Page 6 of Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin

But for all the wealth of the Church, it was always cloistered away. Many a golden hall had Joe walked, but outside those secret rooms he was paid only a small stipend, living on Church-owned land, taking relative ownership of a beautiful cottage and cathedral only because it was one of the most dangerous locations of any church, anywhere, and no one else was stupid enough to accept it.

The world Joe inhabited day to day was nothing like Percy’s, and he wasn’t sure he would ever truly understand its inner workings. Or ever know any of the people who knew a different ‘Percy Ashdown’ to the one he adored.

So what could he do? Back out and leave Percy to face the murderous painting alone? Or trust that Percy knew his work well enough to have the reputation he spoke of? Well enough to be able to pull this off…

Percy spun around to him at that exact moment and thrust a shapely hand beneath his chin. Onto this he tap-tapped a small line of white powder, then raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Courage?”

Joe gasped, bulging eyes scanning the crowd. “Where did you get that?”

“I pickpocketed Dubois.”

He may have been lightly shocked, but Joe couldn’t hide the fact he was also impressed with how smoothly he’d done it. “Did you know that was him?”

“Actually, no.” Percy laughed. “He was just the easiest mark.”

“And how do you know what that even is?” asked Joe, eyeing the powder.

“Well, you’re hardly going to bring speed to a party like this.”

“That’s it? That’s your drug safety talk of tonight?”

“Look.” Percy dabbed his finger hurriedly into the line and thrust it towards Joe’s mouth.

“Get that away from me!” Joe snapped, slapping at his hand.

With a heavy sigh, Percy shoved up a lip, exposing his sharp fang, and ran the powder over his gums. He held up a finger forone, two, three seconds. “Numbing,” he announced. “It’s clearly cocaine. Just like I said.”

Joe tsked in defeat, pulled Percy’s hand close, and sniffed the line away, soon coughing on the rotten taste at the back of his throat, which he washed down with the good champagne. “You know, you probably shouldn’t have stolen that.”

“He’ll never know it was me,” said Percy, doing the same. “Now, I will escort you to the room?—”

“I don’t need an escort,” Joe declared, already emboldened by the fast-acting drugs.

“I will accompany my compellingly sexy fiancé upstairs,” Percy corrected. “Then I’ll bring the fake painting across in the boat. Don’t leave that window unless you have trouble, in which case, I’ll know not to come. But if you’re there, throw the rope down, I’ll attach it, then I’ll come and help you pull the painting up.”

“This is almost too easy,” Joe said on a wide grin.

Percy smiled back. “Drugs are doing their thing?”

With a happy nod, “We should bring this to every heist.”

“All right, darling,” said Percy, trying to refocus his attention. “Let’s go insi?—”

“You look really nice.” Joe’s head tilted to the side, his speech coming a little sheepishly. “I like your rubies.”

Percy lowered a stern eyebrow. “Did you have dinner? That’s gone straight to your head.”

“It’s not that.” Joe let a hand slide softly down Percy’s chest, moving his body closer. “I’ve been thinking it all night. I just thought I should say it. Out loud. I’m glad you wore them. You’re beautiful.”

It was a dangerous thing, Joe’s allure. Enough to put Percy out of business entirely if he kept on that way. Percy might have considered him a natural flirt, charmingly artless as he was, but Joe’s flirting was never directed at anyone else. Ever. Smallas Percy thought the weakness in himself, there was something particularly captivating about that. Being the sole object of Joe’s adoration was more intoxicating than their ill-gotten cocaine, and Percy was on the verge of losing his battle to keep his villainous professionalism, therefore he arrested Joe’s hand before it could drift any lower. “One more word, and I’m taking you to the stables.”

Joe felt Percy’s palm settle across his challenging lips as he attempted to speak again. A promising thrill of vampire teeth nipped his neck, settled with the giddying tickle of Percy’s tongue all the way to his ear, then he slipped away in a swirl of red silk and black roses, leaving Joe to chase breathlessly after him.

CHAPTER FOUR

PERCY COMPLICATES MATTERS

Percy and Joe retraced their steps into the house, but were halted halfway through their journey by furious words shouted in a thick Belgian accent from deep within the house: “Find that bastard, Dracula!”

---