Page 7 of Burn for the Devil

Kenzie ordered another revolting beverage while Alastair sat there sipping on blood in an exquisite crystal glass. The single mom was either dense as fuck or much more open minded than either of us beings could pick up on. I decided she was highly gullible and naive. With that, my hand returned to her thigh, tracing little circles along her skin as she squirmed while Alastair and I caught up on what we could.

With the woman sufficiently under my control, dizzy from my scent, sorcery, and her cheap alcohol, I brought up the book. “When were you going to tell me?” I could barely keep the anger out of my voice, thinking of his withholding of information.

A pensive look crossed my friend’s face. “What difference would it make? What’s done is done.”

“Knowledge is power,” I growled.

He nodded. “Yes, but it's too late now, isn’t it?”

Scowling, I shot back, “You should’ve told me. What have you to gain by not coming to me?” My fingers crawled up Kenzie’s thigh, teasing at the thin satin of her underwear. I could only guess Alastair’s motives, but I doubted they were truly malicious. He was a better man than I.

He let out his breath, lifting his glass to his lips and scanned the room. “Ilya is testing my blood. I’m sure he’s testing the wine again as well. It will be interesting to see what more he finds.”

“You’d have better luck pulling the information from Stefan,” I retorted, referencing a demon who prided himself on being useful and knowing a little bit about every subject.

“That gives me an idea. I’ll have Devane contact his wife.” Alastair took another sip of his beverage.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, drink still raised. “Have you thought about getting more involved? This is yours; all of it is yours. And yet, you leave it in Ilya’s and Alexander’s hands.” Ilya handled all the technical aspects of the business while Alexander frequented the Second Realm often, handling cargo. Cargo—meaning humans.

Alexander was becoming frustrated, wanting to spend more time where I was in what we called the Third Realm. He seemed to have a love interest of some sort, a distraction, that kept tearing him away. I often kept him too busy for personal pursuits.

Suddenly, the thought crossed my mind I should bring Alastair in, have him work for Fulgere Industries rather than performing the occasional favor. It was uncertain whether he’d be accepted, being abloodsucker, but my word was law. His newly acquired magic and his wife’s talents for research were invaluable resources no one could deny and would come in handy. He could help; it would lessen my burden.

Irritated by Alastair’s personal observation over my sense of responsibility, I ignored him for the moment. I tore Kenzie’s undergarment to the side and plunged a finger between her lower lips, slickness coating my finger. Her eyes closed and I added another before rubbing her clit with my thumb. A breathless “ohh” fell from her tongue while I licked the side of her neck. A server stopped by the table, keeping their gazeaverted, and removed our empty glasses before replacing them with fresh beverages.

I heard my friend chuckle as I unbuckled my belt, lifting my hips to slide my pants down. I grabbed the nape of Kenzie’s neck, pulling her hair while I fisted my cock. She glanced at my lap, eyes going wide. A small bead of precum shined in the light and I shoved her head down, instantly choking her. I leaned my head back, relaxing my shoulders, listening to the slurping sounds and basking in the sensations.

Alastair’s words repeatedly interrupted my pleasure, the noise clanging about in the back of my head. Who did the fucker think he was? I yanked Kenzie’s head back, forcing a cry from her throat and then lifted her hips over my cock and forced her down. I was too big for her, but I didn’t care, soaking up her pain as I tore into her tender flesh with a hiss.

Biting her breast, I lapped at the rivulets of blood that coursed between the two bouncing mounds. Her cunt contracted; she was close. Oblivious to the danger directly in her face, her orgasm hit her, and her fingernails slid helplessly against the linen of my shirt.

As she convulsed, I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her neck. I took a deep breath and then lapped at her skin, my tongue trailing across the goose bumps that followed my path. A sweet flavor poured over my tongue and down my throat, filling every cell of my body, making it sing. The base of my spine tingled, my blood racing to my groin when I exploded inside her. Repeating the inhalation, I sucked more of her in—her aura, her essence, while her pulse slowed. Her system flooded with dopamine and oxytocin, and I consumed her soul.

Shuddering, I shoved her body onto the floor and straightened my pants, refastening them.

“Not loyal to your obsession any longer, I see,” Alastair remarked, staring at me with distaste.

I scoffed. “A man’s gotta eat.” I motioned for another drink, and one was rapidly delivered. Shortly thereafter, someone came and removed the slightly deflated corpse from the bar’s floor. Before Devane, Alastair would’ve drained my victims’ blood. He was now a changed man and held himself to different standards. Remembering he was now in possession of angel blood, I had to ask. “Do you still feed in the same manner?”

He knew what I was referring to, the possibility he now possessed an affinity to feed on souls. “I can do both, but I’ve restricted myself to solely tasting my wife in those fashions. Supplementing with bagged blood donations as needed, of course.” He chuckled. “To think what I was missing out on.”

I smirked and changed the subject. “You will work for me now.” If the man could’ve blanched, he would have, but his alabaster skin left no room for such a feat,

“I have my own responsibilities, as you know.”

His objections meant nothing to me. “It wasn’t a question, nor an offer.”

Alastair and the man who had bit him, changing him into a vampire, Nick, were in control of and regulated the vampires throughout the eastern United States. I didn’t pay as much attention as perhaps I should have, but my friend was already in league with me based on his valuable assistance with the occasional disposal of, or delivery of bodies. He was a vampire; he couldn’t stay away from darkness no matter how hard he tried.

He’d always liked to boast about how he primarily drained those who were deserving, and I’d just fucked and threw away a young, innocent mother right in front of him. Our morals and ethics had always diverted widely. But the fact of the matter was, he’d still have eaten dinner if he wasn’t a love-struck bloodsucker.

Defeated, he responded, “Very well.”

Satisfied with his acquiescence, I leaned back and finished my drink. I hated being in need of others, but it was a necessary occupational hazard.

It then occurred to me I needed to make Samantha dependent on me in some way.

6

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