by Kim Faulks
Isa was the one to flinch, before she wrenched her head toward the other woman and spat. “Of course there’s sex, what do you think we’re paying you for, your winning fucking personality?”
Isa’s glare was deadly as she turned to Jared. “Are you telling me the details weren’t explained? Because after our discussion yesterday you assured me she was one hundred percent on board. Anything goes, was the term I believe you used.”
“Anything goes, Jared?” Her voice broke mid-sentence, leaving a whisper of air to complete the hiss.
I lunged, grabbing the piece-of-shit around his neck. His legs left the floor and floated through the air as I drove him into the wall. The inch-thick glass wall shuddered.
Hate rolled off me to saturate the room.
Nova beat my arms, her blows nothing more than the soft whumps. I felt nothing but hatred and wanted nothing more than to kill. Her blows rained on my shoulders, one well-aimed punch hit me in the jaw. I snapped my head toward her as she pleaded. “I’m begging you. Kol, let him go. Just stop it.”
“Stop it? This leech of a fucking human has just sold you like a whore.”
She flinched at the words, her eyes widened. I wanted to close my eyes to her pain and I wanted to swallow it. I let her torture consumed me, just as the rest of her consumed me.
Jared’s voice was a screech. “You wouldn’t have done it, if it was sex. I know you.”
Those bitter words struck true. Nova doubled from the pain. I scanned her body—no blood—there was no blood and that dead, pulsing muscle clenched inside my chest, reminding me that somehow there was still a sliver of a human left.
“You lied to me, Jared. You fucking lied to me.” Nova dropped her hands, there were no more blows to save this sorry piece of shit. “I’m not having sex… I’m not having sex with those things.”
Those things… those things…. I might be a thing but I was far from the most hateful monster in this room. I focused on Jared. “I’m going to kill you. I’m going to peel your fucking skin from your body, and then I’ll make you fucking eat it and while you’re eating it, I’m going to take the one thing that ever meant anything in your miserable fucking existence. I’m going to take Nova. I’m going to make her mine.”
I didn’t need to see her reaction, the delicate sound of her pulse sped. The thundering of her heart made the hunter and lover in me rise like the shadows at night. My senses were firing, pumping the perfume laden scent to my brain. The tips of my fangs scraped the inside of my mouth as I found the delicate traces of peach shampoo and the serpent inside came alive.
The guards closed in. Their desire to kill was palpable.
Isa turned her head, pointed to Nova and screamed at the guards. “Get her out of here!”
The bitch was all business. Danger glinted as she yanked her gaze toward me and snarled. “Kill this piece of shit, if that’s what you came here for. But the girl fucking stays.”
Nova
Isa sealed my fate with a perfect smile. Kill him? I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. Pain filled my mouth with a sour taste.
“Baby,” Jared choked.
I kept my stare fixed on Kol’s perfect alabaster skin and those powerful hands. One squeeze, that’s all it would take. Betrayal beat like another heart inside my chest, swallowing every thought. Let Kol kill him. So simple, would it even take a nod of my head, or a simple look to end the man I once loved.
“Stop,” the wheeze formed a word. “Let him go. He’s not worth it.”
Kol’s hard gaze closed around me. I wrenched my head to the window and stared at the streets below. Inside I was falling. My bones were water, my mind one cruel blow from splitting in two. Sold. The word sliced and hacked, cleaving away the innocence I’d held onto until now.
“I’ll do it. I’ll do this… I’ll sell myself.”
I couldn’t look at Jared, couldn’t stand to see the truth in those cold, hard eyes. He never loved me, only used me, and I realized with blinding clarity that I didn’t love him.
The steel in my spine matched my voice as I focused on the lying bastard and spoke carefully. “But I want you gone. Out of my apartment, out of my life.” Brown eyes bulged with pressure from Kol’s grip around his neck. Jared nodded and gasped for air. Spittle flew to hit Kol’s arm until the vampire let go.
Jared crumpled like a doll. His head flew backwards and smacked into the wall, sending a shudder through the glass.
