by Jamie Craig
The light caught the fluid in the tumbler, scattering shards of dark gold across the black leather couch. “That sounds ambitious.” He smirked. “That sounds like you might need me after all.”
Henry inclined his head. “Drink up, Gideon. We have all night to talk shop.”
It took only a moment for him to lift the glass to his mouth, but far more for the scorching alcohol to slide down his throat. Warmth spread throughout his body, followed by a familiar languor, and he smiled at Henry as he held the empty tumbler out.
“I’m used to being in charge, you know. But for you, I’m willing to consider a fifty/fifty arrangement.”
“Fifty/fifty is exactly what I had in mind. How do you like that? It’s far more powerful than what I sell downstairs. I save the good stuff for private use. But look, if I’m going to keep control of the hordes I’m about to unleash, I need somebody like you. No, I need you.”
Gideon rose to his feet and began prowling around the room, his darkened eyes drinking in the expensive furniture. A low glass-fronted cabinet near the desk displayed an array of sheathed weapons, all older than Gideon, but he passed by it to head straight for the chair behind the desk.
“You know what I miss about the old days?” He sat down, propping his feet up on the corner of the desk as he leaned back in the soft leather. “Respect. Fledges these days don’t appreciate what it means to live as long as we have, Henry.”
Henry’s mouth twisted in a knowing smile. “No, they don’t. They don’t understand their own power. It’s disgusting out there, Gideon. Being a vampire used to mean something. Humans used to be afraid to walk the streets at night. There was a hierarchy. Now?” He shook his head. “They’ve never tasted real power. I just want to wake them up.”
“Well, I know it worked for me. If it wasn’t for your obsidian, I wouldn’t have had the balls to fuck Jess the first time.” He chuckled. “And we both know how well that turned out.”
Henry’s smiled widened. “I haven’t seen anybody like him around the club for a long time. All the other people that come here…they have this dull look in their eye. Like they’ve seen so much of the world. They’re missing a certain—” He snapped his fingers, like he was looking for a word.
“Purity,” Gideon offered.
“Purity, exactly. That’s what I liked about your boy.”
“That, and his fucking great mouth.”
Henry smirked. “Exactly. I heard his ass is better.”
“Lemme guess. Eric’s bragging.” Gideon rolled his eyes. “Only reason I let him fuck Jess was because I knew his needle dick wouldn’t stretch him out too much for me later. The bruises he left on the boy didn’t even last a day before they started to fade. It was hardly worth the time.”
Henry’s hand went to his crotch, his pants pulling tight across his erection. “You should bring him around, Gideon.”
Swinging his legs off the desk, Gideon leaned forward. “I have a confession to make,” he said, his voice low and amused. “You know how you told me to come here alone? Well I didn’t.” He jerked his head toward the door. “I left the boy parked in the car down the street. Just in case I didn’t like what you said and had to tear your head off. Send one of the boys down to go get him. We’ll have a little party.” As he grinned, his fangs descended. “I guarantee he’ll be the best fuck you’ve had all year.”
Henry ran his tongue over his fangs. “Jeff! Rick! Get in here.”
Two large vampires stepped into the room, remarkably silent for their size. They stood with their arms folded, waiting for further orders.
“There’s a Ferrari down the street with a treat inside. Bring him here, and don’t hurt a single hair. I want him unmarked, do you understand?”
They nodded and slipped out.
“What kind of toys do you have up here?” Gideon’s head swiveled around. “I see the knives, but do you have any whips or anything? The boy loves his pain. I swear, you have to hear him scream. You’ll come on the spot.”
Henry’s only response was to cross the room and unlock the closet. The door swung open slowly, revealing a room full of things that’d make Jesse scream for hours.
Gideon ran his tongue over the points of his fangs. “Oh, yeah,” he murmured. “Those’ll do just fine.”
* * * *
Jesse’s part of the plan was to wait, and he found the waiting to be intolerable. What was Gideon doing? Where was he? When should he start worrying? Sweat rolled down his neck and back, gluing his shirt to his skin. His tongue felt swollen. He needed a drink. The twinge in his ankle had faded, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to run that night—he wouldn’t make it far.
