Bitten Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 3)

“The only thing I feel is disgusted,” I snarl, turning to face Victor. “Disgusted with you. You’re a bigger bully than them, you asshole.”

I never see it coming, but the heavy hand connects with my cheek so hard that I taste blood and see dim spots in my vision before crashing to the ground. Tommy looks over at me, terror still in his eyes, and for the first time, I actually feel sorry for him.

Aunt Masie owns this house. This is her home. Victor will lose his head if she comes back and sees this.

“Stand up for yourself, girl,” Victor growls.

I slowly stagger to my feet, and I spit out the blood in my mouth.

“Go to hell,” I hiss.

I turn around and knock a shotgun away from one of the guys, and he glares at me. He doesn’t make a move though.

“Go,” I tell Tommy, nudging him with my knee, but never taking my eyes off Victor. “Get out of here.”

Tommy looks between us, acting too scared to stand.

“Go!” I shout.

All three Leonard boys start scrambling to their feet and race out the barn door. Victor just scowls at me, watching me with unmasked disdain and disappointment.

“You’ll regret this,” he growls. “You’ll regret it even more if you utter one word to Masie. And she’ll regret it, too. If you know what I mean.”

Soft laughter fills the room as his followers leave behind him. The second they’re out of sight, I collapse to the ground, trembling all over.

I’ve always thought Victor was crazy. Now I know he’s a monster.

Voices carry up the hall, and I reach out to feel for Zee, who is missing. It’s then I hear them yelling downstairs, and I curse while leaping up and tucking the sheet around me.

Please don’t hurt anyone.

I jog down the stairs, and stumble into the living room, where… nothing is going on. Chaz is yelling at Zee and waving a hand in front of his face, but Zee seems to be lost, just staring straight ahead at nothing.

“Hashtag, toga party,” the annoying incubus says, eyeing me with a smile in his eyes.

“What’s wrong with him?” I ask, noticing his eyes are back to normal. Well, sort of. All I can see are the colors they usually don’t want seen.

My hand comes up to cup his cheek as Chaz moves out of my way, and Zee’s eyes move up to meet mine. Unshed tears rest on his eyelids, and he wraps both arms around my waist, pulling me to him as he buries his head against the sheet, pushing his face against my stomach.

“We just told him he was a proud new sire,” Dice says flatly. “He didn’t take it too well.”

Zee burrows his head closer to my breasts, and I run my fingers through his hair as I cradle him to me.

“He didn’t know?” I ask softly as Zee’s grip on me tightens.

“No memory,” Ella says quietly. “It happens on power highs. It’s my fault, Leah. Not his. I could have stopped him, but I was afraid—”

“Ella and Zee both living in crazy badass town would have been worse than you being turned into one of us,” Dice interrupts, then gets slapped by Karma, who groans.

“You’re such an insensitive ass,” she hisses.

“I’m a bloody incubus! What do you expect?” He rubs the sore spot on his chest while glaring at her, and she rolls her eyes before turning back to me.

“I can’t see the night stalker in you unless you shift your eyes. You have a lot of control already. Which may have to do with your anointed blood,” Karma states matter-of-factly, shifting the subject.

I continue stroking Zee’s hair while he tries to disappear against me. I’d rather take him upstairs and talk right now than listen to their findings.

Ella idly doodles on a piece of paper, seeming lost inside her own head. Chaz leans back, putting his arm around her shoulders, as he studies me.