Page 14 of The Sins That Bleed

The Deal

VALESKA

T he atmosphere in the room instantly shifts as soon as that name passes my lips, growing heavy and tense as Rai and Nico send pointed looks at each other.

No words are uttered but I see the conversation playing out over their faces.

Only the sharp snaps and crackling of the roaring fire can be heard as I wait for them to respond.

The quiet unsettles me. I have no idea how they will react to this and no matter how much I scrutinise them, their body language gives nothing away.

I’m impressed.

“We know he’s a billionaire with an empire of businesses under him, not all of them legal since he’s notorious for being able to get a hold of anything his clients want.” Rai shares.

So, it’s going to be like that. They’re only going to share the bare minimum with me until they trust me. Fine, I can play this little game too. I saunter around the chairs until I’m behind them and I watch Rai’s body tense.

Good, he takes is it as threat.

Nico, on the other hand, is relaxed and lounges back in his chair now that we’ve started talking. I think back to how he acted in the hall, a complete one-eighty when he was scared. Sunny and I will be laughing about that for a long time.

I brace my hands on the backs of their chairs as I lean down, Sunny watching placidly from my chair as the whole thing unfolds. However, her eyes have strayed to the blonde on my left too many times to be innocent.

I quirk an eyebrow at her and get a sheepish look in return.

“He’s also got a street name which I’m sure you’re already aware of…” I trail off to see if they’ll offer it up, but frustratingly they give me nothing.

Rai tips his head back to look at me. Now I have his attention and he’s waiting to see how much I’ll give him. All I can concentrate on is the exposed column of his throat as his blood pumps through it, calling me to take a bite and claim what is mine.

How easy it would be to sink my fangs into the delicate skin, hot blood spilling into my mouth and satiating the hunger he stirs in me. Draining him dry?—

“The Flesh Dealer,” I snap out and stand to my full height. It’s dangerous to be this close to him right now; it’s been too many hours since I last fed but I had business to attend to.

I glance at Sunny and the look she gives me means she has picked up on my thirst too.

I need to get this moving so I can feed before I tear into his flesh and cause myself a world of pain.

Why does he sing to the darkest parts of me?

I want to cocoon him and hide him away as I take what I want from him.

He would beg me to take it all.

I storm over to the fire and hold my hands in front of it, the heat searing into my flesh until it’s almost uncomfortable, but it does the trick and takes my mind off my bloodlust. This conversation is uncomfortable for many reasons, but I don’t need to add a further complication into the mix.

I normally enjoy a bit of light murder, but these two don’t match my modus operandi—I have a reputation to uphold after all.

“You’ve been investigating all these missing people from the city, oui?”

“That’s correct, yes,” Rai confirms, but offers nothing else.

I stare at my manicure, talking myself out of slicing them down his pretty face to teach him a lesson for exasperating me, because it would ruin the fresh set.

And I unfortunately happen to like the way he looks.

“And you have had your suspicions that this goes all the way up to Alaric Vonbarro as the king of this trafficking ring, correct?” I scoff, the last king I met was a disappointment at worst and dead at best.

Rest in torment, my darling husband Kian.

“We’re not at liberty to say.”

My patience is waning with his short answers, which is a deadly combination with the hunger storming through my body.

I need to hurry this up. I turn to face them so my back is to the flames.

Only Rai is looking at me while Sunny has heart eyes for Nico.

It’s so fucking cute that I can’t be mad about it.

“Very well, I can supply you with the right leads to get up the food chain. The difficulty is you will spook him eventually. At first, he’ll think it’s a coincidence, then he will feel like he is untouchable because you haven’t caught him yet.

It’ll shift though; it will piss him off that his business is being interfered with until he hits the most dangerous point when you’re nipping at his heels. ”

“And what will that be, Valeska?” Rai challenges. He’s still sceptical.

“Scared.”

He scoffs, and it snaps Nico and Sunny out of their bubble as their gazes swivel between the two of us. I didn’t expect him to fully trust me, but to continue to show outright disrespect when I’m doing him a massive favour is making me want to snap his neck.

This is why I hunt men down; they’re infuriating and insufferable.

“She’s right.” Sunny speaks up for the first time since we entered the office.

I’m too deep into a staring match with Rai to throw her a grateful glance for having my back. I know how hard this conversation is for her, how personal, and it’s exactly why I got myself into this situation in the first place. For her.

And because I enjoy being a bit stabby, but mostly for her.

“People are the most dangerous when they’re scared, when they have so much to lose, and the Flesh Dealer is no different. He will retreat to a secure location and use any force necessary to defend himself. People will die, and he’ll kill anyone he doesn’t trust if he thinks they are the leak.”

