Blood Type
Page 49
“Fuck,” he said as he released her.
“Yes, exactly,” she said. “That’s exactly what I want.”
Beckham and Reyna stared at each other as the couples onstage finished their performance. There was a charged minute before Beckham turned back to the stage. Reyna felt dejected at his lack of response. She knew he wanted her. He had proven it just then, and yet he still turned her aside. He still refused to choose her.
Madame Dee walked back onstage to a round of applause from the captivated audience. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, sweeping her hand to the participants. “Thank you. You are all free to use your participation cards as you see fit.”
“Well, that was the best performance I’ve ever seen,” Rowland said, turning to face them. “I’d say you two enjoyed it.”
Reyna averted her gaze and prayed she wasn’t as red as she felt. All she wanted was to disappear with Beckham and figure this out or fuck it out. At this point she didn’t even care. She was so desperate for him she was considering pushing people off of the stage bed to take him.
“Come along, darling,” Cassandra said to Felix. “I have someone I’m dying for you to meet.”
They disappeared from the crowd and then Reyna was left alone with Beckham, Rowland, and Sophie. Sophie looked impatient, but even she seemed to realize that this was a place of vampire control.
“Ah, there you are!” Rowland said, standing. “I’d wondered if you were going to come after all.”
Reyna dragged her eyes away from Beckham to look at the person Rowland was talking to, and her mouth dropped open. What the fuck?
“Penny,” Beckham said with as much surprise in his voice as Reyna felt.
And of course Penelope looked gorgeous. Her hair was draped over one shoulder, long with perfect voluminous waves. She wore a black bustier, tight black skirt, and fishnet tights. Not as revealing as most of the other humans in the room…but then, again, she wasn’t exactly like most of the other humans in the room, considering she was the mayor’s daughter.
“Sorry I missed the show,” Penelope said. Her eyes landed on Beckham, and Reyna saw concern flash into her eyes. Reyna wondered what the hell that was about, but the look was quickly replaced with malice when Penelope looked between Beckham and Reyna.
“What are you doing here?” Beckham asked.
Penelope shrugged. “Rowland said you wanted me to come,” she purred, walking around the table toward him.
Reyna felt sick to her stomach. How could she sit here and watch her do this? He had just fingered her and now he was going to hang out with Penelope…in a sex club?
Beckham gave Penelope a pointed look, but she just smiled and touched his shoulder playfully. “I am still invited, right?”
Her other hand ran along her exposed collarbone and to the soft contour of her neck. She was tempting him, teasing him. Reyna watched Penelope flit her eyes over his head to look at Reyna and then back. Penelope was winning. Reyna could feel it. Whatever had just transpired had wiped away everything that had happened the last couple days. It made perfect sense that he would want Penelope, but it broke Reyna’s heart that it always came right back to this.
“Of course you are invited,” Beckham finally said.
Reyna had had enough. She couldn’t believe this utter bullshit right now. She scrambled out of her seat. “Here, take my place,” she offered forcefully. “I’ve no use for it.”
“Reyna,” Beckham said softly, almost pleadingly. But she would hear none of it.
“No worries,” Penelope cooed. Without warning, she plopped down directly into Beckham’s lap. She looked into his eyes, draped her arm around his neck, and then giggled. “You look ravenous.” She tilted her neck toward him. “Have a taste, love.”
Reyna jarred at the near-exact phrasing she had just used with Beckham. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt like she might be sick.
Beckham hesitated only a split second before sinking his fangs into her throat. Reyna felt paralyzed as she watched him drink from Penelope. She looked like she was in bliss with her head tilted back and her eyes closed.
Reyna couldn’t believe he would sit there and drink from Penelope. The one thing he always refused Reyna. She had thought it so erotic watching the people onstage drink, and the thought of Beckham drinking from her so personal. All of that gone in a blink of an eye. She felt ridiculous, but her eyes blurred with tears at the display, and she knew she needed to get out of there. Get far far away.
So, without looking back or a thought for her safety, she turned and fled.
Chapter 27
Reyna stumbled out of the main room of the brothel. It was difficult to see where she was going through the tears in her eyes, but she pushed past people anyway. All she wanted to do was be alone. She felt a breakdown coming on and couldn’t allow herself to do that in front of people.
