Page 11 of The Vampire Kingpin (The Vampire Syndicate #7)

Spider

G rimclaw smirked knowingly. “So how do you ‘like’ Lark?” He made an obscene gesture, making it clear what he meant by like . “Maybe you wanna keep her another three days? ’Cause I’m open to negotiations.”

My mouth tightened. When Jacko had reported Grimclaw lurking near the Cavern, I’d gone out to meet him. Time to get a few things straight.

Beside me, Velma shifted her weight and put her hands over her daggers—a not-so-subtle threat.

She’d never liked Grimclaw, and with her background, knowing he’d bartered his own cousin to pay his debts made her firmly Team Lark, despite her doubts about my new thrall and her connection to Grimclaw’s lair.

Grimclaw’s leer faltered at our twin glares, but he kept running his mouth. “She’s worth a year of tributes, right? Not that I’d know personally, but that body. And the chick can move . I bet she can twist herself into a pretz?—”

“Shut it.” I got right up in his grill. “Lark’s mine now. You don’t get to talk about her. I don’t want you to even fucking think about her. She’s dead to you, understand?”

As far as I was concerned, Grimclaw had lost any claim to Lark when he’d bartered her without her agreement.

“That wasn’t the deal,” he sputtered. “Y-you can’t just steal her from me! I’ll tell everyone?—”

“You’ll say nothing.” I shook him by the throat. “Because if you do, I’ll put it around that you sent her to rob me. I should stake you for that, but I got Lark out of it. She’s worth your life—for now—but keep pushing and I’ll forget to be nice.”

His mouth opened and shut like a fish.

I released his throat. “And you owe me last month’s tribute. The deal was off as soon as you went after my dagger.”

His eyes flashed blue, and a switchblade jumped into his hand. “You goddamn double-crosser. Fuck your tribute.”

I snarled and grabbed his wrist, slamming his forearm down over my thigh. He grunted in pain and dropped the blade.

Before he could recover, I had him up against the moldy concrete wall. “You motherfucker—tell me why I shouldn’t end you right here.”

His eyes bugged out like a cartoon rabbit. “I—please, my lord. I’m sorry. I—it’s just Lark’s family.”

Like he cared. He wanted the money she brought in.

Velma pressed against my shoulder, her thick black braid falling forward over one breast, and slid a dagger between me and Grimclaw.

She dug the point into his crotch. “Let me cut him.”

He gave a girly shriek and tried to cover himself with his hands. I grabbed his wrists and forced his arms open, kicking his legs apart so he was spread-eagled against the wall.

“Spider.” His eyes pleaded with me, man to man. “You can’t let this bitch cut?—”

“She’s my lieutenant ,” I interrupted. “Call her a bitch again and I’ll let her do anything she fucking pleases to you.”

Velma muttered in satisfaction.

“She doesn’t like men who sell women,” I added. “They trigger her.”

Grimclaw licked his lips. “I’m sorry, okay?” This time his pleas were directed at Velma. “I apologize if I insulted you.”

“Too late, asshole.” She cut a slit in the material next to the placket of his tight pants. “Lark’s your cousin, a member of your lair. You’re her alpha.”

“Not anymore,” I broke in.

“You were her alpha,” Velma corrected herself. “You’re supposed to protect her, not barter her like a piece of meat. You deserve to be punished.”

Her blade stabbed inside the slit she’d made in Grimclaw’s pants. He went rigid, coming up on his toes with an agonized groan.

“No, don’t,” he said, high and fast. “Please…I’ll get you the money. Whatever you say. Just please don’t cut me.”

I swallowed a grimace. It was instinctive, like Velma had touched that honed blade to my own dick, but I let her do her thing. She might be damaged—she’d been held captive by blood slavers for close to a year before I’d stumbled upon their lair and rescued her—but she had iron-hard control.

“You will get Spider his tribute,” she informed him. “But this is for Lark.”

Her hand jerked. Grimclaw’s scream echoed down the tunnel.

Velma and I released him, and he crumpled to the ground, hands over his crotch, the scent of his blood mixing with the dank air.

My lieutenant curled her lip. “You’ll be alright. I didn’t do anything permanent. But I will fucking neuter you if you ever try and pimp another woman.”

Grimclaw flashed her a look of hatred, quickly concealed.

“A week,” I told him. “You have one week to make your payment, or you’re out of here.”

His head snapped up. “You’d kick me outta the Underworld?”

“Fuck, yeah. You’re a piss-poor alpha. I can’t believe you haven’t been staked in your sleep with the shitty conditions you keep your people in.”

“Fine. You’ll get your damn money.”