“That makes total sense, butterfly.”

It takes me a second to realise Nico is calling Sunny the nickname rather than changing the subject.

I watch the blush spread over her cheeks, along with a shy smile.

Seeing her happy is all I ever strive for; I’d do anything for my best friend.

Including risking everything I’ve built to give her the peace she deserves.

“Thank you, Sunny. So, now we need to go through the how. I’ll be dropping leads to you through different methods and will keep them above board where possible. I know your courts are sticklers for the rules.”

Rai nods at me to confirm he’s listening, though everything about his body language is telling me he wants to get as far away from me as possible.

He doesn’t want to trust me, but the part of him that craves me and the attention I give him is raging a war within him. I can’t wait to see which one wins.

I’d quite enjoy chasing him if he runs.

“There will be others that are less than clean, but I can make them look good enough to pass scrutiny, or keep them abstract enough to stop any digging into what happened.”

“Absolutely not,” Rai barks and stands at the same time Nico says, “Sounds illegal, I’m in.”

The two face each other as Nico stands to meet Rai at eye level. It’s comical how different they are from each other. Based on the silent conversation they’re having right now, it’s only a matter of time before Rai gives in, I can sense it. My offer is too good to pass up, and he wants this.

“Come on, Rai, this is what we’ve been working so hard for. You’re practically killing yourself to find these fuckers, and I can’t stand to watch you waste away. You’re not sleeping and barely eating just to try and find a tiny crumb. It’s not healthy and we need the help.”

I tuck that snippet of information away for later. I hadn’t realised he was putting himself through so much. I shouldn’t care, but knowing he’s been hurting is doing something to me. Nobody should have to go through all that for trying to do the right thing.

Besides, I’ve decided only I’m allowed to be the reason he’s miserable.

Rai’s hands run over his face. Nico’s words have won him over and his sigh confirms it. “We’re in.”

I smile, glad we didn’t have to fight too hard to agree. I glance at Sunny and see the relief on her face. This will be worth it.

It has to be.

“Well then, this is a cause for celebration. The details will come later, for now, I have a VIP area reserved for you at Screamers, and champagne on ice.” I plaster a smile on my face but I’m not na?ve enough to think this will be easy.

“You expect us to celebrate when all of you’ve done is promise us a dream?” Rai challenges.

I roll my eyes; he brings out the worst in me. “Not a dream, a delectable nightmare where I slowly weave a web around you, drawing you in…” I pause for dramatic effect, Nico’s and Rai’s eyes growing wide as my voice grows more sinister, “before I EAT YOU!”

I lunge and take great delight in them scrambling backwards. Sunny dissolves into a fit of giggles at the squeaks of fear that spill out of them. Rai grumbles about it not being funny and Nico says something about not being a final girl.

I cackle, relishing in taking the power back and reminding them that they’re in my building.

I move to the door and open it, waiting for them to pull themselves together and signalling for them to join me.

I can see Rai wanting to say he’s leaving, but one look at Nico holding out an arm for Sunny has him clamping his mouth shut.

Silently, he meets me at the door, and we wait for the others to join us before heading back towards the elevator.

“That wasn’t funny,” Rai grumbles at me, but my mouth splits into a wide grin.

“I rather enjoyed your reaction to me, although it doesn’t beat the other?—”

“I regret saying anything.” He cuts me off from exposing that I enjoyed seeing him on his knees for me.

Before I can say anything back, we reach the elevator and the doors open immediately, I step into the extravagant car and stand toward the back to make room for everyone. To my surprise, Rai stands right beside me, his huge frame taking up space and making me feel petite next to him.

Sunny and Nico stand toward the front, facing the doors as she hits the button for the nightclub. They talk quietly together, picking up on where their conversation had left off like no time passed.

I’m distracted from their conversation when I feel Rai’s hand move behind me, fingers ghosting my bare back as if he can’t fight the urge to touch me. I let him explore, the desire from when we’d been alone in my office coming straight back to me.

His hand curls around my hip and up my side. I move my arm out of the way, gripping the bar behind me to give him more access. His hand explores the curve of my breast, cupping me through my dress, and my nipple hardens.

I swallow my gasp as his fingers pinch my nipple between his thumb and finger, rolling the sensitive bud between them as the diamantes bunch and scratch me, sending spikes of pleasure to my core. I move my hand to grasp him through his jeans, but he snags my wrist with his free hand to still me.

This time, he’s the one in control and I am helpless to stop him from taking what he needs from me.

Well, I let him think that. But before he can do anything else, the elevator dings and the doors slide open. The loud pumping base of music filling the small space.

I slip away from his touch and turn to look at our makeshift team. “Welcome to Screamers.”