Blood Red Roulette

by Jana Denardo

  “I was a slave, Luc.”

  Luc looked into Arrigo’s face, seeing the pain and sadness there. “You ain’t shitting me. That’s true, ain’t it?”

  “Yes. I was freeborn. My father was a sculptor.” Arrigo smiled softly. “He did a sculpture of Mercury that you remind me of. Anyhow, Mother died in childbirth with one of my sisters. Then Father died when I was about nine. I became the property of a Centurion as an apprentice since my older brothers were taken by other sculptors as their apprentices and my uncle wanted my father’s business. He took me to the city and lied about me being a slave.”

  “Sweet Jesus! And I thought my family was a bunch of crottes! How could anyone do something like that?”

  “Greedy bastards are everywhere. By the time my brothers tracked me down, years had gone by and the Centurion felt so guilty he helped my military career.”

  Luc took Arrigo’s hand. “Did the Centurion hurt you when you were his slave?”

  Arrigo shook his head. “Not as such. He trained me to fight. I became a soldier, but you have to remember, it was pretty common back then for the soldiers to have uh, bed warmers.”

  Stunned, Luc let Arrigo’s hand go. “But you were a little kid.”

  Arrigo ran a hand through his hair, tugging the tie out of his ponytail. His long hair swung forward, half hiding his face. “Yes, but what is pedophilia today was seen differently back then, not that I’m excusing pedophilia, because believe me, I hate it. Not every tribe used little kids. Others only slept with the teens. The groups would look down on each other and fight. There was so much fighting back then.” He pushed a lock of his freed hair back. “So much now too, I suppose. It’s something that doesn’t change.”

  Swallowing past a lump in his throat, Luc said, “I’m sorry. That’s a pretty crappy life.”

  “Not so bad. You’ve had it worse.” Arrigo shrugged. “But it’s all long past for me, and I cannot completely regret it. It made me who I was then, and it allowed me to meet Fadil.”

  “And you’ve seen more of history than anyone should, which has to be both lonely and kinda cool.”

  “That’s not a bad summary.” Arrigo took a step back and gestured to the telescope. “Have another look.”

  Okay.” Luc obeyed, still unsure of what he was meant to be seeing. He could tell it was a different patch of sky but just barely. “Maybe next time I’ll read a library book or something, so I know what I’m doing. Now that I’ve been studying for my GED, reading is getting a little easier.”

  “Great. I can help you study if you want.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure you want to.”

  “Certainly. So this hasn’t bored you to tears yet?” Arrigo sounded amused.

  “It’s not so bad, but I don’t know what I’m looking at.” Luc straightened up. “So anything else we can do on this date?”

  Arrigo caught his wrist, reeling him in. His mouth burned hot against Luc’s, drawing the fire from deep within him. His whole body instantaneously became a raw nerve, going up like dry kindling. His half-hard cock pushed against his zipper as he pressed against Arrigo. Before he could even search for the much-needed friction, Luc’s fangs dropped. He desperately wanted to bury them in one of Arrigo’s veins.

  Gently pushing Luc back a few paces, Arrigo caught Luc’s chin, tipping it up. “No, I suppose we shouldn’t do anything else on this date.”

  Luc glanced at the rocky distance. “Sorry. Was this a test?”

  “In a way. Knew you wouldn’t have control yet, but it is something we have to explore.” Arrigo put his arm around Luc.

  “Something I needed to see for myself.” Luc tongued the tips of his fangs, drawing his own blood. “I didn’t think it would happen so fast. Would have been nice to kiss a little longer, but I was serious about not getting naked in the desert. I’m not explaining a scorpion bite on my ass to some ER doc.”

  Arrigo snorted. “I’m not even sure we are affected by scorpions, and by the way, they sting not bite.”

  “Whatever. No bites on my ass.”

  “At least not scorpion bites.” Arrigo gave Luc a look that threatened to stiffen his cock beyond the point of no return.

  “It is not fair getting kinky when I’m all messed up like this.”

  “Sorry,” Arrigo replied, but he didn’t sound like he meant it.

  “Yeah, right. So… do vampires ever bite each other when… you know?”

  “Biting is pretty common in vampire sex play. I could probably make you come just from a well-placed drink.” Arrigo ran a finger along Luc’s neck.

