Kill of the Night [BXB]

Chapter 35

 Rion left his phone behind, so I play the guessing game with his passcode to pass the time. When the door opens, I look up, and my heart drops.

"What the fuck? Is that a mark?" Rion's father asks.

I stare blankly at him. He runs his hand through his hair and turns back, leaving me alone with the door wide open. I look back at Rion's phone swipe left to check myself out. My hair is messier than usual and part of my face is smeared with dirt. I wipe it off and frown at the bags under my eyes. I didn't get any sleep, but I'm not feeling tired at all. Such is the way of the vampire.

The door opens again, and Reed stomps through. He's covered in blood that isn't his, and strangely I feel no urge to lick it off him like I usually would. It's only when I consider the idea of licking his blood off his body that makes me flustered. Probably for more inappropriate reasons.

Rion looks at me silently. I look back, fiddling with his phone in my hands. Finally, he snatches it from me and places it on his desk.

"You're in the mafia," he states flatly.

I nod and hope I don't look as nervous as I feel.

"Why?"

"My uncle. He employs us—me and Xenon—for protection."

"From your family?"

"Yes."

"Isn't there some other kind of way you can protect yourself?"

I shake my head.

Rion's hard demeanor softens. "So you're just running around and being his lackey—I mean, isn't this dangerous at all? What if they use silver bullets or some shit?"

"I guess I'd have to suffer through it," I say.

He places his hand on my neck and thumbs my jaw. I look up at him, and I realize how fucking pretty his eyes are. "Okay. I was going to be mad, but . . . I've never been mad at you."

I lean back on my hands, feeling the soft fabric of his bed. I'd love to climb under the sheets and fall asleep, but I want answers. "So what happened?"
Rion rubs the back of his neck and looks away. "I don't know. I guess they're just in trouble. Jessie was crying and stuff. I think her Dad is barely holding onto his career, and Sascha told me his boss is gonna keep their shit far away from the hospital. Lay low."

"Oh. That's good. Whose blood is that?"

His arm drops. "I dunno. Some guy's. No one died, I think. I just wanted to get out fast. I . . ." He shakes his head slightly.

"No, what?"

"Nothing."

"It's not nothing." I nudge his leg with my foot.

"It's stupid."

"Still not nothing."

He glances at me. I figure he's feeling self conscious, but that's alright. He only recently decided to risk it all. "I just wanted to get home. To you." He looks away again, and I wish he'd stop doing that, because I don't think he realizes how much I value him saying that.

A slow smile spreads on my face. "That sounds awfully close to a confession, Rye-Rye."

He rolls his eyes, but he doesn't argue.

"How are you doing in school?"

"Huh? I'm fine. I just told my teachers I have a photographic memory. Got a doctor's note and everything, or whatever it is. I think I'm good. I don't really think I need it."

"Then why'd you do it?"

"Because you told me to?" He says it like it's obvious.

My smile widens into a grin. I lunge forward and grab him around the waist.