Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 64030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 320(@200wpm)___ 256(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
“No.” His pale eyes whipped to my face. “I did this to you because you…” he swallowed, “broke my heart.”
“Bullshit.” I slapped my hand on the table. “You put me in here because you think I betrayed you by marrying Lazlo. And you couldn’t stand the thought of losing to him when all you had to do was pull your head from your ass and listen to me for five seconds. He stole me. He forced me to marry him. He drank me to the brink of death over and over again. Then he wanted me to suck his…his baby gherkin. It was sheer terror. But did you care? No. Did you see the pain I was in afterwards? No. The worst part is that I literally blamed myself for everything because I was too weak to fight him off. A freaking vampire!”
I laughed bitterly and shook my head at my ridiculous guilt. “And now, after six months of very deep reflection, I realize that I won. I beat him. I never gave anything to that monster. Not my love. Not my submission. All he got from me was justice and a fiery death. But you? You’re more of a monster than he ever was. You robbed me of the life I’d fought so hard to keep that night. I survived, only to have you turn me from victor and survivor into a victim of your ego.
“And that is why I don’t believe you love me. Because when I needed you to be there, you failed.” I stood, pressing my finger on the table. “You broke my heart. Not the other way around. And to prove it, I have a life sentence, a family living in shame, and no hope of ever finding happiness. I’m an infamous convicted murderer and always will be in the eyes of the entire world.
“So, no. I don’t want you to get me out of here. What would be the point? So I can live in the shadows, hiding from the world like you? Like a bloodthirsty, cold-hearted vampire? No thanks.”
Stark stared for a long moment and then swallowed. “I-I am sorry, Masie. I did not know…what…Lazlo did to you.”
My eyes teared. “How could you think for one second that I enjoyed being with that animal?”
Stark’s eyes turned dark like I’d seen on the night of the final test. “I am sorry, Masie. Truly.”
“It’s too late for apologies, Stark. You won. You destroyed me. And now there’s nothin’ left to say other than leave me alone. I don’t care about your dang civil war or your thirst for power. Ain’t my problem.”
He slowly stood, taking a second to right his tie and running his hand over his silky black hair. “You are mistaken. I have destroyed myself.” His eyes met mine. “It is unfortunate to learn so late in life that one can have a connection deeper than a mate. I never loved Anna more than I loved power. But for you, I would burn.”
He walked out the door and disappeared.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Masie! Have you heard the news?” One of the inmates named Darla stood outside the bars of my open cell. I’d finally been moved to gen-pop over three weeks ago and was given a job mopping floors with Darla—a new low in life, but a highlight of my day. Now I shared a bunk with a very large woman named Chainsaw who was in prison for killing her boyfriend. With a chainsaw.
Birds of a feather nest together. I was a famous killer, too.
“No.” I looked up from my book.
“You have to come. You won’t believe it!”
“Can’t you see I’m busy expanding my mind?” I held up my old, worn-out Harlequin novel from the 1980s, complete with Fabio lookalike. Half the pages were missing, and the swoony parts had mystery stains. Honestly, though, I just didn’t care. Nothing in this place was clean or nice.
“Masie,” she said, all giddy, like she was about to burst open, “there’s some man on the TV, claiming to represent over two million vampires.”
Now she had my attention. “Sorry?”
“I know, right? Vampires! It’s on every channel. The White House issued a statement before he came on, warning people to stay calm.” She started jumping up and down. “They’re real! Vampires are real.”
I got up from my bunk and followed her to the rec room, which was packed. Everyone was silent, staring at the TV mounted in the corner. Even the guards were frozen in shock.
I blinked, spotting a tall man on the screen with silky black hair, who looked extremely familiar. The text read, Mr. Montgomery Stark, 500 yr. old vampire from Leiper’s Fork, TN.
Five hundred? I gasped and covered my mouth, listening carefully to the unfolding press conference.
“…it is true that my kind consumes human blood, but it is a myth that we must kill humans in the process. It is also a myth that we must drink nightly to survive. I, myself, have not had a drop in several months. With cooperation and patience, I am confident that we can learn to live in harmony with humans. Next question.” He pointed to a reporter in the enormous conference room. I had no clue where it was. Maybe DC?