Kiss of Crimson by Samantha Coville (best love story novels in english txt) 📕

This was gonna hurt like a bitch.

“I hate to see you go, Arden. I really do. But I have to admit you were one of the best of us. Letting you live is the least, and I mean the very least, I can do for you. Just don’t come crawling back to me if the girl leaves you out in the streets.”

I swallowed hard and braced myself as the crowd surged forward. Jardin disappeared from the balcony. He wasn’t even going to watch the spectacle.

I let out the first of many swears as the first vampire threw a solid right hook right into the side of my face.

I groaned and tried to sit up on the couch. My whole body was sore but vastly improved from how it had been even 48 hours prior.

After I had been the undead punching bag for an hour, an old buddy of mine put his neck on the line to offer to drive me back to Eloise’s mansion. Instead, I convinced him to let me crash at his dump of a place.

Because damn, did I look like hell.

My eyes had both been black and swollen shut. My lip had busted open. Bruises covered my body like splotchy art. And I’d definitely broken a couple of ribs and a wrist.

It felt like some sick karma for the carrier boy. I supposed I deserved it.

I was more fortunate than the poor kid. I was a vampire. I was healing at incredible rates compared to humans. My bones were already fused back together. It was just down to regaining my strength and trying to move without feeling like I’d been hit by a truck.

That was probably going to take at least a week.

I checked my phone. There were dozens of messages from Eloise. My heart hurt to see the missed calls and the full inbox of voicemails.

I didn’t want her to know what had happened. A few more days and I’d go back to her like everything was fine.

And it would be fine. I was a free vampire, finally. She and I could try and build a real, normal relationship.

Crazy, right?

A few days of her fretting over where I was would be worth it. Better than her seeing me like this. I’d considered at least sending her a text, but then she’d go out looking for and who knows where she’d end up.

At least Eloise had stopped texting and calling the last couple of days. Hopefully, she was resting and doing something leisurely for now. I pictured her sunbathing or going dress shopping. It made me smile.

As if on cue, my phone chimed. I had received a text message. I furrowed my brows and checked to see what Eloise had sent.

But it wasn’t from Eloise. It was from an unknown number.

I sat up with some small difficulty and read it.

Jardin may be done with you. But I’m not. You don’t get to quit us that easily.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Everyone had gotten a literal jab at me, so it seemed like all was well that ends well.

I didn’t have to wait long for an answer as the unknown number called me, my phone ringing shrill in the small living room I was sleeping in.

I clicked the green pickup button and put the phone to my ear. I didn’t even have to say hello as the caller started talking immediately.

“Gosh, this chick has a lot of books.”

My blood ran cold. Not everyone in the Jardin empire had taken their turn on me. One particular vampire hadn’t been in attendance.

“Evangeline, what the fuck do you want?”

“Tsk tsk tsk,” she purred. “Is that any way to talk to me? I thought we had something special going on, hot stuff.”

I clenched my fist, feeling the muscles beg me to stop. To take it easy.

Books…

Was Evangeline at…

“You know, it would be a real shame if anything were to happen to all her precious books. Or to her.”

I stood, my head feeling light, the room spinning as I struggled to keep my voice even and threatening. I couldn’t let her read me through the phone. Couldn’t let her hear me fight to stay on my feet.

“Evangeline, I swear if you touch a hair on her head-”

Click.

The line went dead. I double-checked the screen on the phone but, sure enough, Evangeline had hung up on me.

My body was shaking with nerves and adrenaline.

Evangeline was in Eloise’s house.

And there was no way she was going to just leave quietly.

I was in no shape to take her on. She could best me on my better days. And this was far from being one of my better days.

But if we got through all this just for Evangeline to do something to Eloise…

I shook the thought out of my head and reached for my jacket.

This ends now.

Nineteen

Eloise

How long had I been in bed? Days? Weeks? I tried to think through it in my head. I couldn't count the number of meals I had eaten, as those were very few. I could count the number of meals Jewel had brought up, but that I left untouched. Five days by my calculations. Thank god my mother had convinced me to leave my bed long enough for a bath the day before. Otherwise, I would have started smelling pretty foul by the point.

When I read fairy tales, I always thought it was stupid when the princess locked herself away in her room in a wallowing mess of self-pity and despair. And yet, there I was. Doing exactly that. I was that disappointing mess of a heroine who lost the will to fight just because the guy turned tail and ran. I had fallen asleep that night with Arden next to me, his fingers tracing my naked spine. I had expected to wake up the next morning, the smell of him on me, ready to tackle the problem ahead of us.

But when I woke that next morning, the bed was