There’s some sort of birthday party happening in Dog Town, a tacky Chinese New Year themed event that in no way actually falls on or around the Chinese New Year. There’s a lot of screaming and shouting that follows us upstairs and into the old door that sticks. It seriously requires some of my dhampir strength to open it, it’s that stuck. Well, to open it and not simply just bust it off its hinges. That requires finesse,
“Welcome to Chateau Dog Town,” I say with a sweep of my hand, indicating the single bed in the corner, piled with ostentatiously decorative pillows. Some are beaded, some covered in glitter, others lined with tassels. I feel like it makes my cheap, shitty apartment less sad.
“Wow, this really is a dump,” Sorrow says, shrugging out of his leather jacket and tossing it on the old bistro table I grabbed from the dumpster of the cafe down the street. One leg was broken, so they tossed it out. I rescued it, fixed the leg, and painted the damn thing red.
“Thanks.” I grab Ethel from the side table and make a point of checking to make sure she’s loaded. Ricky leans against the wall next to my bed, in easy reach in case I need to behead a late night—or should I say midday since I sleep during daylight?—intruder. It’s happened once or twice. Wait, maybe three times. No, no, four. I’d dropped the weapons off at home before heading to the bar, but I’d been too damn lazy to shower. I probably should’ve just taken them with me, but then, if I hear snide comments in the bar, I get tempted to use them. Nah, just better I remain weaponless while drinking. “Just remember, I have rowan ash in here and I’m not afraid to use it.”
“Duly noted,” Sorrow says, walking around the tiny space and frowning at the flashing neon sign for Dog Town that sits right below my window. Did I mention that shithole’s open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year? He reaches out and grabs the heavy blackout curtains, yanking them closed before moving into the messy kitchen and doing the same to the window above the sink.
The look he casts the myriad empty Dog Town takeout containers on my counter says a lot.
“You actually eat at that place?” he asks, picking one up and giving it a sniff before moving over to my trash can and dropping it in. “Jesus, I’ve got crown blood and even I can’t identify that smell. What is wrong with you?”
“I have to work my ass off for House Verenim scraps!” I snap, throwing out my hand and gesturing at the dishabille around me. “Hello, useless half-breed over here.”
“Dhampirs can’t clean?” Sorrow asks, snatching up several more containers and chucking them. As he moves, I can see a bit of tattoo peeking up at the edge of his neckline. I blink, and it moves, startling me. What the fuck is that?! “Clearly, you have supplies.” He gestures to the open cupboard beneath the sink, paper towels and bottles of cleaner tumbling out in a messy pile.
Okay, I’m a shitty housekeeper. So sue me.
“This is the weirdest one-night stand I’ve ever had in my life, by the way,” I continue as Vyce slides his trench coat off and moves over to sit on the edge of my bed, staring up at a suspicious water spot on my ceiling. I imagine they’re used to much fancier digs than this. Would I have liked that? To be indoctrinated into Rumpel Stiltz’ assassins’ guild? Kept in a gilded cage?
Not so much.
I’ll take the smelly Chinese food place and the weird water stains any day.
“Yeah, well, I can’t get it up with the stench of rotten dog meat lingering in the air.”
“First off,” I tell Sorrow, marching over to stand next to him. “You’re a vampire so you can control the flow of your own blood, therefore you can get it up whenever you want. Second, I only order vegetarian food from Dog Town because I don’t fancy the idea of eating poodles or German shepherds or whatever the hell else is in their kung pao. And third, you’re an asshole.”
He smirks at me, making quick work of the mess of the kitchen and then yanking the bag out of the silver trash can before tying it up.
“Vyce, take this out, will you?”
“No,” Vyce says, lounging with a bemused expression on his handsome face. “No, thank you, I suppose I should say. You do it.” Sorrow narrows ice-blue eyes on him and then scowls, picking the bag up and then moving over to the curtains. He slips between them, opens the window, and jumps out.
Not a big deal for a vamp to jump down from the second story. That’s like a human hopping down a single step. Piece of cake. He chucks the bag in the Dog Town dumpster which I just know is going to send Mrs. Johnson (sorry, no, the owners of the Chinese food place are not actually Chinese but white retirees from Michigan) into a violent fit when she finds out.
Whatever.
I just want to get laid.
“Is this happening, or do you guys want to sweep the dust bunnies out from under my bed?” I ask when Sorrow climbs back in the window and moves to the counter, spraying it with cleaner and wiping it with paper towels. I bought the organic, chemical free cleaners because even a dhampir’s nose is too sensitive for the pungent shit.
“There are dust bunnies?” Sorrow asks, turning to look over his shoulder at me, that chunky red piece in the front of his hair falling over his eyes. “I’ll have to get those, too, then.”
“I’ve never had a guy I picked up at a bar clean my apartment before,” I say, flopping onto the edge of my bed next to Vyce. We’re close enough that his heat seeps into my skin and makes me shiver with delight. That sour candy and blood smell wafts around me, drawing my eyes over to his form, slouched and dressed in leather. He’s ridiculously handsome, probably with royal or even crown blood in his lineage. I bet his parents were devastated to lose such a powerful heir. I’d say they were heartbroken at losing their newborn child, but vampires—especially high-ranking nobles—are usually heartless assholes anyway.
“Honestly, I could get used to this.” I lay back and then suddenly, Vyce is just there, leaning over me with preternatural speed.
“Especially if one man cleans and another...” He trails his fingertips through the air above me, teasing me with sparks of magic. Hell, he’s not even touching me, and I can feel pleasure radiating through my entire body, penetrating my blood and bones. He’s not even inside of me and yet...he’s inside of me. Good God. “Takes care of other needs.”
“Wow, you sure know how to get a girl riled up,” I quip, but it doesn’t come out as snarky as I intended. Instead, Vyce’s hand finally comes to rest on my neck, on the side opposite my bandage.
“Mm, if the rapid gallop of your heart and...” Vyce leans down and licks the side of my throat, just above the bandage, making me moan and curl my fingers into the blankets. “And the violent thundering of your pulse hadn’t already told me that, it’d be good to know.” He taps a finger against my bite and my hips thrust involuntarily. Pleasure curls through me and there’s a tightening between my thighs that almost hurts. “May I?”
“Go for it,” I breathe as he peels the bandage off and tosses it aside. Pretty sure I hear Sorrow cursing Vyce out, but I ignore him, closing my eyes against the almost overwhelming wash of pleasure from the bite.
“I think I’ll heal this first...and then bite you again.” There’s a note of jealousy in his voice that excites me. We’ve just met, but he’s into me sexually and getting that little hint of male possessiveness. I find it cute, just so long as they get the fuck out when we’re done.
“Yeah, this guy, he was a little rough,” I joke, and Vyce stiffens up as I grin.
“This was a woman,” he says, and I roll my eyes. Damn vampires and their crazy good sense of smell.