Page 2 of Blood & Lace
My voice remained steady, but heat rose in the depths of my stomach. I turned back to the drinks and slipped out of my clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. From where he sat, he would have a perfect view of my back, my long legs, and my perky ass. I glanced over my shoulder. Sure enough, he was mesmerized.
That was all I needed.
I fixed the drinks, my voice filling up the space so he wouldn't hear what I was doing. The ring on my finger opened, and I dumped the powder into his drink right before I stirred it. As I tapped the stirrer on the side of the glass, his breath wafted over my neck as his hand gripped my cock.
"What's taking so long?" he groaned.
I chuckled and shoved the drink into his chest, my heart racing as I quickly closed the ring against my thigh. "All done. Try it and tell me what you think."
He eyed me wearily before he took a sip. Grunting his approval, he wrapped his hand around my waist and dragged me in for a kiss. I shoved away from him.
"What the fuck was that?" he growled.
"I'm not so great at the kissing thing," I said, my throat tightening. "Never been my style."
"Come back here right now. I've waited and you're ruining this."
I grabbed my drink. "Don't be that way. Come sit down with me. Drink some more. We'll?—"
His hand wrapped around my wrist. Shit was going south fast. My breathing picked up, my lungs squeezing as his grip tightened.
George Abbot. Fifty-two. Entrepreneur of the biggest tech start up in the country. A mogul, a playboy, and a rapist. He was every bit of the beast the woman had claimed who hired me. Said he had a type: slim, seductive, and sweet. That much was true. He'd been drooling after me since I "accidentally" bumped into him at the opera a month ago. Up until now, he had been the perfect gentleman. However, that was his MO. Everything around him was all sunshine and rainbows, until he brought them back here.
"I told you, I don't do little cock teases."
The backhand blow was unexpected, but I leaned into it. Sharpness spread out over my cheek, radiating as I threw myself to the ground. A hit like that wouldn't normally knock me to the floor, but what I needed was still inside the small pouch that was tangled inside of my clothes. I found it and clumsily freed my syringe, hiding it in my palm. The drink was a no-go. It was time for plan B.
"Where the fuck are you going?" he demanded, a hand wrapping around my ankle and pulling. I dropped the needle.
"You know, I really don't like pushy men," I snapped as I shot my foot back and caught him in the face. He yelped, a stunned look on his face as I grinned. "I told you, don't get too handsy with me."
"Bitch!" he bit out, his voice a snarl as his once dazzling blue eyes darkened. He was the definition of the devil in disguise. I could see it clearly now.
When he lunged for me. I grabbed my syringe and rolled. He nearly landed on top of me but missed by an inch. As he tried to collect himself, and shake the effect of the drug I'd given him, I kept moving. He shoved himself to his feet.
"The fuck was in that drink?"
"Don't be a baby. You barely drank any of it." I took a step back.
"I'll kill you."
Yeah, I had no doubt he would. And then one of his little workers would drop my body off God knows where and I would never be heard from again. I couldn't have that happen.
He lunged for me again. This time, I let him. I had to get closer. As soon as he grabbed me, I swallowed hard. Not for long, however. His big hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air supply as he pressed down on my windpipe. Pain and the inevitable panic from the situation kicked in. I tried to suck in a breath, but nothing came.
Don't panic. If you panic, you die.
I gave up on breathing. Carefully and quickly, I uncapped the needle and raised it until I jammed it into George's neck. He gasped, his hands loosening just enough for me to shove my foot into his chest. He fell back, slamming into the floor. Another gasp slipped from his lips as I sucked in a breath and scrambledaway from him, panting. My heart raced, sweat dappling my forehead as I tried to make the room stop spinning.
"Okay, still alive," I said, pressing my fingertips together. I reached up and touched my throat before I winced. "Shit. That's going to fucking hurt tomorrow."
"What did you do to me, you little bitch?" George growled as he dragged himself to his hands and knees. He pressed a palm over his, no doubt, racing heart.
I raised a brow at him, the grin gone now that I no longer had to pretend. "Gave you a dose of your own medicine." I wiped my mouth as I tasted the telltale coppery tang of blood. "We were supposed to make a whole night of it, you know? But then you had to go and be the animal she said you were."
I stood up slowly. He tried to follow, but his knees gave out. I watched as his eyes widened and he struggled.
"Who?" he managed to growl out.