  “That’s still teasing. Behave or I’ll tell Siobhan,” Luc threatened even though he didn’t want Arrigo to stop. He liked the teasing, but he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of creaming his jeans.

  “I’ll behave—” Arrigo smirked. “—for now.”

  “So why is it okay for you to bite me and not vice versa?”

  “Because I have control. Do you feel controlled, or do you want to tear into a vein?”

  Luc knew Arrigo already knew the answer. “Tear into. Okay, I get the point, but it’s not gonna take me decades or something is it?”

  “I hope not. I don’t remember it taking all that long. I’ll double-check with friends who mentor fledglings more commonly than I do.”

  “Great, so you can’t even remember that much. Senile?” Luc grinned.

  “The brain has a finite capacity for storage. Some things get pushed out.” Arrigo shrugged. “We have time, Luc. We’ll work on it.”

  “More like play than work, but I’ll take it.” Luc decided another change of topic was in order. He turned back to the scope. “Can I change the scope’s position?”

  “Sure. Here, let me show you how to do it?” Arrigo reached around him.

  As if realizing it was a bad idea, Arrigo stepped around Luc, who wished it wasn’t necessary. Luc forced himself to pay attention to what Arrigo was trying to show him. It wasn’t as satisfying as kissing Arrigo, but it was better this way. There would be time for kisses later.

  Chapter Thirty

  LUC THOUGHT it wouldn’t be too tough to be in a crowd. After all, he did okay at the shopping mall, having compromised on cost with Arrigo using Macy’s as the place to buy his new clothes. No Walmart, no two-hundred-dollar shirts. However, the mall didn’t have half the people in it that Fremont Street did. Luc disliked crowds, and now his skin quivered from the closeness of all the bodies and the heat and the salty scent of blood coursing under their skin. His fangs ached with the desire to drop, but Luc controlled them.

  He was getting good at that. Even when he, Siobhan, and Arrigo had confronted his father and brother to tell them he’d moved out, his fangs didn’t peek out. His relatives hadn’t created quite the scene he feared. Their snickering at him and telling him he’d be back once Arrigo was done using him sucked hard, though. Luc shook his head, done wasting time thinking about them.

  Someone drew close, breath curling along Luc’s skin. “You okay, sweetie?”

  He glanced at Siobhan standing next to him. “No, too many people.”

  “If you feel out of control, we can go.” She laid her hand on his shoulder.

  Luc shook his head, glancing around at the throngs of people. The Fremont Street light show glittered on the cover above the street. Arrigo was nowhere in sight. “I’m in control, but it is testing me a little. Mostly I’d rather be where there are less people, but that’s me most days. I’ve never been much for crowds. Mardi Gras always freaked me out.”

  “Would you rather be doing this with Arrigo?” Siobhan rubbed his shoulders.

  Luc leaned into her touch. “Arrigo said he didn’t have much patience for this sort of thing. I don’t see why not. He’s good at schmoozing people.” Luc wrinkled his nose. He would rather test his limits with Arrigo, but he liked Siobhan. Being with her was okay.

  “That’s Arrigo, Mr. Patience.” Siobhan snorted. “Luc, sometimes that man is a pain in the ass. You’re just getting to kno
w him. You know his pretty side, but like everyone else, he has an asshole side. There are probably more people on this street than in any city Arrigo grew up in. Probably more people in Vegas than there ever were in Italy then. He’s with you on the subject of not liking crowds. I’m better suited for moving us through the throng.”

  “Really? Because the guys keep pausing to look at your boobs as we slip by them? Or because Arrigo looks barely legal with that ponytail-man-bun thing he’s got going on, and people stop him before he can get inside the place?”

  Siobhan snorted again. “Don’t mock the hair. He’ll pout for weeks.”

  “Like I have room to talk. If mine gets any longer than this”—Luc grabbed a handful of his curly hair for emphasis—“I look like a dandelion ready to blow away in the wind.”

  “And, yes, I look a little less threatening than a pair of guys trying to get through a crowd. You know how men are. You get too many in a tight place, especially when they’re drunk like half the dudes down here, and someone is going to go all macho asshole. Also you’re not wrong about the twins helping to part the Red Sea.” Siobhan patted her chest above the swell of her breast. “If it helps, you’re doing fine, Luc. You’re hardly jumpy. That shows a good deal of control.”

