Blood Lust by T. Lynne Tolles Page A

him?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Why?”
    “I don’t know if I should say; you are married to the woman, after all.”
    “Tell me.”
    “Only if you tell me your side of the story.”
    “What story?”
    “When you and Libby hooked up.”
    “Why do you want to know? Don’t you just assume it’s all my fault, like Devon does?”
    “Actually, no. In the two minutes I met Libby, I was pretty sure it was never you. I mean, come on, she might as well have had sex with Devon right there on the table in front of me calling me Debbie, Dolly, and Darla the entire time and assuming I was Devon’s maid.”
    “How very Libby.”
    “Yes. It seems everyone sees Libby for who she is except Devon, so I would like to hear your side of the story.”
    “But it won’t change Devon’s mind.”
    “That’s not the point. I’d like to know for my own sanity.”
    “You really love him, don’t you?”
    “I really, really do. After meeting Libby though, I wish I didn’t.”
    “Why?”
    “Why do you think? In his eyes, forty years later, she is completely blameless, gorgeous, and here. I can’t compete with the image he has of her. Only she can ruin that for him. So tell me, what is your relationship with her? I thought you were separated.”
    “I wish. She comes and goes as she pleases. She has other men she frequents too.”
    “So why? Why do you let her keep coming back?”
    “I don’t know. It’s as if when she’s around, I have no control over anything.”
    “So you are still having, well, still intimate with her?”
    “I think that’s the only reason she comes back. It’s certainly not love, it never was.”
    “Never?”
    “Well, maybe I thought it was in the beginning. She’s a terrible flirt. She only dated Devon to get into the Larsen house; at least that’s what she told me. He brought her for dinner that first night and whenever Devon was out of view, she was all over me. At the time, I didn’t really mind; she was gorgeous and well, I always felt I had to compete with Devon for everything. It was kind of fun at first when she found me more interesting than him. Stroked my ego, I suppose, but it quickly became manipulative. She pushed for an elopement. She was wonderful in the beginning, but tired of me rather quickly and then she started finding other men to entertain herself with.”
    “Why you? Not that you aren’t very handsome in your own right.”
    “She wanted to be a pure blood. Married to nobility. She wanted it all, and well, Devon’s mother didn’t marry a pure blood; she married for love, making Blake and Devon not as desirable to Libby. But he was certainly a step in the door. Too bad he was so devastated by her betrayal. He really was better off.”
    “So when did your health start declining?”
    “I don’t know, about three months ago?”
    “What changed? What were you doing before as compared to after it started?”
    “I don’t know, nothing. I was living in my apartment in the city, working in the gallery and traveling as usual.”
    “What about Libby? Did she come and go, like she does now?”
    “Yeah, no real difference there.”
    “So nothing about the relationship changed then?”
    “No, not that I can think of, why? Do you think she has something to do with this?”
    “Boy, I hope not. I did notice when I helped you with your shirt, that you have tattoos. Any new ones, say in the past few months?”
    “No. I got these before I met Libby. Why?”
    “I came across something once, where a demon was using his blood as tattoo ink, so he could collect energy through the person with the tattoo. It was just a thought, seeing your tattoos.”
    “How unpleasant.”
    “You have no idea. I also noticed you have what Devon calls ‘bug bites’ on your neck.”
    “How close were you looking at me?” She rolled her eyes. He laughed. “Yes, a little fetish of Libby’s. She likes to have a little taste.”
    “I didn’t think vampires fed on other vampires.”
    “She doesn’t