Page 74 of Of Blood and Smoke

I caught her gaze as she watched my partner licking my finger clean. Her aura was a strong and deep color, gathered swirling around her pelvis.Interesting, I thought, right before her lusty scent hit me like a shot of heroin, hardening my dick to steel. Micha chuckled softly and licked my neck as Brett vomited down his own chest and backed away.

Not bothering to adjust my impressive and obvious arousal, I approached the man slowly, savoring his distress with every step. “You were saying?”

“They’re going to take you,” Brett whined. “I could’ve kept her safe. I have connections.”

“You’re dreadfully mistaken if you think for one moment, I will ever hand her over to you. Or to suggest I’d ever let anyone remove me.”

His rising fear wafted through the air and, fascinatingly, it wasn’t just me and Micha responsible. He was truly concerned for Della and wanted to rescue her. As thoughtful as that was, it wouldn’t save him. Running the flat edge of my blade down Brett’s chest, I inhaled, drinking in his distress and savoring it. The spiced bitter flavor flowed over my tongue, watering my mouth, and further instigating my hunger.

Glancing down at my hands, I let my nails grow until they were tapered like claws and the glassy surface reflected light. I was momentarily distracted by the thought I could’ve provideda much cozier and more intimate atmosphere for something as personal as this. Then, I stretched my mouth open, falling in love with the man’s pleading whine.

I let the sound fill my head as I stepped closer, his shoulder brushing mine as I leaned toward his ear. His arm ruffled my hair as he squirmed, pissing himself. The acrid, disgusting scent of his waste filled my nostrils, and my two canine teeth descended. I scraped them lightly down his cheek, tearing a paper-thin trail and inhaling his terror. His tear-salted skin tickled my lips as I tore down to the meaty flesh of his neck and bit into him.

His blood burst into my mouth showering the roof with juice. The flavors of his fear, heartache, and hopelessness rained down my throat as I took three deep draws of the liquid. I released him and stood; my head thrown back while I let the ecstasy tear through my veins and replenish my cells. Brett rocked back and forth lightly, groaning. I could hear the metallic rubbing sound of the suspension system’s steel links; it was the only sound in the room beside his pain.

I moved in front of him to see his eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched shut. Slapping him soundly on the cheek, I asked, “What was promised to you?”

Silence.

Another slap. “What did they offer you?” His blood splattered across my face as he lied to me. Tradition dictated the Ancients retrieve me if I stepped out of line and he’d suggested they were planning.

The chains grated overhead roughly, and Brett opened his reddened eyes. “Nothing,” he rasped.

“He’s lying,” Micha stated, flicking an imaginary piece of lint from his shirt. “I tire of this.”

The scrape of shoes on metal sounded and Della appeared at my side. “Who is coming after Josiah?” She looked to her him for an answer, her voice shaky.

“Della,” Brett whispered, his eyes shuttering.

“Answer me!” she yelled, her voice squeaking at the end. She was trembling, and scared, and I couldn’t help but put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The contact made her jump, and her gaze met mine before she looked back at Brett.

He gripped the chains for a moment, temporarily relieving some of the pressure from the hook in his back and squeezed his eyes shut. He was holding up surprisingly well, considering. Placing my hands on his waist, I spun him. He twisted until the slack on the hook and chains snapped taut and spun him back, jerking him back and forth. His eyes rolled in his head.

I caught Della staring and realized I was grinning, which probably accounted for her slack-jawed appearance.

No matter, she’d get used to it as time went on.

“Brett,” I said, smoothly. “If you’d like to put an end to these festivities, I suggest you answer my woman.”

“You’re just gonna kill me, anyway,” he muttered.

He wasn’t wrong. “Yes. But I’d imagine brevity is a concern for you.” I dragged my nails down his chest, taking a moment to swirl a couple of his chest hairs around my finger. “Isn’t Della a priority to you? Or did I misunderstand?” I yanked my finger back, ripping the hair out by the root. It didn’t have quite the effect I hoped for, and the man just hung his head.

A soft touch smoothed down my arm. Della. I turned to look at her. “What is he talking about? Who’s trying to kill you?” she asked.

“Go wait over there,” I pointed toward the exit where she’d been waiting before. “We’ll discuss this later.” The man seemed he’d stop at nothing to drag Della into his psychosis.

Obediently, she shuffled away, and I lifted my blade. I began carving away at Brett, removing one-inch slivers from his flesh as if I were carving a piece of wood for relaxation. Twice, the man passed out and I was forced to smack him back to consciousness. The whole time, he refused to answer me. There was no point, as all he dealt in was deception, and he knew it.

Tiring, and knowing Della was exhausted and in need of rest, I ceased working on his body. It was useless to continue, he wasn’t going to give me any more information and all I really wanted to do was settle in for the evening. My decision made, I leaned over Brett’s neck and sucked his soul free from his body, drinking in his essence. It drifted down my throat and coursed through my cells, satisfying me.

“Micha,” I called my friend over as a shiver raced down my spine. “Please,” I said, indicating the depleted body.

He bent slightly, his teeth elongating into two devasting spikes before he latched onto the man’s pectoral muscles. The wet slurping sounds as he licked and suckled filled the room and I made my way over to Della, my shoe slipping lightly in the blood on the floor.

“Here, clean your shoes,” I instructed her, taking a small hose similar to a medical instrument from a holder on the wall.

She stared at it and then braced a hand on the wall and lifted her legs one at a time to rinse the bottom of her shoes. I followed suit and then dried mine on the mat just outside the door.

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