“I-I don’t know what to say,” I stutter, trying to maintain my balance. Dante’s eyes hold mine for a long minute, and then he relaxes, letting my arm go.
“Take off your top,” he commands.
“I’d rather not.”
“Take off your top,” he repeats, “or I’ll drag your limbless corpse out of this room and onto that stage for everyone to see.”
I swallow the instant lump in my throat. This isn’t just some power-play, he’s serious. My dignity and pride can’t impede self-preservation. Confidence, however, is a different story. If this is his way of trying to humiliate me, it won’t work. With as much gusto as I would on the stage, I take off the flimsy top I’m wearing and toss it to the side. Dante smiles, nodding his approval.
“Sit.” He pats his leg and my stomach drops.
Unsure, I duck my head and turn to sit, instantly pulled down onto his thigh. He has one hand on my throat, and another on my arm. He grips my arm so tightly I feel like it could snap in two. If I even try to move or fight him, I’m positive he’ll make good on that limbless promise. I shiver at the thought of it, too.
“Such lovely curves,” he purrs, burying his face in my hair. “And your scent… it makes me hungry.”
Words fumble around my head like loose accessories in a purse. I try to reach in and find what I’m looking for with touch alone, but I can’t locate what I need. My fingers graze the right response, never fully grasping it. I knew what to do in the kitchen with Gray. The cast-iron pan was sitting right there. But here? In the place I feel safest? I don’t know what to do or how to make my mouth move.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
“You’re a vampire,” I croak.
“Of course you know,” he says, twisting my arm so painfully that I cry out. He turns it until my wrist is facing him. “Why wouldn’t you? It’s not exactly a secret when you have a vampire living in your home.”
My eyes widen, and my body grows rigid from shock. “H-how do you k-know that?”
“Please,” he scoffs, bringing my wrist to his mouth. “I know everything about Gray. Where he’s going, where he’s been,whohe’s been with.”
“It’s not like that.” I suck in a breath as his tongue licks a long line across my skin. This isn’t how I imagined my work day going at all.
“And what’s it like?” he asks, tightening his hold on my throat.
“We made a deal!” I choke on my own words, his grip unyielding, crushing. “He saved my life.”
Dante’s laugh cracks against my back like a hard slap, and the pressure on my neck goes from vice-like to nothing as his hand encloses over my chin. He pulls me back against his chest as his fangs sink deep into my wrist. Gray was slow and intentional, as if he wanted me to enjoy it rather than suffer. Dante had none of the same finesse. It felt like he’d taken my hand and ran it right into a garbage disposal. I feel woozy and cold the longer he goes on, and there isn’t anything I can do to get away from him. His strength is on a whole other level. He keeps one arm around me as the hand on my chin moves to cover my mouth right before I bite out a scream.
“Now, hold still.” Dante’s bite moves to my neck, and he buries his face in the slope of my shoulder. His teeth dig in, all while he pushes his fingers into the wound on my wrist.
This time, he doesn’t stop me from screaming right into his palm.
The pain is unreal, and with his hand covering my mouth, I can hardly breathe. My eyes blur with hot tears as I try to focus on breathing through my nose. It takes all of my focus to keep myself conscious. Eventually, after what feels like hours, he draws back from my neck and drops his hand from my mouth. I suck in a deep breath and roll off to the side of the couch where it’s empty, shaking from head to toe as I try to bring air back into my lungs.
“Damn, youaredelicious,” Dante groans. He stands and stretches his arms above his head, while I sit there and try to catch my breath. His friends, or whatever they are, silently slink along the wall behind him towards the door. The one whose neck he twisted, pops up from the ground with a shout, making for a miraculous and sudden recovery.
“We done here?” Julian asks, rubbing his head.
“Almost.” Dante turns to face me again, and despite myself, I flinch. He leans down close to my face and licks his lips slowly.“When you leave, know that no one outside of this room will notice you’re bleeding. My friends have all ensured it.”
“How?” I croak.
“Special little vampire trick.” He smiles and taps his forehead with one finger. “Oh, and before I forget… a gift.”
I don’t think I want to know what kind ofgifthe’s going to give me, so I brace myself as he reaches around himself. I could almost cry when he pulls out a fresh stack of cold, hard cash. Round and wrapped in a tight rubber band, he waves it in front of my face, as if to tease me.
“For the dance,” he says. “Now, open your mouth, precious.”
For the last time, I do as he says. This is the real humiliation, the part where I close my eyes and wait as the feel of the paper glides against my lips. Acid fills my veins at his laughter. When I open my eyes, they’re filing out one by one, taking the dead woman with them. Just as he’s about to leave, Dante turns around and leaves me with one final message.
“Tell Gray I’ll be seeing him real soon.”
