Pretty When She Kills (Pretty When She Dies #2)(64)

“Claimed you,” Cian answered. “I made you mine. And I am yours. Bound by more than The Summoner’s blood, but by our power.”

A touch of anger mingled with her awe. “Why didn’t you ask me?”

Tenderly touching her cheek, Cian ignored the insistent ringing of the doorbell. “Because you already said yes. You didn’t flee tonight.”

Punching him in the shoulder, Amaliya frowned at him. “Oh, f*ck you.”

“You just did,” Cian smirked.

“Are we married or something now?” Amaliya clenched him inside of her, eliciting a tortured moan from him.

“Or something,” Cian answered, nuzzling her neck.

“Dickhead.”

“I love you, too.”

The doorbell continued to ring tenaciously.

“I’ll get it,” Amaliya reluctantly said. “Before he thinks we’re already dead.”

As their bodies parted, Amaliya felt a pang of remorse at their separation, yet she still felt an invisible cord connecting them. She rinsed off under the water and slipped out of the glass box to snag her robe.

“Don’t let him see you naked,” Cian called out.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Amaliya answered.

The robe was black silk and fell to her feet. It was Cian’s originally, but she had claimed it as her own. She nabbed a towel off the counter and rushed out to answer the door. Wrapping her soaking wet hair in the towel, she checked the security feed before heading down the front hall.

The doorbell buzzed over and over again.

Opening the door, she set a hand on her hip and arched an eyebrow. “No patience, eh?”

Eduardo grinned, a feral expression. “Not at all.” The short man was clad in tight blue jeans, a form-fitting black silk T-shirt, and cowboy boots. He smelled of the earth and death. Handing over a red thermos, he said, “So when does the fun start?”

Amaliya ignored the way his eyes lingered on her breasts. “We’re getting ready. Rachon isn’t due at Zilker Park for another hour.” She unscrewed the thermos lid and glanced inside, sniffing loudly. Her blood still coated the interior and top. “Didn’t clean it out, eh?”

“I was tempted to lick it clean.”

“What stopped you?”

“I don’t really want to end up like Sam. Ghosts freak me out.” Eduardo shrugged, shut the door, and followed her to the kitchen.

The comment smarted more than it should have, but Amaliya simply shrugged her shoulders, dismissing it.

“I hit every cemetery in Austin.” Eduardo leaned against the bar and raked his gaze over body again.

Amaliya rinsed out the thermos thoroughly, the bloody water swirling down the drain. “And you made sure to pour it onto a grave right? The blood has to be on a grave.”

“Yep. And I waited until the sun was under the horizon. So it’s all good.” Eduardo scrutinized the apartment, taking in the brick walls, cement floors, and modern furniture. “Boring place.”

“I had nothing to do with it. This is all Cian’s Ikea fetish.”

“Speaking of the devil...” Eduardo gave Cian a slight salute as the vampire strode toward them.

Amaliya felt her nipples harden and her sex tingle at the sight of her lover. He was dressed all in black from his jeans to his western style shirt. The tips of his black cowboy boots were edged in silver and he wore a silver buckle that could be used as a weapon. His hair was longer and shaggier and his beard made him look a little dangerous.

“We’re set up I take it?” Cian asked.

“Cameras are in the park. The whole thing will be under surveillance, and your fearless vampire hunters are armed to the teeth,” Eduardo replied. “And you have me.”

Cian regarded Eduardo thoughtfully. “Don’t start shit just to have a fight.”

“Would I do that?” Eduardo feigned hurt.

“You’re a coyote.”

Eduardo flared a grin.

“I’m going to get ready,” Amaliya said. “The male posturing and testosterone is just a little too much. Isn’t it enough we have a vicious vampire and a necro-vamp to deal with?” She strode past them, rolling her eyes.

“Just keeping it interesting,” Eduardo called after her. “Because life is too short to be boring.”

“Or too long to be too exciting,” Amaliya said over her shoulder, then slipped upstairs to change.





Part Five

Sunday Night





Chapter 21


The sun had set in a blaze of glory that had given way to deep and darkest night. It was a new moon and the blackness of the evening was absolute. Only the stars glittering above and the headlights of the Jeep issued any light in the darkness.

Samantha sighed, twisting one of her silver rings around her index finger nervously. She had loaded her digits and limbs with silver jewelry at the last moment before leaving the house when she remembered the pain it caused vampires. While with Cian, she had stopped wearing it. Now she felt a little safer with the silver bands glittering on her fingers and around her wrists.

“It’s so dark,” she muttered.

“There should be a flashlight in the glove compartment. Alexia is always well prepared,” Jeff answered, his fingers flexing on the steering wheel.