  Luc smiled, the compliment making him glow. He knew it was silly of him, but he was so unused to praise, he didn’t know how to deal with it. “Really?”

  “Yes. How are you feeling otherwise? The offer to talk about what happened still stands, you know.” Concern pinched her pretty features.

  “That you were turned against your will like me? Mais, I didn’t forget it. I appreciate it, but I ain’t ready.” Luc couldn’t quite meet her eye. Siobhan rubbed his shoulder again. Luc caught scent of something beyond the salt, sweat, and perfume of the crowd. A bitter foulness mixed with something almost rotting sweet made his nose wrinkle.

  “You’ve caught wind of that. Can you spot the source?”

  Luc scanned the crowd. He settled his gaze on a young man with a bald head and no eyelashes. Luc subtly inclined his head toward the bald man.

  Siobhan nodded. “That’s the smell of leukemia.”

  Luc thought for a minute. Pity rose up in him for the stranger. “You two mentioned we can spot sickness in the blood.”

  “It helps to keep us safe.”

  “Too bad the world can’t know about us. Bet we and Michael’s kind could be used to find sicknesses sooner for people.” That might be an interesting, rewarding job. Too bad it wasn’t a real one.

  “It’s been discussed, but it is what it is. It’s better our world is hidden.” Siobhan didn’t look happy about it but seemed to accept it.

  “Hi there, cutie.”

  Both Luc and Siobhan turned to see another young man about Luc’s age making eyes at them. With short spiky brown hair and deep eyes, he was pretty hot.

  “Are you talking to me or my friend?” Siobhan batted her lashes at the hottie.

  Hottie grinned. “Both.”

  Siobhan leaned close to Luc. He goggled at the blatant pickup. She whispered, “See if you can mesmerize him.”

  Luc set his jaw and concentrated on the hottie. He tried to bridge the distance between his mind and the young man’s. Pressure built in Luc’s sinuses, his temples throbbing. Hottie’s expression remained unchanged. Am I making any headway? Don’t think so.

  “You can leave happy that you got what you wanted.” He figured it was worth a shot to try to plant the suggestion.

  “Huh?” Hottie shot him a baffled look.

  So much for putting the whammy on the guy. Luc widened his eyes at Siobhan, who grinned. She touched Hottie’s shoulder, and his eyes went unfocused. “Like my friend said, we had a great time. Go brag to your friends.”

  “Yeah, it was great.” Hottie bounced off, waving at them.

  “You made that look so easy.” Luc sighed.

  “I’ve had tons of practicing.” Siobhan smiled softly. “Nice effort, but you’re not quite making it inside their heads.” She linked arms with him and headed through the crowd.

  “That’s because I’m busy blowing up my own skull.” Luc rubbed his forehead. “Is it supposed to hurt?”

  “Not once you learn how to do it right. It’s more like pressure. Don’t worry. It takes plenty of practice. You’re not slow or anything. That’s why you won’t be hunting alone for some time yet.” Siobhan gave him an encouraging grin.

  “Okay.” Luc frowned. “Was I supposed to drink from him?” The thought made him nervous. He didn’t want to hurt people even if he wasn’t doing them any serious harm.

  “A few mouthfuls would have done it. It would have looked like you were making out.” She cocked her head to the side, looking at him. “Are you hungry?”

  “Not really. You guys filled me with beef blood before we left.” Luc glanced around as Siobhan guided him through the crowd. “Where are we going?”

  “Shifty’s. It’s a Crypt-Kicker. Remember what we told you about that sort of place?”

  Luc nodded. “Oh, the bar I saw you making out with Arrigo.”

  She winced. “Sorry, especially considering what Eleni did to you afterward.” Siobhan slid her arm down so she could link hands with him.

  He gave her hand a squeeze. “Mais, you didn’t know she’d do anything crazy-crazy like turning me, or maybe you kinda did.”

  Her bright eyes dimmed. “We knew you were at risk. We didn’t do enough, but we can’t change it now.”

  “Do you regret being stuck with me?” Luc knew they had gone over this ground before, but he couldn’t help circling back to it.

  “Not a bit.” She kissed his cheek, then dragged him inside the bar.

