The gargoyle’s scowl was intense. And sexy as hell. “Except you’re the food.”
She stared at his profile. Strong jaw, arched nose, chiseled cheekbones…so handsome. And protective. She shook her head. What was she thinking? Nick deserved a better woman, not used goods. She came with so much baggage she should have her own bellhop.
“You do realize I can hear you?” George interrupted her pity party. “I’ve been with the company since the beginning. When we first started, HDBP our security was lax. I mean, who wanted to steal blood, right?”
She exchanged a surprised look with Nick. “The vampires robbed you?” She hid a laugh behind her hand. That would have been her first concern if she’d been running HDBP. That was a rookie mistake.
Nick gave her a weary smile and rolled his eyes.
“There’s no proof, of course. They never leave proof of their existence. Our one security camera was smashed to bits and every ounce of blood in our storage was gone.”
One camera. That was awful. She wasn’t professional security, but even she knew better than that. “And it’s not like you could call the cops and declare the robbery.” She could imagine that nine-one-one call. Yes, Officer, someone stole all our illegal blood bags.
“Beauty and brains.” Nick made an appreciative noise.
“I remember you now.” George continued. “Master Viktor was at your apartment when I delivered his blood.” He paused as if measuring his next words. “Then you’re familiar with the community.”
“A little…” Not much at all. “My sister and her boyfriend are vampires.” Trixie didn’t want Ruby getting mixed into the vampire scene. She knew Ruby’s penchant for trouble. Vampires were on a whole other level and Trixie worried they would be the death of Ruby.
“Then you should consider the live donor option. It pays better.”
“No,” Nick answered for her. His glare daring her to contradict him.
She gave him a soft smile. “I’m not into biting.”
“Too bad. You’d be popular.”
Nick growled.
Ruby felt the blood drain from her face. She never had eaten the sandwich that Mildred had made her for lunch. “How good is the money?” She couldn’t believe she was considering this. The little voice in the back of her head kept screaming no no no. So was Nick’s expression.
“The live donors don’t talk money with the likes of me, but when I have to give them a ride, their homes are in much better neighborhoods than yours. Consider this—if a vampire is old enough, then he has money. Some of our donors are on exclusive contracts.”
George was silent for the rest of the drive.
An exclusive contract with a rich vampire. It sounded just like what she had wanted a couple of months ago. Money, food, and a nicer home all sounded great, but it was security and love she craved. That’s what she wanted.
Nick’s thick arm circled her shoulders. “Don’t, Ruby. We’ll manage.” Gentle plea.
He’d said we. Not she or you, but we. As if they were a team. The only other person who used the pronoun with her was Trixie.
Ruby sighed. Contracting out to a vampire was another way for her to become dependent on another. A different type of victim. She had to get out of this vicious circle. Learn to be her own woman.
The car came to a stop and George opened the door, helping her squeeze past Nick. She hadn’t been sure what to wear. Most of her jobs depended on her boobs jiggling just right. This was out of her scope of practice so she’d tried to picture what her sister would wear. Ruby had pulled on a black sweater with a pair of khaki pants. Her feet still ached but she had shoved them into another pair of heels. Bad habits were hard to break.
They were in a small, well-lit underground parking lot.
Nick glared at the ceiling with misapprehension.
She grabbed his hand. “It will be fine. Just stick with me.”
Glass doors inscribed with the company’s name slid open as they approached. The receptionist greeted them in her sultry voice as George gave Ruby a quick tour of the facilities. It reminded her of a medical office. Clean, bright, with the hint of antiseptic in the air. She noted that there were no windows.
He paused in a large open room on their tour. “This is the donor lounge.”
Unlike the rest of the building, this room was warm and rich. Thick wall-to-wall carpet softened her steps and leather lounge chairs were scattered around the room. There were multiple headsets and televisions for each chair, but all were empty.
“Is it a slow night?”
