He was quick to pin her back down as soon as she was naked. She felt him throbbing between her legs as he gazed into her eyes.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you.”
“Anything?” She raised an eyebrow, but she knew exactly what he meant and it made her stomach flutter. He’d done nothing but try to save her from the moment they’d met. Had that only been a day ago now? She could barely believe that. It felt like she’d known him for a lifetime.
He smiled, kissing his way down her body. This time he didn’t stop at her throat. His kisses didn’t tingle strangely against her skin like they had before, he didn’t feel cold. It felt teasing, and each touch sent a thrill through her body, anticipation sparking her desire. The heat at her core spread as he ended the trail between her legs, his kisses softening as his tongue began to move against her. She groaned under him and he gripped her hips, keeping her from squirming under his touch. She reached down and stroked through his hair as he worked her closer to climax. It hit hard and fast. The scream that left her lips was earth-shattering. He moved, licking at his lips as he positioned himself to enter her. The self-satisfied smile was justified so she didn’t tell him to wipe it off his face.
“It’s just as well my heart doesn’t beat anymore,” she told him. “That might have stopped it.”
He slid his length into her wet warmth and she wound her legs around his back, keeping him close. She was still riding the high, ecstatic to be pinned down by his muscular bulk and loving the feeling of being filled by him. She never wanted it to end. He moved, bending to tease her nipple into his mouth as he slowed his thrusts. A fresh spark of heat burst through her as he sucked. She moaned as he worked her into a second orgasm, his measured thrusting and well timed tongue flicks driving her crazy. The euphoria that followed kept her in a state of bliss as he reached his own climax inside her.
His kiss this time was relaxed, a slow but passionately infused embrace that made her want more. She pulled his head back to hers as he started to move away, not letting him end it. He legs stayed wrapped around him possessively, keeping him in place.
He smiled when she let go. “You don’t want me to move.”
“How did you guess?” She grinned.
“Well, if you want a repeat performance you’re going to have to let me drink something first.”
She let him go. “That’s how it works?”
He nodded. “You might not even notice it, but something happens when we drink blood. It’s called a Pulse. It’s what makes sex possible.”
“So you have to drink right before, every time?”
He shook his head as he grabbed a bottle and picked up the bag. He had to put it in the room’s fridge before it went bad. As soon as it was gone, he sat back down next to Skye.
“I haven’t been drinking enough. It’ll take me time to get back to full strength.”
She looked him over with a raised eyebrow. “This is you not at full strength?”
He smiled wryly. “I might look okay, but inside I’m a little messed up.”
“I think that could be said of anyone.”
He nodded. “You know what, you’re probably right.”
He opened the bottle and took a drink.
She wondered why he hadn’t been drinking enough, but she didn’t quite have the guts to ask. It was why he hadn’t been able to stop himself from biting her when they’d met. The reason couldn’t be good.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The phone was ringing and it wouldn’t stop. Theo reached out and yanked it off the night stand. Being broken out of peaceful dreams was a whole new experience and it made him incredibly pissy.
“What is it?”
Stacy took a breath before she spoke. “Someone booked in an appointment with Skye. Through Brody’s dad. He paid ten grand for it. I’ve been told he gets to do whatever he wants to her.”
Theo was suddenly wide awake. “That’s not happening.”
“It was a direct order,” she said, her voice small. “I’m only relaying the message.”
“Then relay this one to him…”
“Brody wants to talk to you.”
He sighed, rubbing his face. “What the hell is going on, Brody?”
Skye was beginning to stir beside him, and he didn’t want her hearing any of this shit.
“We need to talk. Meet me down in the bar in five.”
He hung up and Theo frowned at the receiver before he threw it down.
There was only one reason Brody would want to meet in the bar. It was more protected than the rest of the brothel. They’d be able to talk there privately, without risking anyone overhearing their conversation. His father’s spells wouldn’t be able to penetrate the cavern. The spirits down there messed with all forms of magic, apparently.
He got up, uncertain as he threw the clothes back on. He didn’t want to leave Skye on her own, but Brody apparently had something important to tell him, something that likely related to a plan. There was no way he’d let his father hand Skye over to some creep who was going to torture her.
He shook Skye’s shoulder but she didn’t wake up. The decision weighed on him for a few more seconds before he rushed out the room. He’d be gone five minutes or less.
Chapter Thirty
The knock on the door took Skye by surprise. She pushed herself up on the bed and frowned into the darkness. She was alone. Theo wasn’t in the room.
