page12 (1/2)
Holly bit her tongue rather than crush Arabella’s illusions “Did you tant to tell ?” Every so often, the pair found her when they didn’t have any inforave theed for money and were personalized to Zeph and Arabella so Zeph couldn’t try to barter them
Just because a person was broken didn’t ht to live
“Um, yeah” Zeph went to pick at a scab, stopped hi as he could “We heard so after you”
“They already tried,” Holly began
“No” Arabella tugged at Holly’s ar away her hand so quickly it was as if she was afraid so
Holly glanced over her shoulder and gave Venootten closer, those irises of his penetrating the shadows as if she, Zeph, and Arabella were bathed in bright sunlight Go Away, she mouthed
He slipped on his sunglasses instead
Shifting her attention back to Arabella, she took the tre woman’s hand “He won’t hurt you” She’d kick his ass if he tried “What did you want to tell me?”
“There’sZeph, what’s the word?”
“Bounty” Zeph scratched furtively at a scab “Like if we kidnap you and give you to this person, we get a lot of money”
Even though Holly already had that information, she let the two think it was new Pride was as important as food when it ca a firm answer
Arabella frowned “I think we heard five million?”
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his dirty jeans, bony shoulders poking out through his holey black sweater, Zeph nodded “Yeah, it was five s, but I never had a honey feed last night For sure, it was five mil”
Five million?
Even in her wildest dreaant a to kidnap me”
“Aw, Hol, you’re our friend” Zeph pulled off his ubiquitous knit cap to reveal hair of an astonishingly beautiful auburn that surprised Holly each ti else,” he added “Just the ru to get you, so we heard”
“Butpat of Holly’s arm “Folks know you’re with the Tower and it’d just be stupid to get on the Tower’s wrong side”
Unfortunately, if people were strung out or otherwise desperate, that wouldn’t matter “Here” She slipped them personalized blood vouchers as well asclutch just in case “Go get the good blood first, okay? I don’t want anything to happen to you” It took a lot to kill a vaot any weaker, another vaet at their s
“Thanks, Holly” Arabella touched her ared military-surplus jacket had become even more so
“Arabella, you need a new coat” It got cold at night, especially for a woman with no roof over her head
“Not yet,” Arabella said before Holly could offer to replace it “If I have anything new, the others will take it Maybe after it’s a little colder?” A hopeful ses “I know a charity shop that has stuff”
“Just finduntil they’d melted safely back into the shadows, Holly turned to walk back to Venom
And nearly slammed into his chest
7
Managing to maintain her balance, she scowled up at him “You can’t even follow simple instructions?”
“I waited until the vampires left,” he said without a smile “What did they say?”
“Take off those ridiculous sunglasses first” Holly hated not being able to see his eyes