Chapter 6 · I'm in His Head

He knew my middle name.

I didn't sleep. Couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Karl's face in the alley, the way he'd said Amy Renée like he'd pulled it straight out of my skull. I never told him. Not once.

By the time the sun came up I was sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at the mark on my shoulder. Still glowing. Still hot. The edges looked sharper now, like whatever Karl had done in that alley had cranked the volume up.

I grabbed my phone. Typed how does a vampire know your middle name into the search bar, then deleted it. Typed blood bond side effects. Deleted that too.

Finally I just called Marcus.

He picked up on the second ring. "You're up early."

"He knows things he shouldn't," I said.

"Good morning to you too."

"Marcus. I'm serious."

A pause. I heard him blow out a breath, the scrape of a chair. "What kind of things?"

"My middle name. I never told him. He just said it."

"Renée, right?"

I froze. "How do you—"

"DMV records, Amy. Relax." He sounded tired. "Look, bonds work both ways.