Page 96 of Bite of Sin

Instead, I forced a smile. “I’m honestly not sure why. But we can talk about it if you want. In the house. It’s too hot out here.”

“No,” he said curtly. “I don’t want the vampire listening in.”

Nerves skittered through me when I realized there was no one around us. And I couldn’t see the house from here at all. Zan’s warning about Garrett rushed through my mind again, and dread climbed down my limbs when I wondered what exactly Garrett had said to Zan.

“The only reason he talks to me is because it’s a way for him to keep control,” I ground out. “Because I was trapped with him.”

“I think he has something for you.”

“Something like what?”

“I’m not sure,” Garrett murmured, a cruel glint in his eye. “But I think we could use it.”

“I have been. By talking to him.”

“I like you, Kali.” He tugged me closer, and I stumbled a step, clenching my jaw from his nails digging into my arm. “You’re a breath of fresh air here. Living with the same twenty people can get boring.”

Fear slithered through my chest, the dark undertone of his words putting me more on edge. He might be the boss, but I had to show him I wasn’t one to be messed with.

“Let me go,” I snapped, narrowing my eyes. “You have no right to put your hands on me.”

“I don’t think so,” he tsked. “You’re in my house. I can do whatever the hell I want.”

“You answer to the Clovers,” I shot back. “Respect is an important rule. I might be new here, but I’ve been a Clover for years. Watch yourself.”

His other hand came up too fast for me to dodge, and pain exploded across my face when he backhanded me. It hurt, but the shock of him attacking me outweighed that. He kicked my feet out from under me, and I let out a cry when I crashed to the ground. I rolled in the tall grass, my heart stuttering when he grabbed my ankle, yanking me toward him.

“You need to show me some respect,” Garrett growled, grabbing my other ankle when I kicked at him. “You’re here, taking up my space. Eating my food. You need to pull your weight around here.”

“Get the fuck off me,” I snarled, reaching into my shirt to get my knife.

Then he froze, his hold staying on my ankles. I flicked the knife open, but when I noticed what Garrett was staring at, panic smothered me. My shorts had ridden up, and Zan’s bite mark was plain as day. I had planned to bandage it, but all the medical supplies were under lock and key, and I didn’t want to explain why I needed it.

“He fed on you?” Garrett accused. “You let him?”

I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t think of one thing to say. There was no defending it. I had no way to free Zan from the chains, which meant Garrett knew that I’d allowed myself to get close enough for him to bite me. And the fact that the mark was on the inside of my thigh made it so much worse because I was hiding it.

Garrett’s laugh sent a shudder through me. “Oh, this is good. Don’t worry, Kali. I can keep your secret. You let a vampire feed on you. How would the Clovers feel about that?”

Cold terror lined my veins, and the humid air suddenly felt suffocating. If Tim found out, I had no idea what he would do. Kick me out? Kill me? The Clovers were all I had. And the one thing instilled in us was how vampires were the enemy. They wouldn’t tolerate someone who was soft for them.

Garrett released my legs and leaned back on his knees. I scrambled away from him, keeping a tight hold on my knife. He ran a hand through his black hair, his smug grin making me want to stab him. He was going to use this in a way that wouldn’t bode well for me.

“You and I are going to talk,” he drawled. “And you’re going to do what I say. Or I tell Tim what I just found out.”

I glared at him, my chest heaving as I slowly climbed to my feet. Before either of us said anything, voices drifted closer, and I peered over the grass to see a small group heading this way. Garrett noticed the same, and he frowned before getting up and brushing off his shorts.

“I’ll see you later,” he said, warning filling his voice. “This isn’t over.”

He stalked off, and I stood there with my heart pounding in my ears.

I was so fucked.

“Kali. There you are.”

I spun around to see Warner coming toward me, and I rushed to pull the hem of my shorts down. He got closer, his eyes darting to my cheekbone near my ear, which was no doubt red. I was sure it would bruise with how hard Garrett had hit me.

“What the hell happened?” he asked with a scowl as he inspected the rest of my face, and then my body. I was glad my T-shirt sleeves covered where Garrett had grabbed me.

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