Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,35

me, his body as visibly tense as my own.

“I’m on a short leash,” he tells me like I’m not already aware. “She’s one step from having my balls completely in her purse, and they’ll be there next Tuesday at this rate.”

I have no idea why I almost smile.

He narrows his eyes when I struggle with the surprise reaction.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask very seriously.

Well, mostly seriously.

“I’m Arion Vampyre,” he tells me. “I’m perfectly okay with sacrificing some of my finest pleasures for the sake of Violet’s happiness. But I’ve accommodated her far more than I ever did Idun with all this nitpicky nonsense.”

“Are you seriously not understanding why you, an ancient, soulless vampire can’t get perfectly along with a modern-day martyr, who found being a gypsy the most fun and exciting thing that ever happened to her—are you fucking kidding me?—until the day her monster awoke and turned her birthday party into a massacre?” I ask, needing clarification on just how blind he is to the glaringly obvious.

He gestures toward me. “You’re giving me that look that suggests you think I’m being deliberately obtuse.”

“Not deliberately, but stupidly,” I state in correction.

He gives me an annoyed look.

“I’m Arion Vampyre,” he says again. “Not even Idun fucked with my reputation.”

“Says the vampire gushing over an infant he’s basically lay claim to,” I snort, arching an eyebrow at him.

He stabs a finger at me. “That has nothing at all to do with this argument.”

“I’m pointing out you lose scare factor when you find spit-up something worthy of boasting on the lad.”

His eyes turn to angry slits.

“Take a swing. Let’s do this.”

“No,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I’ve lost my ire. You ruined it. Tell me what the triplets were asking.”

“They wanted to know ridiculous random things. Such as why I haven’t bothered learning to drive a car. As if it’s any business of a ghost.”

“Couldn’t confess how hard it is for you to learn new things?” I ask, smirking in his direction.

His eyes turn red, and I take a step back. Seriously? He’s this easy to provoke right now?

“And they asked if I fed from any women,” he carries on, bristling. “They wanted to know just how faithful I’d been with Idun. They even wanted to know if I ever found Shera to be a temptation. Clearly, I didn’t acknowledge them. They forced their way into her body, royally fucked my head right the hell up for a bit, and…died. They died. Then she lied, and no one is bothering to explain to us why we suddenly can’t ask any questions.”

He taps his foot and puts both his hands on his waist as he gives me a pointed look.

“You’re the Van Helsing. Do something about our very unreasonable girlfriend’s resistance to answer the many important questions surrounding her.”

“You just don’t want to piss her off,” I say in an accusatory tone.

“You’re Vancetto Van Helsing. I’m Arion Vampyre. Out of the two of us, who is better when it comes to talking to a woman?” he asks very…reasonably. “I clearly pushed all the wrong buttons the last time I tried to rein her in a bit. She was flogged by Idun moments after.”

Fair point.

He pissed her right the hell off, and she’s still likely holding it against him. I’ve yet to discover a way to gain her attention for more than a few stolen glances and placating touches.

“I take it back,” I say, jaw grinding as I dread pissing off Violet. “I do want to hit something.”

In the next instant, my fist collides with his jaw so hard and so quick that he can’t do anything but take the hit and stumble back. His eyes move from red to black, and he grins at me.

He doesn’t give any warning before my feet are knocked out from under me, and a grunt passes through my lips when I collapse to the ground.

It’s sweet reward when I manage to land another solid punch to his side, on my feet and charging before he finishes his moment of gloating.

He stumbles back, I sway on my feet, and we both grin.

Then, we lunge for each other, ready to beat the living shit out of one of another until we feel better about our challenging lives, at the moment.

Chapter 10

ARION

My body and face a bit sore from the Van Helsing walloping I took, I slink through the hallways of Violet’s beloved Sanctuary.

Vance has apparently been working harder than he let on, because he was damn