Page 74 of Heathens

“You’re not going to murder me for saying maybe, are you?” I give another nervous laugh, but the possibility seems more real than it did a few minutes ago.

We stop in front of a set of double doors and he looks down at me, a smile on his face.

“Murder you, just for a maybe?” He whispers, grasping my hand. “I’d never be so ruthless. I just thought a little tour might push you in the right direction.”

I’ll admit, that vampire charm is working wonders.

What would be so bad about teaming up with him? Other than putting my club in danger, or the fact that I don’t know what I’mreallygetting out of this deal. Well, aside from the sex. Still, I kind of want to see what he has to offer.

“Alright, fine. Show me what you’ve got, Duncan.”

He pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the doors, swinging them open dramatically.

I’mmorethan impressed with what he’s managed to scrounge up. It’s a large room with multiple workstations filled with different implements and scientific paraphernalia. It’s as if someone looked up ‘lab’ in an encyclopedia and just bought everything on the list. There’s even a door that leads out to a large balcony overlooking the city, a feature both completely out of place but somehow entirely in-character. The moon seems to shine a little brighter in here, bouncing off of the walls and filling the entire room.

“Look around.” He nudges me. “Feel free to play with anything you want.”

Even in the few seconds we’ve been here, I can tell he’s woefully unfamiliar with this space. If I accept the offer, it’s very possible I’ll be in charge of things – well, me or whoever else he’s wrangled into this scheme. Either way, it’s clear Dominic’s not getting any of this done on his own.

Slowly, I meander around, brushing my fingertips against the tables and picking up equipment. This is some state-of-the-art shit, with big computers, safety equipment. There’s even blood testing supplies and some boxes that are marked with the blood bank’s logo.

I chuckle and shake my head.

“How long did it take you to put this together?”

“A few days.” He winces a little. “Is it not good?”

“No, it’s actually impressive.” I pick up a box of test tubes, also with the bank’s label on them. “I’m just shocked that Avery let you guys take this shit.”

He stuffs his hands in his pockets and offers a bashful smile.

“I was very charming.”

“Youwere?“ I ask with a raised brow. “Becauseyou’vebeen spending an awful lot of time at the club. I don’t know how you found the time to be charming, especially with Avery.”

Dominic ignores my question, moving quickly toward me and grasping my waist. He pulls me in close, dragging his mouth up my neck while he slips his hand between my thighs. I gasp at the pressure. His eyes are the warmest I’ve seen them, golden and shimmering in the darkness.

“Say yes,” he pleads.

I shake my head. I need time to think, to talk to Ruby, and to figure this out.

“Aren’t we supposed to be eating dinner?”

“I want something else,” he whispers.

“Dominic, you said you would give me time, I–”

He dips his head to kiss me. It’s slow, passionate, and intense. I claw at his chest, popping open a few buttons on his dress shirt. Dominic chuckles against my mouth as he backs off a bit.

“When was the last time you really looked at the moon?”

I blink, confused.

“Why?”

“I just want to know.”

“You mean, when was the last time I had the chance to appreciate it? Without a pane of glass and some bars in the way?”

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