Her Vampire Addiction - Tabitha Black Page 0,60

way he’s glowering.

But I don’t care. I’m tired of his constant nagging, his constant implications that I’m helpless, incapable, and unable to look after myself. I’ve taken care of not only myself but also my siblings for nearly thirty years now, and I don’t need some guy I’ve known for barely a week to appear and tell me I’m incapable of it.

Not to mention the revelations of the past hour. He killed Ethan. Fucking killed him! If he did the same to Zeke, I’d never be able to live with myself.

Once in the coat check area, I mumble a quick goodbye to Augustus, who’s hovering around there as usual, and make a beeline for the exit. I just want to get home, get into my pajamas, and have some time alone with my thoughts. There’s so much to unravel that it’s overwhelming me right now.

I also need to figure out how to get Zeke to back off—before it’s too late.

21

Maximus

By the time Laurie has finished bending my ear about Liam and whether he’s single, Sabina has vanished.

Fuck.

To say I’m angry would be putting it mildly. I’m incandescent with rage and frustration. How dare she protect that filthy shifter? How dare she judge me for doing her and the rest of the world a favor and getting rid of Ethan? How dare she disobey my direct order not to leave?

I’m on duty but I don’t care. Lucius will understand. I thread my way between the people on the dancefloor and find Tiberius at the bar.

“I’m leaving,” I tell him. Then, “Where’s Leann?”

“I sent her home.”

“Is she going to be okay?”

“She’ll be fine.” Tiberius narrows his eyes. “Can’t say the same about you. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

My old friend lets out a bark of laughter. “Sure you are. I can feel the fine tension vibrating off you.”

I clench my fists at my sides. “Fuck you.”

Tiberius pats the empty stool beside him. “You’ve been acting weird all week. Why?”

“I have not!” I’m bristling.

“Yes, you have. Even the boss has noticed.”

That’s hardly surprising. Lucius notices everything.

“What gives?” Tiberius continues. “Are you burned out? Do you need a break?”

The derisive snort escapes me before I can suppress it. “No.”

“Does it have anything to do with that delectable blonde I’ve seen on your arm so often these past few days? What was her name? Sabina?”

The mere mention of her renews my desire to go after her but suddenly the temptation to tell someone about it all, to get a second opinion, is too strong. I sit down heavily on the stool and motion for the girl behind the bar to bring me a beer.

“Yes. Sabina.” I sigh.

“She must be special. I’ve not seen you like this with a woman in a long time.”

“I haven’t felt like this about a woman in a long time. It scares me,” I admit.

“With your history, I’m not surprised,” Tiberius says frankly. “So why did she just shoot out of here like a bat out of hell?”

My beer arrives and I take a long swallow. Then I tell him everything: how I met Sabina, about Ethan, Zeke and his messages… right up to the events of this night. “She keeps saying she can handle it,” I say at length. “But she has no idea he’s a shifter.”

“How do you know that?”

“She’s not afraid of him. And her reaction when she found out about me—about what we are—I think she would have mentioned it if the second guy she was dating in a row turned out not to be entirely human.”

Tiberius contemplates my words for a moment. “I think it was the right thing to let her go. She said she needs some space and time to think. No doubt she feels smothered by you at the moment.”

“Smothered?” I bristle again.

“I know you want to protect her but, Maximus, you don’t own her. You’re not even officially in any kind of relationship with her! She’s a grown woman, not a child, and you risk scaring her away if you come on so strong. A GPS tracker? Really?” He scoffs. “Gods. Modern technology.”

“I think she’s already been scared away,” I admit, and the realization that that might be true feels like a rock in my gut. “I killed Ethan for her, and instead of being grateful—”

“She was shocked?” Tiberius finishes for me. “Come on, that surprises you? You need to see things from her perspective. You know humans—normal ones, anyway—don’t take that kind of thing lightly. Death is a punishment reserved for the