13. Vi
vi
. . .
Sure, a mid-shift quickie with a side of accidental voyeurism seemed like a great idea in the moment, but as I returned to the bar with damp panties and my head positively swimming with Elsie’s venom, I was seriously questioning my choices.
Plus, I still wasn’t entirely sure about getting mixed up with the whole coven of vampires who were also my coworkers.
You should have thought of that five minutes ago when you were begging for Elsie to bite you, idiot.
“I’ll handle this,” I said, nudging Cole out of the way to take over filling a tray of flutes with bubbly. “Go get something to eat.”
“Let me just make sure none of my guests need anything,” he said with an appreciative nod, turning to check in with the customers seated at the bar.
O was so packed that I couldn’t spot an empty chair in the entire place, which meant that my silly little idea wasn’t just a success—it had absolutely exceeded expectations. And thank fuck for that. It bothered me to see Dana so worried, especially when the things bothering her were mostly out of her control.
The memory of the hungry look in the vampire’s eyes when she’d let us know she’d watched me and Elsie made heat flare up the back of my neck.
Maybe, if I played my cards right, all this success would come with a reward.
Ren caught my eye, flashing a fanged, slanted smile that was cut short with a loud curse. Bright pink liqueur covered her hand and the bar top where she’d overfilled a shot glass.
“Distracted?” I teased, grabbing a rag and leaning into her personal space to mop up the mess. I lingered in her bubble as I dragged the fabric over her hands, clearing away the sticky liquid.
“Yes,” she muttered, taking a deep breath through her nose. Her pupils dilated as she took in my mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips, tongue darting out like she could taste what Elsie and I’d been doing in the air.
I was sure she could. She’d definitely be able to smell the vampire all over me and see the faded lipstick prints that peppered my neck and shoulder.
Okay, fine. And the tiny dress I’d worn tonight was practically screaming, Hello, sexy vampire, I am dying for you to look at me.
At the time I chose it, I wasn’t sure if I meant Ren or Elsie. Or both.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Valentine’s Day myself, largely since I’d never really dated anyone seriously enough to share it with, but could you blame a girl for wanting to tempt their crush into a bit of romance on the one day of the year dedicated to it?
The woman at the bar, clearly trying to flirt her way into Ren’s bed tonight, huffed and tossed her mane of sleek black hair over her shoulder. “My drink, Ren?”
“Right; sorry, Marina. Here you are,” Ren replied, her eyes not straying from my face as she slid the shot glass across the bar to her.
Marina tapped her French-manicured nails on the bar, pouting. “Ren, this isn’t what I ordered.”
“Looks perfect to me,” the vampire said dismissively, her fingers trailing down my lower back to rest at the swell of my ass. “Did you have a Valentine’s date without me, Striker?”
I laughed, nudging her out of the way with my hip, dislodging her hand in the process, and turned to Marina. “What’s she supposed to be making you?”
“Forget it, blood bag,” Marina sniped, heaving an irritated sigh and collecting her shot. “Looks like what I want isn’t on the menu.”
"You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself," Ren muttered, caging me against the bar with my back to her front. Then, louder so her voice would carry, “See you next week, Mar.”
“Who said that?” I asked, giving in to the impulse to grind my ass against her. Ren’s hand found my waist, keeping me close, and I smirked.
Okay, maybe I was still a little venom drunk.
And maybe I was just really tired of waiting for the overly polite bartender to make a real move.
“Margaret Atwood,” Ren mumbled, her hand moving south until her fingertips teased the hem of my dress out of the view of the patrons. She pushed the fabric up a couple of inches, tracing a pattern of little circles on my thigh.
I laughed breathlessly. “Need I remind you we’re at work ?”
She chuckled, eyes flicking to the stage where Elsie had already stripped off her bra, showing off her breasts. The ones I hadn’t had enough time with.
She would need to go home with me at the end of the night. We had unfinished business.
Like she could read my thoughts, Ren’s hand moved higher, brushing the edge of my panties before she covered my pussy with her hand, finding me still wet.
“Yes, we certainly are.” Ren snickered. “But you seem needy.” Her lips ghosted over the shell of my ear, making me squirm in her firm hold. “I’m wondering if anyone would notice if I stuck my fing?—”
“Ren, flirt with Striker later! We’re up to our eyes in it, for fuck’s sake.” Cole shouted, shoving past us to collect a bottle from the top shelf.
“Shit, sorry, Blondie,” Ren said to him before whispering, “Make time for me afterwards? I have something for you.”
Then she released me to stalk toward the point of sale to look at the tickets like she hadn’t made me even wetter with nothing but promises.
