Chapter 5

• The cheering crowd goes ballistic and the music thrums wildly. I wave and blow kisses, ignoring the cold dread running through me. I just want Opal to reel me in again. I want the night to be over. I pose on my hoop, sitting and dangling my legs. The crowd moves and dances below, licking up all the blood they can.
• And then something smacks right into my chest and lands on my lap.
• The shock of seeing the severed cock stuns me for all of a second, and I screech and fling it off, sending it back to the crowd. I’ve never had anything thrown at me before, and getting hit with the cock...? What the actual fuck.
• I’m too focused on my stomach clenching to see the asshole from earlier materializing below before it’s too late. Swinging the severed head by the hair, he chucks it at me next, hitting me hard in the stomach, knocking the wind from me. I lose my balance and fall backward. I think I blackout for a moment, because one second I’m freefalling, and in the next, I’m in the asshole’s sticky arms.
• He grabs my chin and tries to capture my attention. I blink, staring up at the lights, knowing better than to make eye contact. He will get into my head and manipulate me to do something against my will. It’s one of the damn powers some vampires have, though many aren’t talented enough to make it stick.
• “Look at me, Ruby. Come on. Don’t make this hard,” he says, spinning so quickly that the world blurs.
• I groan, dizziness washing over me. “You threw a dick at me.”
• He laughs and leans in close, trying to capture me with more than his gaze this time. I do the only thing I can think of. Snatching his lip between my teeth, I bite down as hard as I can. He yowls and rips his head back, but not before his blood drips across my tongue.
• He growls. “You little bitch—”
• I don’t get a chance to move or react. Blood splashes my face, and his eyes bulge as a dagger jabs through his throat. His hold loosens, and we both fall to the floor. I gasp, trying to find something, anything, to protect myself with.
• A male vampire stands above me and smiles, showing off his fangs. His neatly styled caramel-streaked light brown hair is combed away from his forehead, giving me the perfect view of his high cheekbones and expressive brows. He definitely has front-row potential as his muscles bulge against his fitted suit. Reaching down, he grabs my hands and pulls me to my feet. I stand in shock, wobbling, trying to summon a coherent thought.
• “Here, drink. You look like you’re going to faint.” Biting his arm, he offers me his wrist, letting his blood dribble into my mouth.
• His sapphire blue eyes turn the color of gunmetal with the flicker of silver lighting his gaze. I can always tell a hungry vampire when I see one because their eyes sparkle with the electric light. His hungry eyes are hypnotizing, and I can’t stop staring at his soft features. He might be a more pretty boy than ruggedly hot, but his smile really does something crazy to my body, and I like it far more than I should.
• I watch his tongue glide across his full bottom lip, and I swear he mouths the words, “so good,” as he grins wider.
• I hum and grip his arm, the taste of his blood warming me up and sending tingles across my body. I’ve never drunk vampire blood apart from Alexander and Opal’s, and something about his taste awakens every cell on my body. His gorgeous smile turns him from attractive to sexy, and I can’t stop from caressing my hand over his shaven cheek. I don’t know if it’s due to the healing properties of his blood or what, but I suck harder, wanting more and more.
• My nipples harden and I shift on my feet, his blood getting to me on a level I have never experienced with my caretakers before. I tighten my fingers and watch him watch me, wishing he’d be bold enough to pick me up.
• “Good girl,” he murmurs, touching my face. “I got you, vixen. You’re going to be okay.”
• The hotel’s siren blares and the lights turn off. A commotion breaks out on the other side of the curtain. I realize the other fucker who tried to steal me was heading toward the backdoor. I was too disoriented to see him take out one of the security guards.
• “Looks like I gotta go.” The vampire eases his arm from my mouth and replaces it with his lips. He kisses me softly, surprising me. “Mmm, but I wish I didn’t. Your mouth is exactly how I imagined your lips to taste watching your stunning performance.”
• I react to his words by kissing him back, the flavor of his lips as good as his blood. “Don’t leave.” What am I saying? His blood must be influencing me, turning me into a pleading little donor. I’ve seen it happen with Pearl, another performer, and Alexander.
• The stranger gives me a sexy smile that smolders my insides. “Sorry, vixen. I wish I didn’t have to, but it’s not safe for me. You saw what happened to my guard when he was trying to buy you on my behalf. Your master would hunt me down if I tried to take what doesn’t belong to me too.”