that point on, doing whatever she wanted, with whoever she brought over. Her friends treated me like a toy they could borrow when they wanted, but oddly Durya wouldn’t let them have sex with me. I was only for her.”
The disgust in his voice makes me shiver. I move closer and gently place my head on his shoulder, feeling his whole body shaking. “I’m so sorry, Arlo.”
“When you came, she had just had her friends over, and I don’t remember all of it. They just drank a lot,” he tells me. “So many bites, so many mouths on me. How can I ever move on and just be normal? How can I ever forget?”
Then he cries. I’ve never seen Arlo cry in my life, not even when he broke his arm at seven years old, or at any other point. I pull him into my shoulder and rub his back, humming a song under my breath in the hope it will calm him down. When he finally relaxes and wraps his arms around me, he lifts his head and meets my eyes.
“That vampire was evil. Pure and simple,” I softly tell him. “But you, Arlo? You are full of light and kindness. It makes me laugh now to think back to how much I used to think of you as an enemy, when the truth was, you’re family. You’re the sweetest guy I ever knew, when you want to be, and a brilliant friend to my brother. Even when you wound me up something silly, I knew for certain you would be there in a heartbeat if I ever needed you. I trust you, and Austin does. You’ve always been my family, Arlo. Always.”
I wipe some of the tears off his cheeks, grinning at him as he stares at me. I don’t see the kiss coming or even notice until his lips meet mine. I freeze, which he takes as a sign to kiss me more, and before this can go further, I all but throw myself off the sofa onto the floor.
Arlo looks confused as he watches me stand up, holding my hand out. “Arlo, you’re upset and you didn’t mean that. I think we both should pretend that didn’t happen.”
He looks shocked for a second. “I did mean that. I’ve liked you for years, Riona. Didn’t you know that?”
“No...,” I whisper, crossing my arms against my chest. “Look, Arlo, it’s just not the right time for us to be even talking about this. At all.”
Arlo doesn’t say anything, he just looks away, and I take that as my cue to leave. Just as I’m getting to the door, he calls over. “How do you feel about Maddox? What exactly is going on there?”
I answer in the only way I can. “He owns me, and I won’t be free until I leave this damn island. Neither will you.”
I slam the door on the way out and run right into Katy standing in the main area, looking over at the sea. She turns her dark gaze my way and slowly drifts her eyes to the door. “The Onyx breaks a lot of people, and they do reckless things.”
“It’s rude to eavesdrop.”
“I’m a vamp, it’s hard not to hear,” she replies with a wave of her hand. “Arlo isn’t a bad person, and I find that interesting.”
“He isn’t,” I agree, walking to her side and following her gaze out to the ocean. “Whereabouts is this island anyway?”
“In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, pretty much,” she tells me. “That’s why it’s always freezing cold.”
“Were you born here?” I ask next.
She loops her fingers in the edge of her jacket pockets. “Born and raised for fifty-two years. I spent ten years spying on the humans recently, though, and I found I like their clothing more than the style of The Onyx.”
“I can see that,” I say. “Thanks for all the clothing you’ve found for me and Arlo.”
“I like clothes,” she replies like it’s nothing. “Now tell me, why are you sleeping with the Mad Prince?”
I nearly cough on thin air, not expecting her to blurt out that. I lower my voice, checking the door to the living room where Arlo is. “How did you know?”
“Vampire sense of smell,” she explains with a wave of her hand. “Now, why?”
Isn’t that the question of the year?
“I have no idea,” I murmur. “But when I’m around Maddox, he makes me feel safe and in danger all at the same time. It’s overwhelming to be near