Page 7 of The Vampire Kingpin
I frowned down at her, wondering if she meant her parents. When she’d first joined Grimclaw’s lair, we’d run a quick check on her, enough to know she’d been raised out West, a part of the syndicate world without ever joining one in particular. Her parents had disappeared six months ago, right before she’d showed up in New York. However, once I’d determined Lark Nightstar was harmless, I’d had Velma stop looking. Down here, we were all hiding something. As long as Lark wasn’t a danger to me, I didn’t care what the fuck she’d done.
That explained why she was with Grimclaw, though. She must’ve had nowhere else to go. And yeah, it bothered me some to realize how alone she was, how desperate.
But I hadn’t gotten where I was by being a nice guy.
“I don’t need you to steal for me. I have a half-dozen lairs paying tribute.” Not to mention my business investments. “So, no. I’ll take you.”
“But—” She squirmed on the asphalt, reminding me we were still on the hard ground.
I almost apologized for keeping her there so long. My mama, the gods bless her soul, would be rolling in her grave. I muttered a curse and rose to my feet, holding out my hand to Lark.
She ignored it to get up on her own, her right hand held to her side.
I glimpsed the red gash bisecting her palm and grabbed her wrist. “Lemme see that.”
“It’s okay.” She curled her fingers in. “The bleeding stopped.”
“I still want to see it.” I turned her hand over, examining the palm.
She was right, the wound had closed, but I could tell it had gone deep. I scowled. She shouldn’t be risking her life and freedom like this. If she were mine for real, I’d tie her to my bed for a week for a stunt like that.
And that cousin of hers who’d sent her to steal from me? He deserved to be staked.
I released her wrist. “You cleaned it?” The faster you washed out the silver, the less entered your bloodstream.
A nod. “That’s what slowed me down. You would’ve never caught me otherwise.”
“Good.” I backed her to the wall and slapped a hand against the bricks beside her head. “But just so we’re clear, I would’ve caught you. There’s nowhere in this city you can hide from me.”
“Whatever.” She slumped against the bricks, her face weary beneath the pale makeup. The silver poisoning must be hitting her hard now.
My jaw tightened. Then some Good Samaritan impulse made me press my wrist to her mouth. “Drink, damn you.”
Her eyes rounded. Then she took hold of my arm, her fangs sliding out against my skin. She reared back a few inches, then plunged them into my wrist.
An electric current shot straight to my balls. Sex and blood for us is interlinked. Drinking enhances the pleasure of fucking, and vice versa, especially when Lark hummed low in her throat and sucked harder. My heart gave a thump and my already hard dick started pounding with need.
She felt it, too. Her hips rocked forward, brushing my aching flesh, and her salty musk filled my nostrils.
I was a goddamn saint, because I didn’t take her against the wall right there. Instead, I gritted my teeth and reminded myself that she needed to heal from not just the wound but the silver poisoning before we did anything further.
Her sucking slowed. Then she lifted her head and retracted her fangs, lapping at my wrist like a kitten to close the tiny holes she’d left in my skin.
“Thank you,” she said. Her color was better, her eyes brighter.
I moved a shoulder, uncomfortable with her thanks, even though it was almost unheard of for a vampire with my dominance to let a dhampir—or anyone, for that matter—drink from me.
“Don’t be. I need you in good shape.”
“Right.” The gratitude on her face faded, leaving me with a hollow feeling in my chest.
“Let’s get outta here.” I stepped back, glancing up and down the alley. When I looked back, I realized she’d edged sideways.
Maybe I shouldn’t have fed her until I had her safely back in my lair.
“Don’t. Run,” I rapped out.
She straightened to her full height, which was still a good eight inches shorter than me. But the woman had tall energy, I’d give her that.