“Lovebirds,” Cole said, though the bitterness was undercut by a good-natured laugh. “If you’re done canoodling, I’ll go take that break now.”
“You got it,” I called, busying myself with the clients sitting closest to me.
I worked through the orders quickly, earning myself a couple of fat tips that I earmarked for my mom’s overdue light bill, and if there was anything left over, some flowers for the girls. It’d be nice to do something for them, even if it would be a couple of days late. My mind was already turning over what arrangements would work the best for everyone as I weaved from guest to guest, matching flirty smiles and trading compliments.
It was obvious the extra attention was due to the fact I smelled like sex to every vampire in a ten-foot radius, but damn—the money was so good it had me questioning if I should be dealing with damp panties four nights a week so I could finally pay off that overdue credit card the bank kept calling about.
Elsie’s set, the parts I was able to glimpse between shaking martinis and pouring champagne, was even better than in rehearsal. I was taking credit for the way her eyes sparkled, freshly fucked, as she shed layer after layer of decadently embroidered lingerie behind a pair of dusty pink ostrich feather fans.
Ren and I brushed against each other casually, light touches that could’ve been accidental except for the way that they so very clearly weren’t . Not when Ren usually took the utmost care to give me space, especially behind the bar.
I cast her a sidelong glance as I poured a measure of vodka over ice, using the beverage gun to fill it the rest of the way with tonic. Her eyes strayed to me just as I thought to look away, our gazes catching for a few long moments.
Come on, Vi! Focus!
Busiest night of the week!
Smoking hot vampire with a damned septum piercing and tattoos you are dying to know if they travel all the way down to ? —
“Striker,”Dana called, sliding onto the only free stool at the bar and leaning over the glossy surface with a suggestive smile. “Turns out you have brains and beauty in equal measure. This is the best night we’ve had in months.”
If she was thinking about what she’d seen in her office—and I had to assume she was—she was very good at keeping her eyes politely on mine.
I tucked a lime wedge into the rim of a glass and slid it to the charming vampire a few seats down the bar. The vamp pulled out his wallet, sifted through it, and handed me an overly generous tip for the single drink I’d served him. His sandy blond hair was long, curling at the ends and around his ears. Itgave him a distinctly beachy sort of vibe, especially when paired with his delicious Australian accent.
“Thanks, babe.” He slapped the stack of bills on the table, looking me up and down before pushing off the stool he’d draped himself over. His smile was languid, easy like a Sunday morning, as he met my eyes with a burning gaze. “You available tonight?”
I shook my head with a soft laugh, but Dana was the one who answered.
“Sorry, buddy. She has a date tonight.”
“That so?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. “I didn’t think your coven was too keen on growing, Dana.”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t change the fact that she’s otherwise engaged, Jasper.”
“Can’t blame a man for trying,” he said with a shrug of his own, collecting his drink and heading off into the crowd.
“And what if I wanted to take him up on the offer?” I asked Dana, leaning against the bar, knowing the move gave her a straight shot down the front of my dress.
“Did you?” she asked, that careful politeness cracking only a little as her eyes strayed momentarily before immediately snapping back to mine.
I decided it was in my best interest not to tell her that if I was going home with a vampire tonight, it certainly wasn’t going to be a man . Even if I wasn’t entirely sure which vampire I wanted more.
Big choices were never really my thing.
So don’t choose, a little voice in my head nudged helpfully. It doesn’t seem like they want you to.
My eyes moved to Ren of their own accord, and Dana chuckled.
“Thought not.”
“Oh, fuck right off,” I hissed, tucking my overly generous tip into my bra and tossing the rest of the money in the register. I glanced at the open tickets before pulling out some glassware to start the drinks that needed to go to the VIP. Juniper hated having to wait for us, so it was easier to have them done early.
Dana reached across the bar, her fingers trailing my wrist gently. “If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”
“Which one?” I asked coyly.
Her eyes burned as she pulled away. This time, she didn’t stop herself as her eyes caught on my curves. “I don’t like being teased, darling.”
“Unfortunate,” I whispered as my heart picked up. “I don’t plan on stopping.”
Dana’s lips parted, but she hesitated, looking into my eyes for a few long beats. “If you want to find me, I suppose you’ll find out.”
“Yeah, guess I will,” I replied, but our flirting was interrupted as another vampire called down the bar asking for a beer.
I’d only looked away a second, holding up my hand in a clear order to wait, but by the time I turned back, Dana had already retreated into the back.
Without her very welcome distraction, I returned to work. When things slowed down enough for me to look at the stage, Peaches and Magenta were halfway through their doubles routine.
