All Chapters of LOVE, LIKE BLOOD : Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

Blood blossomed warm against my tongue before the echo of her scream finished reverberating off the brick.She thrashed—weak, drunken swipes that barely skimmed my shoulders.Still, I pinned her wrists against the alley wall, breath flooding hot across her cheek.“Sh-sh it’s almost over,” I murmured, voice thick with the rush.Her pulse hammered wildly, terrified. I could taste the adrenaline, the heartbreak, the cheap vodka.I drank deeper. The alley spun, colors sharpening, senses igniting.Then—Footsteps.I froze.Not police—too light.Not Noah—her scent wasn’t on the wind.Someone else is leaving the club, laughing, heels clicking.I tore my mouth away, yanked Evie deeper into the shadows behind a stack of crates. She sagged, half-conscious, a thin moan escaping her parted lips.Too messy. Focus.I listened — the couple wandered past the alley mouth, oblivious, their laughter fading into the throb of bass. When the street settled again, I exhaled—slow, controlled.Evie’s head lol

“Let’s crank it up,” Evie purrs, clapping twice. “Basket tosses.”Half the squad hesitates—basket tosses are not for beginners—but Evie only smiles wider. The captain looks nervous, then gives a shaky nod. Music starts up again.Evie’s eyes find mine.You, that look says.Bases take their spots. Evie claims the back position behind me, fingers settling at my waist—cold, firm, too strong.“Ready?” she whispers, breath sweet and wrong. “Let’s see what you can do.”Count—one, two, three. They throw me.I feel it right away: way too high. Normal bones would break. My body adjusts on instinct, bending in a tight half-twist.I landed softly, barely making a sound.People gasped.The other girls stumbled a little—none of them landed like I did.Evie drags her nails up my spine, voice a sugar-coated blade. “Didn’t know you were such a natural. Maybe you were born for this.”My pulse roars. The captain beams—oblivious—but Evie’s still at my back, pulling the squad in.“Again,” she says, louder