Page 5 of Club Blood

I tugged my lips into a smile, though maybe it resembled more of a grimace from the way Tusker looked at me. My pulse quickened under his gaze, and I wasn’t sure that was a good thing; heightened hearing meant Tusker was aware of his effect. He licked his lips and I shuddered.

The bartender—a woman in her eternal thirties, with striking white hair and a freckled face—slid a tall glass of blood toward Tusker. He took a sip and coated his lips in crimson. My tequila shots swirled in my stomach and threatened to repeat on me at the sight.

A cocktail glass was placed in front of me and I was thankful for the chance to tear my gaze from Tusker. The liquid was similar to a daiquiri, though this was luminous green and smelled of sour apple.

“I hear this is all the rage. A few of my female… companions have ordered it in my presence.”

I lifted the glass to my lips and took a sip. The glass was lined with salt and syrup to cut some of the bitterness. It was surprisingly delicious.

“Mmm, it’s lovely. Thank you.”

Tusker smiled and raised his glass. “It is my pleasure. What brings you toAmbrosia? Forgive me if this seems rude, but you don’t seem like the usual clientele for a club like this.”

I laughed, the sound making Tusker smile. “It is most definitely not the type of place I would usually come to, but it’s my birthday and my friend insisted.”

“Well, I must say, I’m glad you decided to do so. It’s an honor to spend your birthday with you. Happy celebrations, Miss Cecelia!”

I touched my glass against his and we both took a long gulp of our drinks. I knew Nathaniel Tusker had a reputation, but the enigmatic creature before me seemed so distant from those tales that I almost let myself believe I was in a safe situation.

Almost.

Then I noticed the way the bartender kept looking towards us, her lips pressed tight together. Some of the other bar patrons also glanced at us, one woman going as far as looking horrified.

“May I ask you a question, Cece?”

I shrugged. “Sure?”

Tusker leaned forward, his mouth almost touching my earlobe. “Have you ever wondered what it would be like to experience the highest sort of euphoria available to a human?”

“I… Uh…” I could feel the color in my cheeks deepen as Tusker pressed his lips softly to my jaw.

Sniffing in my scent, he sighed contently against my skin. “I think you have, even if you won’t admit it to yourself. I can feel your heartbeat quicken when I’m this close, can hear the way your breath hitches when you see my fangs. I can offer that experience for you. I promise that nobody else would make you feel the way I would.”

My breathing deepened as he forced himself into my space. He was right, in some respect. I hadthoughtabout what it would feel like—so many people claimed it was the best experience of their life—but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that I would be safe with Tusker. No matter how persuasive his argument may seem.

And it was pretty damn persuasive. Damn handsome men and their fucking smiles.

“Mr. Tusker?”

A young woman’s voice broke the tension between us. Tusker groaned into my neck and leaned back, his eyes flashing with annoyance as he looked at the young girl with distaste. “What is it?”

The girl paled under Tusker’s gaze. “Ms. Petrova is ready to see you now. She invites you to follow me and meet her in her office upstairs, sir.”

Tusker sighed and shook his head at the girl. “Terrible timing, child. Cece, you will join me, won’t you? The meeting shouldn’t take long and then we can get back to that tantalizing conversation.”

He winked at me and the young girl actually squeaked, earning her a deadly glare. She coughed and diverted her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry, Mr. Tusker. I believe Ms. Petrova would prefer it if it was just the two of you for business meetings.”

Before the girl or I had any idea what was happening, Tusker had her jaw in a deadly grasp, his fangs bared at her face. “Listen here, you little bloodbag. I am Nathaniel Tusker and Iownyour bitch of a boss. Do you hear me? I will do whatever the fuck I want and I dare little Mercy to do anything to stop me.”

Tusker released his grip on the girl, who looked paler than all of the vampires in the club, and turned to me with his hand extended. His expression softened, though the look in his eyes was deadly. “Now, Cece, please join me?”

I swallowed down the bile in my throat as I plastered on a smile and slid my sweating hand into his.

What the fuck was I going to do?

4

MERCY

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