Page 29

“He went through the back,” Asher said, squeezing my hip.

I frowned. Why couldn’t we have gone through the back?

This place was different than the one we’d been to . . . a lot more seductive.

“Sire,” a girl flounced over, her hair bouncing with each little hop of her step. She pressed her palms to Asher’s chest, practically feeling him up.

“Talia, my little Progeny,” Asher patted her blonde head . . . affectionately? My fingers folded into my palm. I wouldn’t fool myself into thinking he hadn’t felt me tense up.

“Meet my Pet.” He tipped his chin toward me.

She turned her shocked eyes toward me, her smile twitched and she breathed in once. I didn’t think her eyes could widen any more, but they did. Her face suddenly invaded my space, too close to my neck for comfort. I flinched.

Both guys had a grip on her in an instant. Asher gripped her ear while Jax’s hand enveloped her throat.

“She smells so good,” she breathed, fangs poking out with her words. “Could I have a taste, Sire?”

“I said,myPet, Talia,” a threat echoed clear in his tone. “Do not touch her or I will end you.” I’d never heard such a threat uttered in his silky tone. A chill traveled up my spine.

Talia’s expression turned to shock.

“Yes, Sire,” she mumbled, lowering her head.

Asher released her ear and an affable smile spread on his lips like there had been no threat seconds ago.

I eyed Talia. She could end all of this uncertainty . . .

“Is Amira’s human here?” His voice lowered, but I was close enough to hear his question.

Talia nodded and a frown spread on her lips. She pressed a finger into her ear.

“Do not let that human in again. Make sure you scrub the location of this place from his mind.” She dropped her hand and turned back to Asher. A devoted expression settled on her expression.

I shouldn’t be jealous. I really shouldn’t be, so I focused on breathing to save my sanity.

“In the pink room.”

Asher’s fingers flexed on my hip and he pulled me away. I staggered, using his side to balance myself. He almost made me fall on my face. Inconsiderate vampire. I struggled to keep up with his long stride. Did he forget my legs were not even half the length of his? And this slippery ground wasn’t a good match for heels. It had only been a few minutes of walking in them and my shins burned, especially the not fully healed one. He wove me through throngs of thrashing bodies. Random hands caressed Asher, tugging and pulling at the hem of his shirt. He kept moving like he couldn’t feel the touches and murmured invitations.

I smacked away a hand that landed on my boob. Jax caught the wandering hand and squeezed. His fingers bent in ways that shouldn’t have been possible.

The human sucked in a breath to scream.

“Shut it.”

The male clamped his lips tight.

Jax shoved him away and a vampire dressed in black, similar to the bouncer out front, appeared to take him away.

I couldn’t focus on the utter lack of humanity in Jax. Such viciousness edged every word and action. His true self.

My toe slammed into a metal stair as I scrambled up the steps, trying not to set down the back of my heel since there wasn’t a doubt in my mind the thin heel would go through the holes. This caused a whole other burn in my leg.

I glimpsed a small bird’s eye-view of the dance floor before I was pulled through a door and into a hall with black walls. The path led us into a circular room, a bright red circular couch adorning the middle of the room, while the lighting remained the same as the dance floor, lending a seductive ambiance.

Asher pulled me in front of him, one arm across my chest, and forced me against his front. Each brush of his body against my back flickered memories of our bodies tangled with each other. I wet my lips, as he guided me through one of the doors.

I understood why they called this the pink room.