Page 5 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

“That’s a question you should be asking yourself. Who are you really, Ruby? Because you don’t seem to know.”

For the second time tonight, he said my name. He knew me. How did he know me? How could anyone like him know anything about the shut-in with a weak heart?

“How do you know my name?” I demanded. “What else do you know about me?”

“I know a lot about you, Ruby Renada Baxter. I knowallabout you.” He swept another pointed look around my room. “Except for your living conditions.”

“What did you do to my mom? Did you hurt her?”

His blood-red gaze darkened, causing me to shiver involuntarily.

“I didn’t hurt her, but from where I’m standing, she deserves to feel a little pain.”

My heart rate jumped again, fear clawing my spine with its icy nails. Then in the next instant, that fear turned to red-hot anger. I held my weapon in front of me, glaring daggers at the deadly male.

“Leave her alone.”

He canted his head, and his red eyes narrowed, glittering with interest. “You care for this human?”

There was that word again.Human. Why was I getting the feeling this was a jailbreak from his eyes? A monster, busting out another freak. Only, he’d gotten the wrong house, the wrong prison. I was just a sick girl, locked up for my own good.

“Of course, I care for her. She’s my mom.”

He let out a wicked chuckle like I’d just told a joke. “How precious. Stockholm Syndrome’s almost cute on you, Princess. But it’s time to kiss Mummy goodbye.”

My stomach cartwheeled, and my nerves began to split. Was he threatening to kill her?

Of course, he was. He wasn’t human. He’d probably kill me too when he learned I wasn’t the person he’d come for.

Not that death really scared me. Hell was where all the fun people were, after all. But Mom didn’t deserve to die.

“Don’t you dare put a fucking finger on her.”

His gaze narrowed, something close to amusement making his eyes flash. “What are you going to do to stop me?”

My nostrils flared as my heart slammed against my ribcage. What could I do? Nothing. Absolutely, bum-fuck, nothing. I was all talk, and he seemed amused at calling my bluff. Which sent a zap of adrenaline through my veins.

This guy was all sinew and strength. A body like that didn’t come to anyone who wasn’t comfortable in a fight. Not only that, he was accustomed to winning. And who was I? Nobody. I hadn’t even hugged anyone, let alone thrown a punch.

“You’ve got some nerve, asshole. Breaking into a sick girl’s room.”

He laughed, a tattooed raven’s wing twitching with the bob of his throat. “You’re not sick.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. “What are you talking about? Yes, I am.”

Iwassick. It has a shit reality, one I had trouble accepting all the time. I’d spent so many nights imagining a different reality, imagining some alternate life where I was healthy and normal and well-adjusted. Where I could go to school, make friends, date, fuck. But I wasn’t allowed to do any of that because ever since I could remember, I was told I would die if I went outside. So better to stay locked up inside where it was safe.

Suddenly, I wasn’t so scared of this monster of a man, whatever he was. Who the hell was he, breaking in here and suggesting my life was a cruel lie?

My fingers curled tighter around the broken bedpost. “You’re a liar.”

The man arched a mocking brow. Ugh. Why was he so sexy when he scowled like that?Come on, Ruby, so you’re a little sex-starved, but this one isn’t even human.

Despite my internal chastising, my vagina wasn’t listening. It throbbed and ached in the same way it did when I read the steamy parts of my novels. It was almost like the intruder knew how much his voice affected me. And by the way his nostrils flexed and his red eyes glinted with irritation, I knew he did.

“A liar, am I?” He looked down at the forgotten tray of meatloaf and the romance novel beside it. “Seems you don’t know a lie even though your mommy serves you a big fat heaping pile of shit along with your dinner and your smut every night. She tried to keep you fed, stupid little human, thinking she could sate the appetites of a monster with fictional cock and meatloaf.”

My cheeks burned red in a heady cocktail of embarrassment and rage. What was he trying to say?

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