Page 70 of Bite of Sin

Pax had been the one bringing her food and books for the last two days. He was trying to make up for lying to us about her. I wasn’t sure what I was pissed about most. The fact that my brother had lied to us for over a week for a human had fury burning my veins. Knowing she’d lied about who she was stung nearly just as much. When I’d thought she was a new vampire, I’d opened up to her. It wasn’t much, but it was more open than I’d ever been with anyone besides my brothers.

“We going to tell Dad about her?” Viggo asked. He leaned over the small coffee table to roll his cigarettes.

“Not yet,” I answered gruffly.

We were getting word to him about what we learned from Warner about how we had a way into Project Hope. But the messenger wasn’t told a word about Kali. If Dad found out about her, the torture he’d inflict on her would make her wish she was dead. A human in our city for a week acting as a vampire? He’d have to make a show of what happened to people who tried playing us.

“What are you doing here, Zan?” Viggo murmured, slipping into his big brother role. “She’s human. Lied to us. Found out things that make it impossible to let her leave here alive.”

“We’re waiting for her birthday month. If she bleeds black, then it won’t be an issue—”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Viggo cut me off. “What if her blood is bright red and she’s a normal human? She can’t be entranced. She’s a liability. What are you going to do? Turn her or kill her?”

“I’ll decide when I need to,” I snapped as I jumped to my feet.

“I don’t even know if turning her would help at this point,” Viggo mumbled. “She hates us—you especially. I don’t think that will change, even if she does become one of us.”

“Did our scouts get what I wanted?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Yes,” Pax answered from the kitchen. “They’ll be back tonight.”

I nodded before striding down the hall. “I’ll meet you downstairs later.”

“Wait,” Viggo called out, his voice laced with amusement. “Be careful going in there. If you have any wood in your room, she’s most likely going to try and stab you. Again.”

I ignored him, even though I’d already had the same thoughts. The only wooden thing was the dresser, and it was thick, old wood. I’d notice right away if she tried breaking it. My bedframe was metal, and I’d already had Pax take my desk out. Pulling the key from my pocket, I unlocked my bedroom door and pushed it open.

Kali was sitting at the edge of the bed, and she scrambled to her feet when I stepped into the room and kicked the door closed. My eyes widened when I took in what she was wearing. My fucking clothes. The black T-shirt was long, brushing her thighs as she stood to her full height while glaring at me. Her legs were bare, and my eyes raked over her skin just like the first night I met her.

Why? Why the hell did she have this hold on me that I couldn’t fucking shake? After learning who she really was, I should have killed her. If she were anyone else, I would have. But with her? I couldn’t. This was why I’d stayed away from her for the last two days. I tried distancing myself to think clearly about her, but it didn’t help. Was I furious with her? Yes. I didn’t trust her for anything. Yet here she was—alive and in my room.

And her scent?Oh my fuck.It was seared into my brain. When I tasted her, something snapped inside me. And seeing her in my clothes only strengthened this foreign emotion.Possessiveness. As much as I wanted to hate her, there was a jagged piece of me that refused to let her go. Which only infuriated me.

Human or vampire, she was fucking mine.

“Come to kill me?” she asked, making my eyes snap back to her face. She crossed her arms, her glare frigid as she stayed in front of my bed. “Death would be better than being trapped here anyway.”

I leaned against the door, and her eyes followed my hand when I put the key back in my pocket. “Pax said you haven’t spoken a word since we brought you up here.”

“Pax and Viggo don’t make the decisions about me,” she sneered. “You do.”

She wasn’t wrong. My brothers wouldn’t make any choices when it came to her. It was all on me. Meaning that if she continued to be a threat to us, I had to make the decision.

“Why did you decide to grace me with your presence instead of sending your brother?” she asked, her feisty attitude out in full force. She raised her chin, turning her head to expose her throat. My jaw clenched when I saw the two scabbed marks from my bite. “Did you want another taste of something you had no right to take?”

I strode forward, my movement catching her off guard. Immediately, her stance went defensive, and she backed up until her legs hit the bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one of the dresser drawers was crooked, and my lips lifted in an amused grin. I’d bet my life she had a makeshift stake hidden somewhere in here.

I stopped in front of her, and she narrowed her eyes, not flinching away when I raised my hand, letting my fingers drift over the mark I’d left on her.

“You shouldn’t offer something so tempting,” I murmured, bringing my lips closer to hers. “Unless you’re willing to accept the consequences.”

“I didn’t offer it last time,” she snapped, swatting my hand away. “How long have I been locked in here?”

I glanced at my boarded-up window, realizing she had no way to tell time in here. “A little over two days.”

A bit of fight left her eyes as she met my gaze. “Is he still alive?”

“Warner is exactly where you saw him last.”

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