Page 62 of Cherished By the Sinners

“What about sex?”the Sniffer asked.

“What sex?”she asked, heat flowing up her neck to warm her cheeks.“I haven’t had sex since I started working for them.”

“You are blushing,” the Sniffer said, sounding shocked.“As if you are an innocent.”

“I’ve never been with someone because I wanted to.It was always for money so I could eat or put a roof over my head.”

The Sniffer studied her for a moment, then sat down in his chair.“I think you need to understand that no one in our world is morally gray.”He looked at Eli.“Bring me a snack.”

Eli frowned, but got to his feet, bowed to his uncle then disappeared into the dark.

“Have any of the Brezniks told you how old they are?”The Sniffer asked.

“No.”

The Sniffer sneered at her.“You’re completely ignorant of the truth.”He grinned as if that was very amusing.“I think I will enjoy this demonstration a great deal.”

“What did the Brezniks do to you?”she asked him.“Why do you want to hurt them?”

“They killed two of my nephews and several members of our household.”

Her eyebrows went up.“Under what circumstances?”

“They were withholding things from us,” he said.“Things that are vital for our survival.”She opened her mouth, but he put up a hand.“No more talking.Sit down and shut up.”His expression told her that if she didn’t do as ordered his next move would be violent.

She returned to her seat and sat down.

Neither said anything as they waited for Eli to return with the Sniffer’s popcorn.

Finally, after several minutes, Eli returned with another woman in tow.

It wasn’t until he pulled her into the middle of the chairs, that Darlene recognized her.Another sex worker, Joan.She was a couple of years older than Darlene, but looked ten years older than that.

Joan saw Darlene and tried to pull her arm out of Eli’s grasp.“Hey, you never said anything about a twosome or...”she looked around at him and his uncle.“Or whatever this is.That’s extra.”

“Don’t worry,” the Sniffer said, getting to his feet and walking up to Joan.“No one else will be participating.”He smiled at her, baring his teeth, including his canines that had been filed sharp, as if he were some teenaged vampire wannabe.

He took hold of her other arm, and Eli let go, retreating back to his seat.

Joan suddenly tried to pull out of the Sniffer’s grasp.“Let go,” she said, her voice rising.“You’re hurting me.”

The Sniffer grabbed the back of Joan’s head and tilted it backward, much like he did when Darlene had arrived.He sniffed, but didn’t let her go.

He opened his mouth wide and bit down on Joan’s neck.

Joan screamed and fought, hitting and kicking, but the Sniffer’s grip never wavered.

He swallowed.

His mouth was attached to her neck, but a tiny rivulet of blood ran down from his lips to pool in the dip of her clavicle.It only took a second or two before there was enough blood to drip down her arm and off the end of her middle finger.

He swallowed.

And swallowed.

“He’s drinking her blood,” Darlene said barely above a whisper.No inflection to the words because none of this made sense to her.Why would anyone want to drink someone’s blood like that?Vampires aren’t real.

He swallowed and swallowed and swallowed.