Page 79 of Blood

VIOLET

“What the fuck happened?” I demand, aiming a scowl at Memphis, who stands near the doorway of my room.

Frankie lies on the bed, conscious but groggy, numerous wounds marring his flesh.

“According to the demons who accompanied Mr. Frankie Frankenstein,” Memphis begins in a low, scratchy voice, “a group of monsters, all spelled by Zeus to attack vampires and any vampire sympathizers, ambushed them.”

“They had the rune?” I ask as I dab at Frankie’s face with a washcloth, attempting to clear it of dirt, grime, and blood. It says a lot about Frankie’s state that he doesn’t pull away or tell me to stop, insisting he’s okay. Instead, he merely looks up at me through heavily lidded eyes, his brown hair grazing his forehead in sweaty clumps.

“They did.” Memphis nods once. “There was a fight, and Mr. Frankenstein here was injured. Fortunately, my team was able to escape before anything serious could happen.”

“Anything serious!” A bark of dry, slightly hysterical laughter escapes me. “Do you not see Frankie? He looks like shit!”

“Thanks, Vi,” Frankie murmurs dryly, but his voice is muffled and nearly incoherent.

“Shush.” I gently swat at his shoulder—one of the few places on his body that isn’t bloody. “You know I love you.”

“If that’ll be all...?” Memphis waits for me to dismiss him, and I do so without a backward glance. I can’t focus on anything but Frankie, hot to the touch and covered in stab wounds and bruises.

What a way to end date night.

I scowl at nothing in particular as I drop the washcloth into the bowl Jack provided me and then rub my hands on the bottom of my shirt. Well, Jack and Hux’s shirt. In my haste to get clothes on, I didn’t really pay too much attention to what I grabbed. I’m pretty sure I’m not wearing any underwear, either.

“Violet, I’m okay,” Frankie whispers, his voice still a soft whisper that caresses my skin like the breeze clawing at the window outside. He coughs, pain lancing across his face, before he reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Tears well in my eyes, and it’s a testament to my control that I don’t allow them to fall. “I almost lost you today, Frankie.”

“Vi—”

“No, Frankie.” I shake my head adamantly as trembles rattle my body, causing my teeth to literally chatter. “I almost lost you, and I can’t... I won’t...” Fuck, it’s happening. I’m going to cry. Goddammit. “I can’t lose you too.” A single tear cascades down my cheek but stops before it can reach my lips. It just hovers there, this ominous presence, but I don’t dare lift a hand to brush it away. I don’t want to stop touching Frankie.

Frankie doesn’t have such qualms.

With a tremulous smile, he brushes away that traitorous tear and then opens his hand to cup my cheek. I close my eyes and lean farther against his palm, relishing the heat his body seems to emit. It’s just a reminder that he’s alive, he’s here, he’s with me.

“Violet, you don’t need to worry.” He chuckles dryly. “I’m not even sure I can die, remember? I’m not a real monster.”

“Don’t say shit like that,” I snap fiercely. “You’re just as real as me and the others.”

Shadows momentarily darken his eyes, and his fingers flex instinctively where they’re gripping my face. “I’m a failed experiment, Violet. I was created in a lab—”

“Stop it.” I squeeze my eyes shut, as if that will somehow equate to blocking out his horrible, self-deprecating words. “I hate it when you say that.”

“It’s the truth.”

“It’s not the truth. You’re real, you’re Frankie, and I love you.” I grab his wrist and slowly lower his hand from my cheek. I then entangle our fingers and settle our combined hands in my lap. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Frankie sighs and gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Everything was going fine at first. We got to my lab with no issues, and I was able to grab all the ingredients for the potion without running into anyone.”

My brows furrow. “So, what happened?”

Something akin to guilt crosses Frankie’s features.

“I was stupid,” he confesses. “I came up with an idea, and instead of leaving my lab, I decided to follow up on it.”

I tighten my grip on his hand, forcing myself to relax my tight hold when he winces.

“And?”

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