As soon as he caught sight of the two vampires, he knew they were coming for him. They moved with purposeful grace, slicing through the night with each step. Every instinct told him to run. Gideon had left him the keys. He could get far away, out of their reach, hole up somewhere safe and wait for Gideon to return. But these two monsters could be taking him to Gideon—or his death. Or both.
They nearly ripped the door off the hinges, but they were surprisingly gentle with him. He could feel their restrained strength thrumming through their skin, see the dangerous glints in their eyes, but they handled him like they’d handle a kitten, and never said a word.
“Where are we going?”
No response.
“Where are you taking me?”
No response.
“Who are you taking me to?”
No response.
Jess stopped talking, but the fear didn’t fade. Especially when they dragged him into the club. They walked him through the throng, and it felt like every single vampire in the room wanted to touch him. They flashed their teeth, growling with hunger. He recognized a few from the last time he was there, and by their knowing leers, he knew they recognized him.
They pulled him up a narrow staircase, and as they pounded on a thick door, Jesse sent a quick prayer into the universe—please let Gideon be in there. Before he finished the thought, the door flew open and Henry’s strong hand curled around his throat. He yanked him into the room, smashing his throat and crushing his windpipe. Panic flared in Jesse’s chest, until he caught sight of Gideon, sprawled out on the couch.
His eyes were black. He looked darkly amused. Jesse jumped as the door slammed behind him.
“What’s wrong, boy? Don’t tell me you’re scared. Henry here’s an old friend.” Gideon snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait. My mistake. It’s not his face you’ll recognize.”
“Here, let me help.” Henry unzipped his pants, freeing his cock. “Know me now?”
Jesse nodded mutely. A vision that had been arousing once before was like a bucket of cold water over his head. Henry’s eyes were as opaque as Gideon’s, and seeing Gideon like that—all lazy, dark sensuality—would have turned Jesse on any other time.
“We’ve just been doing some business,” Gideon was saying. “And I’m in the mood to celebrate.” Nodding to Henry, he waited until the other vampire had relinquished his hold on Jesse’s neck before beckoning him forward with two fingers. Jess only took a single step when Gideon said sharply, “On your knees, boy.”
Jesse dropped to his knees immediately, knowing that, whether or not Gideon was faking, it was best to follow all the orders without hesitation or question. At least, that was the wisest course if he wanted to survive long enough to figure out just what was going on. He crawled the rest of the way across the floor, coming to a stop once he was eye level with Gideon’s knees.
Gideon’s hand came to rest on the top of his head. Though his strong fingers threaded through Jesse’s hair, there was no force behind it, the touch a soothing caress rather than cruel. Jess was just starting to relax when a sudden yank sent needles of pain through his scalp, and he looked up to see Gideon leering down at him.
“You should see all the pretty toys Henry has,” he said. “There’s a whip in there that’ll strip your skin so fine, it’ll take us hours to lay you bare.”
Henry stood above him, running his hands down Jesse’s spine. “Hours,” he agreed, “and that’s not all. Floggers, paddles, knives, irons…but there will be plenty of time for that later.” He straightened. “Get him naked, Gideon. I think we should share him to seal the deal.”
“My pleasure.”
Jess had no time to react before Gideon jerked him onto his lap, grinding his erection into Jesse’s stomach as their mouths slammed together. The hand that wasn’t fisted in his hair slid between their bodies, seeking Jesse’s cock, and against his will, he began to harden, responding to Gideon’s expert tongue and fingers in spite of his fear.
Gideon paused in mid-kiss, the hand at Jesse’s waist stilling. “What’s this?” he murmured. He dipped into the near pocket and pulled out a slim bottle of breath spray. With a grin, he held it up for a disrobing Henry to see. “Look at how well I’ve got him trained. He came prepared to taste all minty fresh for us.”
Henry laughed. “He doesn’t need to be minty fresh for what I have planned for him.”
