Page 94 of Taste of Blood

“It ended the way it was supposed to. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I caught him cheating, with not one, but two women.”

I can’t help it, I’m pulled into the story. “Yikes. You’re kidding?”

“No. And the worst part was, we were in business together, so you can imagine how that went. In one fateful night I lost my lover, my business partner, and my apartment.” He runs a hand back though his hair. “It was not a good night for me.”

“What did you do?”

He smiles. “I did what any self-respecting single gay man in New York would do. I went to a bar to get drunk and hopefully laid. Turns out the bar was Lupercalia.”

“Here?”

He nods. “I started talking to the bartender and he told me if I was looking for a job to go see Esmerelda.” He throws his arms wide. “And here I am.”

It’s funny. I’ve known Armand for four years and never thought about how he, or any of the other donors Lupercalia employs, found their way into this life.

“Do you have any regrets?”

“About this? Oh, honey, no. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ve got a great apartment, stock options, money in the bank, and a job where I work an hour a night and get to entertain some of the most handsome men in the city. What’s not to love? If I stay here I’ll be able to retire comfortably by the time I’m thirty-five.”

I knew Lupercalia paid well–how else would they be able to afford to keep the highest quality donors in the city–but I had no idea it was that good. When you think about it, donors are no different than high end escorts, and everyone knows the kind of bank they pull in.

“Look, I know sex is off the table, but you still need blood, right?” he asks me now.

I nod and he gets up on his knees and crawls to me, offering me his neck. “Take what you need.”

I pull out my knife and meet his eyes. “You really don’t mind giving up your blood for people like me?”

“It’s just blood. Unlike you, I can make more. And they take real good care of me here. If I can sacrifice a little piece of myself to help someone like you survive, it’s worth it. To be honest, I feel like I’m part of an exclusive club that’s in on a big secret. Little do most normal people know that reality is more than what they believe it to be.”

“You are a treasure, Armand,” I tell him as I make the cut and bring my lips to his neck.

♦ ♦ ♦

Elaine calls me while I’m on my way home from Lupercalia.

“I got an address,” she says when I answer. “Actually, two of them.”

“Two?”

“Yeah. The first is a house in the Hamptons.”

I’m sure Thalium isn’t running his operation from the Hamptons. “What’s the second one?”

“He has an apartment at 740 Park Avenue.”

Of course. One of the most exclusive addresses in Manhattan. The co-op board there is as strict as they come, so I doubt he’s entertaining Outliers in the apartment. I’m also sure they wouldn’t want members of the Crimson Guild invading their privacy, regardless of how many palms Dante greases.

“I think we can both agree the Python isn’t using either one of those as a base for his rebellion,” I muse.

“No, I’m sure you’re right, but those are the only addresses I can find under Thalium’s name.”

“So that’s a dead end.”

“Not necessarily.” The way she says it means she’s got something else up her sleeve.

“What are you thinking, Elaine?”

“Remember the Arts Council benefit coming up next week?”