“It’s my apartment,” he gasped, sucking in gulps of air until his grey face pinkened.
I stopped breathing. Rage boiled to the surface. “What did you say?”
“I mean the lease... it’s in my name.” Jared spluttered and massaged his neck.
“That’s all you’ve got to say to me? The lease is in your fucking name?”
I’d kill him myself. I’d kill the lying, spineless cockroach. Violent images filled my mind. I couldn’t pick which one I liked best.
Kol shook his head and growled. “She’ll leave, don’t you worry about that. You’ll never see her again.”
“I want my things and I don’t want you there when I come for them. I don’t ever want to see your face again, or it won’t be the vampire you’ll need to be frightened of—it’ll be me.”
“Good, glad we got that sorted,” Isa snapped. “Take the trash out, boys, and far away from here. He looks like he can use a nice swim. How’s that, Jared—you up for a night time dip? Oh, and I’ll be changing the payment. You won’t see a dime of this money. And if I get wind that you’ve bought another girl to this office, or any of our offices I won’t be so forgiving. In fact, Kol here has some wonderful ideas on torture and we may invest in his services.”
Kol kept his deadly stare on the piece of shit and growled. “I’d do this one for free.”
I slowly shook my head. He came for me—he wiped the debt for me. But why?
The bouncers snatched Jared from the ground.
“Nova. Nova, you can stop this. There' s no coming back from this, Nova. We can still work things out... that’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“I don’t want to work it out, Jared. I want you gone.”
I pinned my lips between the hard edge of my teeth to stop from speaking.
The scuffle was over before it barely begun. I tracked Jared’s shouts and muffled screams until I realized the replay was inside my head. Jared was gone and he’d taken my future with him.
Part of me mourned for the life we could’ve had, the home, the child. But our relationship was all one side. He needed me to love him, to put up with all the bullshit… now, I just needed him out of my life.
“You should’ve let me kill him. You’re too good... too loyal.”
Kol already could read me better than Jared ever did. I tried to still the tremble and whispered, “I know and I hate that about myself.”
“Nova.” Isa held out her hand to me in the doorway. “Come. We have things to discuss before tonight.”
Kol stiffened. “You're still going to force her?”
There was something strange in his voice, part man, part animal, the words rattled inside his chest like a warning.
She swallowed, keeping her tone hard, “A contract is a contract. Devlin Holland isn’t someone I want to piss off.”
Kol turned his head, impaling her with a stare and answered. “Neither am I.”
His growl ripped through the room, followed by a blur of movement, and then he was gone. An ache filled my chest, leaving me washed up and empty.
Isa shrugged. “Vampires, you’ll get used to them eventually.”
I cringed. “I don’t want to get used to them. I want to get as far from this place as possible. I want to run and never look back.”
Her gaze turned hard and cold as she answered. “Don’t kid yourself. You signed a contract. There’s no place you can hide. If they want you, it’s best not to fight—trust me.”
Nova
I don’t even recognize myself. I yanked at the low neckl
ine. The tops of my breasts spilled over the neckline.
“It’s perfect.” Isa snapped. “Open neck, long sleek lines. You know, you have a nice body. It’s a pity you hide it under those rags.”
I bit my tongue as she traced the path down my spine once more and lingered at the small of my back. Her hand stopped at the swell of my ass. I shifted from one foot to the other, shifting her touch and forced myself to speak. “So... how do I do this?”
“You mean sex?”
Fire lashed my face. I swallowed my breath. “The... biting.” And the sex.
“Our clients are into seduction, more than the act. So be prepared to swoon a little before you need to spread those creamy thighs of yours. You’re a delicacy, Nova—unbitten and unfucked, so he’ll most likely want to stake his claim a number of times. He’ll want to take it slow, hours, maybe days. If it runs any longer than that I’ll send a search party, don’t want you drained now, do we?”
Unbitten and unfucked. I winced. “Days?”
