“No sexual stuff in front of me. It will be a transaction, that’s all. If you want to, you can get freaky with him when I’m not around.”
Well, fuck.
“Fine.” I nod, repressing the long sigh I wanna let out because I’m a brat.
There’s a short, uncomfortable silence, filled by the playlist we made of the best songs from his favorite band: A Day To Remember. I keep my eyes busy, staring at the sunset on the Phoenix skyline beside us.
“You’re my brother, and I’ll always be here for you.” His words force my attention back to him, his eyes now sweet and soft, like his voice. It makes my heart skip a beat, and the butterflies in my stomach flutter. “Whatever is happening in your devious mind needs sorting, Damien. You’re not a kid anymore.”
And he says that staring at me with those loving eyes . . . He’s destroying me. Everything in me is screaming to either punch him or force my lips on his. But I keep my poker face up. I have to.
“Whatever, Killi. You don’t understand shit.” My words are bitter, but I can’t mask that as well.
At least I used the nickname I know makes his heart warm up. The one I gave him when I was just a child and he was my entire world.
Which he still is.
Motherfucker.
Killien doesn’t say anything; he remains focused on the road. I press my back against the leather seat and turn my face away from him. Maybe I’ll have to give him the cold shoulder from now on. I’ll get really freaky with Jacob and make him raging jealous. He’ll regret it in the end. I can learn to wait for my rewards.
Jacob agreed to come over as soon as I texted him. He’s eager to get bitten, apparently. Not that I’m not eager to get a taste of him. I might or might not be getting hard just thinking about it. What’s it gonna be like? Drinking from someone as hot as Jacob must be one hell of a ride.
The last time I had vampire blood was when Ledger turned us. It was really confusing at the time; I had no idea what was happening. I still remember seeing Ledger walking around the popular bars, where Killien and I used to hang out. It was also how I met my boyfriends and sugar daddies, as well as people to steal from.
I was particularly good at distracting my victims while I slid my hand in a pocket or purse. Killien only had to watch over me while I worked my magic. He hated doing it, but ended up helping me anyway. Just to make sure I didn’t fuck up, I guess. It’s how I made a few extra bucks, since I refused to get a regular job.
Killien did that for us since we ran away from home while I stuck to being a full-time sugar baby and making guys pay for my stuff. It was way too easy. Making someone bend and break to my will might as well be my biggest talent. I know how to use my tools and wield my weapons to get what I want.
Seducing people is fun, but fighting someone with my pointy knife in a dark alley is just as exciting. It helped me hone my skills with my handy folding knife, the one I always carry with me. A present from Killien, naturally. He bought it so that I could defend myself if I got in trouble, but I used it more for mischief than anything else.
That’s exactly how we met Ledger. He was walking down the street with a cigarette in his hand. A skinny blonde guy that I thought I could seduce and distract, and that I could also fight with my tiny blade if I had to. An easy target. Plus, even if I failed, Killien would be right behind me. So, I followed him into an alley.
Looking back, it was kinda foolish of me to think it would be so simple.
I found him throwing up in a dark corner, looking completely defenseless. And yet, when I tried to reach for his pocket, he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall. My knife was completely useless, since he snapped it from my hand before I could defend myself. His response was too fast; I should have been able to dodge him. But I wasn’t. Ledger simply didn’t look as strong as he was.
Killien tried to free me from his grip, but ended up in the exact same position. We were crowded by the smell of cigarettes and alcohol and of something sweet I couldn’t quite point out. Finally, his green eyes glowed as he smiled at us like he’d just won the lottery, and that’s when I knew I’d fucked up.
I’ve never been one to get easily scared. I could put up a decent fight with my beloved knife, because I was always fastgiven my size. However, that night, I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. My blood went cold as I tried to free my throat from his constricting hand, but it was pointless. I wanted to cry and reach out to Killien, but couldn’t. We both passed out from the lack of oxygen in that damn alley.
Next time I opened my eyes, I was tied to a chair that creaked when I moved, in this very same living room we inhabit right now. Killien was close by, also tied to a chair and still unconscious. The TV was on, casting a dull blue light on us. Besides that, the room was dark. There was a sickly sweet smell mixed with cigarette smoke.
Ledger stared at me with his glowing eyes, leaning against the wall next to the TV. I screamed, calling out for Killien until he woke up too. The look of absolute horror on his face still haunts me to this day. I’d never seen him so scared, so worried. He wiggled on the chair, trying to untie his hands and feet. His body angled towards mine, as if he was trying to protect me even in his dire situation.
“Well, well . . . what have we here?”Those were Ledger’s first words to us. I’ll always remember the way his raspy voice made me bristle. He obviously wasn’t human, butwhatwas he?
He talked for a while over our screams, a whole lot of crap coming out of his mouth. I couldn’t possibly remember all of his rambling, but I do know he said he was going to keep us. But keep us for what? I was terrified of the idea of him raping Killien; it was the very first thing that came to my mind.
I knew I could take it. I’d had my fair share of horrible situations, because I’d always excelled at getting in trouble. I’d been in the hands of unwanted men more than once. But, Killien? He could never, my ginger angel.
I cried and begged for my brother, asking our captor not to hurt him, saying that he could have me all he wanted as long as he didn’t harm Killien. They both stared at me in silence, apainful silence that I’ll never be able to erase form my mind. It was one of the few times I saw Killien cry, big fat tears rolling down his angelic face. Ledger just raised his eyebrows at me and smiled, letting me cry my heart out and beg for far too long.
And then, he laughed.
The motherfucker started laughing at the top of his lungs, while we both stared at him in utter confusion. I shivered in terror. Killien had stopped crying, gaze fixed on the monster we still couldn’t understand. But there was nothing we could do.
Before I had the chance to even think of a way out, Ledger lunged towards me. His fangs extended right in front of my eyes, sharp, long, and dripping drool. The color of his eyes became the lightest shade of green I’d ever seen, glowing as if they were radioactive. I raised both of my shoulders instinctively, trying to protect my neck from him. I couldn’t even conjure the wordvampirein my mind before he had forced my head to the side and sank his teeth into me.