The door handle turned and she froze. The girl from reception came in with a handful of clothes, closing the door behind her. She had a tight smile on her tired face, and she held out the bundle of clothes like a piece offering.
Skye wrapped the sheet around herself and looked for her underwear.
“What’s this?” She asked, trying not to freak out at the weird situation.
Stacy took a deep breath before she spoke. “Okay, so this is going to sound bad but just listen and try not to freak. Okay?”
Skye raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on that I need to try not to freak about?”
“You know how you agreed to work here?” She pulled a face with her teeth. The false smile only made Skye’s panic rise. “Well, you have a client. And there’s nothing I can do about that. So here’s what we’re going to do.” She dumped the clothes on the bed. “Pick out an outfit. You’re going to try using compulsion on me.” She folded her arms and suddenly the fear in her nervous attitude shone through.
“Compulsion?” Skye guessed she probably should have asked Theo more questions about being a vampire. “Where’s Theo?”
“He’s speaking to Brody right now. We’re all in on this plan.”
She was shaking a little.
“You hate vampires, right?” Skye wished she had time to sympathize, but right now she wanted to know what the hell was going on.
Stacy shook her head. “I just… I don’t like how they can have complete control over someone.”
Skye nodded, fingering the clothes in front of her. They were all nightdresses, slinky, silky, or lacy. She picked the least revealing silk one and hauled it over her head. It was probably two sizes too big, but her ass was fully covered and the neck wasn’t scandalously low.
“How do I use compulsion?”
Stacy took another breath. “Just look me in the eyes and will me to do something.”
She locked gazes with the trembling human girl and smiled. “Tell me you love vampires.”
“I love vampires,” she said, in a dead tone that creeped Skye out, just a touch.
She shivered. “Yes, that’s how you do it.”
“It seems easy.”
“So they tell me.”
“What’s the rest of this plan?”
Chapter Thirty-One
Theo ran the whole way there, which took about a minute with his super speed. Brody was waiting for him, a grim look on his face.
“Hey,” he said.
“What’s going on? What are we doing about this client situation?”
“We have a plan. So relax. Skye’s not going to get hurt.”
“Is he still here?” He was still wondering why the hell Brody had called him down here. He was trying to stay calm, but leaving Skye alone was playing on his mind.
“He’s not, but we have reason to believe he’s looking in on us right now.”
“Looking in?”
“He cast a spell before he left. I didn’t catch all the words but I caught enough to know he’s watching to find out what happens. He’s expecting us to do something to mess this up. We need to be careful.”
“I don’t give a shit about being careful. Tell me what the damned plan is.”
Brody nodded. “We let the guy come here, and he changes his mind about who he wants to spend his time with.”
Theo frowned at him.
“I mean, we change his mind. Compulsion. It’s harder to detect than magic. My dad might suspect, but he won’t know for sure. It’s risky, but it’s all we have.”
“Compulsion.” Theo shook his head. He supposed ripping the guy’s throat out would be even riskier, particularly as it seemed he was one of Brody’s father’s rich friends.
“We won’t let anything happen to Skye. We just have to get this to play out right so this whole thing can be over and done with.”
“We’re leaving after,” Theo said, knowing it was what needed to be done to keep Skye safe. This place had been a haven for him when he needed it, but it had turned into a nightmare.
“I’ll help you get out of town later on tonight.”
He nodded. “I need to go.”
Brody put a hand on his arm. “I can’t let you do that.”
He turned, incredulous, as Brody dripped blood into the darkness and said something he knew was activating a spell. When he tried to move he couldn’t. Blood magic had him frozen in place.
“I’m sorry, Theo. This is for everyone’s good. You’ll understand once we’ve gotten through this.” He walked into the darkness, leaving Theo trapped in his own body in the bar.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Stacy left after Skye practiced on her some more. The compulsion thing was kind of cool, but she really didn’t like the thought of using it to get rid of some pervert who’d come here and paid to sleep with her. Just the idea of that gave her the shivers. She sat on the edge of the bed and waited. He was on his way, according to the two rings Stacy had given her phone. It was the signal that he’d arrived at reception. Now Skye’s nerves were frayed.
“He’s human,” she whispered to herself. “He can’t do anything to me.”
Still, she shivered. Her flat-mate’s boyfriend had been human and look what had happened with that. She shook it off. She was being paranoid. This was different. Stacy had known what she was talking about, even if she hadn’t been able to quite bury the terror in her eyes.
The knock was hard, solid. She got to her feet. Stacy had given her precise instructions on what to will him to do. He’d head back up to reception and demand another vampire, one who knew how to pleasure a man properly. She steeled herself as the door opened.