“Most of our donors have given their quota for the month. Business is all about supply and demand. And there’s always a demand for our product.”
Ruby didn’t need a college degree in business to understand that HDBP could charge a heavy price for their bags of blood. As long as the supply was lower than the demand, they would always make money.
George accompanied them to an office at the back of the building where they met Gail, who laughed in excitement at the sight of Nick. “I thought your kind only lived in Europe.” She rose to her plump feet and came around her desk.
Nick stood still as he watched Gail with trepidation. “Most of us do. My family flew across the ocean a few months ago.”
“That’s so exciting. Are you living in New Port now?”
Nick glanced a question at Ruby. “I’m doing my best.”
Ruby cleared her throat.
Gail’s attention returned to her. “Ruby, so glad to meet you as well.” She shook her hand and gestured to the chair by her desk. “Let’s get through the paperwork first.”
She had her fill out the application form and sign a confidentiality contract to keep their identity a secret. Ruby wasn’t stupid. The vampires would kill her if she revealed their existence. Gail then gave her their catalog of donor options. Her income was dependent on what she was willing to do. Some vampires wanted heroin addicts or high alcohol blood levels. There were options for vegan or junk food junkies. Even one that required her eating strawberries every day for a month.
“Okay, I’ll go over all of these at home but for now I’ll just do a regular blood donation.” There had to be a vampire out there who wanted good old-fashioned blood.
“Of course.” Gail beamed. “First, we have to do the preliminary blood work and make sure you’re in good health. Vampires don’t want anemic donors.”
Sweat broke out over Ruby’s forehead. She could do this. It was just a needle. She had been stabbed and punched and kicked. This should be nothing.
She followed George back to the donor lounge and sprawled on one of the chairs.
Nick sat next to her, still looking green from the car ride.
“Are you still feeling sick?” She stroked his cool, clammy forehead.
“I’m good.” Clipped words.
A lab technician hesitated before approaching her.
“He doesn’t bite,” she said.
The tech looked chagrinned and pulled out a tourniquet. “Are you right-handed or left?”
“Right.” Ruby spoke clearly with forced confidence. If she acted brave, then she felt brave. Famous last words.
Nick looked over his shoulder, wings pressed tight to his back.
The technician tied the tourniquet tight around her left biceps before uncapping the blood test needle. It looked long enough to go straight through her arm. “Take a deep breath.”
Sharp pain as the needle breached her skin. She bit her bottom lip and glanced at Nick.
The gargoyle was white as marble.
“Nick?” She had a needle in her arm and couldn’t reach him.
His eyes rolled back and the ground shook when he hit it.
Nick blinked his vision clear. Soft fabric of carpet stroked his wings as he struggled to sit up. Why was he on the floor?
Hands pressed his shoulders and Ruby’s face filled his view. “Don’t sit up yet.” She pushed him back down, using all her weight, then cradled his head on her lap. This
was nice.
A small bandage was on her arm.
A human healer had been taking a sample of her blood. That was the last thing he remembered.
Ruby pressed a cool cloth to his forehead. Worry lines marred her face. “Rest for a few minutes. How are you feeling?”
“Confused. What happened?”
“You fainted, you big goof.” She planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. Her smile indulgent and decadent. “Don’t scare me like that. I thought you’d died.”
He cupped the side of her face. The warmth of her concern an unfamiliar comfort. With his other hand, he grasped her little wrist and pressed a kiss to her palm. “I would make a terrible vampire.”
She laughed. “You don’t say. Let’s get you home.”
Nick rose to his feet slowly, wings out for balance. He felt lightheaded but the room didn’t spin any more.
George leaned against the door jam, arms crossed. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” He had a huge shit-eating grin on his face. “I didn’t take you for a fainter or I would have offered you a seat before we started.”
Ruby held Nick’s elbow as if trying to support his weight, but if he leaned on her, he would most likely crush her. He allowed her help.
“Stop teasing him.”