Yet, she couldn’t seem to find anywhere unoccupied. The Vault was built like a maze, trapping her inside and refusing to let her out of its grip. All she did was move in the opposite direction of the traffic. After a few minutes, she found a long hallway lined with doors that was practically empty compared to the rest of the building.
She wiped her eyes softly, trying not to smudge her makeup, and then walked down the hallway in search of an empty room. She wrenched open the first door. A man had a girl bent at the waist and was drilling into her from behind. Reyna squeaked in surprise and then quickly slammed the door shut.
She raced farther down the hallway and tried another door. This one was even more disturbing. There were at least ten people involved in whatever sex acts were going on.
“Don’t you see the room is occupied!” a girl yelled at her.
“Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t know,” Reyna murmured.
A nude vampire man who had been watching the display grabbed her wrist. “Hey, love, not so fast. You look absolutely delicious. Why not stay and join us? Plenty of room for one more.”
Reyna felt panic setting in and she shook her head violently. “No…no, thank you.”
“Oh, come on. We’ll be gentle. Won’t we?”
His eyes clearly said that gentle wasn’t even a word in his repertoire. Reyna tried to yank away from him, but he circled her waist and drew her farther into the room.
“Let me go!” she shrieked. “I said no!”
“You’re part of the Vault,” he said, breathing in the scent of her hair. “No doesn’t exist here, doll.”
Reyna blanched. “That’s rape,” she barely got out.
“You’re here. You already gave consent,” he said callously. “How tasty you must be with all that blood running so fast through your veins. I can feel your heartbeat skyrocketing.”
“Please, please let me go.” She knew she sounded breathy and desperate, and she didn’t care. She was desperate. She hadn’t wanted this to happen. She had just wanted to be left alone to sort out what had happened with Beckham.
“Let’s just see what type you are…not that it matters in here,” he cackled.
Reyna froze in place. This was exactly what Beckham had said. These people were obviously part of the first faction of vampire who had no regard for humanity. They didn’t care if they raped her or if drinking from her would inevitably kill her or everyone else in the room.
The man grabbed her wrist, his nails biting into her skin. He glanced down at the diamond bracelet Beckham had put on her wrist earlier that evening. When he read the inscription, he dropped her hand as if he’d been burned.
“Yes, exactly,” she said. “That’s exactly what I want.”
Beckham and Reyna stared at each other as the couples onstage finished their performance. There was a charged minute before Beckham turned back to the stage. Reyna felt dejected at his lack of response. She knew he wanted her. He had proven it just then, and yet he still turned her aside. He still refused to choose her.
Madame Dee walked back onstage to a round of applause from the captivated audience. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, sweeping her hand to the participants. “Thank you. You are all free to use your participation cards as you see fit.”
“Well, that was the best performance I’ve ever seen,” Rowland said, turning to face them. “I’d say you two enjoyed it.”
Reyna averted her gaze and prayed she wasn’t as red as she felt. All she wanted was to disappear with Beckham and figure this out or fuck it out. At this point she didn’t even care. She was so desperate for him she was considering pushing people off of the stage bed to take him.
“Come along, darling,” Cassandra said to Felix. “I have someone I’m dying for you to meet.”
They disappeared from the crowd and then Reyna was left alone with Beckham, Rowland, and Sophie. Sophie looked impatient, but even she seemed to realize that this was a place of vampire control.
“Ah, there you are!” Rowland said, standing. “I’d wondered if you were going to come after all.”
Reyna dragged her eyes away from Beckham to look at the person Rowland was talking to, and her mouth dropped open. What the fuck?
“Penny,” Beckham said with as much surprise in his voice as Reyna felt.
And of course Penelope looked gorgeous. Her hair was draped over one shoulder, long with perfect voluminous waves. She wore a black bustier, tight black skirt, and fishnet tights. Not as revealing as most of the other humans in the room…but then, again, she wasn’t exactly like most of the other humans in the room, considering she was the mayor’s daughter.
“Sorry I missed the show,” Penelope said. Her eyes landed on Beckham, and Reyna saw concern flash into her eyes. Reyna wondered what the hell that was about, but the look was quickly replaced with malice when Penelope looked between Beckham and Reyna.
“What are you doing here?” Beckham asked.
Penelope shrugged. “Rowland said you wanted me to come,” she purred, walking around the table toward him.
