Chapter 6 Sam
Sam
Holy fuck, Kyle was good. I’d known he probably would be — he just had the capable vibe.
Although, the more I thought about it, of course he had a capable vibe.
He’d been chosen by the New Orleans king to infiltrate the Blackbloods.
Not just any man would be sent out for a job like this — not if they’d done their homework and knew what Brock was capable of.
My blood chilled a little. What Kyle was doing was so dangerous. What Esmé was doing was dangerous. I had no idea of her endgame, but she was certainly playing with fire by acting against Brock. It put me in danger, too.
But watching Kyle fight just now had given me the first real hope I’d had in a long time.
He was clearly a vampire who knew how to get shit done.
He didn’t like Brock or the Blackbloods.
So, what if he could help me? I’d always wavered over whether it was worth the trouble.
But if it was worth it? Was Kyle the one who could help or knew some way to get out of my situation?
Maybe I needed to bide my time and wait for a moment where I could at least find out.
In the meantime, watching him kick all that vampire ass was the best thing I’d seen in… Shit, I couldn’t remember how long.
But I’d also tried to stay fairly quiet about my enjoyment.
Brock had been standing way too close for me to telegraph my shifted allegiances.
I’d mostly watched my phone and stayed still, under the radar, obedient.
I hated drawing attention to myself, but I couldn’t help the cheer when Kyle won his final fight.
It was only one whoop for a job well done and a congratulations to the newest enforcer.
One who was supposed to be my boyfriend. Forgivable, surely?
I’d been worried about the fight against Demon when he’d stepped out of the house. Demon usually beat everyone.
The ass beating Kyle had dealt out, though, was the least the Blackbloods deserved—they all deserved so much more—but I’d take watching any beatings doled out to them that I could get.
I moved from the deck to the kitchen inside pretty much as soon as the fighting stopped.
I didn’t want to be in Esmé’s line of sight in case she beckoned me right out into the yard in front of everyone.
I didn’t want Kyle to witness another of my humiliations.
That thought surprised me. Really, Esmé’s needs had nothing to do with Kyle.
But something had shifted inside me without my having realized it, and it mattered what he thought, what he saw when he looked at me.
Still, Esmé would need a feed once she grew a little stronger, so I needed to stay close by.
For once, the idea of a feed didn’t fill me with the same thrill it previously had. I felt cheap. Humiliated. Prostituted.
I didn’t turn as the door behind me opened. I’d known Esmé would come inside eventually, after all. Except, it wasn’t Esmé at all.
“Hello, Sam.”
I flinched at the way Eddie spoke my name. It was creepy and slimy, and I needed an immediate shower. I still didn’t turn, but he slid onto the barstool next to me, his proximity making me shudder.
“I said, hello.”
“Hello,” I mumbled, not looking in his direction.
It was always easier to behave as they wanted. They were stronger than I was, and most of these vampires wouldn’t think twice about killing me if I displeased them for any reason at all.
Kyle had kicked his ass early on, and Eddie had fallen quickly. Also recovered quickly, it seemed, because here he was. Bothering me.
Cold seemed to radiate from him, and my body chilled in response. I closed my eyes and swallowed my revulsion.
He leaned over — too close. Too close — and took my phone from my hand before setting it on the table nearer to him than to me, somewhere I couldn’t exactly grab it back from.
I was powerless against these vampires, especially in this house, although I was a second-class citizen to any of them all the time, the whole city over.
Maybe not even classed as high as second.
“Saw you cheering for the new guy.” His tone was nonchalant, but I’d have been stupid not to take note of the steel bass note to his words. “Do you think that was wise?”
I forced a shrug. “A new enforcer is always good news, right?” I aimed for hopeful innocence. Maybe something stupid but harmless.
His lip curled and his eyebrows lowered, turning his expression mean. His eyes became hot, that dull red that always signified high emotion in one of them, and I fought the urge to shrink away from him.
Eddie was the kind who got off on fear, and he leaned closer as he hissed out his next words.
“Well, don’t go getting above yourself and thinking you can fuck him.
Makes no difference if Brock lets him in or not.
There’s only one guy here who’s going to fuck you.
