Page 90 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“Sienna didn’t spike your drink.”

Well, Verity was already pretty sure about that, but why would Adam know? Why did he feel so guilty? Unless he…

She started to draw her hand back, eyes wide. “You mean…”

“No!” he said, loud enough to stop the soft conversation between Cora and Kim. He lowered his voice before trying again. “No. I didn’t… no one spiked your drink. You just… I wasn’t thinking.”

“So, what happened then?” she asked, trying to remain neutral until she knew what was going on. Difficult as that was.

“You had some of my drink,” he said, as if that was explanation enough.

“Yeah? You were drinking it. You were fine.”

“Yeah, but I…” his voice dropped to a whisper. “I thought you were exchanging… you know with Theo,” he added when her expression didn’t change.

“You thought I was exchanging? Yeah, we exchange for money, Adam, not blood,” she hissed.

“I know, I know. I’d had a lot of blood. I wasn’t thinking. I… alcohol wasn’t really doing much for me so…”

“So what?” She snapped in an angry mirror to his hushed tone. “So, you spiked your own drink?”

He shrugged. “Kinda.”

Verity’s face fell into her hands. Could she really blame him for assuming she was drinking from Theo? The whole point of their little act was to make people believe they were a real couple. Everyone else seemed to be doing it.

Would… exchanging naturally become part of their relationship too?

And besides that, something else was wrong with Adam. Whatever weight he carried didn’t need adding to when no real harm was done.

“I am so sorry, V. I never would have…”

She reached out, taking his hand again and offered a tight-lipped smile.

“Don’t worry about it.” He looked ready to disagree, so she asked, “Is anything else wrong?”

Looking away, he drew in a deep breath. “How’s about everything?” He let out a cold laugh. “Bea’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?” His client couldn’t have just left town.

“Gone to Briarhaven. Reckons a whole load of vampires are skipping town.”

“What?” This was the first she’d heard of it. Did they know about the shortfall in donors? Did Adam know? “Did she say why?”

He shrugged. “Not really. She asked me to go with her.” A smile pulled at his lips, sad and defeated. “She’s so sweet you know, so clever and kind. She could have anyone but she… she wanted me to go with her. She wanted me.” The crack of his voice almost broke Verity’s heart.

“Why didn’t you go?”

“My mum needs me.”

He nodded, as if trying to convince himself just as much as Verity and she could only stare. His mum needed him. Every time she saw Adam he was smiling from ear to ear, always with a joke and a hug. The man sitting before her was not the same. Tired and withdrawn, heartbroken, but he chose this, because his mum needed him.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured. The words weren’t enough.

“It is what it is.” He raked a hand through his hair, standing. “I’d better get going. My new client, he… doesn’t like it when I’m late.”

Oh gods. Was that why he looked like shit? Was his new client taking advantage of him?

“He’s fine,” Adam said, reading the concern on her face. “He’s just… professional. By the book.”