Her jaw dropped when she saw her creep boss enter. Her skin was crawling the instant he stepped into the room, the smarmy smile on his mustached face making her fight back shudders.
“Well, Skye, it seems we won’t need that trip to get closer, now, will we?”
She frowned at him as he moved closer, his wide eyes taking in every inch of her. She seriously wished she wasn’t wearing something that showed her lower legs.
“Stop,” she said, locking his gaze the instant he tore it from her body.
He froze in place and she smiled. It was working. This was going to work. She was going to…
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, smiling back. “I don’t think so, vampire. You think I wouldn’t come here prepared? What kind of idiot do you think I am?”
She pushed him away, trying again. “Stay back!”
He grinned. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”
Her heart sank. He had some kind of protection against her compulsion. She glowered at him.
“Just as well compulsion’s not my only trick,” she told him, feeling her face change, and noticing her nails sharpen too. Slashing his throat sounded good right about now. Even more so when he lunged at her, attempting to push her onto the bed. She steadied her feet on the ground and slashed at his face. He avoided her attack, mostly down to how quickly he stumbled to his knees when pushing her onto the bed didn’t work.
There was rage in his eyes as he got to his feet. He whispered something under his breath and she shuddered violently, shifting back to human and staring at her hands, no longer lethal weapons. She tried to shift again, to pull out the vampire, but it wasn’t working. He’d done something. A spell!
“Get the fuck away from me.”
“I’ll give the orders around here,” he said, grinning. “Lie down on the bed, Skye.”
She gasped as her body followed his order, while she fought against it every step of the way. This couldn’t be happening. She had to stop it.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Theo bit down on his lip until it bled and then he spoke the words Brody had to reverse his spell. As soon as he made sure Skye was okay, he was going to make sure his ill-intentioned friend knew how he felt about what he’d done. No one was going to stand between him and protecting the girl who’d made him want to live again.
He ran back to the room, hoping it was where she still was. The world rushed past him as he moved, losing precious seconds to get back to her and hoping against hope that she was okay. He rushed into the room, breaking the locked door with his thrown body weight. The sight of the man on the bed with his hand creeping up Skye’s leg jolted him straight into action.
“Get away from her,” he roared, grabbing fistfuls of the creep’s clothes and hauling him on to the ground, slamming him into the floor and pinning him there.
The guy was breathing heavily, attempting to say something. He slammed his fist into his face. Once wasn’t enough. The blood didn’t stop him, nothing could now. He beat the guy into the ground until he stopped breathing, stopped moving. It was only then that his rage was sated enough to move away.
He turned to Skye and she moved quickly to him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. He held her close. “I won’t ever let anything happen to you. I won’t.”
The phone started to ring and he ignored it. Whatever this meant for Brody, for the brothel, he was done with it. All he cared about now was getting Skye out of there, taking her somewhere they could live without fear.
“We should probably get that,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest.
It wouldn’t stop. He refused to let her go. She took his hand firmly and moved towards the phone. He followed, not certain he wanted to know who was on the line. There was no one in this place right now that he wanted to talk to. His free hand tightened into a fist, just thinking about it.
She picked up the receiver and he listened in.
“Thanks for doing me this favour, Theo. I would have taken care of it myself but I can’t get my hands dirty, if you know what I mean. You should leave town now. Not everyone will be quite so pleased about this.” Brody’s father hung up as soon as he’d said what he wanted to.
Skye dropped the receiver and looked at him.
“He wanted you to kill him.”
Theo nodded. “That’s what it looks like.”
She sighed heavily. “Can we just get the hell out of this damn town already?”
He pulled her in and kissed her briefly. “Trust me, I was already planning on it. Come on, we’ve got some packing to do.”
Author’s Note
Special mentions go out to Janel Flynn who picked the name Skye, and Ashley Martinez who picked the name Theo. It’s been a long wait for this book since the names were chosen, but here it finally is!
I hope you enjoyed this novella. Please consider leaving a review if you did.
This story takes plac
e in the same world as my Gallows urban fantasy series, which you might enjoy if you like suspenseful and entertaining paranormal reads. If you’re purely into paranormal romance, you might want to try reading Twisted Magic, which is Liv and Brody’s story. Two more novellas are coming soon in the Vampire Nights series!
You can sign up to my newsletter if you don’t want to miss any new releases. You’ll also get three exclusive short stories set in the Gallows series when you sign up:
http://sharonstevensonauthor.com/newsletter/4592662273
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