parents are back. They’re okay.

We’ll regroup and find X. Nix didn’t kill her, so she wants something from me and it’s sure to include my blood being spilled.

“Demi, what in tarnation is going on?” Dad asks.

I spin around and lean my back against the door, watching Mom and Dad share looks of concern. Dad’s bushy eyebrows are twisted up and Mom looks halfway to a panic attack.

“Those things, Demi. Those were vampires? You’re dating a vampire?” Mom’s voice rises with every word, and her eyes grow wide when she connects the dots.

“That’s why you didn’t call back. You’re a vampire now? You know I wouldn’t care about something like that, you’re my baby.”

“No, Mom, I’m not a vampire.”

She presses her fingers to her mouth. “Are they using you? For your blood?” she whispers the question.

Dad’s frown pulls down even further. “To hell they are, no one uses my girl for nothing. Right?”

The way he checks in with me—glancing over and lifting an eyebrow—makes me smile.

“They’re not using me.” Well, two of them aren’t. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

Mom checks on Dad’s forehead, tracing her finger over his healing bruise. “The vampire blood helped keep your father from a concussion.”

My eye twitches. “What vampire blood?”

Squinting at me, Mom says, “The nice one gave your father some blood.”

Their definition of nice and mine are totally different.

“Which vampire?” I ask, pushing off the door and walking toward my father. Sure enough, I see his head is slightly bruised but his eyes are clear. Plus he’s standing and looking anything but sluggish.

“Oh, what was his name.” Mom taps her hand against her leg. “Oh, that’s right, Marcus!”

“Mateo?”

She frowns, then nods. “I guess Mateo is right. It’s all a bit fuzzy.”

Trauma will do that to a person.

“Mateo gave you his blood?”

Dad narrows his eyes at my tone. “What’s that boy done to you?”

“Never mind that, why did you let him give you blood?”

Mom lightly smacks my arm. “If that vampire hadn’t helped your father, we’d be on the way to the hospital right now. You should thank him.”

Thank him my ass.

Mateo can choke and die.

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