Peaches twisted her body up into a beautiful curve from her position on the floor as Mags twirled over her on the pole. It was enthralling, the way their bodies came so close to touching without ever meeting. Peaches’s ass pressed against the wooden stage, hiding the tattoo that gave her that nickname—a peach complete with stem and leaf on her right butt cheek.
Mags’s lips twisted into a sultry smile as she lowered herself further, letting go of the pole and crawling between Peaches’s legs. Her dark skin complemented Peaches’s to form a seductive contrast, the two the picture of ecstasy as they made a show of stripping off each other’s clothes.
“How much for a taste of you, sugar?” The acrid smell of drink dragged my attention away from the stage. A vampire, at least a foot taller than me and twice as wide, was leaning across the counter as far as he could to get into my space, his voice rough like he’d been smoking for several centuries.
Or, like he’d gotten into the wrong girl’s bubble, and she’d punched him in the throat. I was already debating it myself, my internal danger meter kicking up at the surprising ease with which he crossed the unwritten boundary between guest and bartender. Everyone knows you do not lean over the bar.
He lacked the dangerous I’ve been alive for too many lifetimes vibe Sel had. More like a douchey finance major, complete with spiked hair and a single diamond stud earring. Gag .
I planted my feet and met his dull amber eyes with a coy smile painted onto my face like my cherry red lipstick.
“Not for sale. But I’m sure I could mix something to your taste.”
I tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, emboldened by Ren’s proximity and watchful eyes throughout the night.A little flirting with Mr. Fangtastic and I’d earn myself another fat tip.Even if it would require more acting than a Netflix Christmas movie.
He scoffed, the easy smile from before transformed into a look of incredulity. “No? Aren’t all of you treats here for sale?”
“Not me,” I said flatly, glancing up to look for Ren and finding myself alone behind the bar.
Discomfort flared to life in my chest.
Where did she go? She was always so careful to make sure that ? —
I stepped back just as the vampire reached across the polished wood to grip my wrist, tugging me forward. My ribs hit the edge of the counter hard enough that I was sure it would bruise, an involuntary squeak of surprise escaping me.
“Let go,” I snapped, jerking my arm to try and break his grip.Not that it would do me any good—if a vampire wanted to hold on to a human, there was nothing they could do to stop them.
The music was so loud I had to strain to hear his snarl over it and the din of many voices. My eyes moved behind him, hopefully searching… For Dana? She was back in her office. Fuck. Juniper? Steadily busy with the VIP.
I was going to have to deal with this myself.
“Just a taste,” he demanded, rubbing his stubbled cheek up my arm.
I didn’t bother to fight my full-body shudder, customer service voice flatly out the window.
“Get the fuck off me.”
It felt like there was no blood left in my brain, or maybe too much of it all at once. Until now, it’d been easy to forget that we used stage names for our protection. That the sometimes annoying patrons of O were actually more dangerous than your average rich dickhead.
That monsters could be lurking under all the money and charm.
My thoughts swirled nonsensically as I tried to pull my arm away, the buzz of anxiety itchy in my veins.
He chuckled, his smile anything but friendly as he used the leverage of my arm to force me half over the counter. My toes were barely meeting the rubberized mat as he captured my face in his free hand with a grip that was sure to leave marks.
My heart thrashed as I struggled to push him off, clawing and scratching in my desperate bid for freedom—accomplishing nothing more than tiring myself out and wrinkling his expensive suit.
He was too strong for me to pull away, and the bar between us stopped me from throwing my knee into his crotch.
I cast another look behind me only to have hope splinter to dust.
No Ren.
No Cole.
I was out of options. I opened my mouth to scream, any concern about causing a scene gone.
“You’re going to let me bite you,” the vampire said as if he’d read my mind, voice thick with syrupy compulsion that made my voice die in my throat.Even without direct eye contact, my body betrayed me instantly, going limp and pliable in his hold.
There were a lot of things to be afraid of when it came to vampires.
When I was in college, compulsion was mostly something stupid that vampire sorority girls used to make sure our admissions in truth or dare were actually truthful, but we’d all learned that it wasn’t just a fun party trick.
There were laws against it, of course. Stripping someone’s autonomy and forcing them into submission was unacceptable way before we knew vampires were even real.
My breaths came in heavy pants, mind screaming against my languid form to move , to do anything that would get me out of the situation.Nothing happened.
The vampire released my face. Lifting my boneless arm to his lips, he inhaled deeply against my pulse.I squeezed my eyes shut, still battling against the order like there was a physical wall between my brain and my limbs.
He ran the pad of his tongue against the strumming vein that lay just below the skin.
“Your skin tastes like fucking cotton candy,” the vampire muttered.
