Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 125982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
What the heck was a functional trance? Obviously it made it not weird to pour breakfast guests a pitcher of blood. Were all the blood drive calls that went out due to thirsty vampires who depleted the stock at the Red Cross?
Tristan’s phone buzzed on the table between them. It startled Kyla a little and she saw his eyes dart to her. No one else’s eyes were on her, thankfully. He answered it and stepped just a few steps away from the group but his conversation could be heard clearly.
“Yeah?
What!?
Are you kidding me? Again?
I’d suggest you cover it up, then. I don’t want to hear from you until then. I’ll send someone but this has got to be--- no, I don’t want to hear it. Apologies are getting a little old at this point. Whatever. Just deal with it, got it? Be thorough this time! Later.”
His voice was menacing and she pitied the person on the other end of the line. He dialed another number,
“Frankie is up to his old habits again. Take care of it, will ya?
He’s done…
No. Done done. End him.”
He strode back over to the table and tossed his phone on the table, looking annoyed. All eyes, other than Julia’s and Kyla’s, were on him briefly at the outburst. After a beat everyone resumed eating and /or talking.
“Need me to run interference?” Sam asked.
Tristan waved dismissively and sipped his coffee, “It’s under control. Leonard is handling it.”
Kyla’s blood ran cold. Was he seriously ordering someone’s death? Was this the same guy who stared into her eyes and told her he loved her? Was this the same guy who held her, making her feel safer than she’d ever felt? The guy whose gorgeous eyes twinkled and whose dimples melted her into a puddle of goo? She thought back to the fact that every other time the phone had rang since she’d been here he’d left the room. Did someone’s life end each time that phone rang?
Then she thought back to the fact that this was the guy who held her against her will, who didn’t take no for an answer in bed, who had shackled her to a bed for days, who’d stolen blood from her and who had pumped her system with birth control. He’d told her he was a bad guy and who’d said he’d done things he never wanted her to know. Stuff like this? Sourness rose in her throat.
She tried her hardest to stay frozen and not show anything because she knew her life depended on it but she could feel her blood pressure rising and felt pain in her chest, bruising sorrow. She took a deeper-than-she-meant-to breath and caught Tristan eyeing her from the corner of her eye.
He rose to his feet, “Kyla. Come,” he stood and held out his hand. His eyes were intent on her, imploring her not to hesitate. She stood up and tried to do it without shaking and took his hand.
“Excuse me everyone; time for my breakfast.” He grabbed his phone from the table and stuffed it in his pocket.
“Bon Apetit,” she heard Sam say as she followed Tristan, trying hard to keep her knees from knocking together. They walked past Esther, who was busily cleaning the kitchen. Tristan said, “Esther, put my guests in a guest room in the south wing.”
“Yes, Sir,” was the reply. Then Kyla followed him upstairs to the master suite.
When the door to the bedroom clicked shut Kyla instantly broke out into a cold sweat and started trembling and hyperventilating. Tristan grabbed her and pulled her tight to him, “You did fine, baby…”
“Nnnno…” she backed up. She felt repulsion crawl up her spine, “No…”
His expression dropped. He held out his hand, reaching for hers.
“Fuck no!” she shouted and bolted into the bathroom and slammed the door. It felt good to be alone, to be able to breathe freely. It was like she’d had her breath held tight for the last half an hour or however long it had been since Andre and Rebecca had arrived. She put the lid down on the toilet and sat on it and buried her face in her hands. She heard the door open.
“Leave me alone, please. I just wanna be alone.”
“I know that was hard for you. You did okay. Those two just showed up unexpectedly but it was good practise. We’re gonna be faced with the unexpected. I need you to hold it together for me.”
“Leave me alone for a minute. Please!”
“How much time do we really have to spend in the bathroom with you mad at me?”
“This is the only place I can fucking go! Go, Tristan. Please leave me alone. Go, please.”
He crouched in front of her, “You’ve gotta settle down, Kyla. Look at me. You can’t keep hiding in here from me. We have to face things together.”