“Oh, you’ll get me that money,” the man called Augustine interrupted. He stepped around Eva, taking the air along with him as he sat in the large leather chair that seemed to dominate the space. He had made them wait for over an hour, and then made them wait a little longer as he smirked behind the desk, fingers tapping along the wood.
“I see you expected Dutch, but I’ve taken a special interest in those that steal from me.”
Lucas let out a strangled sound. “It must be a mistake, a stupid fucking mistake that...”
Augustine lifted his hand, and Lucas immediately shut up. He wore a black suit, the shirt beneath the same shade while a tattoo of a snake curled around his exposed throat, the head ending on his jaw. Humour danced in his deep brown eyes, and they brightened slightly when they settled on Eva.
She made no noise, but was unable to look away from the scrutiny behind his gaze. She had no idea who, or what he was, and yet he demanded everyone’s full attention.
“Did you not think we wouldn’t notice?” he asked, directing his question to Lucas.
Lucas stuttered, eyes widening. “I’ll, I’ll get you the money. One of my guys must have made a mistake or...”
“A mistake is dropping a bag,” Augustine interrupted. “Or possibly miscounting. Fifty-grand worth of untracked notes is more than a fucking mistake.” The man rested back in his chair, head tilted slightly as he finally returned his attention to Lucas. His brown hair was cut short, a shadow tight along his skull. “Your job was to run the money. A fucking monkey could do that.”
“Augustine, please. I’ll find out who fucked us over...”
Eva felt a prickle of sensation at the back of her neck, and then a gun whipped Lucas across his face with an audible crack. His head barely moved, but a red welt appeared immediately, bright against his pale skin.
“Us?” Augustine said, his upper lip curled into a snarl. He reached down, slowly pulling out a large wooden stake, fisting it in his hand. “You lostmemoney, not us.”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Lucas shouted, hands held out in surrender. “Take my girl as partial payment!”
Eva shot to her feet, fangs piercing into her lip, the pain a split-second before her own blood coated her tongue. The chair toppled behind her, and as she turned a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.
“Sit,” Mr Sunglasses said into her ear. “Now.”
Eva let out a hiss, the only noise she could make it seemed. What was she, a dog?
“No bitch is worth fifty-grand,” Augustine sniggered. “Not even with lips made to suck a cock.”
Horror froze Eva’s limbs, her breathing fast enough to hyperventilate. Which for a vampire, was apparently the normal rhythm of a human.
“She’s a Venus Darkling,” Lucas added quickly. “Trust me, it’s the reason I changed her. Even as a human her blood was higher tier, I knew she would have a Venus gift.”
You motherfucker!Eva cursed inside her mind, her throat barely able to make a growl.
Augustine seemed to read her well enough, his chuckle ominous. “How old is she?”
Lucas visibly relaxed. “Just over two months.”
“A fledgling?” Augustine said, brows shooting up his forehead. “When was she last fed?”
“Four weeks ago.”
“That’s some impressive control,” he murmured, his fingers still playing on the sharp point of the stake. “Venus Darklings are rare, addictive if I remember correctly.”
Lucas licked his lips. “She’s magnificent, you need to taste. I starve her to keep her compliant, but even her venom is…” He struggled to find the right words. “Her venom is worth her bite.”
“Floyd,” Augustine nodded to Mr Sunglasses. “Taste her.”
Wait, what?!Eva weakly fought her hold, the hand tightening for a brief second before her head was wrenched to the side, lips sealing over her skin. The pain of multiple teeth was sharp, and then she felt a strong suction that caused fire to burn through her veins. Tears marked their way down her cheeks, increasing with every painful pull of his mouth.
“Floyd, that’s enough.”
Eva tried to move, her arms heavy as she weakly shoved at the hold.
“Floyd!” Augustine barked, standing up. “Now!”
