Page 76 of The Vampire Kingpin
There was a stir at entrance. Zaq Kral had arrived, along with his mate and Jared Darkman. Darkman studied the crowd with cold blue eyes, looking as spoiled and arrogant in person as he had in his social media feeds (yeah, the dude posted about himself, usually shirtless).
A dark smile tipped up my lips. He’d taken the bait.
The Krals had extended Darkman an invite—they’d known he was in New York, because he’d had to ask permission to enter their territory. And we’d spread a rumor that I was bringing Lark to the Midnight Masquerade, assuming it would reach his ears.
“He’s here,” Lark said in an undertone. Beneath my hands, she vibrated like a plucked string but kept dancing.
“Breathe, baby,” I said, and her lungs emptied.
The Vegas vampire tossed his shoulder-length brown curls in a practiced move and held out his hand to Zaq’s long-legged blond mate, inviting her to dance. She exchanged a look with Zaq, then gave curt nod, and the two moved onto the dance floor.
“He’s dancing with Zaq Kral’s mate,” I said. “Princess Renata.”
Lark wrapped her hands around my neck. Right before my eyes, she straightened her spine and morphed into a bored party girl again.
“He’s looking for me,” she whispered.
My grip on her tightened. “He’s not going to touch you. That’s a fucking promise.”
I’d lost Amina. I’d stab a stake into my own heart before I’d lose Lark.
20
Lark
The band launched into another salsa tune, the rhythm pulsing in my body. I pressed against Spider, feeling the heat between us, and swiveled my hips in sync with the beat. Focusing on the music and the glittery feeling of being out with this strong, sexy man.
When Jared Darkman arrived, terror had zoomed over me, jamming my lungs. I’d trembled like a freaking rabbit. And Spider had known, had said exactly the right thing. That he was facing this with me made me so damn grateful.
His dark eyes caught mine. “You good?”
My chest loosened. I drew a steadying inhale. “Yeah.”
His sculpted lips tilted up. “That’s my Lark.”
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me even closer. Adrenaline fizzed in me. Spider’s hand was inside the back of my dress again, his middle finger sliding between my ass cheeks to my thong, causing a needy tug low in my belly.
He rubbed his hips against me, letting me feel how hard he was beneath his tuxedo pants. “When this is over,” he said in husky tones, “you’re so going to get fucked.”
I let my mouth curve in a teasing smile. “Promise?”
Yeah, I realized he was trying to distract me. But he was also reminding me of the endgame: turn the tables on Jared Darkman and come out of this alive and free.
Please let me come out of this alive and free.
Because I wanted to have sex with Spider after this was over. And then again tomorrow night and the night after that.
But I wanted more than that. I wanted to dig into what made him tick, find out the little things like his favorite color and how he met Velma. I craved the big stuff too. I wanted to hear the story of how he rose to be the Underworld kingpin…and if he could ever love me like he loved Amina.
Spider’s spine went rigid beneath my hands. “Don’t look, but he’s to your right. Five yards or so away.”
I pulled back my shoulders. “He recognized me?”
“Think so. He keeps trying to see your face.”
The salsa finished, and Spider steered me off the dance floor, a hand on the small of my back. He snagged a couple of champagne glasses from a server and handed me one.
“He’s still dancing with Zaq’s mate,” he said out of the side of his mouth.