Reyna felt sick to her stomach. How could she sit here and watch her do this? He had just fingered her and now he was going to hang out with Penelope…in a sex club?
Beckham gave Penelope a pointed look, but she just smiled and touched his shoulder playfully. “I am still invited, right?”
Her other hand ran along her exposed collarbone and to the soft contour of her neck. She was tempting him, teasing him. Reyna watched Penelope flit her eyes over his head to look at Reyna and then back. Penelope was winning. Reyna could feel it. Whatever had just transpired had wiped away everything that had happened the last couple days. It made perfect sense that he would want Penelope, but it broke Reyna’s heart that it always came right back to this.
“Of course you are invited,” Beckham finally said.
Reyna had had enough. She couldn’t believe this utter bullshit right now. She scrambled out of her seat. “Here, take my place,” she offered forcefully. “I’ve no use for it.”
“Reyna,” Beckham said softly, almost pleadingly. But she would hear none of it.
“No worries,” Penelope cooed. Without warning, she plopped down directly into Beckham’s lap. She looked into his eyes, draped her arm around his neck, and then giggled. “You look ravenous.” She tilted her neck toward him. “Have a taste, love.”
Reyna jarred at the near-exact phrasing she had just used with Beckham. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt like she might be sick.
Beckham hesitated only a split second before sinking his fangs into her throat. Reyna felt paralyzed as she watched him drink from Penelope. She looked like she was in bliss with her head tilted back and her eyes closed.
Reyna couldn’t believe he would sit there and drink from Penelope. The one thing he always refused Reyna. She had thought it so erotic watching the people onstage drink, and the thought of Beckham drinking from her so personal. All of that gone in a blink of an eye. She felt ridiculous, but her eyes blurred with tears at the display, and she knew she needed to get out of there. Get far far away.
So, without looking back or a thought for her safety, she turned and fled.
Chapter 27
Reyna stumbled out of the main room of the brothel. It was difficult to see where she was going through the tears in her eyes, but she pushed past people anyway. All she wanted to do was be alone. She felt a breakdown coming on and couldn’t allow herself to do that in front of people.
Yet, she couldn’t seem to find anywhere unoccupied. The Vault was built like a maze, trapping her inside and refusing to let her out of its grip. All she did was move in the opposite direction of the traffic. After a few minutes, she found a long hallway lined with doors that was practically empty compared to the rest of the building.
She wiped her eyes softly, trying not to smudge her makeup, and then walked down the hallway in search of an empty room. She wrenched open the first door. A man had a girl bent at the waist and was drilling into her from behind. Reyna squeaked in surprise and then quickly slammed the door shut.
She raced farther down the hallway and tried another door. This one was even more disturbing. There were at least ten people involved in whatever sex acts were going on.
“Don’t you see the room is occupied!” a girl yelled at her.
“Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t know,” Reyna murmured.
A nude vampire man who had been watching the display grabbed her wrist. “Hey, love, not so fast. You look absolutely delicious. Why not stay and join us? Plenty of room for one more.”
Reyna felt panic setting in and she shook her head violently. “No…no, thank you.”
“Oh, come on. We’ll be gentle. Won’t we?”
His eyes clearly said that gentle wasn’t even a word in his repertoire. Reyna tried to yank away from him, but he circled her waist and drew her farther into the room.
“Let me go!” she shrieked. “I said no!”
“You’re part of the Vault,” he said, breathing in the scent of her hair. “No doesn’t exist here, doll.”
Reyna blanched. “That’s rape,” she barely got out.
“You’re here. You already gave consent,” he said callously. “How tasty you must be with all that blood running so fast through your veins. I can feel your heartbeat skyrocketing.”
“Please, please let me go.” She knew she sounded breathy and desperate, and she didn’t care. She was desperate. She hadn’t wanted this to happen. She had just wanted to be left alone to sort out what had happened with Beckham.
“Let’s just see what type you are…not that it matters in here,” he cackled.
Reyna froze in place. This was exactly what Beckham had said. These people were obviously part of the first faction of vampire who had no regard for humanity. They didn’t care if they raped her or if drinking from her would inevitably kill her or everyone else in the room.
The man grabbed her wrist, his nails biting into her skin. He glanced down at the diamond bracelet Beckham had put on her wrist earlier that evening. When he read the inscription, he dropped her hand as if he’d been burned.
