Her Vampire Addiction - Tabitha Black Page 0,65
have to find out. At this point, I’m not sure what would be worse—his anger with me for putting myself in this situation and not even telling him where I was going, or my humiliation if I end up unable to save myself.
I’m a smart, intelligent adult, I tell myself. Not a damsel in distress. All right, so this isn’t quite how I thought my talk with Zeke would go, but so far, nothing too bad has happened. Essentially, I’ve just been taken to a warehouse out in the wilderness somewhere. Maybe he really is just trying to intimidate me. He’s only a guy, and not a very clever one at that. Surely I can outwit him. Play along. Give him whatever it is he wants—or at least let him believe I will.
The cavernous room really does seem to be some kind of clubhouse. There’s a rough-hewn bar along one wall boasting a couple of beer taps and there’s a shelf behind it holding a few bottles. Worn, filthy, mismatched sofas and armchairs are scattered throughout, and there are two pool tables at the far end. Posters of naked women and a variety of bands paper the walls. It reminds me of a motorcycle club only without the bikes out front.
“So, do you come here often?” I quip, trying to lighten the mood.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes,” Zeke snarls, digging his fingertip into my upper arm. “Sit down there and shut up. I’ll be doing the talking.” He propels me toward a green couch covered in dubious stains and cigarette burns, and shoves me into it. A spring digs into my buttock and my skin feels itchy immediately.
I rest my bound hands in my lap, determined not to show my discomfort, and look up at him as he begins to pace. With his lank hair falling over his eyes and his hands clasped behind his back, he marches back and forth in front of me like a headmaster about to deliver a lecture. A young, grimy headmaster who couldn’t command authority over a bunch of kindergarten kids.
“Go on then,” I say defiantly. “Talk. If you’re not sure where to start, I have a whole bunch of questions.” My initial fear has given way to anger. Now his goons have disappeared and it’s just the two of us, I feel less worried that he’ll actually hurt me, and more livid that he thinks he has any right to treat me this way.
“You know I hate it when you cop an attitude,” he growls. “You seemed like such a lady when we met. Now I know you’re nothing more than a whore.”
Against my better judgment, I answer back. “You keep calling me that, but why? After a few dates with you, I realized we weren’t compatible and broke it off. What I’ve done since then is none of your business but for what it’s worth, I’ve been in touch with one man and he hasn’t paid me. So your definition of whore must be different to mine.”
“Those leeches are all rich as fuck,” Zeke says, spittle flying off his lips at the expletive. “So maybe they don’t pay directly, but no doubt you get nice clothes, expensive dinners, jewelry…”
I let out a bark of mirthless laughter. “Is that so? I must be doing something wrong then. I’ve had none of those things.” I gesture to my blue sweatshirt and gray yoga pants. “Or do I look like a kept woman to you?”
“You didn’t dress up for me,” he snarls, “but you do for him. I’ve seen you. High heels, tight dresses, shiny, flowing hair. Wasted on a fucking leech.”
“Leech? You keep using that term but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Zeke stops pacing and whirls to face me. His skin is ashen and his eyes are blazing with such loathing, I cringe. “Vampires. Fucking leeches. Bloodsucking undead scum of the earth,” he roars. “They should all be staked out in the desert until the sun turns them into dust.”
I realize my mouth is hanging open and close it, my thoughts tumbling over one another as I try to digest what he’s saying. “So you know,” I say slowly. “How?”
“His kind has always hated our kind. And the feeling’s entirely mutual.” Before I can ask him what the fuck he’s talking about—what’s Zeke’s kind?—he continues, “I told you not to go to that club, Sabina. I asked one thing of you. One fucking thing. And you didn’t even respect