No hole to crawl into. He glanced at the ceiling. No sky to fly in. Nick was trapped in this moment of embarrassment. Rubbing the back of his head, he glared at George. “Are we done here?”
Ruby nodded. “Yes, we are. Lead the way, George.” She stood by Nick’s side as they left the HDBP. He didn’t want to return there. He hadn’t liked seeing the needle hurt Ruby.
She curled under his arm in the backseat of George’s vehicle as he drove them home. “Do you still feel okay?” she asked.
“I would feel better if you would reconsider selling your blood. What if a particular vampire favors your taste and hunts for you? They’re predators and you are their prey. This isn’t safe. Look at the security HDBP has to enforce.”
Ruby patted his chest. “Trixie and Viktor are vampires. They haven’t hurt me. They are just like everybody else. Some are good and some are bad.”
Nick grunted. Not liking the turn of their conversation. “Knowing our luck, you’ll attract all the bad ones.”
She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. “Look, I don’t want to make this a career. I just want to pay rent.”
He conceded. Irked that she would take such risks. Granted, the apartment was a nice shelter, but there would be others. They could find an abandoned building or sleep in the tunnels.
He echoed her sigh. She deserved better though. “We have to find that charm.” Without it, there wasn’t any way Nick could help Ruby financially. Nothing legal.
“Your bag.” She sat up and knocked on the glass separating the front seat from the back. “George?”
“Did he pass out again?” asked George over the intercom.
A growl rumbled in Nick’s chest. One little slipup…
Ruby waved him to be quiet. “Can you drop us off on the corner of Fifth and Lily Street?”
Chapter Thirteen
Nick’s sexy growl faded. It had sent a shiver down Ruby’s spine all the way to her girly parts. He was such a sexy combination of male animal and sensitive lug. She never met anyone like him. The men in her life had either been jerks or assholes. Neither of those terms could be used to describe Nick.
“Uh, sure. Are you okay with that, big guy?” asked George.
The gargoyle shifted forward and the suspension of the car groaned. “I’m fine.”
George parked on Lily Street, close to where Ruby had asked him to stop. The window dividing the car rolled down. He turned in his seat. “It should only take a couple of hours before we get your blood work results. We run all the tests ourselves on-site.” He handed her another business card. “Just in case you lost my other one in all the excitement. Call me when you’re ready to start donating.”
She plucked the card out of his hand before Nick could shred it with his sharp claws. “Thanks for the ride.” She reached across the gargoyle and opened the door. With a little contortion, she crawled over him to escape.
The glow from the convenience store lit the sidewalk. She pulled down the hem of her sweater and fixed her hair. The expensive vehicle drew the attention from a gang of teens hanging in front. As one they moved closer, craning their necks for a better view. She and Trixie had done the same thing at their age. It was a survival instinct to form gangs or clubs. Safety in numbers.
Ruby crossed her arms and glared. “Nothing to see here. Mind your own business.” Behind her, the car creaked and moaned.
The group stopped, eyes widening.
She glanced over her shoulder at Nick, who was stretching his huge muscular form, wings spread. Wow, the masculine beauty was breathtaking. She ran her fingernails gently down the center of his chest. Mine, she made clear to other females watching. Her sister would not have approved, but Ruby wasn’t known for being subtle.
He paused mid-stretch, his gaze locking with hers, full of naughty promises. Nick did not act like a conventional person. He found the positive in everything around him. Her crappy apartment was a palace to him and he was excited about going to work. He treated her like a princess. She liked the unconventional.
George pulled away with a goodbye honk.
Regretfully, she withdrew her hand from Nick. The gang had returned to their original spot in front of the corner store. Not even the sight of a full-grown gargoyle would scare them from their territory.
“What are we doing here?” He scanned the dark neighborhood, curling his wing protectively around her shoulders and pulling her closer. His color was still a little off.
