Gypsy Freak (All The Pretty Monsters #2)(6)
I slip out the crack and shut the door behind me, letting him know I heard his order.
He curses and something breaks as I leave. I suppose now he’s finally having his tantrum.
What happens to Shadow Hills when the bitter, vengeful vampire with no soul is kicking the ass of the resident Van Helsing?
It’s probably not good.
I palm the orange in my pocket, trying to decide if I want to be in debt to the vampire or the secretive gypsy.
“Deal with Dorian before I get my hands on him!” Vance barks from inside his room, his voice booming and rattling the precious mirrors around me.
“Not my problem either,” I call out in reminder as I stroll down the hallway, checking my reflection in all the helpful mirrors as I go.
I toss the orange up and catch it.
“Secretive little gypsy,” I mutter to myself.
Chapter 2
VIOLET
Margie answers the doors, and her eyes widen on me.
“You shouldn’t be here. He’s not—” Something loud shatters, and I hear Vance shouting, as something else breaks next.
“He’s attacking the mirrors upstairs,” three chime-like voices say in answer to the unspoken question, as the triplets appear behind Margie like my newest creepy entourage.
“I’m afraid this can’t wait,” I say while shouldering by Margie, prepared to face whatever consequences there are for raising a banished alpha vampire.
I can’t even remember why I did it. Hell, I can’t even remember the vampire’s name…
But I know it’s my fault, and that’s all that matters.
Margie just sighs, not trying to stop me as I hurry up the stairs. Glass crunches under my feet when I finally reach the demolished hallway.
Very few mirrors remain intact on the wall, and I hear the sound of more crashing somewhere in the distance.
All the noise ceases when I start walking toward it.
The door that’s ajar is the one I push through first, and I find Vance’s back to me as he jerks his face to the side, showing me his profile, as he stares at the broken wall to his right.
“Now’s not the best time, Violet,” he says tightly.
“I know, and I know it’s my fault…but I can’t remember how it’s my fault. But—”
“Not your fault, Violet,” he says in a quiet voice, his jaw ticking. “This was coming long before you ever came to town.”
“Now that you have that out of the way, tell him about what we need,” Anna says, suddenly appearing at my side in her usual cardiac-arrest sort of way.
It’s a good thing I don’t need my heart beating to regular rhythms.
“It is my fault. I think…” My words trail off as the conviction in my belief begins to fade.
I was so sure it was my fault, but now I can’t recall any reasoning as to why.
He sighs harshly, dropping his head so that I can’t see the side of his face anymore.
“I know you can see me,” Anna tells him with a weary sigh. “So stop ignoring me now.”
I know he’s a gypsy, but I can’t remember why I know. It’s all confusing, and my head hurts from trying to sort through what’s going on.
“Of course he told you,” he bites out.
“Who told me?” I ask, confused.
Vance only makes another sound of frustration instead of answering.
“The big gorilla at the zoo,” Anna dutifully informs me, phantom-patting at my arm like I’m the crazy one.
“You know I can’t feel that, right?” I ask her, darting my gaze to her as my own exasperation wells up.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I look back over at Vance.
“I know you have your hands full with…with…”
Damn it, I knew what was going on a few minutes ago when I came in here. Didn’t I?
“What do you need?” Vance finally asks as he turns around.
My eyes widen, and Anna whistles under her breath when I see how bruised and battered the other side of his face is.
“Holy shit,” I say as I quickly start rummaging through my bra. “What happened to your face?” I ask, even as I fumble out two very small healing vials and start walking toward him.
“I’ve actually already used some of your healing potions. It looks better than it did,” he says through furious restraint.
“Did Damien do this? Or Emit?” I ask as I look around, spotting a small bench off to the side. “Sit down. You’re too tall,” I add.
Blowing out a breath, he seems to sit down merely to humor me, as he remains distracted.
“No and no. As much as I hate that he made you forget, it’s probably for the best.” He mutters that last part so low I barely hear him.
“Who made me forget what?” I ask incredulously.
“Not the important part,” Anna stresses. “Tell him about the debt payment.”
“Debt payment?” Vance asks, even as I try to remember why it doesn’t feel like he owes me any debt.
I can’t remember him doing anything to repay me for the watch he said he couldn’t accept. Now I know why he doesn’t like debts, but…it’s all so confusing.
“Did we decide anything about the timepiece?” I ask, shaking my head free of the fog there when I try to grasp at blank memories to the questions I have.