Beautiful Monster-The Exchange by Jeanne Bannon Read Free Book Online Page B

left of his humanity. Lev had plucked
up the boy’s arm and immediately sunk his teeth into his wrist and sucked.
    When they were done, he and Alexei had left the man in
the alleyway, slumped against a wall. His brother had assured him that, in
time, their victim would be fine. Lev had listened for a heartbeat, and when he’d
heard its faint cadence, he’d walked off.
    Now, in the wee hours of the morning, Lev walked the
suburbs of New York with his brother. They were somewhere in Brooklyn, in an
area with lots of open spaces and conservation area.
    “I thought we were going somewhere else,” Lev said. “Is
this not too close to home?”
    Alexei threw Lev a look that said, “Who cares?” It was
accompanied by a shrug, then in a move as quick as a heartbeat, Alexei pulled
him into the doorway of a darkened store that had been locked up for the night.
An iron gate was fastened across the entranceway, but there was enough room for
the two of them to hide.
    “Hear that?” Alexei asked.
    Lev listened and soon heard the sound of footfalls. The
click, click, click of high heels. “A woman!”
    “Yesss, I think so.”
    Lev could not only see the excitement in his brother’s
eyes but also that his fangs were distended and ready.
    They waited in the shadows until she neared. Then as she
passed, Alexei shot out a hand, grabbing her by the upper arm. There wasn’t
even time for a scream as he whisked her away so swiftly they were almost
flying. Lev followed at lightning speed, trying to keep up with his
adrenaline-spiked brother. They stopped when they reached a small grove of
trees that was just dense enough to hide them.
    Alexei pressed the woman up against the wide trunk of an
ancient oak. She squirmed but wasn’t able to budge under his powerful grip. Her
wide eyes gave away her horror; a scream formed but died in her throat as
Alexei clamped a hand over her mouth. Then he twisted her head to the side,
exposing the vulnerable jugular that pulsed with every beat of her heart.
    “You first,” Alexei said.
    Lev licked his lips. Fangs protruded through his gums,
and he salivated like a dog waiting for dinner to be slopped into his bowl. He
lowered his head until he was millimeters from the artery. He smelled iron and
copper and heard the blood whoosh as fear made it course faster than usual. A
whimper escaped her, and a single tear dropped onto Lev’s cheek.
    His gaze strayed to her face. She was blonde and pretty
with a small turned-up nose and a smattering of freckles dotting her cheeks.
She was also young, about the same age as Carly.
    He pulled away, then roughly freed her from Alexei’s
grip. She fled immediately, stumbling until she could gain her feet. This time
there was no click of heels. She’d lost her shoes somewhere along the way, but
Lev could hear her sobs. He held his brother tightly against the tree, giving
her time to get safely out of harm’s way.
    Alexei barely strained against him, and when he turned
to his brother, disappointment colored his expression. Lev sighed and let
Alexei go, giving him a little push.
    “You were never meant for this life.” Alexei shook his
head as he walked away.
    “Where are you going?” Lev called out after his brother,
afraid he might try to find the girl.
    Alexei stopped and turned, his hands were stuffed into
his pockets. Gone was the disappointment of moments ago, replaced by what Lev
thought could pass for acceptance. “Come with me, brother. I have an idea. One
you will like.”
    Lev took a step, then stopped. He studied Alexei’s face.
They were so much alike Lev sometimes felt as if he was staring into a mirror.
They had the same thick black hair, the constant five o’clock shadow on angular
faces, and the same sensuous wide mouths. Alexei’s face, however, was a little
more angular and harder, his mouth fuller, and his lips held a constant pink
glow almost as if he was wearing lipstick.
    Was Alexei giving up on him? Yes, he thought, and truth
be told,