Her Vampire Addiction - Tabitha Black Page 0,57

and he goes limp. It never fails to amaze me how easy it really is. For all the effort of turning someone, for all the hundreds or thousands of years a vampire can live, his existence can still be snuffed out within seconds. As soon as I let go of Ethan’s arm, he slumps to the ground in a suited heap.

“You won’t be bothering any guests again now,” I say quietly, turning on my heel and leaving his pathetic form right there. Once the sunlight hits his body, he’ll disintegrate. Nobody will ever know what happened to him.

As I slip back in through the fire escape and make my way down the stairs into the club proper, my thoughts turn to Sabina. She’ll have noticed my absence, no doubt, but that doesn’t worry me. She knows I’m working tonight. I never feel remorse or guilt about killing anymore, but for some reason I wonder what she would think if she knew what I’d just done. I can’t imagine that she’d condone it. Humans seem to have a different attitude than we do when it comes to death.

Although I suppose that’s not surprising, really.

Once I reach the bar, I find Tiberius, who’s still comforting Leann. “I’ve taken care of it,” I tell her. “He won’t be bothering you again.”

She looks up and I feel a stab of guilt at the expression of misery on her tear-streaked face. “Thank you,” she says quietly, but I can almost taste the reproach in her tone. I should have been there. I should have noticed and come to her rescue before it went too far.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her. “Are you going to be all right?”

“Yeah.” She gives a little shrug. “Shit happens. I got away before it got too bad.”

I’m desperate to go and find Sabina but don’t want Leann to feel like I’m abandoning her so soon again after I’ve let her down.

And this, right here, is why I vowed I’d never get involved with anyone. I can’t take care of everyone if I’m focusing all my attention on one person. Sabina is too much of a distraction, and it’s preventing me from doing my job properly.

I just don’t know whether I can let her go.

I certainly know I don’t want to.

20

Sabina

I’ve never tried needles before but after watching that scene unfold, I’ve decided I’d like to someday. Maybe with Maximus. I make a mental note to ask him but it will have to wait. It’s a busy weekend night, and he keeps disappearing from his usual spot on the stool in the corner. Even though I now know this club is full of non-humans, I feel safe here. For one thing, Maximus is never far away, even when he’s working. And for another, Zeke won’t ever set foot in this building.

Truth be told, he’s starting to worry me. I had really thought he would have given up messaging me by now, especially since I never respond. But his showing up at my workplace is freaking me out more, the more I think about it, and while I still don’t believe he’d ever actually hurt me, I’m starting to wonder about what Maximus would do to him if it ever escalated.

Now that I know what happened with Maximus’s wife, I can’t really say I’m surprised about his protective streak, but even so, that was a long time ago, and I’m a different person. I’m not some insipid nineteenth-century maiden who swoons at the sight of blood. I’m strong, independent, modern. I wish Maximus would realize that. Earlier this week, he convinced me to let him install a GPS tracker on my phone. I still can’t believe I let him. My excuse is that I was weak-kneed from our play and feeling tender towards him, and it was just after he told me about Caroline. I figured it wouldn’t hurt—I have nothing to hide, after all—and I thought if he did that, he might worry less and loosen his control on me somewhat. I’ve never met anyone so determined to know about my every movement before. It’s kind of sweet, but also a little intimidating, even now that I know where it’s coming from.

I catch sight of him at the bar, talking intently to one of his colleagues—Tiberius, I think his name is—and a willowy brunette. Almost as if he can feel me watching him, he turns his head and looks at me. I shoot him a grin but he doesn’t return my