Constricted: Beyond the Brothel Walls (18 page)

My fingers trembled and sweat pooled on my brow. I caught my reflection in the glass and shuddered. The shiny skin yellowed, and Petre tugged me into his arms. He whispered about eating again, and I buried my head against his chest. I hadn’t told him of the visions. What if I lost myself in one and actually kissed Veric?

The breeze whipped my hair into my eyes, and I glanced up to catch his smile. Petre’s eyes always landed on me. The fluttering remained even though my heart didn’t beat. My hands grasped his collar, and I rose on my tippy toes. His grin widened as his head tilted down.

“Bite me, luv.” Veric chuckled, and Petre glared silver daggers at him. I spun around to do the same. One moment alone was asking for too much. His fists clenched as he stepped toward the dark angel. “Come off it mate, she needs to eat before she tears me up again.”

I placed my hand on their arms and moved between them. “Enough. He has a point,” I said, cupping Petre’s face. My eyes drifted toward the back door. “I won’t feed off of them; they’ve been through too much.”

None of them knew we were vampires, or about Veric’s demonic status. At least we’d assumed as much instead of flashing a sign. Like me, he was more human than demon though, and he said that was what enabled me to digest his blood. Petre’s best guess, but it seemed to apply. All I knew of vampires, I’d learned from him and Tomas.

The strangeness didn’t end there. My smidgen of demon blood had allowed Petre to feed on me without the acid burns. Demon flavor held smoky undertones, and they were delicious.

“Right there mate, real smart birdie you have.”

Petre balled his fist and lunged at the agent. “At least pretend not to enjoy it,” he growled.

I blinked and glanced between the men. He’d enjoyed me feeding. My hands fell to my hips, and I gaped at the fiend. Veric glanced away, his cheeks reddening under the moonlight. His hand pawed the back of his neck and those amber eyes slowly met mine. “Sorry, ‘bout that luv; I can’t help it …”

Veric removed his jacket. Its only use appeared as weapon concealment. This was my first lucid feeding, and I swallowed hard. My eyes glanced to Petre; he nodded and grasped my hand.

“Lick the skin first.” He pointed to the area and called it a long name. All I heard was jug. “Let your fangs ease out, Angel.” I closed my eyes as my fangs throbbed beneath the gums. Both men reassured me in calm, sweet voices. My tongue dashed against Veric’s skin, savoring the smoked taste. Butterflies danced in my belly, as I pictured not the demon, but Petre instead.

Breath forced through my lungs, and I concentrated on him. Fangs snapped free, but I continued to lick and enjoy the gentle dance awakening inside my body. “Bite slow,” he whispered into my ear and moved behind me. Petre grasped my hips and massaged his fingers over the fabric of my skirts. I did as instructed, and Veric hissed in my ear as the fangs pierced his skin.

“Don’t even think about it,” he warned my demonic meal ticket.

Veric gasped in my ear. “Too bad, you’d both enjoy it, mate.” I suckled his life force, painted with his desire. Lucky for him, he had not elaborated, but the goading caused Petre to tense. He grew ridged and pulled my ass against him.

“She’s mine.”

“Yet her mouth’s on me.” It was all talk, and my eyes rolled. The demon hadn’t laid a finger on me, but he festered under Petre’s skin. Did all men play silly games? I snorted and dragged myself away.

My eyes trailed over his body as he stood. “Now I need a smoke.” His wings expanded, and I jumped from their release. Veric’s face plastered with a goofy smile as he flew off into the night.

My head turned. “What did he mean?”

“His scent and flavor, did it change while you fed?” I shrugged. Between picturing Petre, staying in the present, and trying to block out their banter, I hadn’t noticed. Petre’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “What were you thinking when you fed?”

“I pictured him as you.” He squeezed me tighter and kissed my temple. “What’s bothering you?”

His hair blew against my cheek. “He gets off when you feed, Angel. But your desire overpowered his scent and … I thought.”

“Gets off?”

Petre swallowed hard, and if I hadn’t known better, I’d have accused him of blushing. I stepped free of him and spun around. My finger poked into his chest.

