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“They let you drive now?” he said in a wondering tone of voice calibrated to get under her skin “I leave for a couple of years and miss kitty’s first steps Did anyone take photos for the baby album I sent you?”
“It’s full of pretty pictures” Holly bared her teeth at him in a caricature of a s you with your head cut off,” she said in a deliberately thoughtful tone, “but an artist must follow her instincts”
“Oh, Hollyberry, I’et me out of your head”
Holly deliberately skidded out of the parking spot before racing out so fast that Venoainst his seat Instead, he laughed, lazily bracing one arainst the frame of the openas the lethal wildness of his scent blew across her skin “Got that temper under control, I see”
“Oh, b—” Holly cut herself off before she said, bite me She knew exactly what his response would be
“I a forward to fresh blood” It was a liquid sound, his body languid in a way that simply wasn’t human “Blood hot from the vein is so much better than the cold, preserved stuff Don’t you think?”
Holly squeezed the steering wheel and tried to think of the calht her in an effort to foster mental and e herself apart She hadn’t needed that exercise for a while Venom hadn’t been in the city for a while
Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in—
Blood pulsing in her victi fear
—breathe out In, out, in, damn it, out
The taste of hot iron on her tongue Her
Staring at the road with griive in to the potent—and abnorer Venom’s words had aroused She didn’t need that much blood to survive And she definitely did not want to tear open a helpless ush of red
Her stoes that filled her brain Horrific, night asylum for the murderously insane
“Still fighting the reality that you’re a vampire?”
“I’ no indication of her utter terror—because Holly was used to hiding the ed deep within “I have vampiric tendencies, but I don’t need as much blood as you” What she craved was a“I also have other aspects to me that aren’t vampiric”
“You mean the ability to mesmerize prey? Hate to break it to you, kitty, but I can do that, too, and I’er li vampires”
Holly ell aware he was taunting her He knew very hat else she could do “I need food,” she still said, because at least trading barbs with Venoed in the time since the Tower decided Manhattan would be better off without your delightful presence”
“Stop, stop I can’t take the effusive welcome” Unruffled as “You still craving samosas?”
“No” She’d gone to her favorite Indian restaurant three times last week and stuffed her face full of the fried— Wait a minute “What possible reason could you have to remember that?” she asked suspiciously, the ad-distance training session
“Because it’s another strange little Hollyberry fact to add tocollection”
“You’re an asshole” The exchange described their entire relationship, she thought as she continued down the otherwise empty private road that led to and away froed into a ave her an excuse to ignore Venoo ahen he was in the vicinity
“So, what do kitties do on their days off?”
“Be quiet I’”
“Is that what you call it? I was thinking more lunatic roller coaster”
“I don’t see you putting on your walking sho—” She wrenched the wheel all the way to the right as a huge black SUV shoved into her lane “Jesus!” It hadn’t been atank was still pushing with unhidden aggression, as if he didn’t have three other lanes to choose from