Page 11 of Absolution
Had I forced myself on him? I couldn’t have. I was still fully clothed. Fuck but he looked like I’d tried. “Did I…?”
“Kissed me, bit me. You were kind of rough and kinky, but I liked it. Ground me into the mat.” He glanced down at his pants—what was left of them—which were wet in front. “I don’t think I’ve come in my pants since I was a kid. It’s been a while since I’ve actually met someone who could hold me down.”
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He looked like someone beat the shit out of him. And maybe I did.
“I’m not. Come upstairs and clean up. You’re covered in blood. Any norm sees you now and they’ll think you murdered someone.” He rose to his feet and offered me a hand.
I took it and pulled him close so I could close the wound at his throat. For the first time in as long as I could remember I wasn’t hungry. How much had I taken from him? He leaned against me, breathing into my neck and returning my embrace for a minute or two before letting go and tugging me through the far door and up a set of stairs.
“Don’t worry, my dad’s not here. He’s got some new fancy loft.”
I didn’t much care about his dad. Luca weaved up the stairs somewhat drunkenly. He unlocked a door and leaned back, “Come in, Sam.”
The place was nice. Not something I expected to find in a warehouse in west St. Paul. Everything was gray and industrial, furniture large and fluffy rather than stylish. The windows loomed large over the river, but there seemed to be some sort of film over them.
“Windows are protected from daylight. You could stare at the sun through them and probably be only slightly bothered. I’ve got shutters on the outside that can close in case of emergency too.”
“You’ve been here a while. Longer than just coming to be mycibo, haven’t you?”
“Couple weeks. This was Max’s space, but he’s moved to a different building. Renovating the whole thing to create high priced condos. Has a big vision to transform the neighborhood.”
No one in this neighborhood could afford high priced condos. Where would they go next if they were priced out of the city they’d come to call home? Progress wasn’t always a good thing.
Luca turned on the light to a large bathroom and pulled out a few towels. He flipped the shower on and stripped out of the rest of his clothes without a care that I was watching every move. Or maybe that was the point. There weren’t a lot of doors, and the bathroom door was some sort of large shoji-type screen which had been pushed back to show most of the bathroom.
“You can stay the day if you want. You won. So you get to fuck me.” He stepped under the spray and presented his fine ass my way. “I clean up nice.”
No kidding. That ass was the stuff dreams were made out of. I sighed. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He shrugged and soaped up his fine body. “Your loss then. Offer is open if you change your mind.”
The man was evil. “I should go home. Gabe will get mad.” It was almost dawn. Maybe with the bloodlust finally lulled I could sleep. Really sleep. I hadn’t felt rested since long before my change.
“He’s keeping you on a short leash. Was that your first redout?”
redout? Is that what the red haze was? “No,” I denied. But it was only a partial truth. I’d never let it completely go before, just small tastes.
“You should clean up.” He pointed to a stack of towels he’d left on the counter. “You can join me in the shower. I promise to keep my hands to myself.” He winked at me.
I sighed and went to the sink instead. Wetting a towel and washing some of the blood from my face. I looked like I murdered someone. The clothes were ruined, even Seiran probably wouldn’t be able to get all the blood out and he was the king of clean. Christ, how had I gotten any in my mouth? “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“A little lightheaded, but it will pass. I’m fine.”
He turned my way and I was hard again. His cock was a beautiful well-veined sight. I could almost taste him. Fuck. I had to go. “Sorry, Luca. I just gotta go.” He’d probably never seen a guy run from him so fast. But I was out the door and down the stairs before I could suck in another breath. There was no doubt in my mind that Luca was trouble and I’d be smart to run the other way. Unfortunately, I was pretty sure I was already addicted to him.
Chapter 5
Ijumped in the first cab I could find. The driver asked if I wanted to go to the hospital or the police station. “Neither. I’m a vampire and I just came from having hot, bloody, man love with my boyfriend. Take me home, please.”
He drove a little faster to the big collection of condos that made up home. Gabe’s home, not mine, but I was pretty sure Con would freak if I walked in the door looking like I’d been to a slaughterhouse. And I had questions. Like what was a redout? Should I be having them? And if not, how did I prevent them in the future. Trouble was, I was pretty sure I’d have to own up about letting the monster out and hiding it from him. Shit this was going to be a bad day.
The sun was coming up too. I could feel it—an ache that started in my gut and worked its way outward, into my skin. Outside the building, lights flashed from several cop cars, casting an eerie glow on the predawn darkness. That wasn’t good. Had something happened to Sei again? I paid the cabbie and got out, heading into the lobby. Gabe stood off to one side talking with a couple cops. The whole place seemed to go still when I stepped inside.
Gabe glanced my way and frowned. Both cops went for their guns. “It’s okay,” Gabe assured them. “He’s not going to hurt anyone.” He crossed the room to my side. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Sparring with mycibo. That’s what you wanted right? Us to bond?”
“Is he alive?” Gabe whispered.