Page 57 of B Positive

I reached for my phone to text Sunny, but decided better of it. I could figure out where Julian kept the blood, right?

But Sunny was so good at her job, I didn’t need to. She’d left a tray of food and another Starbys cup at the top of the stairs for me.

I paced myself, eating a few bites of food between sipping on the thick, decadent elixir.

I reasoned that I was just overworked. I’d worked myself hard the last few months, and I’d just spent a bunch of energy speed-cracking half a dozen safes. Now, I was paying for it. I’d just have to be careful not to slip into my old habits.

I couldn’t stop drinking blood entirely, that would kill me. But I had to find a way to stop binging recklessly and killing people. So, I’d linked my out-of-control behavior with my vamp powers—compulsion, mostly.

Since I couldn’t get away from the blood, I’d instead cut out compelling people. That way I couldn’t make them be still and not scream. I couldn’t take away the fear.

The only way for me to fall into that pattern again was to brutalize someone. To become a real monster.

I knew I wouldn’t do that.

But the recent uptick in cravings did have me a little sketched out.

I nibbled on the sandwich some more as I looked over Sunny’s plans. I was definitely going to be here a while.

Which reminded me that I still needed to call Jerry.

I scrounged my cell out of my pocket and did just that.

“Hey, you. You doing all right?” Jerry’s warm voice was a welcome reprieve from my circling thoughts.

“Hi, Jerry. Yeah, I’m okay. I just have some really important family stuff to take care of.”

“Is that what it is? Jaxson was pretty tightlipped about it.”

“Yeah, he’s a good friend like that. He made me promise to call you myself and explain everything. Is he doing all right?”

Jerry let out a low whistle. “You know Jaxson. He just lit the bar top on fire while making flaming shots and the customers are eating it up. They love him here.”

“He’ll probably pull in more tonight than I would in a week.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Oh, hey, I wanted to ask. Is April back?”

Jerry’s smile came through in his voice. “Sure is. She said her boyfriend made a miraculous recovery and now they both have a better appreciation of life. He popped the question earlier today and she showed up to her shift with a nice sparkly rock on her hand.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic!” I said. “Tell her I’m super happy for her.”

“Will do, Eden.”

“Thanks, Jer. And thanks for understanding.”

“You got it, Eeds. Take as long as you need. Jaxson’s a dream. In fact, you might not have a job to come back to.”

That hit me right in the gut. My mouth went dry as the basement pressed in around me.

I forced a weak laugh. “I better,” I said and ended the call.

Jerry didn’t know how right he was. I probably wouldn’t have a job to go back to, but not because Jaxson took it.

Even after we’d finished the incursions, I didn’t foresee Julian letting me work at the bar.

And, honestly, the more I thought about it, the less sense it made for the vampire king of Laurel Cove’s mate to do such a thing.

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