Even if I need to wait until you’re almost gone, and you can’t talk, can’t do anything but scream inside your head while your body loves everything I do to it, that guy is going to be me. ”
I started to shake my head, but he reached for me, going for my hands or my wrists.
I couldn’t tell. Didn’t care. I didn’t want him to touch me at all, so I shoved my stool back, unable to hide my reaction this time.
I had to get back outside. Forget my phone — Eddie could keep it.
It wasn’t like I’d have use for it for much longer, anyway.
But he was fast. They were always so much fucking faster than I expected. He hauled me from my seat and pinned me against the refrigerator, the long handles digging into my back.
I squirmed uselessly because I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t escape his strength. Kyle had made defeating Eddie look easy, but I had no chance at all.
Kicking my legs, I tried to wriggle loose but he only grinned, the stretching of his lips malevolent. When I opened my mouth to yell, he covered it with his huge hand, twisting my head to one side so my cheek pressed against the cool metal of the refrigerator door.
Panic froze me. I stopped moving entirely, my eyes focused on the window on the other side of the room.
The faded, flowered curtains there didn’t fit with the rest of the house, and it was like the vamps had forgotten to remove the last reminder of someone else’s previous cheerful existence here.
I didn’t want to know what had happened to the owners, but I doubted realtors had been involved in the acquisition of this place.
Eddie smelled bad. He wasn’t fussy where he got his blood from, and his breath turned my stomach.
He leaned closer until his greasy hair brushed against my skin, and he ran his tongue slowly up my neck.
This time, the shiver that claimed me was due to something else as my body betrayed me at the anticipation of a hit of vampire venom.
Adrenaline coursed through me, followed quickly by unwelcome desire.
Eddie paused and took a long drag of air through his nostrils. “Good girl,” he muttered approvingly. “I knew you’d want this.”
The tip of his fang dragged over my skin, and I hitched a breath, excitement fizzing in my chest even as I tried to fight it.
But before his fangs could pierce my neck, he was gone.
I gasped for air as I focused on Kyle’s hand wrapped around Eddie’s throat as he pinned him to the wall next to me.
Eddie’s feet dangled about six inches from the floor, and his eyes bulged as his tongue flicked over his lips like he was about to say something.
Kyle growled, the noise ratcheting up to a furious roar.
Color bled from Eddie’s face, leaving him almost chalk white as he rolled his eyeballs, seeming almost desperate not to meet Kyle’s gaze as he looked everywhere but my unlikely rescuer.
“Never. Put. Your. Hands. On. Sam. Again.” Each word was its own sentence and Kyle sounded like he’d gone full vampire, not a trace of humanity left. “Mine.”
I wanted to run away but something about the scene before me held me captive, watching.
Eddie nodded, the movement immediate like he couldn’t agree quick enough.
He parted his lips as if to say something but only a breath huffed out.
Kyle dropped him to the floor, and Eddie scuttled away, banging into a barstool and rebounding off the bar as he headed for the door that led to the rest of the house.
Kyle turned to face me, his fangs visible, his eyes red, in full vampire mode.
I backed harder against the fridge, even as my heart raced and my pulse beat harder in my neck.
I reached my hand to touch the spot where Esmé usually bit me.
I had no way out again, no chance of escape from the vampire in front of me…
But this time I wasn’t even sure I wanted to.
I held his gaze, watching as the red bled from his eyes, leaving his usual brown color plain to see.
So beautiful, and I could still drown in those eyes and die happy.
He rested a palm on the refrigerator, beside my head, but I couldn’t take my focus away from him, like he magnetized me.
Then he leaned closer and the spicy scent of him, almost like bay rum, swirled around me.
I closed my eyes and waited for his lips to meet mine.
I wanted that kiss. I could almost feel it. I parted my lips in anticipation, almost able to feel his soft breath against my mouth.
But nothing happened. Instead, there was a rush of cool air, and I opened my eyes again to find Kyle standing several feet away.
He looked at me for a moment, his eyes scorching me before he turned abruptly and strode from the room. I let out a shaky breath, and my knees buckled, sending me plunging to the cold tile. I sat there for a moment before Esmé’s voice pierced my thoughts.
“Sam.” It was just my name, but it was enough.
She needed that feed.