Page 16 of Bound By Blood

She had no idea what he meant by that, but she needed answers. He kept dancing around the truth, and it was pissing her off.

Before she was able to say anything else, her stomach let out a loud growl. The only thing she had eaten yesterday was a bowl of cereal and a sandwich. She hadn’t eaten that little since she was living on the streets.

Landon glanced down at her stomach, and then a corner of his lips twitched. Clearly, he had heard. “When was the last time you had anything to eat?”

“Last night,” she snapped, angry that her stomach had betrayed her mortal weakness. “What’s it to you?”

Landon rolled his eyes before snatching the picture from her hand and tossing it on the bed. “Come on, let’s get you some food. I’m driving.”

“The fuck you are.”

Landon chuckled darkly. “Well, you can walk if you want since you don’t have a car, but it’s going to take you longer to get to the diner. And who knows what kind of dangers lurk in the shadows? Or have you forgotten already?”

A sneer lifted her top lip. “You seem to know an awful lot about me.”

He closed the distance between them and lowered his head, his lips brushing against her ear. “You aren’t the only one who’s done their research, sweetheart.”

Under his gaze, she felt pinned there. It didn’t make her panic. In fact, it made her heart beat faster, the thrill of him so close. She could reach out and touch the very essence of danger. Her fingers itched to do so, but she kept them clenched at her sides.

Her stomach growled again, and she weighed her options while he stared her down. If she stayed here and ate, she would wake Lily. And Landon didn’t seem to be going anywhere anyway, though she hadn’t known why.

She wouldn’t know how to explain Landon to Lily. What would she say? She had already lied to her friend once. She didn’t want to do it again if she could help it.

But going with him could potentially be dangerous. She still didn’t know what his intentions were with her. However, he had made no move to attack her again, and he had every opportunity to do so while she had been asleep.

As if reading her thoughts, the corners of Landon’s lips tilted up into a smirk. “I promise to keep my fangs to myself if that makes you feel any better.”

“Fine,” she grumbled. “But you’re paying, and I want answers.”

“And if I don’t give you any?” His breath fanned her neck, and she couldn’t help the shiver that crept up her spine.

“I’ll take my knife and chop off your balls.” She grinned at him sweetly.

His chuckle was low and deep. “But then we wouldn’t be able to have the fun you clearly want to have.”

Her thighs clenched together. Fuck her body for betraying her. “Stop acting like I’m going to have sex with you.”

“Who’s acting?” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I could have you begging for it easily.”

It didn’t go unnoticed when her thighs clenched tighter together. “In your dreams,” she hissed. “You couldn’t handle me.”

Landon only shrugged and leaned away from her, not saying anything else. The asshole. She wasn’t sure why the two of them were acting as though they’d known each other for a while. Who just met someone and started throwing around sexual innuendos? Apparently, they did. But she still wanted answers, and if she got food in the process, all the better. It was obvious that he didn’t want to leave her yet, so they might as well do something productive with the time they had.

“Are you going to take me out for breakfast or not?” She had every intention of interrogating him over a big plate of greasy food.

“Depends. Are you going to continue to be a brat?”

She grinned wickedly, letting her own monster show. “Every chance I get.”

He stared at her for several moments, clearly weighing his options. Then, he sighed heavily before heading toward the door. “Let’s go before I change my mind.” He stopped just as he reached it. “Just know you are asking for trouble with all your prying.”

“I like trouble,” she whispered in the hallway.

He shook his head. “Not this kind, Carly,” he muttered. “Giving you the answers you want will paint a target on your back. You’ll be in danger. You don’t know what you’re asking of me.”

She was amused that he actually sounded a little scared for her.

Chapter 7