Page 50 of The Biting Bargain

"Considering the mess you got me into, that would have been extremely valuable information. Withholding this information only resulted in your family being attacked."

She freezes, her eyes wide with horror.

I can literally see the guilty conscience slicing into her. She thinks this is all her fault. That her family got assaulted because her boyfriend sent those loan sharks after her.

I always hit where it hurts, don’t I?

But instead of triumph, there's only a hollow ache in my chest. And this ominous seething anger I can't place.

Not at her, no. But at the people who hurt her. And at myself — that strange feeling of guilt I cannot shake is still clawing at me.

And now tears are welling up in her eyes, too. Terrific.

"So what? What would you have done if I had told you?" she says, voice wobbly. "What difference would it have made?"

"I could have protected your family," I say flatly. She stares at me as surprised as I feel. What am I saying? Am I sick?

"You could have done what?"

In a sudden flash of anger I grab both her wrist, pulling her flush against me. Polly gasps in surprise. The matchbook falls to the floor like a drunken beetle.

"I would have protected what’s mine," I snarl down at her.

"I’m not your property," she hisses. "And what the hell do you know anyway?"

She fights against my grip. In vain of course, she’s adorably outmatched. I angle her around, pushing her down on the sofa. She squeals, going down, still fighting as I pin both her arms into the cushions above her head. Kneeling over her, I take in the look of her squirming beneath me.

The wolf bristles against the surface of my mind, growling with hunger.

"Let me tell you what I know, dove," I growl. "First, your asshole of an ex-boyfriend gambles away all your money in DiMartino’s establishments. At some point, his debt has reached levels that make forces up the food chain very nervous. They want their money back. But by then, dear Patrick is far, far away."

She presses her lips into a line, green eyes flashing.

"Second," I continue, "Patrick leaves a message for DiMartino’s loan sharks. That his girlfriend Polly will take care of his debts."

Polly glares at me, resisting my grip.

"Ex-girlfriend," she hisses.

I press her a little harder into the cushions for good measure.

"Third, DiMartino’s goons pay you a first visit. You're lucky, you get away with a few bruises. And you deem yourself reasonably attractive and apply for a job at Club Sanguine for some quick cash. And here we are."

She stares at me like she wants to claw my eyes out.

"You'd make a fantastic villain. Next you'll be telling me your evil plan in great detail."

The corner of my mouth twitches in amusement. Truth be told, I made that mistake in the past. I won’t make it again.

"Okay Mr. Vampire Overlord, here’s something you missed out while stalking my past," she says, glaring.

"I bet you didn’t know dear Patrick didn’t just gamble away my money. He spent his days fucking around while I worked three jobs to keep us afloat. And if you really must know all the details, one day I walked in on him while he and that blonde from the shop around the corner were going at it. He didn’t even realize I was standing there before they were finished. Happy now?"

I look at her, unblinking. Her face has turned a deep crimson. It takes me a second to realize she’s mortified.

"What difference does it make if you know about it?" she hisses, breathing fast, her pulse chugging beneath her sun kissed skin. My fangs kick painfully in my jaw.

"A huge difference, dove," I growl out.

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