Isa’s laugher reverberated through the dressing room. “You could be sucked dry and all you think about is the sex. Did you expect a quickie in the back of his car? Honey, these are vampires... they have all the time in the fucking world.”
Sex for days—and with someone I never met? My body tightened, something inside me shuddered with terror. I willed the floor to open up and swallow me.
“Oh, stop it, you’re going to make your makeup run. Besides, once he starts, the last thing you’ll be thinking about is time. You’ll have a wonderful night. Danny, perfume, and I think we’re ready to send our Riding Hood out to the big bad wolf.”
Isa circled me, taking one last look. I caught my reflection in the mirror. The champagne colored dress hugged every curve I had, and some I didn’t.
I followed the line to the floor, shifting to slip my leg through the thigh-high split. The woman who stared back wasn’t me. Sex with a vampire. Sex for money.
Momma would be ashamed. The thought fell flat and slipped away, placed by her southern drawl. You do what you need to do, Nova. Then kick that bastard out of your life—you deserve better, honey.
I could do this. It was just sex.
“Can you at least look like you’re enjoying this? You’d think twenty thousand would buy a damn smile at least.” Isa snapped.
Don’t sweat. Don’t scream—and don’t fuck this up. I stepped into the elevator, and rode in silence with the bodyguard.
Enjoying the show?
Kol’s voice filled me. The memory of his breath against my ear sent shivers along my spine. He whispered dangerous things—deadly things. My coated lips stuck together. I inhaled and wrestled with my demons. Blue eyes dragged me under like a whirlwind. A bead of sweat slipped down my spine. The air-conditioned air chilled the trail, like a frigid caress. He was a violent summer’s squall, calm one minute, terrifying the next. I couldn’t figure him out. Why come here? Why pay for a debt that wasn’t his?
He left. He’s gone. The elevator shuddered to a stop. And he’s not coming back.
“This way, miss.”
I wrenched my gaze to the guard’s hand over the elevator door. Cold, mechanical, unflinching, unfeeling, Kol filled my mind. It looked so simple. Shut down every emotion and walk away.
I clutched my dress and followed the guard toward the automatic doors. I could do the same—shut down, feel nothing—become someone else—if only for a night.
Specks of colored light danced across the floor at my feet. I lifted my head to the massive chandelier. Crystal spheres turned slowly, moving with a breeze I couldn’t feel. This entire building reeked of money and elegance. I might actually pull this off. Maybe I could get used to the sex... I knew I could get used to the money.
I followed the guard out of the building and climbed into the back of the waiting limousine. The rich leather swallowed me as the door slammed shut. The engine growled, sending tremors through the seats as the limousine pulled out.
This is a bad idea. The angel on my shoulder whispered as empty streets whipped by. I waited for the devil to counter, to tell me this was the only way. That this was how I’d survive—that this was how I’d be free from Jared, free from being broke.
But he was strangely silent.
And I realized I didn’t need him at all.
I knew it already.
Headlights from parked cars flashed on, blinding me with the glare. I looked away, finding panicked faces of those who worked too late and played with danger. I’d never noticed how divided we were. Humans owned the day, they owned the light… but the dark was inevitable. Tires squealed as a black Ferrari raced the limousine, outrunning, outgunning us. I pressed the button, cracking the window. Fear seeped inside. Night was coming and with it would come the hunters.
I hit the window as we passed the Aquarium. Towering buildings gave way to a broody sky, storm clouds rolled in and the briny smell of the bay rushed in. Seagulls called overhead, dipping and weaving between towering buildings, racing the car.
The boats became bigger the further we drove. White giants glared at me with black glassy eyes. They rocked and swayed with the merciless surge and retreat of the water.
Two guards stood on the deck at the back of a alabaster mammoth. I craned my neck as the car pulled to a stop. Black windows crowded the lower level of the cabin, then lightened to grey the higher the floors went. Fear turned my bones to jelly. This is it, this is the place I’ll lose my virginity. A shadow crowded the backseat of the car.
