Page 74 of Of Mercury and Mist

Poisonous jealousy welled up inside, making me want to cross the floor and rip her away from the table. It was a foolish notion seeing as there was nothing I could do to change anything that had happened. My feelings were completely unreasonable.

Even if Micha came over and got me, told me he was sorry and brought me back to Ipomoea, I’d already been bought. If I broke the terms of the contract I’d signed in blood, I’d be fired—and likely worse to ensure I kept my mouth shut.

No one would tell me what happened to the girls that violated their signed agreements, no matter how hard I pushed. The wide eyes and adamant shakes of heads let my imagination run wild with all kinds of scenarios.

Micha sat there, smiling at his companions, drinking his drink, without a care in the world. He appeared at peace, comfortable. He knew I was here. There was no way he didn’t.

And yet he refused to meet my eyes even though he had to have felt my stare. I kept up my vigil, my eyes smarting with tears until he bit his lip and stared into the contents of his glass while smoothing an invisible wrinkle from his pants.

“Ashley,” Samuel’s voice purred. “Please, join me.”

He slid an arm loosely around my lower back, apologizing to the customer who’s chair I’d held a death grip on. The person had been invisible to me, all my attention on the man who’d shunned me.

“Thank you,” I rasped, as I tried to collect myself.

After I was seated, I poured myself a tall glass of water and gulped half of it down. “How have you been?” I asked.

He took a sip of what I knew was a blood and wine mixture, brushing imaginary crumbs from the table before setting his glass down. “I’ve been well, thank you. I see you’re moving up in the world.”

“You mean smell. Yes, I have a patron now.” He hadn’t asked but still I said, “It’s going well.”

He leaned in, speaking in my ear, “If you ever want out, let me know.”

“What you’re suggesting could get you in a lot of trouble,” I warned him.

He huffed and then smirked. “I have many resources; several high up. Don’t underestimate me. You need something—it is done.”

His offer made me uncomfortable. He clearly had no issue with disregarding the rules and sending things into chaos. While I didn’t know much about Isaac yet, I had the feeling he was well-connected due to his obvious financial status and the way he carried himself. He was top tier even if I was ignorant of the finer details.

Matthew was an archangel, with multiple businesses. Angels was a major club in many large cities, and he owned them all. I’d seen the people that came to visit him, cleaned up after their parties and even sat with many of his exclusive guests.

None of these people played around. You didn’t want to mess with them. “I appreciate your offer, but I’ll have to pass,” I said. Gazing at him curiously, I asked, “Why do you want to help me so bad?”

Samuel lifted a hand, cupping my chin and dragging his thumb along my lower lip. I shrank back, freeing myself from his touch as the lights flickered. The distinctive sound of glass breaking cast a silence over the space before voices resumed murmuring. I heard someone laugh in the background.

Then Samuel chuckled. “Interesting. Interesting, indeed.” He leaned back, a self-satisfied smile covering his face.

“What if there’s something I want?” He asked, arching a brow. “Maybe I’ve wanted it for a while.”

My cheeks blushed. “Samuel,” I started, “you’re nice, and you’re handsome, but you know I’ve been claimed.”

He was a nice guy and highly attractive, but he wasn’t what I wanted. For myself, the chemistry just wasn’t there, and it wasn’t a thing that could be forced.

He scoffed. “That’s an archaic regulation. I’m willing to overlook your status; in fact, I already have.”

“I just don’t feel that way about you.” There were predetermined ways I was supposed to let down a customer in these types of situations, but I felt more familiar with him, having spent time outside of Angels. I was supposed to lead him on, but I found myself skirting the rules.

Samuel winced, the gesture appearing artificial to a degree due to his lack of tension. “You haven’t given me a chance.”

“Come on, wouldn’t something have happened that night at the bar if it were gonna?” He stood up suddenly and moved around the table to sit beside me. “What are you doing?”

He grabbed me by the waist and placed me on his lap, my hands hitting his chest for stability. “Don’t do this, they’ll kick you out,” I pleaded.

I tried to wiggle my way from his lap, but he held me firm. “I just want to make sure, pretty girl. One never knows what they may discover.”

“No,” I snapped, but it was too late. His mouth covered mine as he pulled me in and I shoved at him, thinning my lips and trying to get away.

The room plunged into darkness, the lights lowering before everything went black. Still, Samuel pressed his face to mine. “Let me in,” he insisted, clutching my neck.

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