Bitten: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

list. It was a damn short list. There could be only one—and that name was out of the question.
    He didn’t know where I worked.
    He didn’t know anything about me.
    And even if he did, why would he care?
    And, why the hell had I gone to that bar?
    I released my grip on the handle, leaving the bitter view outside and trudged toward the stairs. I shoved the key into my lock and readied myself for the onslaught. The demanding questions that always came when I was late, or with every little thing. Like he could talk. He was the one who got us in this damn mess in the first place.
    I shouldered open the door. Nothing but shadows here to greet me.
    Strange. I hit the light and dropped my bag on the counter, then locked the door sliding the chain across. “Jared, babe. You here?”
    My boots echoed inside the empty apartment. Maybe he’d collapsed, exhausted after looking for work? Maybe he was in the bath with his earphones in and his iPod blasting away?
    Ruffled bed sheets held no sleeping body. The bath was empty, no dirty clothes on the floor to me to pick up. No sign Jared had even been here at all.
    I grasped my bag and dug for my phone. What if something’s happened to him? Did I piss off the vampires when I showed up at the club? Did they come for the rest of the money? … I slid my thumb across the screen and hit messages.
    WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU SAFE?
    Seconds felt like a damn lifetime. No response. I bit my lip. I didn’t want to be one of those clingy girlfriends. I didn’t want to be… say it. You don’t want to be just like controlling like Jared.
    My thumb hovered over the call button. Don’t do it, Nova. Don’t be clingy. Jared wouldn’t like that.
    A heart beat later I could hear the faint sound of ringing. I swallowed as the call went to message bank.
    I cleaned the apartment, needing to keep my mind busy and my hands from grabbing the phone every other second. Something hit the sink in front of me as I scrubbed. A second tear joined it.
    Don’t cry. Not now. My phone beeped. The tear fell toward the floor. I was already moving, clutching the Nokia and stared at the screen.
    OUT WITH FRIENDS. DON’T WAIT UP.
    The lump in my throat wouldn’t go down. Out with friends? My mind raced. I ground the scourer against the sink. My wrists ached with the pressure. “Out with friends, okay. That’s fine. I’ll stay here and deal with your shit, by all means… go have a nice fucking time.”
    The stainless sink glinted like a spotlight as I stared at the spotless apartment. Rugs were folded, chairs were cleaned, cupboards were wiped clean and organized with the labels facing out.
    Don’t wait up .
    I nodded, hearing the words inside my head. My movements were not even mine as I stumbled to the bathroom, shedding my clothes as I went. Steam filled the space, yet I felt nothing. I ran the loofah down my arms, then over my breasts. I was such an idiot, maybe he was out celebrating a new job.
    So why wasn’t he celebrating with me?
    He’s playing you, love. He doesn’t love you. A real man wouldn’t let you walk into a place like this… a real man wouldn’t let you stray one damn foot from the bedroom—not clothed at least. That clipped voice slipped in like an assassin and ravaged my heart. Maximum damage. That’s what the smug bastard was going for. He wanted to shake me, make me doubt Jared.
    And yet, he didn’t need to. Jared seemed to be doing a bang-up job on his own. I twisted the taps, ending the stream and stepped from the stall. Sleep, that’s what I needed. Sleep while I waited for my boyfriend to finally give me good news. I toweled my warm skin and slipped on cotton pajamas. The sheets smelled stale, but tonight, I didn’t care. I snagged the comforter and dragged it over my aching body, turning from the cracked open window and the night sky.
    Thoughts of Jared were replaced by Kol. I stared at the ceiling, wishing he’d get the hell out of my head. It wasn’t the money that made me