Page 68 of Of Mercury and Mist

I had to wonder if he remembered paying my Ashley that same compliment. His eyebrows lifted slightly, and his lips slid into a smile before he answered. “Would you like to get out of here, handsome?”

After I plucked his cup away and swallowed the contents, I said, “That sounds like a good idea. Shall we?” I stood up and held out my hand, the man following.

Lust, thick and heady, weaved around him in a thick curtain. It was unnecessary to make sure he trailed behind me; his aura told me everything I needed to know.

Once we stepped outside, I cupped his cheek. “I can’t wait for you, come,” I said gesturing toward the side of the building. As we walked down the sidewalk, I glanced at my car. The windows were heavily tinted, but I could sense Ashley’s perusal, her insistent gaze. She’d find out very soon the lengths I’d go to keep her safe.

We tucked down a garbage-strewn alley, discarded wrappers and other filth sticking to the bottom of my shoe. If my woman didn’t understand the depths of my feelings for her yet, she’d soon learn of my sacrifices. My favorite shoes would see the inside of a bin the second we got home.

Placing my hands on the vampire’s chest, I massaged his pecs, my lips skirting his cheekbone. His spirit wasn’t nearly as tasty as a human’s so after a single inhalation, I ceased drinking him in. Besides, it wasn’t the point.

He began grinding against me, his erection digging into my thigh as his want rose. Clasping his neck, I drew him nearer, pressing my cheek against his.

My fingers fumbled with his belt buckle as he began panting, blinded by his desire for me. He wasn’t quite as attractive as most vampires were, so I imagined this was a special treat for him.

Despite my disguise, I ensured I still had the countenance of a god.

When I tucked my hand down his pants, he gasped, his dick throbbing in my palm. “Shh, shh,” I coaxed him, as his exhalations grew louder.

My canines descended at my urging while my mouth filled with saliva. It was rare me or Josiah fed on a vampire, and the blood was uniquely tasty. Moving my lips to the column of his neck the same time I increased my grip on his now moist organ, I bit.

My teeth sank deeply into his flesh, severing his jugular veins and releasing a warm flood into my mouth. The man cried out and I twisted his cock, hard.

His arms flailed as his mouth stretched into a scream, shattering the stillness of the alleyway and joining the cacophony of distant sirens. He was pressed against the brick wall, struggling against my hold until his body began to go limp. When I had my fill, I released him, letting his body fall to the oil and dirt slicked ground.

He whimpered, his eyelids fluttering, and then I crouched beside him, letting my fingernails grow.

“Why?” he asked, his voice barely intelligible.

My laugh echoed, low and dark. “Because I wanted to.” No point mentioning Ashley, he didn’t deserve her being his last thought.

Thrusting my fingers into his chest, I pulled out his stuttering heart, coating my hand and wrist with his blood and scraps of his flesh. He blinked; pure panic reflected at me as I chomped into the organ as if it were a piece of fruit.

Leaving it clenched in my teeth; I found a relatively clean bit of material on his shirt and ripped the garment to wipe my hands down. They remained stained, but it was the best I could do.

After taking a few more bites, I tossed my meal in a dumpster as I passed it by. Ashley was waiting for me.

The car was idling by the curb at the center of the block and life went on around me as if nothing had happened. Normally, I would’ve called in a clean-up crew to make sure my activities were erased. I didn’t bother this time. As it was, the headlines had been screaming about a serial killer terrorizing the Northeast for a couple years; it’d be attributed to that, I was certain.

“What happened to you?” Ashley asked, her eyes wide.

My nailbeds contained congealing blood and rust-colored stains marred the backs of my hands. “No one messes with or touches what is mine,” I replied.

She shrunk back against the seat, watching me out of the corner of her eye. “What does that mean? What did you do?”

“I took out the garbage. Mason,” I addressed the driver. “The car will need a deep cleaning.”

“Yes, sir,” he responded.

Ashley stared out the window. “What will you expect of me? I did read the agreement, but I was wondering how this was going to be.”

“You’ll remain in my care with the exception of your required shifts at Angels. I am employed and expected to fulfill my duties in office. While I am away, you are to stay indoors, in the apartment. Everything will be provided for you so there is no reason you should have to go anywhere. Should something come up, you may call me. I have a cellphone waiting for you at home.”

“Will I have my own room?” she asked, her voice low.

“No.” Watching her reaction to my answer, I felt and saw her trepidation. Her mind must’ve been spinning with a multitude of possibilities, and I couldn’t stop from smirking.

Finally, I had the woman in the palm of my hand—I owned her, no less. There was nothing she could do to stop me from taking what I wanted from her. Matthew was known for talking about “choice”, but little did anyone realize that agreement equaled permission in his world, for almost everything. Even better, Ashley had signed in blood. We were a part of each other now, even if on a minor level.

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