Page 17 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

Snorting, I took another swig of the vodka. The liquid burned as it went down, and I winced, not quite sure what the big deal was about alcohol. It tasted disgusting.

“Let him. I’m not scared of him.”

“You know he once almost killed a man with his bare fists on live television,” Corry said, grinning. “So maybe you should be scared of him.”

“I’d be scared of him if I was afraid of things like death. But I’m not. Probably because I was isolated for so long, death seemed like the only way out a lot of the time.”

“Whoa… That’s heavy shit, Ruby. But I bet you not giving a shit about death comes from your dad. You are the daughter of the vampire king, after all. He wasn’t afraid of anything either.”

There was a heavy sensation in my belly like I had swallowed a rock. Hearing about my dad was weird, partly because I had gone so long not thinking about him and partly because I had learned that he was not only a vampire but the king of them.

It was a lot to swallow.

On top of it all, I was quickly gathering that maybe it was a good thing I hadn’t ever gotten to know him while he was alive. There were questions I wanted answered, but maybe it was better that his adopted sons filled in all the missing pieces I had tried to fill for years.

“So, how did you meet him? My dad, I mean.”

“Eh. My story isn’t as interesting as Sterling’s, Vincent’s, and Deathwish’s.”

I nearly choked on my next swig of vodka. “Did you say Deathwish? What kind of name is that?”

“It’s not his real name. His real name is Eros. Deathwish was his fighter name. He was an MMA fighter just like Vincent. He’s retired now, but everyone still calls him Deathwish.”

I crinkled my nose. “Why?”

Corry looked a little uncomfortable. “Fits him better than Eros, I guess. He does the dirty work for the coven. Travels all over. I would say that you’ll meet him soon, but something tells me Vincent and Sterling won’t want you around him.”

Frowning, I decided it was best not to linger on this Deathwish. “So, how did you meet my dad?”

“Oh right. I was out riding on my bike, and I got hit by another car going like fifty over the speed limit. It was a miracle it didn’t kill me instantly. Your dad saved me by turning me.”

“So he saved your life?”

“Kinda. He was the one who hit me, so I guess he thought he owed me. The other three were turned pretty much exclusively for the suffering of others.”

“Oh… I’m trying really hard to find any reason to believe that maybe my dad wasn’t a complete piece of shit, but you and Vincent are making that really hard.”

“Eh.” Corry shrugged. “I’d lie to you and tell you he was an okay guy, just to make you feel better. But something tells me you’re pretty sick of lies.”

“I am.”

“Right.” Corry heaved a sigh and picked up the box of dye, pretending to be enthralled by the directions on the back of the packaging. “He was a complete piece of shit in most cases, kind of sadistic. But in his defense, he did protect his family. The Cape Cod Coven wouldn’t be what it is today without him.”

He flashed me a heart-melting grin as he tossed the dye box into the wastebasket beside the door. “Anyway. I think you’ll like the coven. Even with all the assholes in it.”

For several minutes, Corry and I sat in silence. It wasn’t like it was uncomfortable. In fact, it was kind of nice. I had made a friend, someone pretty much right around my age. He seemed pretty chill, for technically being dead, so maybe being a half-vampire wasn’t really so bad.

“Help me rinse out my hair?” I stood up a little too fast and regretted it. The restroom spun, and I stumbled.

Corry hopped down from the sink and was standing beside me, having moved so quick my eyes weren’t able to follow the movement.

“I’m okay. I think it’s just the vodka. Now I understand why people drink this crap. I feel…hungry.”

Corry’s brow wrinkled with concern. “Uh-oh. Well, maybe we should grab you some food.”

“No. No, I don’t want food. Even after I eat, I’m still hungry. What the fuck is up with that?”

“Because you need blood to sate the thirst. As a human, you don’t need it to survive, but I bet it’s uncomfortable to go without it all the same. You wouldn’t happen to have any of those pills Sharpe prescribed on you, would you?”

---