“Yes. She’s already been warned.”
Irritation shot through Blade. Then why the hell was the shifter calling him? He knew what to do—unless he’d suddenly developed a damn conscience over the matter. That was something he didn’t need right now. “I don’t get it, Junaid. Why are you calling me?”
“She says she knows you.”
“Knows me? How?”
“I’ll send you her picture and details.” There was the sound of rustling and then a beep as an image came through. Even before he opened it, Blade knew who it would be. Her face stared back at him, her hair just as ratty in the photo. Alyssa. That was her name? “Blade? What do you want me to do with her?”
Send her to James.
That should have been his answer. But his mind jumped to the cigarette marks on her arms, the ones she’d pathetically tried to pass off as mosquito bites. And what about those bruises? Had the mob boss done that to her? Or one of her other clients? Regardless of who had, she would go through worse if she was reported. Much worse. Damn it, he was the one who had pushed for this. He should report her if he wanted to do the right thing by his partners and the staff he’d put onto this dirty job…but what would James do to her?
“I’m in my office, Junaid. Bring her here.”
There was a pause. “Sure. We’ll be there soon.”
Even as he placed his mobile on the desk, he knew it was a shit decision.
CHAPTER FIVE
* * *
ALYSSA. THE ONLY THOUGHT THAT ran through his mind after that call. He could not focus on the damn accounts…and that proposal for the new dance zone? It would have to wait. Impatience rose inside him—to see her? To think he’d been the one who told the wolf shifter Shaun that he was making a mistake putting a woman before business. What the hell was he doing now? This wasn’t anything short of stupidity. He was about to call Junaid and tell him he’d changed his mind, when there was a knock at the door. Too late. When he checked the monitor above his desk, Junaid was outside.
There was only one way to deal with this. He’d explain to her how serious the situation was and make sure she didn’t turn up here again. If she had any sense in that tiny head, she’d listen. But even if after knowing the risks, she still turned up at Eclipse or any other supernatural enterprises, then it was her own bloody problem. There wasn’t much he could do if she didn’t value her own life, was there?
As his fingers hovered over the switch on the desk, the one that would release the door, his eyes were on the monitor. Alyssa came into the frame, and for a few moments, he paused in whatever he was about to do. Gone was that little floral dress from the other night, and in its place, was a hot red number that finished just below her ass. She’d gone all posh and sexy tonight, and damn if it didn’t make his horns stand on edge. He released the lock, and they entered the room.
If the shifter was surprised that Blade had asked him to bring Alyssa here, he didn’t show it. “Anything else, Blade?”
“No. You get back to monitoring the Oasis entrance.” Junaid was much better than this shitty job—hell, he’d run the dance zone single handedly since he took over, but it wouldn’t be long before the girls got the message. He fucking hoped so, anyway.
“I’ll get going, then.” Junaid left, closing the door behind him.
Alyssa’s eyes were bright. “Thank you, Blade. I—”
“You were warned not to come back.”
“Yes, I was.” She glanced around his office, taking in the customized furniture, expensive gadgets and a security system that could log into any area of Eclipse. “But I need to work, Blade.”
Work. Of course. That was why she’d turned up dressed like this. Her breath quickened as he ran his gaze over her; the hair looked more presentable today, making him wonder how much work had gone into it. Made-up eyes, glossy lips. A dress that exposed just the right amount of cleavage, with a hem that would be indecent if she sat down. And then his eyes landed on her knees, and he drew a sharp breath at the fucking dirt on them.
She was on her knees before the guy, about to suck him off.
He clenched his fists, as an image of her doing the deed flashed through his head. He was ready to go into a fucking rage. Kill someone. Even better, tell Junaid to get whoever she had been with in the alley, so Blade could hammer his fists into him. The guy wouldn’t think of getting blown for months. He turned away from her, inhaling deep to regain his calm. Why the hell did she affect him like this? Whatever this shit was, he needed to get it out of his system.
But then images played with his head. Alyssa in the position she was days ago, straddling him, lowering down to suck his cock…but the flashback changed so there was a faceless man underneath her—a stranger who pounded into her. That rage returned, reaching deep inside his chest and squeezing at something unfamiliar. This is what she does. Every single night. Deal with it. He’d never felt possessive over a female before…and this woman? She was one who would go with anyone for the right amount. Damn stupid of him to get involved.
“Don’t come back here,” he told her. “I can’t help you again.”
Those large eyes dropped from his face to his chest and then lowered, resting on his trouser waistband. He wanted to ignore her, but heat surged through his blood at the memory of what they’d done the other night. Him pulsing inside her as she released those delicious sounds, urging him on, wanting him to…damn, the release he’d had that night was unlike anything he’d experienced.
Her gaze returned to his face, but it didn’t reduce his discomfort. In fact, those green eyes were unsettling, as if they bored into his very soul. “I need to work, Blade.”
“That’s what James is for…to put you to work.”
