Take Me Once, I'll Bleed You Twice novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

BEATRICE

They were meeting the Master vampire at a department store. It was one Beatrice had been to a few times her favourite place to do some serious window shopping. Four floors of products meant there was something for everyone and the prices were usually decent; it was hard not to appreciate that kind of place, even when she rarely bought anything.

Beta Phillips had been insistent on driving them to the meet up, until he realized that also meant a vampire would be joining his clown car; a vampire who

was known as the wolf executioner.

Public transit was decided as the way Beatrice and Riaghaire would get there. The fledgling came along for the ride – a public bus, because there was no way Beatrice was getting in a car with a strange vampire, even with Riaghaire there for protection – and kept his silence the entire time. She did catch him sneaking peeks at them but otherwise his behaviour was above and beyond what she expected. Not that she knew what to expect but, having vampires show up, unannounced, on her doorstep had given her a low opinion on how well they behaved.

The bus dropped them off in front of the department store ten minutes later. Craning her neck, Beatrice looked up at the three above-ground floors and let out a low sigh. It was definitely a public area. She was worried something would go wrong and other humans would get caught in the crossfire, but that was a risk she was willing to take.

“Gréine?”

“Hmm?,” she hummed, looking over at Riaghaire, who was watching her closely. “What’s up?”

“Are you certain… we can trust the wolves?” He’d spoken in a low voice, as said wolves had nearly rejoined them after finding a place to park. Public transit for the win, Beatrice thought to herself as she watched the wolves wait for the light to turn green before crossing the street.

“No. But… the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

The vampire stared at her in silence.

“Well… it’s part of why I gave you a chance,” she shrugged, feeling awkward. It wasn’t the full truth – she’d enjoyed conversing with him and, even after seeing him kill two wolves, she had a hard time thinking of Riaghaire as anything other than a – mostly – harmless person. She wasn’t about to tell him this, as he would attempt to drive home the point that he was a vampire and that meant he wasn’t a good person, so she kept it to herself.

“I see…,” he murmured, his gaze switching from her to the wolves as they approached.

“We going in?,” Beta Phillips asked once he and the three wolves he’d brought with him came to a stop nearby.

“Yeah. But, as a reminder, all you need to do is look intimidating,” Beatrice reminded him, then looked over at the other wolves in turn. “You’re here to show that the wolves aren’t on her side.”

“That we’re on your side,” Phillips corrected with a cocky grin.

“Well. That’s the impression I hope she has, anyway. I’m not stupid enough to think you’re actually on my side, since I’m bribing you to be here. Which is also why I’m keeping it simple. You don’t even need to say anything.”

The Beta made a non-committal grunt as he exchanged a look with his fellow wolves. “And if the Master vampire talks to us?”

Beatrice waved her hand at Riaghaire. “Then let him answer for you. He’s the wolf executioner who forced the wolves to behave or something You just have to stand there, looking all menacing – or pretty, whichever you prefer and nothing else. Honestly.. I feel like I’m overpaying for your help on this. but

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1:55 am P

Chapter 97

Jowity-arth it.” She threw that last comment because she nézued these wolves on her side and, if they double crossed her, it wouldn’t end well. It was best to pad then ego, even if she hated doing it.

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