Page 25 of Bound By Blood

It was a message to stay out of his life. And it fucking stung.

She had gone back to the archives on Monday in spite of him, but when she got there, she also found any evidence wiped clean. Notes were missing, folders were gone, and pages were ripped out of books. She hadn’t told the secretary about it because what would that change? She was officially out of Landon’s life, and it made her so angry that sometimes she saw red.

How could he just dismiss her?

She had nowhere to turn but to the internet to get her fix of the dark life that surrounded Gravesdale. It hadn’t been more helpful than the information she had already gleaned, but it made her feel closer to the world that pulled at her center.

One night, she had even gone so far as trying to research a vampire named Kata, but it appeared that the vampires kept their secrets close to their chests. And without a last name to go off of, she had nowhere to turn. She nearly took a bat to her laptop, she was so frustrated.

She had eventually given up. There was no way she was going to find Kata on her own, but she wouldn’t – refused – to march up to Landon’s building and beg for answers. She had too much pride for that, so instead, she stayed home and kept her nose in her work, even if it was difficult.

Sleep, on the other hand, fled. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him, shrouded by darkness and his eye sparking with a cold glitter. She barely ate either, too consumed with the life she was forced not to be a part of, and the man who clearly had a piece of her soul.

Lily had noticed her struggle. She kept asking her what was wrong, but what was Carly supposed to say to her? That a vampire she couldn’t get out of her head plagued every waking and sleeping moment of her life? That he broke something in her by telling her to get lost? That all she wanted to do now was rip him to pieces?

No. She couldn’t do that.

On Friday morning, the one day that she was looking forward to going out with her friends to the bar, had been ruined. Her friends had canceled at the last minute, saying they managed to score some tickets to a concert.

Lily refused to let Carly stay in the house, however, so she forced her to get dolled up in a skimpy outfit and ‘fuck-me’ make-up and dragged her to a nightclub she had only been to a few times. She had reluctantly agreed at the time, but now that she was standing in the nightclub, watching some girl suck on Landon’s neck in the VIP section, she wished she hadn’t come at all because now she really was going to murder him.

And the whore whose tongue was lapping at his skin, and . . . was that her hand around his cock? She would die a painful, painful fucking death.

Landon was wearing a long-sleeve button-down shirt that clung to him deliciously and dark faded blue jeans that showed off his long legs.

With their eyes locked, the asshole had the audacity to smirk. Her fingers balled into fists at that.

Carly didn’t know how long she stood there, holding her murderous gaze with Landon’s, but Lily had slid up beside her and held out a drink. Carly didn’t immediately take the drink.

“Here you go,” Lily prompted, sloshing the contents inside a little.

Again, Carly didn’t take it, so Lily followed her line of sight. A tiny gasp came out of her throat, and even though the nightclub was loud, Carly could hear it. She was keenly aware of every sense in her body now that rage was filling her veins.

“Is that Landon Creed?”

“Yes,” Carly spit.

“God, he’s hot.” Lily cocked her red-headed head to the side, and a curl fell loose from behind her ear to brush her cheekbone. “Who is his date?”

“I have no idea,” she growled.

“Isn’t he like, dangerous or something? Someone you don’t want to mess with?”

“You have no idea,” Carly mumbled. She didn’t think Lily could hear her anyway.

Lily turned a frown to Carly. “What is wrong with you? Why are you shooting daggers at him?”

Carly took the drink and downed it. The burn of the alcohol singed her throat, a welcome sensation. Then she passed the empty cup back to Lily. “Stay here.”

“Where are you going?” Lily shouted at her back. Carly didn’t answer.

With rage in every step she took in her black high heels, Carly marched up to the VIP section and stormed toward Landon and his bimbo. Landon raised his eyebrow at her but didn’t make a move to shove the woman away.

“Can I help you?” Landon asked.

The woman pulled away and stared up at Carly. She looked back to Landon. “Do you know this girl?”

“Yes.” Landon’s arm tightened around the woman’s waist and her thigh. Carly hadn’t failed to notice, even though her glare was glued to Landon’s eyes. “This is Carly. Carly, this is Irma.”