Page 43 of Blood Vows

“He’s the only one who knows where my house is,” he said.

That surprised her. “What about your family?”

Something shuttered behind his eyes. “I don’t have one.” The answer was flat and final. She knew that he had closed the door on answering any more of her questions. Elena wanted to ask, but she didn’t.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Dante frowned. “Okay?”

“I’ll go to your house,” she said.

He stared at her suspiciously. “What did you expect?”

“You agreed too easily,” he said. “I guess it just took me by surprise.”

She rolled her eyes. “You complain when I argue. Now you’re complaining because I agreed with you?”

“I don’t trust easily,” he admitted.

“You have serious issues,” she breathed.

“I’m aware.” She almost smiled before looking around her bedroom again.

“I need clothes,” she said.

“No,” he breathed.

She turned. “Excuse me?”

“Anything you need, we buy.”

“I’m not abandoning everything I own,” she insisted.

“Someone went through everything you own,” he reminded.

“So, it’s still my stuff,” she said.

“So I don’t know what they left behind. They might have put a tracker on your clothing, and we can’t risk that.”

Elena went still. “A tracker?”

“Maybe.” Her stomach turned, and Dante continued. “Could be a listening device. Could be something else. I’m not taking chances.”

“Why would they do that to my clothes?” she asked. “Can I take my laptop?”

“No, that definitely stays here,” he said.

“What about my toothbrush?”

Dante looked at her. “Seriously?”

“It’s a perfectly good toothbrush,” she challenged.

“I’ll buy you another fucking toothbrush.”

“You’re very wasteful,” she chided.

“And you’re arguing about dental hygiene while someone is trying to murder you.”