Page 37 of The Vampire Kingpin

I tried and failed to picture anyone refusing Spider for over a year. “Yeah? She sounds like some woman.”

“She was. I miss her every day.”

“I’m sorry,” I said softly.

He heaved a breath. “She wouldn’t let me turn her. Said she didn’t wanna live that long. Anyway. What tunes get you hyped?”

“That’s easy—anything I can dance to. But hip-hop’s my go-to.”

“Same,” he said. “And salsa.”

“Salsa, huh? Bet you have some good moves.”

“You bet your sweet ass I do.”

“Modest, too.”

His eyes creased at the corners, and in my chest, a dozen butterflies flapped crazily. I couldn’t tell if I was happy or scared, but maybe that was because it was both.

“Last question,” he said. “Where did you learn to play pool like that? Monster and Jacko don’t lose to many people.”

“I told you, I was home-schooled. Dad wanted me to have a skill I could fall back on if I needed to, and Mom was all about the geometry and physics applications.”

“Huh.” He eyed me. “They sound pretty interesting.”

Grief twisted through me. But beneath the sorrow, anger simmered.

“They were,” I said, throat tight.

“So they’re gone?”

“Yeah.” Before he could ask more, I said, “That’s three—now it’s my turn. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Nowhere,” he replied promptly. “I’m right where I want to be.”

“Oh, you’re good at this.”

He touched my face. “I mean it.”

His deep-brown eyes had warmed, his expression soft, open…as if he really, really liked me. The room around us faded, the sounds in the Cavern outside muted. It was just us, wrapped in a cocoon of wordless understanding.

Inside me, those butterflies took flight. A burst of longing hit me, so hard my heart actually hurt.

I couldn’t stay with him for much longer. It was too risky.

I’d already stayed in New York for longer than I should’ve. Frankly, I was surprised I’d evaded Jared this long, but my gamble had paid off—he must’ve figured I’d never go to ground in the Underworld. The classy syndicate lady I’d pretended to be wouldn’t have survived down here a week.

“Maybe,” I said, “I could hang around another month. If that’s okay?”

“Of course.” Spider cupped my cheek, and I got the feeling he heard more than what I’d said. “But if you change your mind about joining my lair permanently, the offer stands.”

I turned my head, pressing my lips to his callused palm, wishing with all my heart I could take him up on his offer. But it was only a matter of time before Jared found me, and the longer I stayed in one place, the easier I made it for him.

So all I said was, “Thank you.”

9

Spider