“You thought …” He nodded, and I lurched forward laughing. “Petre, that’s … silly.”

He glanced to his feet. “Not really, Veric’s got power, and he can feed you. He’s –“

My fingers brushed against his lips and stopped his words. “He’s got nothing on you.”

“—but he’s –”

“I love you, not him—” The words hardly left my lips before Petre had swooped me into the air. His lips crushed against mine before pulling back. His grey eyes sparkled.

“I love you too, Angel.”

Chapter Fourteen

T
hose sweet words fell from my angel’s lips, and I cursed our location. My mind swam; lost and forgotten were the hellish days she’d once endured. Those words, I’d said those exact words to my Angel already, and felt their meaning long before I had spoken to Korrigan. Despite my curse and her past, she had found a way and managed to love a monster like me.

My hands grasped into her hair and dragged her closer. The curve of her lithe body rubbed against me, and I groaned into her mouth. Her desire scented the air, thickening my strained cock. The stiff fabric of my jeans became a prison, but I couldn’t take her here. Not in a whorehouse, and nowhere near the damned demon who desired her too. Kor’s first time deserved a bed, littered in rose petals and bathed in the soft glow of firelight, not in the confines of a damned brothel where torture and rape had occurred.

She dropped her hands to my belt, and I covered them with my own. No, my head cried, but my cock screamed yes. I tried to pull away, but she pressed me, moving against my mouth with ravenous hunger. My back compressed against the house as her hands clawed through mine. Her name whispered through my kiss, warning her to stop, but she ignored me. I needed her like I needed this turmoil between us to end. This wasn’t how I pictured our life. Stolen moments, yes, but not the death and destruction that plagued us. Not the demon inside of me rearing its head and attacking. Not the demon agent who I swore knew her and her him. But damn it she was mine; I was hers. Angel’s sweetness proved too strong for this life, yet there she stood as cursed as me.

Fangs freed with their telltale click; my angel replaced by an impish, insatiable nymph. I wasn’t complaining, but I questioned her sanity as she pursued my depths. My hands cupped her ass and kneaded her flesh. I gave in, caved to the craving of the moment. She could say no; I’d respect Angel’s wishes as long as I remained in control.

My hands pilfered her skirts. The soft fabric of her underwear ripped free, and my fingers stroked her wetness. Slender hips ground against me as a moan slipped past her lips. Fire roared in my belly, smoldering and sparking down to my soul. My back scraped down the outer wall and into the snow bank building along the back wall. Hopefully the ice would dampen the burning desire rocking through my balls. The longing to bury every inch of my cock into her until she screamed for mercy through my name. Oh h
ow I’d fill her to the hilt, show her the beast lurking behind the shadows, and spill my need.

No, I screamed at the monster inside my mind. The fiend growled and roared as it ripped through my shred of humanity. She loved me; I cried, Korrigan loved us both. The inner voice grew quieter as Kor slammed down and gained full charge. Another half-hearted attempt failed; she growled and tore my jeans down to my ankles. The chill faltered to numb my aching desire or my head as it rested on the icy ground. The scent of sweet honey tugged at my insides and flared my nostrils wide. Her long ridiculous skirts shimmied up around her waist, and she positioned her thighs over my head. Not waiting for an invitation, I dove my tongue into her sweetened folds. Angel gasped as her slender hips rocked forward. A cry followed and ripped through Korrigan’s mouth as it opened to engulf my cock, swallowing me down to the base of my throbbing balls.

My vision bled white sparks, igniting my mind and bathing my thoughts in a dirty haze. I inserted a finger into her tight pussy, and she tensed around me. My moan shushed her, reassuring my intentions even if I wished to bury my cock instead. I’d wait till the ends of time; she had to be ready. Korrigan had to come to me. Fingers stretched her, rolling around as I suckled her clit between my fangs. Her thighs clenched and held me hostage before relaxing to my touches. I pressed the fingers further, relishing in the hot tension surrounding me. My cock jerked, imagining sliding in to the hilt and pumping through her barriers. She’d be mine one day, and I’d own a part of her no other man had laid claim.

