Pretty When She Kills by Rhiannon Frater Page B

direction, she said, “Here’s the replacement phone for the whore.”
    Cian inclined his head. “Thanks for picking this up, Sam.”
    “You should give me a raise,” Samantha said to him in a distracted tone, but her eyes were not on him. Her attention was directed up the hall toward the living room where Amaliya was lost in her drum solo.
    “I just gave you one.”
    “I should totally get hazard pay,” Samantha said, her eyes flicking toward him. Her hands were clenched at her sides and he realized she was barely containing herself.
    “What’s wrong, Samantha?” he asked at last, deciding to bite the bullet.
    She swiveled about on her scarily tall wedges and finally truly looked at him. Her eyes were shimmering. She was close to tears.
    “Samantha?” Now he was truly worried.
    “I told you to send her away and you insisted on her staying. You totally fucked up my life.”
    His eyebrows lifted. Cian was surprised by her outburst. He thought they had worked things out between them. “Sam...”
    “Don’t try to charm me. You made a choice and I’m paying for it!” Samantha shook her head, her pain evident on her face.
    “I’m sorry.”
    “I know you are. But I’m still pissed!”
    “I really believed that I could somehow reclaim my humanity,” Cian said in a gentle tone. “I believed you could save me from myself. I did love you. I still care for you.”
    “I know that!” Samantha dabbed at her eyes with a well-used tissue. “Honestly, Cian, I get it. I do! Hell, I know that I was living a stupid dream. I thought I was Bella Swan to your Edward Cullen, but it was all a stupid dream.”
    Cian lightly touched her shoulder. “Samantha, we were both foolish to believe in that dream. We lied to ourselves and each other because it was a lovely, beautiful dream.”
    “I know! We were so stupid!” She slid easily into his arms and laid her head on his chest.
    Cian rested his head on her soft blond hair, gently rocking her. He still cared deeply for her. Samantha was a very special person. Her heart was so open, her loyalty so fierce. Samantha had been brave enough to try to save him from The Summoner. That was the most amazing act of love anyone had ever shown him.
    “You may be a good person, Cian, but you’re a dumbass.”
    Cian laughed. “Maybe.”
    They pulled apart and he lightly touched her cheek. Her flushed skin was warm under his touch. He always loved the warmth of her flesh. She burned a little hotter than most humans. It always made him feel a bit more alive, but today she felt downright feverish.
    “Samantha, what is going on?” He started to wonder if she was ill.
    “I’m…” she shrugged.
    “You’re not here just to tell me what a cheating jerk I am, are you?”
    “No, I gave you that speech already. And you still suck for it.” Samantha took out a fresh tissue from her purse and blew her nose. “I’m here to talk to Morticia.”
    “Sam...”
    “Look, fucker, I have a right to hate her for more reasons than you know. Okay?”
    Cian started to protest, but stopped himself. He had betrayed Samantha with Amaliya. Instead of getting married to Samantha in a few weeks, he was living with Amaliya. How could he deny Samantha the right to be angry?
    “Samantha, do you really think it wise for you to continue this argument with her?”
    “Oh, I have a whole new thing with her. I need to talk to her like right now.”
    “We’re waiting on an important phone call. This is not the best time.”
    “God, how can you think with that music?” Samantha glared toward one of the speakers, changing the subject.
    “She’s practicing.” Cian shrugged.
    “She gonna be a vampire rock star like Lestat?”
    Cian snorted. “No, no. She loves drumming. It’s her thing, I guess.”
    “Whatever.” Samantha stalked toward the living room.
    “Samantha, could we avoid a fight tonight?”
    “No,” she snapped.
    Amaliya was just finishing a very dramatic drum solo when she spotted Samantha.