“My lord,” Velma prompted.

His mouth formed a thin line. “My lord,” he mumbled.

We’d made an enemy there. I could live with that; the fool wasn’t much of an ally anyway, too weak to be a decent alpha. Even if he came up with the money, his lair was going to implode within a year. When they did, they’d turn on each other like a pack of starving dogs.

Lark was lucky to be out of there.

“I’ll expect my tribute next Sunday,” I informed him. “And again on the first of December.”

I strode off, Velma on my heels, leaving Grimclaw whimpering and muttering to himself.

We got back to the Cavern to find Lark bent over the pool table, her dark hair in a high, shiny ponytail, her round butt on display in black leggings. And Jacko and Monster weren’t the only dudes eyeing her like they’d enjoy a bite.

The meeting with Grimclaw had left me on edge, ready to fight—or fuck.

Her tiny gray tee had ridden up, exposing a strip of smooth skin just above the leggings.

My fangs pressed at my gums, my mind flooding with X-rated images of yanking down her leggings and hauling her back on my waiting erection.

Laying claim to her in front of all the men eyeing her sexy backside.

She nailed her shot, sinking the eight ball. She rose back up, shooting me a Damn, I can’t believe I made that smile over her shoulder.

Like she wasn’t hustling my lair.

It made me swallow a chuckle even as I ached to take her. And the best part? I could.

I prowled across the lair. She kept her back turned to me, eyes on Monster as he racked the balls for the next game. But I could tell she was clocking me, tracking my every move. She struck a pose, hand on the wall, one hip cocked, like she was daring me to come after her, to demand her attention.

I slid up behind her, hands on her hips, and scraped my teeth down the side of her neck.

A little shiver went over her, and beneath the form-fitting tee, her nipples hardened into points.

I skated a hand up her abdomen, stopping just short of her breasts, and she stilled, then arched her back so her ass was pressed against my thighs, my dick nestled in the small of her back.

I spread my fingers over her stomach, keeping her up against me. “Lemme guess,” I said to Zayne, Jacko and Monster. “She’s hustling you all.”

Jacko released a crack of laughter. “She’s up eight hundred bucks on us.”

“What?” Lark leaned sideways so she could see my face and shot me a shameless grin. “I need the cash.”

Zayne rolled her eyes. “She played fair. It’s not her fault these dudes figured they could beat her just because she has tits.”

“Not true!” protested Jacko. “You beat me just last month, and you have tits.”

“And I fronted her the cash to get in the game,” Monster grumbled.

I dipped my head, closing my teeth over her earlobe. “Say goodnight, Lark. You’re done here.”

“Yes, sir.” She did a little swish-swish of her hips against my thighs. The top of her ass brushed over my erection and I bit back a groan. “Just let me get my money?—"

“Here.” Monster scooped up the stack of bills and handed it to her.

I released her, watching as she peeled off two fifties for him. “Thanks for staking me.”

“Anytime.” The usually poker-faced dhampir smiled back. “Where’d you learn to play like that, anyway?”

Lark tucked her winnings into her bra. “I was home-schooled. Had a lot of time.”

Which didn’t really answer the question. But if there was one rule in the Underworld, it was Don’t Ask Too Many Questions. We all had our secrets.

Monster slid the fifties into his billfold. “You’ll have to give me a few pointers.”

My new thrall quirked a brow. “But then I’d have to kill you.”

Monster blinked, then let out a belly laugh that had heads turning all over the Cavern. I was as surprised as everyone else. The silver-haired dhampir rarely even cracked a smile.

Lark grinned. “Just kidding. I can give you pointers.”

“Tomorrow,” I cut in, snagging Lark around the waist. “Later, y’all.”

I made a beeline for my bedroom, but of course, it wasn’t that easy.

First one person, then another stopped me with questions that just couldn’t wait.

I concealed my impatience because it was part of being an alpha, but I kept Lark snugged up against me and dealt with their problems in as few words as possible.

Finally, we were in my room, the door shut behind us.

I spun Lark so her back was against the thick wood. “You’re so bad.”

“What?” she asked, all wide-eyed innocence. “You have a problem with me playing pool?”

I rested my forearms on either side of her head, caging her in. “Hustling my crew, you mean?”

She scrunched her nose at me. “You heard Zayne—I played fair. I can’t help it if they’re willing to bet against someone they’ve never seen shoot a ball.”

“Then we don’t have a problem. They’re big boys and girls. They lose money to you, that’s their funeral. But if you wanna make friends, you might let them win once in a while.”

“I suppose so—and I did promise to give Monster some pointers. But what does it matter? I won’t be here long enough to make friends.”