Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(30)

“Violet, I’m—”

“The first wolf attack, you struggled because you hadn’t been feeding, and the illusion was harder to work on that many. This was your redemption and your fuck-you moment to Arion, who stepped in with a jacket and a flashy, last-second entrance the last time,” she continues in that still sad tone, like she feels bad for having to explain this to me in such great detail.

“I don’t have the luxury of staying mad at people. It’s just not in my DNA,” she says, almost making me groan with the timing of her reminder of what colossal fuck-ups we all really are.

Vance included.

“So yeah, I’ll get over it…this time. Maybe the next. Possibly even the time after that. But each time whittles away more and more trust, Damien. You, among others, keep treating me like Idun. Clearly she was a combative and competitive person. I’m not.”

“You’re—”

“If you say I’m simple, I will never sleep with you again,” she interrupts, pointing a finger at me.

“I was going to say softer,” I defend, smiling a little tighter at her. “I’m sorry.”

This time when I say the words, I actually fucking mean them.

She quickly bats a tear away when we hear a car pulling up, and I turn to see Emit stepping out with a speckling of blood across his face.

“Rough day?” I muse as he glances over the shirt Violet is wearing.

I’m sure he notices it’s one of Vance’s favorites, and it’s wrinkled…

Vance doesn’t even seem to care…

I just genuinely apologized for being an insensitive ass…

The world has turned upside down.

Emit looks like he’s about to say something to Violet, who is staring at him with a confused expression on her face. Stepping out from behind his vehicle, he becomes more visible, blood staining his hands and shirt.

“Are you really driving around advertising death?” I hear Vance ask on an exhausted breath, right as the front door opens.

Arion and Vance start walking toward us, and Arion noticeably avoids touching Violet, as he steps around her to sniff Emit.

“I smell wolf beta blood. Mostly from two different betas. That’s a lot of blood,” Arion says in his gloating tone.

“It’s been a busy day that I need to get back to. You said it was important to meet up immediately,” Emit tells him gruffly.

“I didn’t realize you were doing something productive for a change,” Arion drawls, still gloating.

Emit’s jaw noticeably tics, and Violet makes a sound…as she just barely stops herself from going to him.

We all notice the struggle and the way her eyes flick to Vance, before she turns and quickly starts to go inside.

Arion darts a glare to Vance, whose lips purse like he’s as aware of what that look meant as we all are. He’s gotten too close, and now she’s torn about how she can be with anyone else.

He’s now way out ahead.

But…it’s not a fucking competition, I remind myself, even as my jaw grinds.

“Violet, I’m afraid this is about you,” Arion calls to her back, even as he continues to glare at Vance.

Her shoulders stiffen, and she loudly groans without turning around.

“On the outside, people think having hot, immortal guys constantly wanting your attention would be something no sane girl could possibly complain about,” she mutters while pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Curious, does that mean she at least finds us attractive? That’s not suddenly the problem?” Arion asks for clarification.

“Someone muzzle him,” Emit grumbles as he wipes the blood off his face. “I’m not seeing the fucking emergency, Arion.”

Arion gives us a humorless smile. “It’s about my prisoner. I’m afraid I can’t give Violet any more time to recover, because my prisoner is quite honestly grating on my nerves. We all know that’s a bad thing, and none of you want to dirty your own hands with this, so you won’t take him off my very clawed hands.”

I’m going to fucking kill him.

My eyes close as the heaviest breath audibly slips between my lips.

I hear Violet turn around, as I silently count the ways I can start making Arion pay for this.

“What prisoner?” Violet asks with obvious concern etching her tone.

“I’d rather just show you, love. Care to take a ride?” Arion asks while holding up…my fucking keys.

Vance scrubs a hand over his face and eyes the back of Arion’s head like he’s willing it to explode.

I snag my keys out of the psychotic vampire’s hand, as Violet walks toward my car without hesitation.

“What the hell are you thinking?” I snap, stepping into him as he smirks at me.

“I’m thinking I have a plan, and I don’t really give a shit if it pisses you lot off. You’re content to leave me out, and she’s content with three. Either we all have her, or none of us at all. Consider this the first message,” he says, sounding far more like the Arion we all know, as he continues to flick his gaze over us, still smirking. “Remember that I came to all three of you to help me out before I was left with this route.”

I knew something bad was coming when I saw him lost in thought.

He turns and walks away, and I don’t realize until I hear my car cranking that the son of a bitch took my keys again. Violet is driving my vehicle away with the vampire riding shotgun.