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HAYLEY
Inheritance
“I CAN HELP. You have to let me help.” I sit on Monroe’s lap, running my fingers through his soft hair. “I don’t even need much to perform. I’m known for my hoop, but I have experience with sinks, poles, trapezes, and floor routines.”
“Absolutely not. We keep our hotel closed for a reason. The last thing we need are more assholes coming in, trying to threaten what we have.” Sawyer rests his elbows on his knees, staring at the empty glass of blood he set on the floor.
We all sit together at one of the old roulette tables, away from the rest of the crew. Tatum and Walcott keep looking in our direction from across the empty, quiet casino. A couple others hang around the slots, whispering quietly. I think Monroe, Sawyer, and Knox purposely keep me away from the others, but I don’t ask about it. It’s not an uncommon thing for vampires to do. And who knows? They could all be upset about what happened to the donors—not could be. They are pissed off. I just don’t know if it involves me.
“You can perform for me anytime,” Monroe whispers into my ear, kissing the sensitive skin of my throat. He draws my attention away from the vampires across the casino floor.
Warmth flushes through my body, and both Sawyer and Knox glance at me. Monroe’s fingers tighten around me, and I’m nearly certain I catch Knox’s lips twitch. Vampires can be super quiet in conversation. One look at Sawyer proves they’re talking about me. I consider calling them out, but a part of me fears speaking up. What would I get out of it?
Knox clears his throat, realizing I grow uncomfortable by the quiet attention. “What Sawyer means is that we’ll discuss all of our options, but as of now, we want to keep our home safe. Monroe is enough of an asshole already anyway.”
I flick my gaze toward the other vampires, pretending to mind their business. “What about the others? Your other crewmembers? I think they should have a say. It might help with the tension.”
My mouth dries thinking about the way Govan looked at me from his post as Monroe showed me around to distract me from the commotion and outrage of the donors. It was obvious that he’s pissed that I’m here when Mya isn’t. But I...my head pounds, causing my eye to twitch.
“Hayley?” Monroe taps his finger on my knee. “Did you hear Sawyer?”
Sawyer and Knox both stare at me. Again, silence falls between us, and I shift on Monroe’s lap, trying to remember what we were even talking about.
“Hayley? You okay?” I blink a few times, realizing Knox kneels in front of me. He tilts his head and gets me to look into his eyes. “Does something hurt? You’re wincing.”
I shudder, pushing the strange feeling rising inside me away. “No, I’m okay. Sorry. I was just thinking.”
His eyes search mine, and he studies me in silence for a minute. I squirm under his intensity. The way he looks at me? I enjoy it more than I should. I can’t help running my fingers through my new layered A-line bob. It’s still weird getting used to my short strands, but I’m thankful that Tatum found a donor who could fix it.
Monroe plays with the hair on the back of my neck and kisses my skin again. His closeness and affection stir something deep inside me. For being a man who loves fucking people up and instilling fear into the hearts of the toughest vampires, he’s sweet. I savor every ounce of attention he gives me. It’s not even because we just fucked. There is more to it, and my soul hurts even thinking about how time runs out.
I clear my throat, reach out, and poke Knox’s nose. “Stop it. I’m fine. If you continue to stare at me, you might as well just kiss me. At least then I won’t question whether you guys are silent because you’re talking about me too lowly for me to hear or if you’re trying to control your hunger. If that’s the case...bite me.”
Knox’s eyebrows shoot up on his forehead and both Monroe and Sawyer’s fangs audibly click as they extend, triggered by my words. They’re either really hungry or they loved what I just demanded of Knox. Probably the latter since they’ve all been sipping on gen. pop. blood. The sure way to tell whether a vampire is hungry or horny is by looking to see if they get what Mya teased as a fang-boner.
I laugh, the strange feeling disappearing. “You liked that, didn’t you?”
“You little tease,” Monroe murmurs, practically purring like a feline as he scratches his fangs gently over my neck, hooking them to the collar of my shirt. I’ve never worn something so plain in my life, the soft material like a feathery hug around my body. I was a bit surprised Monroe picked out comfort over sexy for me, though he did say I could just wear his sheet.
“What are you waiting for? Give her what she wants.” Monroe presses his chest into my back and snatches Knox by his shirt, dragging him closer.
Stopping himself from crashing into me, Knox hugs me, sandwiching me to Monroe. I laugh and bonk my head to Monroe’s. Sawyer watches with a soft smile on his face, and I wiggle my fingers, inviting him closer. It’s like I have a deep-seated need to include them all. They’ve risked a lot for me.
Switching spots, Sawyer sits beside us and kisses my temple. It’s surreal being in the middle of them as they take turns showering me with affection. I know the crew members don’t comprehend how this is possible with a vampire’s innate possessiveness—I’m not even sure I understand for that matter—but I’ll devour it and fill my very being with everything they are. The universe might have given me a shitty existence, deprived of the emotions I truly craved all my life, but it’s sure making up for it. If only it could last. A driver will show up at any minute. What happens to me after...? I can’t think about it. I refuse to allow myself to carry any hope. The only thing I can summon is patience and trust. Because I will be back here. Sawyer, Knox, and Monroe aren’t perfect, and they don’t claim to be, but I know they’ll do what they can to keep me safe behind enemy lines, which according to Sawyer, is the rest of the world.
A beep sounds from Sawyer’s pocket, but he ignores it, guiding my face until he can kiss my lips. I think about what would happen if I push the three of them and how far they’re willing to go to give me what I want. If only I knew what that was in regards to them. Right now, I’m just content existing within their world and the safety of their home.
“Yo, Sawyer!” Walcott shouts, his voice bellowing through the air. “There’s a fucker outside with a copy of Hayley’s contract. He demands we let him in.”
Sawyer rises to his feet, his tall form towering over me. Cracking his neck, he rolls his shoulders and unsheathes a dagger. Monroe scoops me up with him as he stands, and I’m nearly certain he’ll never let me down again. Someone’s going to have to pry me away kicking and screaming.
“He’s too early.” Sawyer strides across the casino and toward the locked doors. “He can wait.”
“He claims that the beginning of her contract starts an hour prior to trade off to give time for transportation.” Walcott waves a gun around carelessly, making me nervous. He’s the type to shoot just to see if he hits anyone or to watch someone bleed.
“That’s not in the contract.” Monroe glowers, his golden gaze lighting with silver. “I read it twenty fucking times. Start time is the pickup time.”
“He says he’s going to call the leadership and complain that we’re refusing to hand Hayley over.” Walcott shakes his head with the words. “You need to fucking take care of him. I’m not dealing with anymore of the authoritative bullshit.”