When her face turned a shade paler, he wanted to take her in his arms and protect her from the mob boss, keep her here with him. Nobody had to know…but again, one hell of a stupid idea. “You know what he’s like, don’t you?” When he didn’t answer, “Of course you do. The whole of Manhattan knows what he’s into.” She held her arms out. “In case you need reminding.” The marks were fading, but at the sight of them, an ache shot through him. Yet that pain was nothing compared to what she’d been put through…no, he needed to back off, because it had been her choice to get involved with someone like James and enter this line of work. She wasn’t his problem, and he wasn’t going to make her one. “I need to make money, demon. So I can get away from him.”
A crazy idea came to his head, of offering her a job. The words were on his lips when he pulled them back again. He needed to bloody think first. Yes, there were plenty of jobs behind the bar in the different zones, but he would need to clear it with James before offering any of his girls a job. The idea took root inside his head. How would the mob boss react if Blade offered one of his hookers a job? He wouldn’t be best pleased, but when was that asshole pleased with anything? Blade could always ask him, and make it clear that if he wasn’t up for it, it wasn’t going to happen. But he suspected that with the right amount of money, it would. Every fucker in this business had a price.
“You still want to work here?”
Her eyes lit up, making him think that, hell yes, he would pay what it took to keep that smile on her face. But then she frowned. What now? “When I came for a job, I was told I wasn’t up to standard.”
Why did her words make him feel like shit? It wasn’t his fault that humans and supernaturals had such a limited idea of what constituted beauty. “There are hundreds of other jobs you can do. Behind the bar, or perhaps you could train in something you want to do—” And to be honest, he wasn’t going to put her to work so she could fuck other guys under his roof. Not her. “What do you reckon?”
“I’ve always wanted to train in something.” The smile came back, big time. “I dreamed of getting an education, you know. Perhaps I could save money, go to college and—”
“I need to clear it with James first.”
And now that solemn expression was back. “He’ll nev
er let me go.”
“He might do, for the right price.” That’s what it all came down to in the end, didn’t it? James, Alyssa and him—they all had a price. “But like I said, don’t get your hopes up.”
But it was too late. Her eyes were wide and bright, and that smile returned and got stuck on her face. Damn it, she really was gorgeous when that misery lifted from her, wasn’t she?
THE DEMON WAS RIGHT. SHE shouldn’t get her hopes up, but she couldn’t help it. Hope. It was what had kept her going over the years. As her dad bashed her around the head for taking too long in the shower or whatever had pissed him off, she had hoped to get away from him. She’d planned to work and save money to do what he’d never allowed her to—go to college. And when she got a job offer from Manhattan, one offering her work as a high class escort with promises of big money? Hope reared its head again. A year or so, and she’d save the money to pursue her dream. And then she’d come here to a life that was even shittier than the one she’d escaped. But that little thing called hope kept her going. There was something better coming; there had to be. Or else what was the point of going on? Through the degradation and torture, and as clients fucked her in the most vile ways, she clung to hope. It would not always be like this…
“Alyssa?” Blade’s voice brought her back to the office. “I can’t promise anything.”
But the idea of getting away from that sadist’s clutches, before he could punish her for what he considered a personal affront, had already taken root. Blade was powerful, wasn’t he? Perhaps James would listen to him. As far as she knew, they were associates of some sort. She could already see herself working behind the bar or maybe even in this little office. She’d done a few computer software classes, saving money from her job as a waitress in a dingy café and going to night classes without her dad finding out. Maybe she could get the cash together to leave Manhattan. Even better, do what she’d always wanted. Get an education and go for a better life…
“Until you speak to James, I need to make money,” she said. “Couldn’t your guys make an exception and allow me to work here? I promise to be discreet, and I won’t take work away from any of your girls.” She rubbed her knee behind her leg, trying to get rid of the dirt. “It’s not as if the people who are interested in your girls would even look at me, anyway.”
“You know I can’t let you do that.” Before she could protest, “But I’ll give you money to keep you going.”
She stepped toward him, but stopped with a distance still between them when he tensed. “I promise I’ll work it off.” Her words hung between them, and a red rim surrounded the black iris of his eyes, the way it had that night. Blade still wanted her.
“You don’t have to.”
“But I don’t want any favors.” The truth was, she wanted him. When she was around him, she forgot who she was…
He approached, standing close enough so that the heat from his body touched her. His jaw tightened as his eyes roamed over her. “Leave.”
She moved closer, but he didn’t pull back. She placed her hands on his shoulders and went on tiptoe so her breasts pressed against his chest. His nostrils flared and eyes flickered. When she licked his lower lip, a soft moan left his mouth, barely audible. And then his arms went around her waist as he pulled her up against him. He could deny his need for her all he wanted, but his body told another story. The demon was rock hard. He moved one hand to her ass, lifting her so she ground against his erection, sending a painful ache through her. She breathed against his mouth, soft. “Demon.” Her voice was low, but it was not the one that the experienced prostitute in her used. Being near him had this effect on her. “Do you still want me to leave?”
His mouth tightened, and for a moment, it was as if he might still resist. But then his lips were on hers, hard and demanding. He turned with her so her backside was against the desk. Both his hands were on her backside now, as he pressed her up against him as if he wanted to make their bodies one. She was so turned on that she became dizzy. When she stumbled, he held her against his hard body with one hand, and with the other, he pushed things from the desk, stuff falling to the floor as he made room for her.
