Page 21 of Heathens

Nope. Stop it. You don’t need to go there.

“You’re spilling,” he informs me.

“Wh–Shit!” I hiss as I realize there’s blood dripping down my knuckles.

Ruby snorts and tosses me a towel. He picks it up before I can reach it, holding it up for me.

“Sorry, just let me wash my hands.”

“Not a problem.”

I turn my back, rushing for the sink to grab a brush and get under my fingernails. I don’t need any of these vamps trying to lick dried blood off me.

When I glance back over my shoulder, it’s clear he hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. He winks and gestures with a ‘come hither’ motion.

I swear, it’s getting hotter in here by the second.

“You gonna be able to pour me that whiskey?” He teases.

I glare at him and he smirks, tilting his head to the side as I abandon the towel. I grab the bottle and tilt it upside down and dramatically pour a perfect shot before flipping it in the air, slamming it back down on the counter. He snickers.

“You wanna make fun of my skills?”

He shrugs.

“The bottle flipping was excellent. I’m just curious why you had such a hard time with the blood.”

God, hisvoice. It’s like honey.

“Just a busy night,” I reply.

“Of course.”

I scan the bar as he drinks. Other vampires seem to be avoiding the surrounding area completely. Ruby’s laughing with a few of her regulars, and her tip jar is already full while mine looks like a tumbleweed just rolled through it.

This guy sucks bloodandmy income.

“You’re really killing my tips tonight.”

“Oh?” He mutters. “Why’s that?”

“You’re scaring all my customers away.”

He places a hand on his chest, eyes wide.

“Me?”

“You,” I reply flatly.

He might be cute, but I need to make money.

He takes out his wallet and pulls out a small handful of bills, his eyes devouring me whole.

“Does that cover it?” He asks, his voice a gentle purr. “The tips you might have made tonight, I mean.”

My knees wobble. He’s holding at least three grand.

“I…”

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