Is that a pencil?
It’s in her other fist and looks like she’s about to jab him through the ribs with it and—
Oh, shit!I hurry over.
“Look, dirtbag,” she growls in his ear. “You were told last week that was your second strike. I come in here and see you trying itagain? You’redone, Tonio.”
The vampire must be really young because he’s literally crying. “I’m sorry, Blue! I just wanted to—”
Lucius blurs out of nowhere, looking furious and dressed in his shirtsleeves, which I know is rare. “What happened? What’s going on?”
“Oh, you’re really in trouble now,” she tells the young vampire. “You pissed off the big guy.”
Tonioliterallysqueals in fear. “I’m sorry, Blue! I’m sorry!”
Theophilus, Augustus, and another of Lucius’ men grab the guy’s arms, and once Eilidh is safely back on her feet again, they roughly jerk the vampire upright.
“Take him upstairs,” Lucius coldly says. “Now.”
The vampire’s struggling, but Eilidh jogs ahead, opening the bottom door for them and bolting up the stairs to get the next one. I bring up the rear. As I’m pulling the bottom door shut behind me, Lucius turns and smiles.
“And how was dinner?”
“Excellent and amazing. I wasn’t expecting a floor show with it.”
His smile widens. “You haven’t seen anything yet, dear nephew. But you are about to.”
They drag the vampire into a small, bare office just down from the conference room we ate in. Lucius unbuttons his cuffs and starts slowly rolling up his sleeves.
Eilidh’s wearing a dark glare and stands with her arms crossed over her chest, the pencil still in her fist. “We told you that you’re not allowed down in the basement for a month because of your bullshit, Tonio,” she scolds. “Then I catch you trying to mojo one of our household humans out the fuckingdoor? You’redone.”
“Yeeesss,” Lucius drawls. “Thatisrather bad form.” The young vampire yelps as Lucius grabs him by the jaw. “You interrupted Blue’s date night, young man. It is her night off, and yet still she must deal with the likes of you? Not to mention, I had to leave my own queen’s side, just as things were getting interesting. Do you haveanyidea the levels of utterhellI wish to unleash upon you in this moment?”
“I’m sorry, Sire! I didn’t mean to—OOOWWWWW!” He’s screaming because Lucius digs his fingers in around the guy’s lower jaw, piercing his cheeks with his nails on either side and squeezing with an audiblecrackof popping bone and teeth.
I mean, Tonio is a vampire. He will heal.
Unless Lucius rips his lower jaw right off him. He’ll still heal, but that won’t grow back.
Lucius, however, must be feeling generous. He releases the man’s jaw and wipes the blood off his hand onto the guy’s shirt.
“Despite my better instincts, I felt pity for you and I allowed you to settle in Tucson because you swore allegiance to me. That means abiding bymyrules. If you think I will let infractions slide simply because you shed some tears, you are sadly mistaken. Blue, my dear, what do we do to people who refuse to honor their commitments to me?”
Me and Lucius’ three men all flinch when her hand snaps out, almost a blur, and she plunges the pencil into Tonio’s right chest, making him scream as she snaps it off about an inch from the eraser. “We don’t fricking like it, Mr. Frangelico. We attempt reasonable behavior modification first. We also take itpersonallywhen someone disrespects you by not fulfilling their basic obligations to you.”
“Yes, that’s exactly right, my dear.” He leans in toward the sobbing vampire, who’s likely upright only because of the men holding his arms. “Tonio, there are no other chances. You may remain in Tucson, but if you ever set foot inside this club again, it is your death sentence. If you feed from humans, you’d better master self-control quickly. If I hear of any humans coming to harm anywhere close to your proximity, it is a death sentence.”
He points to Blue. “Remember, she is human. If you don’t wish for the last sight you ever see to be her face as she gleefully drags you out of your crypt and into the sunlight, you’d do well to heed me more carefully this time.”
Lucius steps back. “Take him out the back way, bind and blindfold him, drop him somewhere inconvenient, and take his keys from him. Make him work to return to safety and perhaps he’ll appreciate it more once he achieves it.Ifhe achieves it.”
The men hustle him out while Eilidh follows, but she turns and heads deeper into the office suite. I hear a sink running seconds later.
Lucius examines his hands. “Good thing he didn’t get his blood all over this shirt,” he muses. “It’s brand-new. Selene would eviscerate him.” He smiles, his voice dropping to a whisper. “So, how are you liking our sweet Blue?”
I’m too fucking turned on to lie. “I think I’m in love with her,” I breathe so only Lucius can hear me.
* * *