The thought reeled my mind. Jules had stolen everything else away, the bastard, but I’d be damned if I allowed another man to claim her again. She hummed, moaning over my cock. Kor drew closer, her pussy tightening with each stroke. My mouth quickened, and my fangs throbbed at the heated blood pulsing through her bud. A smile spread over my lips as I bit down, slicing through her sensitive clit. She arched; her head flew back as she screamed and exploded.

Her nails sliced into my hips as Kor rode her orgasm out over my face. The mixture of her essence and blood splashed over my tongue. The flavor and scent proved more than I could handle. My cock twitched as they attacked my senses. The bitter chill meant nothing as I grunted; my balls tightened. Kor didn’t miss a beat; my hips thrust up as her mouth slid down my dick, catching my seed as it erupted. She licked my cock clean as I fed on her pussy, and relished in her soft whimpers. Nothing could ruin our moment, or so I’d thought.

“Well aren’t you two just a randy bunch?” Veric said dropping from the sky. My hands pulled Angel’s skirt over her exposed ass, and I glared upside down at the demon. She tensed, and I wondered how much he saw. “Oh no, don’t get up on my account.”

He sat down, refusing to leave, and crossed his husky arms. The bulge in his jeans was evident as was his tightened jaw and grinding of his teeth. Pissed and horny, the latter I understood. My cock already hardened from the scent of Korrigan’s wanton desire.

His sheer size amazed me, and I shook my head. Veric’s hat tilted up as he met my gaze. I did not miss the pain flittering over those red eyes, but Angel was mine now per the supernatural laws his agency wrote. My hands dropped to my jeans, and I pulled them up as she scrambled to stand. Kor started walking away, and I called out to her. Her eyes fell on Veric, and I caught the twitch of her lips. I asked, “You plan on telling her the truth?”

We’d fought earlier over that reality. She deserved to know what he’d known all along. “In time, mate.” His brow cocked, and he stretched backward into the snow. Veric’s hat dropped, and he had removed the red handkerchief covering half his scar. The scar that had ended his life as far as his family was concerned. His reddish hair reflected in the moonlight. Odd his twin brother’s hair wasn’t red. “Thought safety was a higher priority. Apparently I was wrong.”

Veric’s glare hadn’t gone unnoticed, and neither had his condescending tone. I hadn’t disagreed, but the nature of what we were overtook our minds. A demon should have understood as much, even one that was three-quarters human. Still, Korrigan deserved more than half-hearted lies under the guise of protection, but I’d promised the demon my silence.

She strolled back, rubbing her arms, and plopped into my lap. Vampires felt hot and cold, but it didn’t affect us like humans. Her eyes remained down, but I lugged her closer. My lips brushed her forehead. I wanted to close my eyes and reverse time. No, death would be for nothing, and we couldn’t stop now. But I would’ve stayed and found another way to free those slaves. Her life … Mellissa and Jobe, Tomas’ guards, it was my fault not Korrigan’s.

Plastered all over her sleeve and mannerisms rested the guilt she carried. In some ways, I wished we had a real vampire bond like most sires held over their children, but that hadn’t occurred. Maybe I’d been wrong to change her, but my heart screamed.

I swallowed the bitterness of truth. Jules had hurt her again. Then I’d gone and harmed her too. My fists flexed, and I bit my lip at the thought. The bastard killed her, and he had left me no other choice. Her fingers curled around mine, and her dark blond head rested on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead again as she sighed against my neck, tickling me with loose strands.

“Feeling better there, luv?”

Her head snapped up. “Shut up.”

She grabbed a handful of snow and flung it at his head. I chuckled, but inside my heart swelled. I didn’t need a reaffirmation of the words when her actions proved her feelings. Like me, Veric got on her nerves, even if he remained a powerful ally. But would the truth change her mind? I swallowed that bitter thought.

He grinned and crossed his legs. “When your goggle mate arrives, it’d be best for all not to dally. Got a riveting message on the telly.” We found one in the attic, but how’d he get it to work without electricity? “Flew into a pub down the way,” he added, answering my question. “Your mug’s on there, Petre. Good news is they’re looking for you and not both of you.”

