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11

Janna

I hadto lean against the sink for support when my knees went weak. “You killed him and stuffed him in a fucking dumpster?” Just when I thought he couldn’t horrify me any worse than he already had.

He blinked. “What did you expect me to do?”

“I don’t know what I expected, but I never thought you would do that! Why would you? He didn’t do anything to hurt me!”

“He would have.”

“You don’t know that!” I came close to throwing a pint of ice cream at his head, but my temper wasn’t that far gone. Yet.

“No. You’re the one who doesn’t know.” He was on me in the blink of an eye, pinning me to the sink with one hand on either side of me. His eyes started going red—he was losing control.

My heart seized in terror.

“That creature wasn’t human anymore. He was a minion. The vampires feed on creatures like that and give them just a little of their blood—only enough to keep them in their thrall and control their actions, even their thoughts. He was nothing more than an animal or a puppet. He couldn’t think for himself anymore. He would’ve gone straight back to Bradley and reported that you’re home tonight and being guarded by a vampire. What do you think would’ve happened then?” He leaned closer until his body was flush with mine.

And damned if my body didn’t betray me. Goosebumps rose on my arms. I turned my face away, staring at his arm instead of looking up into his darkening eyes. I didn’t want to see them turn blood-red, and I didn’t want him to see what he was doing to me.

“They would’ve come for me,” I whispered.

“Damn right, they would have. And then what? I can more than hold my own, but you can’t. I’m not going to invite a boatload of vampires up to your apartment just so I can prove myself.”

“All right, all right. I just don’t see why you have to go right to murder all the time. Doesn’t it matter to you?” I sneaked a look at his face.

He had gone back to normal once that first burst of anger fizzled—but he hadn’t let me go.

I was still pinned between the sink and his unforgiving body. And his face was still dangerously close to mine.

Why didn’t he back away to give me room?

“Doesn’t what matter?”

“Life. Doesn’t it matter that he was alive and now he’s not? And you stuffed him into a dumpster? And Jesus Christ, what happens to the shop owner when a body is found in his dumpster? What if he has to close down the store while they investigate? He could lose money on that. All because you had to kill that pathetic thing.”

“What would you have me do?” he whispered.

He was even scarier when he whispered like that. His face filled my world, blocking out everything else except his scent and the feeling of him all around me.

I struggled to keep my thoughts together. It wouldn’t be right for him to see how he undid me.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“You don’t have to know, do you? You can stand there in judgment of me, talking about the sanctity of life and how I had no right to kill a living thing. Even though that living thing would’ve seen you killed if it meant currying favor with his master. That’s all he cared about. Do you think he would’ve told his master not to kill you, that your life was precious?”

“I… don’t know…” I couldn’t breathe when he was so close.

“Do you think he would’ve begged for your life? No. He would’ve watched whatever Bradley had in store for you, and he would’ve told his master he did a good thing, the right thing, the only thing.”

“Don’t,” I whispered.

“He would’ve watched while that monster sucked you dry. Or, worse, turned you into a minion. You would spend the rest of eternity as a mindless thing, doing what you’re told, begging for even a sip of blood to get you through the day. An addict, desperate, sweating and pleading. And he would’ve let it happen to you.”

“I can’t. Please.” I placed my hands on his chest. “Please. Stop. No more.”

He was silent, looking down, and I realized he was looking at my hands.