I opened my eyes in time to see his crimson eyes flaring with delight.
Please stop. I couldn’t force the pathetic, pleading words past my lips.
“Fuck you.”
He sunk his fangs into my arm with a pinprick of pain, closely followed by a lick of pleasure that washed over my every nerve. I clenched my teeth against the moan that was brewing in the back of my throat, my knees weak as the enzymes in his venom did their job to ensure my compliance—no, enthusiastic participation —in being a walking juice box.
I willed myself not to vomit as disgust began to crack the foundation of his compulsion. I kept pushing, willing my body to move. To open my mouth and call for help.
My blood rushed so loudly in my ears that it drowned out the music of the club, vision blotting slightly as he sucked up mouthful after mouthful.Pain flared to life in my wrist as my flesh ribboned. I gasped, blinking rapidly in time to catch Ren’s fist connecting with the vampire’s face.
Reality snapped into focus now that I was free of the vampire’s grasp. I slid to the floor, curling to hug myself as my breath came in ragged gasps from the relative safety behind the bar.
The commotion on the other side of the divider was nothing but a nonsensical arrangement of thuds, curses, and shouts punctuated by my own hiccupping sobs as I fruitlessly tried to regulate my emotions.
“Vi? Vi !” Cole’s voice sounded far away as he kneeled beside me, his warm hand on my shoulder.
Instinctively, I reared back from the touch, my fight-or-flight response too close to the surface.
“Let go of me Dana, I’m going to fucking kill him!” Ren shouted from the other side of the bar.
Cole grimaced. “I won’t touch you without permission again. I’m sorry,” he said gently, his bleached eyebrows drawn together with concern and hands held open over his chest. “Can I help you sit up?”
I nodded jerkily, and his gentle hands moved to help untangle my limbs and sit me up, leaning me against the shelves that lined the underside of the bar.
“Vi!” Ren gasped, shaking Dana off and hopping over the bar to drop to her knees in front of me. She cupped my face in her hands. “Are you alright? I’m so sorry I?—”
A whimper clawed its way out of my throat, and I slid toward Cole, the usual excitement that I experienced looking at Ren’s dark, mono-lidded eyes replaced by an entirely animal sort of fear at the sight of her fangs.
“You need to give her some space,” Cole said loudly. “Back up.”
Ren dropped her hands like I’d burned her, emotion clouding her dark gaze.
“Right,” she scooted back, turning an accusing glare on Cole. “What happened? Why was she alone behind the bar?”
I clenched my jaw, gripping the sleeve of Cole’s shirt as fat tears rolled down my cheek. Blood dripped down my arm from the torn flesh, splashing onto the floor in little pools of crimson.
“I’d gone for lunch; you were still here when I stepped away,” Cole said. “Quit bitching at me and go find Dana. Vi needs that arm wrapped.”
Ren’s jaw worked with frustration before she stood.
“Yeah, right. I’ll be right back. Stay right here.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her,” Cole assured, looping an arm around my shoulders as I leaned against his warm side. “Is this okay?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “We shouldn’t have left you by yourself.”
Time seemed to pass in inches and miles. One moment Cole was muttering a steady stream of assurances to my deaf ears, and the next Dana had wrapped my arm in thick gauze. She kneeled beside me, snapping the metal first aid kit shut with a metallic click.
“There you go, darling,” she murmured softly, tucking a lock of sweaty hair behind my ear, her gaze concerned as it moved over my face. “Why don’t you let June take you home?” Her voice was calm, grounding. I latched onto it like a lifeline.
At my nod, Dana and Cole worked together to help me to my feet, knees wobbling a little now that most of the adrenaline had worn off.
“I’ll tell Baby,” Cole said, offering me a weak smile. “They kept everyone out back so they wouldn’t crowd you. Bye, Striker.”
Panic squeezed my chest as he disappeared beyond the curtain to backstage.
Juniper rounded the bar and took his place. She gently touched my arm, drawing my eyes to her blue gaze. “Just breathe. You’re safe with me.”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding and squeezed her arm. It was as close to a thank you as I could manage.
I was just glad that I hadn’t flinched when she touched me.
Dana and Ren stood together as Juniper led me through the back and into the underground parking lot through a heavy metal door. Ren’s eyes steadily on the floor, her hair standing on end. We passed luxury sports cars, comfortable midrange sedans, and even a junker or two on our slow trek, Juniper patiently guiding me as I stumbled blindly on leaden feet.
She stopped us in front of a dark SUV, opening the door and helping me climb inside, even securing my seat belt when my fingers shook too hard to do it myself.