She registered her dress being pulled up around her waist before he sat her on the desk and pressed her thighs apart. And then he was between her legs, his tongue inside her mouth as he pulled her forward so her core was against his erection. She grabbed his shirt, pulling the buttons open, pretty sure some of them broke. And then her fingers found what they were desperate for. His bare chest under her fingers. As her hands roamed over hard muscle, she wanted more. She needed to be naked with him. When she wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips for closer contact, he groaned. “Fuck, Alyssa. I can’t wait.”
His hand went between them as their mouths stayed locked. She heard the sound of his trouser zip opening, and that sent more surges of heat through her. And then he pulled at her lace panties. Could anything be more erotic than that tearing sound?
He shoved into her, hard, pleasure pulsing through her body as he moved inside her with long strokes. “Blade…yes!”
At her words, he moved faster. His hand went to her breast, fondling it through the material. And then he moved his fingers inside the neckline. With each push of his cock, he thrust his tongue inside her mouth and twisted her nipple. She trembled under the pleasure, unable to take this assault on her senses. His movements became more frenzied, and he stopped working her nipple and grabbed her whole breast, his grip becoming tighter. His mouth left hers, and he twisted her hair around his fist, holding her head back so he could look down at her face as he fucked her hard.
“Alyssa—” He didn’t finish what he was about to say, because the whole of his face tightened, the black iris of his eyes expanding until it covered the white. She stared at him, wanting to take in every bit of tension on his face, wanting to remember what he looked like as he coated her insides with his cum, but—damn!—as he pushed his cock deeper, the pleasure was too much to bear. She closed her eyes, but he tugged at her hair. “Look at me!” he ordered.
She stared up into black hypnotic pools as his shaft pounded inside her. It was as if her damn soul left her body and sank into that gaze. She took a hand to his jaw in awe, trailing her thumb across his bottom lip…and then he held her against his chest, tight, as he came inside her with a loud groan. She drew her arms around his waist as an orgasm shook her body. With her nose buried in his chest hair, she felt protected. Blade would take care of her, wouldn’t he? As another rush of pleasure shook her, he kept his hold on her, rocking her against his chest. Eventually, he pulled out of her and stepped back to zip up his trousers.
Her panties were a sorry mess on the floor, so she stood and pulled down her dress. He followed her gaze to the ripped lace. “Sorry.”
She grinned. “Believe me. You have nothing to be sorry for.” His hard expression was softened after sex, and the black iris of his eyes had shifted to the usual size. As he fastened his shirt buttons, he glanced up to look at her, and that grin nearly had her jumping on him again. Instead, she said, “I’ll get going now. You’ll speak to James?”
She regretted breaking the moment when his smile faltered. His eyes traveled over her one more time as he said, “I’ll speak to him, but like I said—”
“I know. No promises.” She smiled wide, and when he responded, a spark lit inside her. The connection they shared a few moments ago had returned.
She leaned past him toward the door, and as she did, her breasts brushed his arm. When his eyes darkened with lust again, she let go of the handle. He grabbed her by the waist to pull her toward him, his lips finding hers. Before she knew it, she was pressed back against the door, his hard body lodged between her legs. God, he felt so good…
“Alyssa…” His breathing was heavy. “I can’t get enough of you.”
“I can’t get enough of you, either, demon.”
“Stay…” he murmured. She wanted to, but along with the heat, a pang of hu
nger hit her belly. He must have sensed her resistance, because he lifted his head, frowning down at her. “What is it?”
She lowered her gaze, unable to look him in the eyes. “I have to work—”
He released a curse, his hard expression returning. “How much?” When she said nothing, “How much for you to stay?”
“I told you I won’t charge you,” she mumbled, “I like being with you.”
He sighed. “I don’t fancy paying for this, either. But you need the money, and I don’t want you going out there and fucking someone else. So tell me. How much?”
“For how long and what kind of service?” It was what she would ask any client.
“Three hours.”
Three hours with the demon? The idea sent a jolt straight to her core. “I’ll do you a good deal. One hundred dollars.”
“Meet me at my villa, and be discreet about it.”
Discretion. It was what most clients asked for. Because as women like her were labeled as whores and outcasts, the customers who bought them could walk away from the transaction untainted.
But the demon…there was something different about him. Which was why, as she approached his villa gate, there was only anticipation. No fear, and no disgust or shame.
BLADE SAT IN THE SPACIOUS living room of his villa, impatient. He’d already told the guards outside to let Alyssa enter with no questions asked, but how soon before she arrived? After they’d had sex in his office and she prepared to leave, a sensation of loss had hit him, something like what he experienced that night after she left.
And he’d been unable to let her go…
He rested into the crème leather sofa. To the right of him were wide glass doors that provided a stellar view of the swimming pool, but he didn’t care about all that tonight. He closed his eyes as his mind flashed through what had gone down in the office. His cock turned hard and horns twitched as he thought of how he’d been unable to get enough of her. He opened his eyes. What the hell had he done, inviting her here? This was beyond stupid, but he wanted her. He’d wanted her since that day when he fucked her at the side of the pool.
Blood Moon Box Set Page 21