Soft brown eyes beguiled the mountain who waited for me. The hard lines of his face softened with a smile. He held out his hand. I reached out and gripped his massive paw. “Welcome, Miss Flynn. We’ve been expecting you.”
The muscles in my thighs tensed. My knees locked into place. The guard’s arm was under mine before I could blink. His corded forearm bulged like steel rope under my hand. I gripped his wrist and rocked, pulling myself from the car and stilled. The waves crashed down, boats rocked my world. My chest tightened, my pulse galloped. The neon boats were too white, too clean, blinding my world against the dimming sun.
“I... I don’t know if I can do this. I….”
My body recoiled, tightened and clenched. I closed my eyes at the deafening sound of my galloping pulse and felt the world sway. The guard studied my face, and then gave me a hint of a smile. “I think if someone went to all the effort to look that stunning for me, they’d at least stay for a glass of champagne and a nice meal. Anyway, I think you’ll find Master Holland to be very... attentive.”
His arm tensed under my hand, strong, sure. I licked my lips and inhaled, and then took a step. His smile was radiant, urging me forward. A plank waited, framed in either side with rails. The steel dragged along the concrete floor as it rocked with the boat. I held my breath and reached for my dress.
“Would you like me to carry you?”
I lifted my chin. “No. I got this.”
“Yes. Yes, you do.”
I wobbled, but found a lull in the rise and stepped across to land on the carpeted floor of the boat with a thud.
White party lights sparkled like stars in the twilight sky above. My escort strode toward the cabin and yanked open the door to usher me in. The thunder from my pulse filled my ears with a deafening roar. I scanned the dark interior with the fading sun and lit candles on the table.
“I thought I turned on those lights.”
The escort brushed my arm as he slid past. I followed as he rounded the black lounge and headed for the bar. Pressure built in my chest, burning my lungs until I realized I hadn’t taken a breath. The guard reached for the wall as a soft, clipped voice came from the room.
“Don’t. Leave them.”
I wrenched my head toward the sound. The shadows held tight, revealing my host an inch at a time. He cast a nervous gaze toward me, the soft hiss of his breath followed.
Devlin Holland wasn’t what I expected. He glided across the room, his shoulders back, spine ram-rod straight.<
br />
His pale skin looked soft under the lowlight, catching the faint silver tones of the white lights over the table. His brown hair looked baby fine, swept up in the crest of a wave at his fringe and sculpted around his ears. He looked young, too young and almost normal standing there, until he turned his head.
Slate grey eyes captured me. So cold. Goosebumps raced across my skin. Pressure built inside my head, tightening like a fist around the base of my head.
Something pushed at my thoughts, and rifled through my memories. Phantom fingers flicked through my memories, resurrecting pain, and happiness. Devin’s lips curled as a memory slammed into me.
Momma filled my mind. Her cheeks ruby red with a winter’s bite. One corner of her mouth curled and those brown eyes glistened with laughter. Then, her happiness was gone. Her lips flattened, desperation filled her gaze. I love you, she whispered. I love you so much, never forget that. The memory plunged a knife through my heart.
“Mom.” The word slipped from my lips. I scrambled to hold on to her face, but she was gone, replaced by my pink tasseled bike as it wobbled underneath me. A child’s squeal of glee pierced, sending shards of pain through my temples.
More memories, more people, aunts and uncles, my school friends and Jared.
Devlin’s voice slipped through, cold, cruel, slicing into my mind like a knife. “Just a little more. I like to know who I’m dealing with.”
Jared, when there were good times when he was young, grinning like a fool as he sailed his football through the air with one kick. Jared, at the end, frightened, angry, lips curled with hate. He hated me. He hated himself.
“No… more.”
The whisper slipped from my lips. Colors faded, white, then grey and then there was nothing at all. Shadows cloaked my memories until in the dim light something moved.
Kol strode from the emptiness, moving like a force of nature. The night inside my mind seemed to pulse around him. He was more than a man, more than a monster. Sandy curls shone as he lifted his head. All I could see was blue. I was swimming, paddling in the rapids of his gaze.
