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CHAPTER 11

Decide Now

I walked out the door, into the hallway, Eli onthe line "I’ll be co home" My second stayed silent until we reached the women’s locker room He pushed open the door and followedand narroith lockers down both walls and plain wood benches down the middle Showers and toilets were on the far end The h that we could talk When the door shut I asked, "You think you should be in here?"

"I don’t give a rat’s aaaear for what the sign on the door says Sit" He pointed I sat Eli laid out all my weapons on the bench beside me and checked out the rooain Mine Satisfied with our privacy, Eli brought bath cloths and towels from a set of metal shelves in the back, one of which he wet in the sink and wrung out "We’re alone Leently onwas broken He raisedshoulders, elborists, hands "Face," he said I lifted my head With the damp cloth, he wiped up the worst of the blood and tossed the cloth aside He pressed a clean, dry one gently againstthe still-flowing blood a place to clot The pressure increased, and he placed a palive my neck a rest I huffed out a breath and leaned into hiht

"Leo can heal this," he said "I’ll get hiainst the cloth Eli chuckled, the sound sy that sah ht-or-flight che me nauseated The door opened I nearly fell as Eli rabbed up from the bench

Edmund entered He stood to the side of the door, his hands clasped before him as the door closed, his posture one of subht need attention I aht the cloth as it fell away from my lips "Tell me, Ed Would you offer yourself if Leo hadn’t sent you?"

The former blood-master smiled, the movement of his lips slow and measured "Oh yes As just reward for that" He cocked his head toward the sparring roo of beauty to behold"

"Especially the part where she beat the shit outta Leo?" Eli challenged

"Especially that," Ed said, "though not quite so crudely phrased"

I laughed but stopped as the movement of my lips shocked me with pain Fresh blood welled and fell down my chin "Yeah Okay Thanks," I said

Ed one of Eli’s naked blades away, and deliberately nicking his finger on the tip Blood briertip, and Ed touched it to one and I shivered with relief Heslowly Vame want, as vamp blood always did I openeder traced my lips The va Joe in his human life, his best feature his hair, which he had worn pulled back in a tail the first time I saw him Now it fell around his face and shoulders, an ash brown so fine it looked luuitar grinding sad, the kind of drunk-in-a-hotel-with-a-bottle-of-whisky-and-a-gun sad Someone liked Bonamassa

Edmund slid his hand up my arms to my cradleIf you’ll lethis blood deeper withbreath I hesitated, and Ed shook his head, amused "I am under orders not to attempt to bind you or seduce you"

"Yeah, that’d be s silver ones"

If I hadn’t been hurting, I’d have groaned at the double entendre Instead I liftedhis chilly lips meet mine Despite his pro His heat swirled into hindown hed into his s, our breath , one breath, one life--as led breath fed one And there was only the war of passion or need Just healing