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“See ya,” he replied, not breaking from his slicing and chopping.
I walked back into the main part of the clubhouse and debated what to do. I wanted to ask for the keys to the “grocery getter” or even the “cager” or any other sort of four-wheeled vehicle, but I wasn’t sure who to ask. I climbed the stairs to Psycho’s office and rapped on the door.
“Hi,” I said after he bade me to come in.
“Hello, gorgeous.” He smiled at me.
My stomach did a little flip at his handsome smile. “Good morning.”
I laughed nervously. “Well, it’s almost noon.”
I sat in one of the chairs, since I knew he’d tell me to anyway, and was quiet for a few minutes.
“I wanted to apologize—”
“Hey, are you all right—”
We spoke at the same time.
“You first,” he insisted.
“I’m sorry about last night.” I broke his stare and looked out the small window behind his desk. “I’m still sorta… fucked up. It wasn’t your fault.”
He looked relived, and then he looked at me with sympathy. “I—”
I scowled. “Don’t do that.”
He furrowed his brow. “Do what?”
“Look at me with pity. I don’t want it. Okay? I’m fine. I’m okay. I’m dealing.”
“Okay. You got it. You’re strong, I get it.”
“Thank you.” I relaxed as his features softened.
“Can I ask what I did, though? Or what I said?”
I debated telling him. The room was so bright, and we weren’t under the cover of darkness like in his bedroom at night, where I could hide the emotions I knew I sometimes wore on my sleeve. But, he waited patiently. Not looking at his computer or checking his phone. He simply folded his hands on his desk and watched me.
It didn’t make me uncomfortable. I didn’t squirm under his scrutiny. I knew he genuinely cared.
“You said you wanted… a taste.” I felt my cheeks heat. “And I was very excited to have you do that, except…” I trailed off.
His eyes widened. “Oh, God. Did one of those assholes do that to you? Like, uh, go down on you?”
I shook my head. “God, no. They were way too selfish for that. The one guy—the main one who’d snatched me from Shark—he used to murmur that a taste wouldn’t hurt. But he was, um, trying to talk himself out of biting me. It was like he was thinking out loud, not knowing I could hear him.” I shrugged casually, but I felt anything but aloof. “Maybe he thought in my drug-addled state that I wouldn’t hear. Or remember.”
“That’s interesting. It’s bizarre they didn’t bite you.”
I shook my head. “It was weird. They sucked on blood bags, or they’d go out in the night and come back looking… refreshed.”
“I wonder if they’re selling girls to other vampires and were told to keep their fangs off the merchandise.”
I shot a look at him.
“I don’t mean merchandise, it’s just a figure of speech. I know you guys are people, not merchandise…” he stammered.
I grinned. “I know what you mean. And I thought of that too. But then I wondered if they were selling us to humans, and then couldn’t explain the scars on the neck.”
