Description
Niko Torres watched Asher slip out of the door of the club. He was tired of watching him, night after night, from across the street. He wanted to hold him instead. Niko sensed that Asher wanted him too, and that was no vampire super power thing. It was an attraction thing, plain and simple. But why was Asher showing so much resistance to his charms? Was he in a bonded and committed relationship with another vampire, and wore no ring? Niko couldn’t draw any conclusion and was having a hard time reading the handsome vampire.
“Who are you looking at?” Eirek said over the thumping music, gazing in the same direction as Niko. “Whoever it is, forget about him. You should only be focused on me.”
Niko groaned inwardly. He hated high maintenance. He wasn’t good at stroking the egos of pretty boys made even prettier by the eternal glow of immortality. “Checking out the crowd,” Niko answered in a casual tone.
Eirek shimmied closer. “Let’s say we leave this place and go to yours? I want to reserve my energy for a more intimate dance.”
If he didn’t have thoughts of Asher spinning around in his brain, he would’ve taken the slutty vampire up on his offer. “I’m leaving, but alone.”
“One more drink then?” Eirek suggested. He ran his pointed tongue over his top lip. “They offer the best in synthetic blood here.”
“I’ll pass.” Looking over Eirek’s shoulder, he saw Jerrod approaching, a look of disgust etched across his haughty features. “But maybe he’ll be up for it.”
Jerrod’s explosive energy arrived before he did. He was a strong and ancient vampire, Niko noted, as he stumbled back ever so slightly.
“Some other time,” Jerrod answered Eirek before he could offer an invitation. The blond twink vamp made a quick retreat somewhere toward the bar.
Niko eyed Jerrod, waiting to hear what his particular beef was, because it was obvious he had one.
“Stay away from Asher.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because I told you to.”
“I realize we don’t know each other very well but let me tell you a little something about myself. I don’t listen very well. I follow my gut, and my gut says to keep after Asher.”
Shadowed eyes danced, dark and flickering. “He’s too good for you. You know it. I know it.”
“You know nothing about me.”
“I know you work at the barbershop that’s full of the likes of you. No decent human or vampire would ever step foot in that place.”
“I’m a barber. If my clients are paying with cold hard cash, I don’t ask questions about their personal lives.”
“You might want to start.”
“You do business your way, and I will do it my way.”
“Why did you come to Sangre? Who, or what, are you running from?”
“I didn’t come here to be interrogated by some ponce hairdresser.” Niko turned to leave, but a firm grip on his bicep stopped him. He jerked his arm hard but didn’t loosen Jerrod’s viselike grip.
Jerrod pulled Niko in so close that Niko could feel his heated breath race across his face. “I’m warning you,” he said through gritted teeth. “And I only give one before you feel the wrath I can bring down on you.”