  A chill ran up his spine as they walked into the dimly lit place. He knew at once these people were other predators without needing to be told. There weren’t many people in the bar, no more than a dozen, but Luc felt naked in front of them. He felt like he did when his father was about to begin his drunken rampage. It took a moment to remember he was just as much a predator now.

  “Luc?” Siobhan nudged him.

  “Sorry, having a loser moment. I’m good.” In saying it, he was. Luc spotted Arrigo next to the bar with a woman. Arrigo waved broadly. Luc took it to be an invitation, not needing Siobhan to lead him over. “Hey, Arrigo.”

  “How did it go?” Arrigo held some drink Luc couldn’t identify. The Alibi was mostly a beer and whiskey sort of place. Whatever Arrigo was drinking, it was bright blue.

  “I was a bit freaked out by the crowd, but not too bad. I failed the mind-control thing miserably, but on the upside, Siobhan and I got asked to be part of a threesome.” Luc grinned.

  “If I knew you’d consider that a plus….” Arrigo smirked.

  Luc flushed. “See, I don’t know if you’re joking or not.”

  “Arrigo, let’s get the poor kid settled into this life before you break out the Roman orgy.” Siobhan wagged her head.

  “As you wish.” Arrigo took a drink from the blue whatsit. “We’ll bookmark that.”

  Luc’s mouth went dry and his cock twitched. “Again, I’m not sure if you’re joking.”

  “Don’t worry. You might enjoy a good old-fashioned orgy.” Arrigo’s smirk grew even more big and sexy.

  Luc rolled his eyes, but the idea wormed into his brain. What the hell was happening to him? “Are you drunk already? Or did the blue froufrou go to your head?”

  “He has a wonky sense of humor,” Siobhan said, then waved at the woman with Arrigo. “Hi, Diana.”

  “Hi, Siobhan. And the young man Arrigo is teasing must be Luc.” Her smile was bright, and her black hair glistened under the bright neon bar sign behind her. Luc wondered if she was Latino or Native American.

  “I am.”

  “Luc, this is Diana. She and her husband, Pearce, own Shifty’s. We’ve been talking over an idea that in a few weeks, or a month or two once you’re more used to all of this, you could bartend here.” Arrigo smiled.

 
; Luc didn’t know what to say. He could see a sense of pride or something like it in Arrigo’s eyes. He knew Arrigo was trying to help, and Arrigo seemed confident this was a good thing. Luc wasn’t as sure. Did he want to be nothing but a bartender? Did Arrigo think this was all Luc could do? He didn’t want to disappoint Arrigo either. It was a place to start. He could do this and work toward something more. He had all the time in the world to do it.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “You have experience bartending, right?” Diana asked.

  “Plenty of it.” He frowned a little, looking around the bar. “Not in a place as nice as this. I don’t know so much about mixing drinks.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll have training. You need to get used to all the changes inside you first before you start,” Diana said.

  “Are you a vampire too?” Luc asked, barely above a whisper.

  She shook her head. “I’m a shape-shifter.”

  “You seem nicer than Michael.”

  Arrigo leaned in toward Diana. “Michael’s been a bit rough on Luc.”

  “Werewolves get intense,” Diana agreed. “I’m a werecougar.”

  “I’ve lived with hard mean men my whole life. I’m used to it.” Luc shrugged, wondering if a cat shape-shifter would be any more or less intense than a wolf. Just as dangerous, no doubt. Maybe even more of a jerk, because cats tended to be assholes. “But I do appreciate you doing this for me, Diana. I’m not comfortable with living off Arrigo.”

  “That’s how it usually goes with fledglings, right?” Diana looked between Arrigo and Siobhan. “The mentor takes care of them.”

  “Yes, but Luc wants to make his own way. I have no problem with that.” Arrigo put his empty glass on the bar.

  “I’ll find a place for you, Luc, when you’re ready. Supernaturals have to look out for each other.” Diana smiled.

  Luc held out his hand to her, and she shook it. “Merci.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Will that be soon?” Luc glanced at Arrigo.

  “Not too soon. You’re still getting on your feet.” He shot Luc a look as if to remind him they also were still trying to track down Eleni too. “And how about we go have a little fun on Fremont?” Arrigo slipped his arm around Luc’s waist.