Page 76 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“What in the hells are you talking about? Theo wouldn’t just abandon them if people were going missing,” she said. Was this what Harris kept harassing Theo about? What Theo said he was looking into?

The confusion must have been etched on her face as Sienna let out a humourless laugh. “Oh yeah, he doesn’t talk to you about work, does he?”

“Not about that,” Verity snapped. “And if you wanted to know you didn’t need to drug me!”

“What?”

“Preston, Adam! Rides are here!” David called from the door.

Sienna stepped closer, trying to get in Verity’s face, but she moved back, trying to keep space between them.

“Stay away from me,” Verity snapped, loud enough for a couple of the donors to turn, watching the exchange.

“Why the fuck would I drug you?” Sienna asked, voice quiet.

“Why were you asking me about Theo’s work?”

Sienna gestured to the room, eyes wide as if it was obvious. “Because donors are going missing?” she hissed, glancing at the huddle of scared humans, making sure no one heard. “Because we aren’t safe? Because he won’t listen to Harris?”

“Harris…”

“You know Theo attacked him? All he has ever done is try to protect us and Theo broke his jaw. He broke his fucking jaw, Verity.”

Tipping her head back, Sienna blinked the silver from her eyes. Verity knew Theo was mad, guessed there had been a fight, but to break a man’s jaw? A vampire’s jaw?

“Sienna, rides here!”

She shook her head, eyeing Verity’s dress again. “He was so excited when you applied,” she said, touching her sleeve to the corner of her eye and forcing a smile. “The journalist who stood up for us, for humans. You threw away everything to find the truth but look at you now. Pretty dress and a good shag and you couldn’t give a fuck about us anymore.” Slipping her phone into a pocket she gave Verity one last withering look. “Gods, you’re a disappointment.”

With that, she left, striding for the door without another word and leaving Verity gaping in her wake.

What the fuck just happened?

David appeared, calling another donor and sparing Verity a glance, head to toe, before he left. She looked down, at her dress, the one Theo insisted on paying for and cost more than most families‘ rent. Glittering and perfect and utterly disgusting.

Hands shaking, she grabbed a glass of water and sipped, attempting to soothe the bile in her throat. People were missing and she was prancing around in a fancy dress, going to see plays and daydreaming about vampires.

How much force did it take to break a vampire’s jaw? Other than his knuckles there hadn’t been a scratch on Theo. She knew how mad he was, saw how demanding and possessive and…

Abe’s words filled her head.

The Chapel brothers… I know what they’re like… you were terrified…

She wasn’t terrified. Not of Theo, not like that. She was just…

No. Abe said himself that he hadn’t seen Theo in years, he didn’t know him that well. Not really. Verity knew him. She knew him. And she knew that if he found out that humans were going missing, he’d do something about it.

He was swamped, drowning in work. So much that she was trying to lighten the load herself because he couldn’t afford the staff to take care of it. She saw the toll it was taking on him.

Harris was a dick. Always bursting into Theo’s office, shouting the odds and talking to him like shit. No wonder Theo couldn’t stand the guy… but that didn’t mean he was wrong.

The unproven reports Theo said Harris kept giving him, the ones in his briefcase. What if Harris was telling the truth and there really was a problem with donor numbers? What if the reports were right? But… there were articles from Cliffhaven with them too.

Why was everyone so interested in Cliffhaven?

Voices filled the hall, David and… Theo. Snapped from her thoughts, Verity looked up as the pair entered the hall.

“I’ll be speaking with the commissioners first thing,” Theo said. “Maybe meetings can be moved to City Hall while we get all this straightened out.”