“I’m just going to the other side of the car,” she murmured. “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded slowly, training my eyes forward as the door snapped shut on my side. After what couldn’t have been more than a second, Juniper was in the car beside me, starting it. I curled up in the heated seat and leaned my head against the cool window as she drove us outside.
“You and Babydoll are roommates, right?”
I nodded.
She smiled, her arm resting on the console between us as she started the short drive between the club and home. “Not far then.”
“No,” I said softly, clearing my throat. “It's not.”
“Using compulsion in our club is strictly forbidden. He won’t be allowed back,” she said, her voice carrying over the low hum of music from the sound system. “He’s only alive because Dana managed to pull Ren off. Well, with my help…”
“I knew the risk when I accepted the job.” I said, running a hand down my face.
“That doesn’t make it okay, Vi.” Her blue eyes were heavy with concern when she glanced in my direction. “Don’t blame yourself.”
“Okay.”
We sat in silence for a few long minutes, waiting at a red light. The inside of the car bathed in the warm glow of the streetlights.
Mostly to break the tension, I said, “I hurt Ren’s feelings.”
Juniper laughed, loud and bright. “That’s what you’re thinking about right now? Fuck , Vi!” She put her hand over mine where it rested in my lap, and squeezed. “She’ll live, don’t worry about that right now.”
“But—”
“Vi, for the love of god, if you’re wasting your energy worrying about her when we failed you, I’m going to lose it. She’s a grown-ass vampire. Ren will be fine .”
I nodded and leaned back into the plush leather of the seats. “Fine.”
“Do you want me to drop you off, or do you want me to stay a while?”
“Stay, please,” I said quickly, turning my hand over to thread my fingers with hers.
We didn’t exactly have a good relationship—or any, given how prickly the redhead usually was… But I didn’t want to be alone. My arm was sore, and I was exhausted. I just wanted someone there.
And to her credit, Juniper was being downright pleasant right now.
“Good. What do you want to eat? We can get some takeout on the way and watch a movie.”
The way she quickly swapped into domesticity threw me off, and thanks to a large flashing advert on the outside of one of the many high-rises, I was reminded again that tonight was in fact Valentine’s Day.
“Um, you know… You don’t have to hang out with me. I’m probably going to pass out the second I get home. Well, after a shower.”
“I want to,” she said firmly.
“It’s Valentine’s Day, Juniper.What about Elsie, Dana?—?”
“Woman, if you don’t stop worrying about goddamn vampires, I’m going to force you to watch The Sound of Music with my full commentary— and I lived through World War II . They’re adults, they can handle some time without us. Let me take care of you for a couple of hours.”
“Fine,” I agreed a little sulkily, even as warmth spread in my chest. “Let’s just order in; I don’t want to stop anywhere.”
“It’s a date.”
An hour later, filled to the brim with tacos with my hair still damp from a shower, I curled into Juniper’s side. She’d picked the movie, a musical set in the ‘90s about a playwright living in New York, while I was washing away the stench of fear and remnants of my blood. We’d gorged ourselves, and Juniper redressed my arm, deciding it didn’t need stitches but that I probably shouldn’t lift anything heavy for a while.
Briefly, I wondered if I should ask her to use her saliva to help it close up. But the idea of vampire fangs coming near me for at least the next eight hours made me feel… uneasy.
If there was any positive from tonight, at least I wouldn’t have to haul kegs anytime soon.
I toyed with a strand of her coppery hair, twirling it between my fingers aimlessly as we watched the screen, my body pressed against the soft swell of the vampire’s curves.
It was, admittedly, cuddling.
Briefly, I wondered if she was thinking about how nice it felt too.
“Do you want to sleep over?” I asked, moving to grab my phone off the table and firing a text off to Kaylee, ignoring all her previous ones asking if I was okay.
“If you want. I just have to go early. Is that okay?”
Me
Juniper is staying over.
Kaylee
Are you okay?
Me
Yeah, just so fucking tired.
Kaylee
Comfort or space, Vi?
Me
Space, sorry Kayl.
Kaylee
Don’t apologise. Sleep in my bed, I’ll take the couch.
I nodded and sat up, the blanket I’d pulled over us sliding off me and onto the floor to reveal the tiny pyjamas I’d thrown on.
“Come on, I won’t make you stay on the couch. And I’ll find you something to sleep in.”
“Think you’ll have something that will fit?” Juniper asked as she took my offered hand.
I helped her up off the sofa, not letting go as we made our way to the bedroom. I flashed her a smile, winking.
If i wasn’t so tired, maybe I would’ve asked her to sleep naked.
And maybe, if she’d actually kissed me in the VIP, it wouldn’t have been a joke.
“Might not be up to your standards, but I know I do.”