Page 24 of Vampire Lee

The door slowly swung open. Lee’s hand splayed on it, and his face was blank as he looked into the room and found Dillon standing in the middle of it. “What did you just ask me?” The emphasis on the what made Dillon wince.

“You said we’d slept together, but I can’t feel—”

“Oh my God.” Lee took a couple of steps into the room and shoved the door closed behind him only to shove it again when it opened a crack after he let go of it. A grunt of annoyance left him, then he moved. A little too fast for Dillon’s comfort, but he remained standing in the same spot.

“You did not ask me…” A look of disbelief took over Lee’s face, then he shook his head. “Babe, if we ever fuck, you’ll know. Not that…you’re human, and…I eh…like…” Lee rubbed his neck. “I want my lovers aware and willing when they are in my bed.”

“Yeah, right.” Dillon snorted and regretted it half a second before the sound manifested in the room. Shit, he was stupid.

Lee stiffened, gone was the mellow guy he’d woken up next to, and before him stood a predator. Dillon took a stumbling step back. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—” Damn.

Lee took a shuddering breath and rolled his shoulders. “Nothing to be sorry about. Come on, get dressed.”

He didn’t dare object. Yanking his shirt over his head, he then dove for the dresser for another long-sleeved shirt. Privacy was a commodity, and self-consciousness had been beaten out of him a long time ago.

Next, he yanked off the pajama bottoms, keeping his back to Lee. He’d change his underwear later. He found a pair of jeans, bought to look worn, and he liked the soft feel of them. Clothes were good. After having lived years mostly being naked, he really, really liked clothes. He didn’t care what they looked like as long as they were on his body.

Turning around, he kept his gaze on the floor. “Ready.”

Lee didn’t move for several seconds, and Dillon didn’t dare look at him.

“Let’s go.” The broken whisper had Dillon stumbling forward. Why had he whispered?

* * * *

Lee didn’t know if he breathed a single time on the way down to the kitchen. It was a miracle he didn’t fall on the stairs since all he could see was the image of Dillon tearing his shirt over his head in jerky movements. His skin was ruined by bite mark upon bite mark. One scar melted into another, creating more and more arched ridges, and bile teased the back of Lee’s throat.

Lee had tasted human blood once, from a bag. He hadn’t understood what the hype was about. He’d had a couple of lovers through the years who’d allowed him to bite them, and it had been awesome. It had always turned him on to see his bite on their skin. But they had all been shifters and healed fast, not to mention he’d licked the punctures to help it along. He didn’t get off on hurting and ruining anyone. The puncture wounds would give him a thrill, then he’d lick them closed and watch them melt away.

Dillon looked like someone had thrown him in a pool with giant piranhas, and it wasn’t the way a vampire bite should look. Someone, several someones, had bitten into him with all their teeth, not only their fangs.

The floor shook underneath his feet.

PTSD. For fuck’s sake. And Devin had said Dillon did better than he had. How bad had it been for Devin?

No wonder Mars had looked like he wanted to kill him when he’d knocked on the door unannounced. Fucking hell. Fucking, fucking hell. And he’d forced Dillon into his bed last night, and been pissed when he hinted Lee might have…He gulped down a breath. There it was, oxygen. He blew out a shuddering sigh, his gaze glued on Dillon’s neck. He walked tall and proud in front of him, and it wasn’t until they reached the bottom floor, he sunk into himself, almost shrinking on the spot. There were voices in the kitchen.

“Want to go in there?”

Dillon shook his head.

“Want me to get you something?”

Another headshake.

“You should eat something.” He was too thin. Lee had always been lean and wiry, but Dillon looked like someone who built muscles if given the right nutrition and exercise. “Coffee? A sandwich.”

Before Dillon could reply, if he’d meant to reply, Rei appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. A cup of tea in one hand and a plate with two sandwiches with cheese and tomato slices. He handed them to Dillon without a word, then he met Lee’s gaze. “Grab something to eat, then we’ll get the meeting going.”

Dillon slipped away, walked up the stairs again, and Lee stood unmoving until he’d disappeared from view. “What the fuck happened to him?” He kept his voice low to make sure Dillon didn’t hear, and he didn’t think Devin could hear him either, even if he was right inside the kitchen door.

“Blood slave. We got him out seven-eight months ago.” Rei didn’t smile. He didn’t look threatening, but there was something dark lurking behind his eyes. “What happened?” When Lee didn’t answer right away, he pressed. “With the door.”

“I panicked. I was half asleep when I heard a whimper, then a scream, and I don’t know what I was thinking. That you wouldn’t make it up in time from the floor below, and I was the only one close enough. I forced the door open, and…it was a dream.”

Rei nodded. “Yeah, I should’ve warned you. We’ve been listening to nightmares for three years, but I remember when we first took Devin in. I don’t think anyone slept for weeks. Faelan switched rooms with Mars to not have to be the one closest to him.” Rei flashed fangs. “I’d kill those fuckers all over again if I was given the chance.”

“They’re…”

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