Page 48 of Bite of Sin

“Hmm,” I mused as she shifted against me. “Fine. Deal. But a word of warning, Kali. If I find out you lied, then I won’t just threaten his life. I’ll fucking take it. And I don’t break my promises. Do you understand?”

She nodded curtly. I didn’t move, not hating how she felt pressed up against me.

“I wasn’t with PARA,” she stated. “I’m not twenty-one. And yes, I love Warner. Because he’s the only person I have left in this world.”

I stared down at her, processing her words until a sharp pain seared through my lower back. I hissed out a breath, shoving her away before swiping my hand over where the pain was radiating from. I clenched my jaw, yanking out the thing buried in my skin. Bringing my hand back in front of me, I stared at the wooden stick in disbelief.

“Did that hurt?” Kali asked in the same sickly sweet voice.

I whipped my head up to see her already on the other side of the picnic table again with her eyes gleaming with danger. My gaze fell to the ground, seeing branches and twigs littered around. I hadn’t even seen her pick it up.

I forced out a chuckle, acting like she hadn’t just gotten the drop on me. “You missed my heart.”

“That stick isn’t big enough to touch your black heart,” she shot back. “But this is.”

She kicked at the seat of the table, breaking off a piece of wood that wasn’t rotting. It was thick, and when it snapped off, it made a pointed end, close enough to resemble a stake. She twirled it in her hand, watching me expectantly.

This was a far cry from the girl who shuffled around the bar, keeping her head down. She’d been hiding a lot from me. Too much. And I wanted to find it all out.

“You’re going to try that even though you know you won’t be able to stake me?” I asked, noticing how firmly she was holding the piece of wood. And expertly. This wasn’t the first time she’d held a stake.

“Are you scared?” she mocked.

“There’s little in this world that I fear.” I rounded the table. “One new little vampire will never make that list.”

She backed away, moving into the open area again where there were no trees or tables. That was a mistake on her part. Being able to separate herself from me would be an advantage.

“Have you killed a vampire before?” I asked my first question, wondering if she’d be honest.

“Yes.”

No change to her heartbeat. Although, I couldn’t rely on that when it came to her. But she did care for Warner, which meant she’d do what she could to keep him safe. If the truth kept him alive for seven more days, then I had a feeling her answers would be true. And it really pissed me off that I cared that she was doing all this to protect a man.

“What’s your last name?”

“Smith.”

“Smith,” I repeated in surprise. “That name is reserved for—”

“Orphans,” she cut me off. “That’s what I am. A lonely orphan.”

“What youwere.” I kept an eye on her makeshift stake as I got within arm’s distance of her. “You won’t be alone again. Not as a vampire.”

Uncertainty swept over her face. “I’ll never be happy here.”

“You better try,” I murmured. “I have no interest in letting you go anytime soon.”

My words made her snap, and she lunged at me in a practiced move. The stake was going straight for my heart while she jabbed her other hand into my throat. I let her nearly crush my windpipe to go for her wrist that was holding the weapon. I could survive without breathing, even if her hit did hurt like a bitch.

The stake was inches from my chest when I stopped her attack, and her eyes blazed with determination, trying to push against my strength. I shot her an amused smirk, slowly moving the stake farther from me.

“How’d you get into my city without anyone knowing about it?” I asked another question as she stumbled away once I let her go.

“I walked right in from the street,” she pushed out between heavy breaths. “Your watchers aren’t doing their job very well. I had no idea it was a vampire city when I came.”

Well, shit. That was going to need rectifying. “When did you get here?”

“The same night you found me.”

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