I cursed Jules under my breath, but at least he didn’t realize Angel had lived despite his attempt to end her life. What gave him the power and reach? Kor dropped her head on my shoulder.

“He wants them back.” Her words tickled my skin. “Without slaves he’s nothing but a pretty face.” I cringed when she’d referred to the monster as pretty. Her head shot up. “That’s how we break them.”

“Steal ‘is property?” Kor nodded as Veric cocked his head back and forth. I chewed it over, knowing what she had meant before it registered with the demon. But I didn’t see how we’d pull that off without more help or putting her in more danger. The demons already wanted Angel. “What ‘bout the other brothels?”

“You say Arcadia’s a safe haven, and there’s no slavery.” We both agreed. The demons, witches, and vampires had all agreed that Arcadia would remain free. Humans did not become slaves although they knew nothing of our world. We had managed to rule by council and rotated out different faces as Prime Minister. “Then we shut them down and send them over the border.”

I read the demon’s face as he regarded her words. Compassion and understanding flickered across his eyes. It spoke what I already knew. The law didn’t care what happened outside of Arcadia. Delphia lay splintered into tiny islands and made it impossible to police. He explained as much to Korrigan and me as we sat there in the snow. His undercover operation took years of planning to get past Jules. Our short time together hadn’t left me with much time to teach her the ways of our real world. The crash course wasn’t going over well at all. Well intentioned, but what she had asked of us was near impossible, not without a stronger force to back us up.

Veric spoke of a hypothetical family, but his scent betrayed his lie. It was his family. I’d recognized him because of his brother. “There were two sons the woman birthed. One fought for the humans, fighting for freedom, and bringing down scumbags. The other became a King and broke every law the brother fought against.”

“Did it stop him from trying?” He smiled and pulled his gun free. Veric checked the chamber and rested the weapon in his lap. Revolver, at least we had something in common besides Korrigan. The old-fashioned technology was accurate, and the ammo easier to produce as opposed to the fancy clips and mechanisms.

The demon glanced over his shoulder, and my gaze followed to the shadows. “No, he didn’t give up even when they warned him to stop.” There wasn’t anyone there dead, demon, or human. Had the agent chased ghosts too? I chewed my lip thinking back to Hestin. He had been quiet since all this went down.

“Help me,” she said. Her large eyes watered. “Look how much we’ve accomplished already. There’s got to be others that think as we do.”

Veric had a brother all right, Boric, and that demon sat upon the throne of Garland. It consisted of the desert sands of the Southern Americas, but it still did not answer my question about Jules. Demon hierarchy didn’t elude me as much as I’d made it appear, but I’d figured the more ignorant I acted, the more information I’d wring out of Veric. Korrigan was part demon; a point Tomas had shared, but the agent knew more. Veric knew her, and I swore she recognized him too but I held no proof of either fact.

“Take off the head?” I asked, glancing at the sky as snow fell yet again. The soft flakes glittered in angel’s hair, and she smiled as the flakes landed on her tongue. In so many ways, her innocence touched me. “How’d Jules rise in power?”

Veric stretched back, his wings crackling as they retracted. “He’s friend to the King, but he’s not the head, mate. Not by a long shot.” His auburn head shook. “If it were that simple this would’ve been over years ago. We live in the bloody Revelation, mate, end times are upon us, or did you fail to notice the fire and brimstone? Boric isn’t even the head.”

I ignored his banter and patted Kor’s hand. The demon slipped with that comment, but either she hadn’t understood, cared, or she had known the meaning of the Great Sundering.

“How do we destroy him?” He glanced at me, eyes aglow with a warning I refused to heed. A smile tugged at my lips. Hell, he’d opened the floodgate, and I wasn’t about to let him damn it up now.

“We don’t.” Korri dropped her mouth and tightened her grip on my hand. “Rather you don’t, luv.” His fingers caressed the snow. “He’d kill you and not in the neat, pretty way he twisted your head before.” There was more to the demon’s statement, but his fancy illusion of words blinded the truth. How would he have known about her snapped neck? Veric flashed a knowing smile and placed his hat on his head. “Me too, I’m afraid, but, not Petre and Nikolai.”