Page 51 of Bite of Sin

I tipped my chin up defiantly, searching for the best way to play this. He was going to blurt out that I kissed him to hurt Warner. I could see it in his eyes. He was pissed that I’d gotten the upper hand last night, and here he was trying to claim control again.

Forcing a smile, I looked at Gia. “Zan asked me to try and kill him.”

Gia didn’t even blink, her amused smile growing even bigger. “Really?”

One of the twins—Viggo, I was guessing because of the cigarette between his fingers—had stood up and was strolling closer to us, sharing Gia’s amusement as he caught my eye.

“How did that go?” Viggo asked, cocking his head.

My eyes cut back to Zan, and he was watching me expectantly, letting me answer first. Behind him, Warner was watching us with a scowl on his face.

“I had a stake digging into his chest before he knew what was happening,” I stated.

Viggo howled with laughter. “Bullshit.”

“She did. Even broke skin.”

Zan’s words had the entire atmosphere shifting. Gia nearly dropped the bottle she was holding, and her eyes swept over the empty room, as if making sure no others were here for this conversation. Viggo’s grin dropped in an instant, his accusing glare shooting to Zan. Pax was still sitting with his mouth hanging open. His uncertainty about me was crystal clear when he caught my eye, making me swallow thickly. If he saw me as a threat, he wouldn’t keep my secret.

“You let her get that close?” Viggo hissed, coming to stand next to Zan.

“Believe me, it was worth it.” Zan erased the space between us, coming close enough that his chest brushed mine, backing me into the bar counter. “That kiss? I’d bleed for you again just for another taste.”

“Zan,” Gia scolded from behind me. “You can’t let anyone get that close to you—even a pretty girl promising sex.”

“I didn’t promise anything,” I forced out, keeping my voice steady. “In fact, the only reason I kissed him was to distract him.”

“Maybe it started off that way.” The dark grin tipping the corners of his lips had emotions warring inside me. “But after learning that you can control your heartbeat—”

“She can dowhat?” Pax cut in sharply from across the room.

“Yes,” Zan mused, his eyes not leaving mine. “It seems the young little vampire has human secrets she’s been holding onto.”

I gritted my teeth, not saying a word. I couldn’t control my heart rate perfectly. I had still been learning when I had to flee Project Hope. I had to concentrate and focus ridiculously hard. The only reason I was able to do it at the park last night was because I was expecting it once Zan asked me for truths. If it was in the heat of the moment, I couldn’t do it. Not right away anyway.

“But when we kissed, she let her guard down,” Zan continued, dropping his head until his lips were a breath from mine. “Her heart gave her away. She might have done it for ulterior motives, but she loved it.”

“Or maybe that’s what I wanted you to believe,” I quipped, feeling my neck flushing and hoping to everything my cheeks weren’t heating. Discussing what happened last night in front of everyone was not what I expected to happen when I walked into Impulse.

“Shall we test that theory?” Zan’s hands were suddenly on my hips, crushing me to him. “I want to hear what your heart sounds like when you’re not scheming. I bet it’ll sound the same as when you were moaning into my mouth.”

Fuck.He was calling my bluff. There was an angry snarl from somewhere in the back of the room, reminding me that Warner was listening to everything. Zan had made sure to speak loud enough for all the caged humans in the room to hear. It was the whole reason he was doing this. To prove that even though he would keep his word about not touching Warner, he was still very much in control, contrary to what I had done to him last night.

Warner’s voice filled the air for a split second before Pax overrode it with a threat to shut up. My heart pattered despite myself, and I could feel all their stares on me. Warner was still worried for me. He stillcared. Even though he thought I was a vampire. And from how I just reacted to his voice, every vampire in here knew that he affected me.

“Let me go,” I demanded, my voice stone cold.

Zan didn’t move, keeping me trapped between the counter and his hard body. But before he could respond, there was a loud banging coming from the front. Viggo cursed under his breath, striding to the door, and flicked the lock. He swung the door open, revealing a vampire who looked ready to piss himself.

“When these doors are closed, it means no one comes in.” Viggo’s words were steeped in danger, and I now understood why the vampire looked so terrified. “You better have a damn good reason to interrupt us.”

“I’m sorry,” the vampire squeaked out. “But the watchers—they told me I needed to announce his arrival.”

Zan instantly shot away like I’d burned him, his eyes looking behind me. Viggo was furiously whispering something to the vampire outside the door, and I couldn’t see Pax from here, but I didn’t have a chance to gather my thoughts before I was suddenly yanked away from the bar.

“Don’t come back here tonight,” Gia ordered, her voice sharper than I’d ever heard. She nearly dragged me toward the back, where there was a hallway with an exit door at the end.

“What’s going on—”

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