Blood Trial Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #1) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,38

collection. At 9:59 p.m., he rounded the corner.

“Good morning, Clint,” I greeted, careful not to sound falsely bright. Nothing irked my grandmother more.

If you have to get out of a tight hole, don’t look like an idiot doing it.

No skin off my back. I’d looked like an idiot more than enough lately.

“Morning,” he grunted, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

Coming from him that was almost good manners. I would have liked to reward his behaviour with rent money. Alas. “How would you like $150.00 for rent this week?”

A momentary greed was wiped out as suspicion lit his face. “You can’t pay.”

“Turns out my job pays on Wednesdays every other fortnight. To be fair to you, I’m offering to fork out $150.00 for the next two weeks.”

His chins wobbled as he laughed. “I knew a rich bitch didn’t have a hope of getting the cash together.”

The tables would not turn. “Clint, I’ve warned you about that kind of talk before.”

“You think I give a fuck? You’ve stayed free in my house for four nights and can’t pay rent. I’m out of pocket.”

Rise above, Basi.

“I have forty-three dollars to give you now as a good faith payment.” I needed the rest for the bus until Wednesday.

Clint wiped his nose again. “Rent just increased to $175.00 each week.”

Don’t stomp. Don’t put your hands on your hips. “That’s not happening and you know it. Work with me, Clint. You get to keep a great tenant. I don’t have to lug my stuff to a new place. And I will do that, unless you compromise.”

He darted his eyes past me.

My heart sank. Bad move. Shouldn’t have mentioned having stuff.

He rounded on me. “Give the keys.”

Clint was a bottom feeder. I hadn’t failed to notice that in our interactions. But I never would have come here if I believed he’d try to intimidate me. We were on the street.

… The empty street.

He shoved my shoulder, and I stumbled back more shocked than hurt.

“Keep your fucking hands to yourself,” I gasped. I put the key between two of my fingers and made a fist.

Clint had a good double-chin-shaking laugh at that. Every trace of mirth drained from his face, a greasy contemplation taking its place. Ironically, my heart was beating nowhere as fast as it had at Live Right during the week. In fact, I regarded the slimy man almost impassively. Yet I’d be a fool to disregard the very real danger just because his eyes weren’t blazing.

“The keys, bitch,” he snarled. “Or we’re going to have a problem.”

The words do you know who you’re messing with, balanced on the tip of my tongue. I refused to let them past.

“I’ll need time to get my stuff out,” I told him. Neither of us missed the tremor in my voice.

A slow grin spread across his face. “Consider that your rent payment.”

My jaw dropped. Like fuck it was. I didn’t dare tell him the contents of the house were worth far more than my rent payment.

“And I’m keeping your bond.”

“No you won’t,” I spat back.

Clint rushed me.

I’d always assumed I’d have time to defend myself from a man of his hulking size.

I managed to stab him with the key once. He shoved me back, following quickly to deliver an eye-ringing slap. The ground seemed to slope, but as the ground raced toward me, Clint kept a ruthless hold around my upper arm.

I half crawled, half stumbled to remain upright, blinking through the ringing in my head.

“You little slut,” he growled. “Listen good. You never paid me a bond. We never had a contract. You never stayed here. Got it? Come back and I’ll slit your throat.”

I whimpered as my bone screamed in protest of his increasing grip. He was going to snap my arm.

“I won’t.” The sob left me.

“Keys,” he hissed in my face. “Now.”

Through blurring eyes, I stared into his beady eyes, lodged too close together. Lifting the hand with the keys firmly lodged between my knuckles, I dropped my gaze.

Clint loosened his hold.

I jerked my knee as hard as I could upward, crushing his junk. Shouting, I sliced the pointed edge of the key across his flabby cheek.

He howled, stumbling aside, hands cupping his crown jewels.

And I ran.

I ran.

And I didn’t stop.

10

I’d been assaulted.

My pride was forgotten. The time to involve Tommy was now. I needed help to fight Clint and get my stuff back. There might even be an agency or something that could help me. Tommy would know who to approach because I sure as