Blood Awakening by Tessa Dawn Read Free Book Online

seeped through his pores, the threat of aggression simmered just
below the surface, and his calm, sculpted exterior did very little to hide the
unconscious projection of what he was.
    To her credit, Kristina displayed no fear. Her
reaction to Marquis was always the same—one of casual acceptance and absolute
safety.
    “Evening, boss,” Chad greeted.
    Marquis looked in the male’s direction and
inclined his head before stalking over to Kristina. “What happened?”
    Kristina slowly looked up beneath a black-eye and
brushed a trickle of blood away from her busted lip. And then she simply shook
her head.
    “Where is he?” Marquis demanded.
    Kristina shook her head more adamantly this time. “Don’t,
Marquis...please. It’ll only make things worse.”
    “Not this time.” Marquis scowled. “This time, when
I am through with Dirk, he will never touch you again.”
    Kristina looked up and studied her boss with scrutinizing,
deep blue eyes. Her heart-shaped lips quivered as she recognized the truth of
what he said. “Do you mind if I talk to Marquis alone?” she asked Chad.
    Chad took a step toward the door. “Not at all.” He
regarded Marquis. “I’ll be right outside if either of you need me for
anything.”
    Marquis nodded. “Thank you.”
    Once the door was closed behind Chad, Kristina
stood up and tried to walk to the other side of the room, but Marquis caught
her by her arm and turned her to face him. He raised her chin with his hand. “If
I don’t put an end to this, Kristina, he is going to kill you. Is that what you
want?”
    Kristina frowned. “No…no, of course I don’t. But I
don’t want him dead, either.”
    Marquis remained silent.
    Kristina sighed then, her bright eyes becoming dim.
“Marquis, we both know you can’t deal with Dirk—after everything he’s done—and not
kill him. What are you gonna do? Warn him? Break an arm or a leg? He’ll say
something smart. I know he will...and that’ll be the end of it.” She reached
out and took his hand. “Please, boss…let me handle it: I’ll figure somethin’
out. I swear.”
    Marquis surveyed the bruises on her neck, Dirk’s
fingerprints. “Kristina, you know that I respect you, that my family cares for
you, and that it is not our way to interfere in the affairs of...mortals. But
this thing with Dirk...it’s over. Your relationship with him is over.”
    Kristina put her head down in her hands and sighed
with frustration. She was fighting to hold back tears. “What do you mean by over ?”
    Marquis refused to be more specific. “Just... over .”
    Kristina began to shake. “Oh, God, Marquis, this
is way out of hand. You can’t just—Marquis, if you took Dirk outta the picture,
you’d have to erase all my memories, or I’d go insane. So, what then? You’re
just gonna wipe-out the last five years of my life? No way! Please...don’t. Please .
I’m asking you not to—just let me call the police.”
    “Again?” Marquis asked.
    Kristina nodded. “They’ll lock him up this time. I
swear, they will.”
    “For how long?” Marquis scowled. “How many
restraining orders has he violated already, Kristina?”
    Kristina shook her head. “That was my fault...I took
them all back.”
    “Yes…so you could go back to him.”
    Kristina nodded and averted her eyes. “I know.”
    “Kristina,” he said sternly, “it really doesn’t
matter if it’s Dirk’s inability to stop hurting you or your inability to stop
letting him, the end result is the same. And I don’t see either one of you
stopping.”
    Kristina started to protest, but Marquis held up
his hand. “The thing of it is this: When you came into our world, when you were
given the choice to keep or relinquish your memories—your knowledge of Dark
Moon Vale—you made a covenant to honor and serve the house of Jadon in exchange
for our shelter, protection, and care. We are not as you are. I am not
as you are. I have tried to view this from a human point of view, but Dirk