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“A blue bandage,” Fang said, suddenly pale and staring out the windshield like he’d seen a ghost. I looked at him sharply. “Yeah. How did you know that?” He swore beneath his breath. “Because I think I was the one who put it on you.”
anyone my legal name was Violetta. I’d always hated it. I doubted even Toby knew. “How do you know that?”
“This is fucking awkward. But I think I might be your brother.” I shook my head. “No…I…I had older siblings but…”
“I didn’t know they put you in foster care. The day you were bitten, that was the day they kicked me out. It was my dog, so they blamed me.” He turned to stare at me as if I were a ghost. “Fuck. I’m so sorry.” He reached for me, then clearly thought better of it, jerking his hand back.
“Are you?” I asked him. “I hope so.” I didn’t know what to make of that. “I didn’t know they put you in foster care. If I’d known, I would have come for you…” But we both knew he couldn’t have. He’d been sixteen.
thinking. “You used to follow me around a lot.” “You never told me to go away.” He smiled. “No. I didn’t. You had enough of that from our parents and our other siblings.”
So for the first time in the life I could remember, so did I.
“It really hurts that you would betray your best friend like this, Whip.” Whip looked idly over at X. “How many times do I have to tell you? I had no idea your ‘Omelet’ was the same woman as my Violet.”
“I’m devastated,” Whip deadpanned. “However will I go on?” I lifted my head, anger still blazing. “She’s not either of yours.” She had been mine from the very first letter I’d gotten from her.
She was going to lose her virginity to him? What the fuck? If this was what she wanted in a man, then there was no hope for us.
He raised an eyebrow. “So the idea of Whip taking Violet’s virginity—” “Finish that sentence and you’ll wish you hadn’t.” X stared Gray down as well. “I’m with the new guy on this one.”
“You do both realize she was literally paying me to take her virginity. I wasn’t forcing her.”
“I’m not that man anymore.” Except I clearly was. I was right back where I’d started, only worse because now I knew what it felt like to lose the one thing you wanted.
What the hell kind of support group was this?
distracting you were misplaced. I should have stuck to your strengths. I’m splitting the group into two. And you’re both going to pick a target from the list to take out as a team.”
Whip hadn’t deserved the way I’d lashed out at him tonight. And Violet…she shouldn’t have had to see me like that.
I didn’t want Violet to be afraid of me. It was the one line from her texts that I kept getting stuck on. I’m scared of you. I picked up the phone and called my mom.
taste in florals now.” “Might have been the way I delivered them. I’ve been told I’m a bit over-the-top.”
“I don’t know any other murderers to compare you to. Well, except Whip, apparently… And I guess Levi. Maybe some of those other guys from the Slayers. But I’m assuming none of them are in the same line of work.”
“I pay taxes and everything.”
opened the car door. “I’ll get you one.”
“Want to pet him. Or her? I don’t want to misgender them, but I don’t know how to tell the difference. Do you?”
“Please put Reginald down and step away from the duck.”
“Please don’t bring me any ducks though.”
The man had caught a duck just so I could pet it.
This was exactly why I shouldn’t date. Even without the help of the apps, I’d managed to attract three complete psychopaths. What were the odds? Did I have a flashing sign over my head that read: Into the Crazy Ones?
Oh my God. He was a murderer and a stalker. He couldn’t just pick a lane?
“Hey. I respected your message. I didn’t pick you up. But I’m not going to apologize for making sure you got home safely.” Suddenly, I didn’t have an argument. I just turned around and walked down the street to my apartment, knowing he’d follow.
“Wait. Are you inviting me in?”
“Seems easier than waiting for you to climb through the window again.”
“Are people with tats and piercings not allowed to be Swifties?” I grinned at him knowing that term.
“You’ll like this. Trust me.”
I killed a man who hurt you.”
And though X was terrifying, something deep inside me did trust him. I closed my eyes. He laid something in my hands. “Be careful. It’s sharp.”
“You and me hanging out? This was a mistake.”
“I don’t want you to be scared of me,” he repeated. “I only want to make you feel good.” I let out a moan as he thrust his hips with mine, his dick hard between us and so close to where my body actually wanted him.
“You being scared of me hurts me more than any blade could.” His eyes locked with mine. “Don’t you know you have all the power, Violet? I couldn’t hurt you even if I wanted to. But you…” He breathed out a ragged breath. “You have the power to destroy me. You just don’t seem to know it. With that knife in your hand, maybe you’ll finally see it.” His eyes were a tormented mess of emotions. “So do it.” “I’m not going to hurt you.” His gaze dropped to my mouth again. “Then kiss me, because not kissing you right now is fucking torture.”
“Never kissed anyone before.”
“Not a virgin. Just never kissed anyone. Never trusted myself to be that intimate with someone.”
“Tell me I can kiss you.”
pressed up and claimed it for my own. He groaned, pushing down on me, taking over the kiss,
“And not until you’re no longer scared of me.” “I’m not scared…” Except we both knew it was a lie.
“Damn. That’s impressive.” Then she winked at me. “Your brother is going to love seeing that.” I covered up the gigantic hickey with the collar of my shirt. “Fang’s only been my brother for a few hours. I don’t think he’s suddenly going to go all big brother protective on me.”
but, girl, if you need a body disposed of, we know people.”
“He doesn’t want me like that.” Rebel cocked her head to one side. “The man started a fight in the middle of a restaurant because he saw you on a date with someone else. You sure about his feelings? Because I don’t know about you, but I’ve never started a fight over a man I didn’t give a shit about.”
that meant opening myself up to being hurt when they inevitably left me.
I’d just ignore Levi.
had to give him, that no, we hadn’t done anything about picking a target from the list to hunt down, was not one I wanted to put into writing.
His eyes darkened. “You had your hands all over my girl.” X choked on his latest Snickers bar. “Hey, hey, hold up. I don’t think the issue of whose girl she is has actually been resolved.” He narrowed his eyes at Levi. “But just so you know, out of you, me, and Whip, it’s definitely not you.”
“I don’t know if you noticed, but she liked my hands on her. You blew your shot with her and you took it out on me.