Jesse barely heard the other vamp, all of his attention on Gideon, and his thumb resting over the top of the bottle. Just a little more pressure, and the fine mist of the antidote would coat the air and fall to Gideon’s skin. And Gideon knew it. But he didn’t do it immediately. The moment he hesitated seemed to stretch an eternity—just long enough for Jesse to entertain the thought that Gideon was confiscating his only weapon of defense, with no intention to use it at all.
“Open your mouth, Jess.”
Jesse did so obediently, but the black eye of the spray bottle wasn’t pointed in his direction. Gideon pressed the top down, hitting his own chin and neck.
“Fuck!”
A sharp shove had Jess on his ass, and he looked up to see Gideon glowering above him. His skin glistened from the antidote, but the fury in his eyes looked all too real, and the frissons of fear sharpened their claws in Jesse’s spine. Had it worked? If it had, how long would it take?
There was no time to contemplate the answers to those questions before Gideon was hauling him to his feet and dragging him toward a closet door.
“Going to teach you a lesson first,” he muttered, yanking it open.
“What the fuck are you doing, Gideon?” Henry’s annoyed voice filtered through the open doorway. “I thought we agreed we’d bleed him after.”
“I’m just going to make some pretty stripes on his back first,” Gideon snapped. He grabbed a vicious whip from the wall, but when his eyes met Jesse’s, the opacity of his irises had warmed to their familiar brown. They held gazes for only a second before Gideon shoved him back out into the room. “Get your shirt off, boy.”
Jesse unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off quickly as Henry moved closer. By the time he was half-naked, Henry was practically on top of him. He was trapped between the solid bodies of the two vampires, and only the brief glance he had exchanged with Gideon kept his heart from jumping right to his throat.
Without warning, Henry grabbed him by the hair and pushed him forward, slamming his face to the desk. “I’ll hold him down,” Henry announced.
He could no longer see Gideon, but he felt his cool hand slither along his back. “This will make fucking him even better,” Gideon said. “I’ll do just enough to make the blood drip down his ass.”
As Henry chuckled, a deep, malevolent rumble, Gideon stepped away. It left Jess with only the painful grasp of Henry’s hand on his head.
The whip cracked.
Jess flinched on instinct, but the sudden realization that he hadn’t been hit was followed by the rich laughter of both vamps.
“I love doing that,” Gideon said. “Did you see him jump? Fucking priceless.”
Jesse bit the side of his mouth to stop the immediate fuck you, hot anger washing through him. It at least had the effect of dulling the fear that lingered in his gut and he held onto it.
“Let’s see how far he jumps if you get him right here” Henry scratched his nails over the small of Jesse’s back, aggravating the sensitive skin there, but Jesse didn’t think he actually drew blood.
Jesse braced himself for the blow, and the sound of the whip snapped through the room for a second time. But, once again, there was no pain. Just the release of the pressure on his head as Henry’s hand fell away.
He glanced up to see the delicate cord of the whip wrapped around Henry’s neck. Astonishment was replaced by rage on the vampire’s coarse features, but as Jess dove out of the way, Gideon viciously yanked his arm back. It tightened the noose around Henry’s throat, slicing through the skin, the flesh, the sinew, until the head separated from the torso.
Both pieces exploded into dust before they hit the floor.
Relief washed through Jesse, turning his muscles to water. Before he could collapse against the desk, Gideon was there, his arm around his waist. Jess clutched his shirt and took a deep, shuddering breath. “God, I was worried that stuff wouldn’t work.”
“So was I.” When his head snapped up to stare at Gideon in disbelief, the vampire shrugged. “Apparently, Henry saves the really strong stuff for his extra special friends. But I couldn’t turn him down or he would’ve known something was up.”
Jesse blanched, his stomach turning, his mind turning back to the whip, and the other so-called toys he had only got a brief glance of. “Oh. God.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered, Jess.” Gideon’s hand cupped the back of his neck, forcing him to meet his solemn gaze. “I wouldn’t have hurt you. I wouldn’t have let Henry hurt you. Obsidian strips away defenses so that you act on your deepest desires. What I wanted more than anything tonight was to kill Henry.”
