Unseen (The Heights, Vol. 1) by Lauren Stewart Read Free Book Online

lot of good stuff.
What do you normally watch?”
    “Was that a serious question?” he asked after
a moment. “You are asking the vampire you strapped to your bed what
kind of films he enjoys?”
    “I need to figure out how the hell I’m going
to get out of this without dying and you—well, both of
us are stuck here until I do.” She turned back to the computer
and clicked a few times. How about Angel ?” She laughed
nervously. “This is so messed up.”
    When she turned towards him, he saw tragedy
in her eyes, an open soul unlike any he’d seen outside of the
angels.
    “Are you nephilium?” he asked quietly,
without thinking. She would be the first half-angel since the
Treaty went into effect, but it was possible.
    “It’s just a show. He’s not an actual angel, he’s a vamp. And he’s in love with—Yeah, total fiction. It
would probably horrify you. Or make you want to stake yourself.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You’re watching it.” She took a breath.
“Look, I don’t want you to die, but I don’t want me to die, either.
So, if there’s a way…Never mind. I’m gonna go now.”
    Perhaps he wouldn’t kill her after all. Even
though he was the Prime, he would follow the law until it proved
impossible. Her mind would be wiped of this entire episode once she
had served her purpose. But before that, he would discover what she
was, and he would take her to bed.
    Humans were warm, soft, and shared their
emotions openly. Mortal emotions. It had been so long since he’d
spent any time with one, he’d forgotten how amusing they could
be.

Seven
    When Addison went back into her room, the
vamp lay there, staring at her. Why wasn’t he asleep yet?
    “Reach into my pocket,” he said.
    Eww . “I never would’ve thought I’d be
shocked to hear a vamp say something so deviant-sounding.”
    “There is cash in the pocket of my jacket.
Take the monies and find me something potable. Something
human.”
    “Sure, I’ll just go to a 7/11 and buy a
six-pack.” She’d pulled the thick stack of bills out before she
realized what buying him blood would entail. “I can’t. I’d have to
find a bagboy and he’d want to know why a seer needs blood. Then,
even if I could come up with an excuse, he’d have to go to a
grocer, which would make it traceable.”
    “Bring a human to me—one who is not as
stubborn as you are. I am stronger now and ready to use my
power.”
    “I’ll think about it.” Okay, she was done
thinking. And the answer was: “No way.” How could she pick someone
to bring back here, knowing what he was going to do? A human
sacrifice. He hadn’t fed in a while and his injury probably made
his needs greater. As in, ten pints greater.
    She stopped thumping the wad of cash against
her palm when she realized there was blood on the bottom of it. Eww-eww-eww. “A true example of blood money. Except in this
case, it may actually have helped you stay alive…ish.” She set the
stack of bills on her nightstand and wiped her hands on the sheet.
Why not? It was already ruined. “Do you always carry that much
money around?”
    “The lifestyle of the Prime is costly to
maintain.”
    “No doubt. What do you do for him? Bodyguard?
Head of the treasury? Hair stylist?”
    “I do nothing for him.” He sounded incredibly
offended. “Because I am him.”
    Her head popped up. “Sorry, what?”
    He looked incredibly offended, too.
“Impossible. How did you not know who I am? Have you never seen my
face?” He shook his head. “I do not believe it.”
    “I spend most of my time with dead things.”
Her brow furrowed. “That sounds a lot weirder than it is.” She
peered down at him, trying to remember if she’d seen him
before.
    He bared his teeth after she got close
and before she stumbled multiple steps backwards.
    Oh, shit. The heated eyes. The fangs.
The overall gorgeousness. Yeah, she’d seen him. In a painting on
the wall at HQ. Just once, because there was no point to look more
than that.