His words crack against me.
With a quick, false apologetic grin, he adds, "I’m a beast, I know. You must forgive me. I’m not used to such an... elegant woman as yourself."
Elegant? I suppress a snort. Who’s kidding who here?
Usually, I hold the cards over the men, but this one is different. The power he exudes is older and more seasoned. He’s been a hunter longer than I have. I’m beginning to regret my decision.
How do I get him outside?
He hands me a glass, his eyes never leaving mine. "Let’s see if this is worthy of such an elegant female with discerning taste." Again he says "elegant woman" as if he meant to call me a stupid cunt. There’s a challenge in his eyes as he toasts my glass.
I don’t take drinks from the men I lure in. I only get them from the bar where I can see the bartender make it, but if I don’tdrink this, the game will be over. I’ll have to leave, likely the entire club, and go try to find Shadow a heart somewhere else.
We might not have that long.
The pressure of Shadow's need pushes me to take a small sip. Hurley’s lids flicker with displeasure.
"Is it not to your liking?" A coldness has seeped into his voice.
I lift a brow as if he is being boorish, even as my heart smacks against my rib cage. Then I take a deep pull of the icy old fashioned. I work to suppress a cough from the hard liquor.
"Satisfied?" I taunt.
White teeth gleam in a triumphant grin. "Not hardly," he rasps.
As I set the glass down, a wave of dizziness washes over me. My vision blurs, the room tilting in a sickening swirl of colors. My stomach lurches hotly.
Fuck. No. Dammit.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
This can’t be happening. I stumble and then grasp at the couch, managing to balance myself on the arm. I don’t have long before my system shuts down from whatever he drugged me with.
I knew better and I still drank it. Why did I do it? I’m so stupid.
But I put Shadow before everything else, so it felt worth the risk. It wasn’t.
"You make it too easy," he laughs lightly. "A pretty little thing like you looking for trouble?" He tsks. "I can always tell when I’ve found the lost ones. I have a nose for it." He taps said nose. "But don’t worry, sweetheart. You aren’t lost anymore. I have clients who will pay a high price for a saucy little slut like you." His knuckles softly caress my cheek. "Though I do think I might need to test the goods for quality assurance reasons."
Panic surges through me, but it's like moving through molasses. Feeling drains from my legs until I end up collapsing on the couch. I try to speak, to move, but my body betrays me, heavy and unresponsive.
Hurley’s figure looms over me, his words a distant echo. The last thing I hear is a belt unbuckling before succumbing to the darkness.
The Kiss of Life
My body is sticky and wet. Screams echo in my ears, but they come from far away. Are they mine? I feel too heavy, trapped by my own body. I push against the heavy haze that keeps me pushed down in the darkness but it’s no use.
Soft pressure coaxes my mostly numb lips. Feeling slowly returns, lazily reaching outward, awakening my senses. I can’t help but moan into the coaxing, plundering kiss that is bringing me back to life.
How long have I been asleep?
Whatever I'm lying on is unfamiliar.
A tongue sweeps into my mouth with soft insistence.
Even as I try to make sense of where I am, heat spirals into my lower belly, pooling with need.
When strength reaches my eyelids, they flutter open.