Jesse nodded. “I know. I just didn’t really like being put in that situation.” He touched his nose, which was still tender from hitting the desk. “It’s not swollen, is it?”
“No.” Gideon pulled him closer, brushing his mouth across the bridge. “I think I love you even more when you get all pouty like this when you’re hurt. Even if it’s frustrating as hell.”
“I’m not all…” The rest of Gideon’s words sank in and Jesse stopped short. Gideon said it so casually, so matter-of-factly that he felt like he missed something. “What?”
Gideon glanced up from where he’d been watching his thumb stroke over Jesse’s jaw. “What what?”
“You said you love me?”
“Yeah.” The word came out slowly, like Gideon was gradually coming to the conclusion that he was speaking with someone not as intelligent as he thought. “Haven’t I told you that already?”
“No. No, I would definitely remember something like that.”
For the first time since uttering the words, Gideon pulled back, visibly wracking his memory. “I could’ve sworn well, it doesn’t matter. Because I do. Love you.” He paused. “I guess I thought you felt the same way.”
“I do,” Jesse said instantly, vehemently. “I’ve been…God, Gideon, I’ve loved you for nearly as long as I’ve known you.”
Gideon immediately relaxed, a small smile curving his mouth. “Good. We’re clear then.” Reaching across the desk, he picked up Jesse’s shirt and shook the vampire dust from it before handing it over. When he spoke again, his tone was teasing. “You need to start paying attention to what I don’t say, too. I thought I was being obvious.”
Jesse pulled his shirt on stiffly. “Maybe you were being obvious.” The pain in his nose, the earlier anger, and the sharp fear of the night was utterly forgotten. “I just never expected—I hoped, but I never expected you to love me, too.”
The touch of Gideon’s hand to his chest was light, but it stopped Jess from buttoning his shirt. “Why?” Gideon asked softly. His fingers caressed the skin over his heart, every stroke making Jesse’s pulse thunder louder. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in…a very long time, Jess. Loving you was probably inevitable.”
Jesse knew he could try to explain all the very long nights he spent meticulously explaining to himself wh
y Gideon would never really love him, but that wasn’t necessary. His hand went to the back of Gideon’s head, his fingers moving through his hair, and he finally kissed Gideon the way he always wanted, not holding anything back or trying to disguise the emotions bubbling to the surface.
Jesse’s fingers were tight against Gideon’s scalp, and he gripped Gideon’s shirt with his other hand, like he was never going to let him go. Gideon wrapped his arms around him in turn, pulling them flush. Sliding against Gideon’s body, Jesse put as much of himself into the kiss as he could. He wanted every inch of Gideon to know him, to know that he couldn’t contain his feelings any more.
Jess rarely took the lead when they kissed, but he did now. He controlled the speed, the depth, the delicate dance of their tongues, and the fact that Gideon didn’t try to wrest the control back only intensified Jesse’s desire. He needed this, after years of silence, and the past two weeks of extreme pleasure—and surrender. He needed to know that Gideon would take it, even if it was just this once.
Flames ignited between their bodies, flaring and spreading everywhere they touched. It would be too easy to stumble over to the couch, to strip Gideon’s clothes, to lavish him with attention. He wanted to devote as much energy and time to each inch of Gideon’s skin that he was devoting to his mouth, but the last remnant of his self-control kept him from doing that. This wasn’t the time, or the place.
When Jess finally pulled away from the kiss, he felt cleansed, as though a storm had ripped through him and abolished all the doubts, the lingering fears, the last cobweb strings of reservation. He buried his face in Gideon’s neck, struggling to catch his breath and stealing one more moment of contact before they were forced to let each other go and step apart.
“You know we’re not out of the lion’s den yet,” Gideon said, the tone of his voice, more than his words, centering Jesse’s attention.
“Right.” He brushed the back of his hand over his swollen mouth. “I’ve been waiting to do that for years.”
“You can do more when we get out of here in one piece.”