“Baby, are you sure you’re feeling okay?” If he passed out, she wouldn’t be able to carry him to safety. Not that Nick had much to steal on him. He only wore a small pair of shorts, but she wouldn’t put it past someone in her neighborhood cutting them off. He was, after all, a curiosity.
He gave her a stern look. “I’m fine.” Shoulders tense and claws extended, he eyed the dark alleys and deep shadows. He didn’t look fine. This was a side of Nick she hadn’t seen.
She wove her fingers with his. “Follow me. I know where Theo lives.”
A huge grin spread over his face. “What’s the plan?”
“Beauty and the beast.”
He puffed out his chest. “Who am I supposed to seduce?”
Only her, but she kept that part quiet. She needed to concentrate and Nick was becoming a big, hunky distraction. “Theo’s older brother is an old friend and he’s not into guys. Or gargoyles.” She poked him in the stomach and her fingernail bent, almost snapping off. Rock hard abs was not just a metaphor for a gargoyle. “Wait a minute. Are you saying I’m a beast?” She let their easy our banter flow. It was like they shared the same funny-bone.
“If the shoe fits.” He tilted his head. “Do you even look in the mirror when you first wake up?” He held his hands by his head and wiggled his fingers. “Medusa had more manageable hair.”
She gasped. “You are very close to crossing a line.” Rolling onto tiptoe, she didn’t come even close to being eye level with him. “Take that back.”
Nick leaned forward until their noses almost touched. “I take it back.” A husky whisper. He caressed the nape of her neck, trapping her so they shared air. “Don’t sell your blood, Ruby. We’ll get the money another way.”
Her heart pitter-pattered. “How?” They needed a home though, and as long as she had the means to prevent their eviction, she would do anything.
“I’ll get some.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. As gentle as if she were a flower petal.
She shook her head. “You said you didn’t want to live a life of crime anymore. This was your chance of breaking out.”
He shrugged. “So, we have a setback. We get you settled with the rent and then I try again. It’s that easy.”
She leaned into
Nick, resting her head on his chest. He curled his wings around her and hugged her close. It wasn’t that easy to walk away from bad habits. If she let him go back to his thieving ways, it would be even harder for him to go straight. “It’s just blood. It’s no worse than me donating to the Red Cross.”
“With the Red Cross, you’re saving lives. HDBP is not the same.”
“Technically, I’m saving vampire lives.”
He loosened his hug and grasped her by the shoulders. Bending at the waist, he looked her in the eyes. “What if one of those vampires takes a fancy to the way you taste? I’m strong, but I’m not stupid enough to think I’m stronger than all vampires.”
“By donating blood, I’m preventing a vampire from having to hunt a human.” She quirked her eyebrow. “Am I not possibly saving a life?” The concern on his face gave her pause. What was the big deal of selling a pint of blood? There were so many worse things for her to sell. “Trixie and Viktor use HDBP all the time.”
“Not all vampires are as kind as your sister.”
She noticed how he omitted Viktor’s name.
“Take note that the HDBP had been robbed in the past. Blood to a vampire is not like jewelry or money is to everyone else. Blood is an obsession with them.” His gaze bore into hers. “I don’t want one of them becoming obsessed with you.”
“Okay.” She hated how her voice shook. She’d only known about the existence of vampires for a few weeks. Her knowledge of them was based on her sister and her boyfriend. Even then, she didn’t know much about Viktor or why his body was covered in names. “How come you know so much about vampires?”
He snorted. “I’m from eastern Europe. They are a plague over there.” He let her go. “Look, if we get my backpack, I’ll give you whatever money the little thief hasn’t already spent.”
“Let me do the talking. If they don’t cooperate, you become the beast.” She paused. “Don’t hurt them, though. They’re in a rough patch just like us.”
Nick threw back his head and laughed. “I was stealing at Theo’s age as well. I understand better than most.” He grunted. “But I need the charm. We’re not going to get away with conning the witch again.”
Not Her Gargoyle: Shifter Romance (Not This Series Book 4) Page 9