Bitten: A Vampire Blood Courtesans Romance Read Online Free

you.”
    My eyes flew open, fire returned to my cheeks. “Idiocy?”
    He leaned backwards, still smirking. I clenched my fist until my knuckles popped. Could I do it? Knock him on his ass with one swing?
    Not in a million years.
    “Only an idiot would walk into a place filled with vampires unarmed, unescorted and expect to walk out alive.”
    I flinched. “It’s day time. I thought all vampires….”
    “A lie. Most vampires can’t travel during the day. Except for a select few. Don’t tell me you came here to discuss vampire lore? And here I thought you came to see me?”
    Hardly . I gulped and shook my head. “I’m not here for you. I came to see Rurik. I want to come to an arrangement. Settle Jared’s debt,” I squeaked. How pathetic.
    The smirk died on his lips. “Then I’m afraid you’ve come all this way for nothing. Rurik isn’t here. What makes you think you can demand an audience with someone who hasn’t seen or spoken to anyone in three hundred years?”
    Three hundred years?
    “Then how does he run his business.”
    His bark of laughter made me flinch. “Really? In today’s age you really need to ask that question? I handle the specifics. Rurik handles the transfers, all electronic of course. He’s not one to mess with, Miss…?”
    “Nova. Nova Flynn.”
    “Well, Nova Flynn. I’m sorry to disappoint you, or that coward you call a boyfriend.”
    “He’s not a coward,” I shot back but my words lacked conviction.
    One eyebrow shot high and something dangerous danced across those bottomless eyes. “Isn’t he? He’s playing you, love. He doesn’t care for you. A real man wouldn’t let you walk into a place like this. A real man wouldn’t let you stray one damn foot from the bedroom—not clothed at least.”
    I flinched and felt heat rush to my face.
    Playing me? Those words plucked a familiar string. “You’re wrong. And what gives you the right to pretend to know otherwise?”
    He straightened, shock glinted like the sharp edge of a blade. Gone was the boyish charm, and the cocky grin—gone was the human.
    Cold unfeeling eyes met mine. His voice had a razored tone. “You’re right, of course. If you’d like to arrange a phone interview with Rurik, or you have the full fifteen thousand dollars in payment, then, by all means, let me assist you.”
    “Fifteen thousand.” I swallowed hard.
    “Adding this week’s interest, of course.”
    I blanched. “Of course. I have some of it… the rest, I’ll need some time. I’ll have to sell my mother’s house. Half of it is mine.”
    A nerve near his eye twitched. His voice turned curious. “So, what does your mother intend to do with half a house?”
    I looked away as I answered. “Nothing. She’s dead.”
    There was a second before he answered. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
    I shifted from one foot to another. “Yeah, well… it’s going to take me a few days to sell the place. My sister might be able to come up with the money. I haven’t asked her, yet.”
    “And you’d do this all for a debt you don’t owe?”
    The question hung in the air. I’d clung to my inheritance in the hopes of one day fulfilling my dreams. But what was a dream when Jared’s life was at stake? I turned back to that boyish face and tousled curls and whispered, “Yes. I… care for him.”
    He smirked. “But not love? Then why are you still with the man? Why not find someone else, someone who rather walk through the fires of Hell than see you step foot into a place like this?”
    And that was the question. The same damn question I’d been asking myself for years. Friends can get married. Friendship can turn into love—it can—it really can and our two years together wasn’t long—we had time. I forced my stiff hands to move, digging through the opening of my bag for the banded stack of bills. There wasn’t nearly enough. “This is all I have, three thousand and two hundred. I’ll get Mr. Rurik the rest. Just please, don’t hurt