“But she’s different. You have a commodity here. Something unique you could sell if you had a better business head on ya.”
Jane stared at the cards in Paul’s hand, avoiding looking at the vampire with the entrepreneurial ambitions. She wouldn’t cry. She wouldn’t scream. She wouldn’t give them anything that would make them want to come back and get more.
“Get up,” Paul said.
Jane’s head snapped around to him, not really believing this was happening, even though she’d been mentally preparing for the possibility. “What?”
“I said, get your ass up. Now!”
She stood and braced herself against the table as she felt her legs begin to liquefy beneath her.
“I’ll front you the chips to start if you let me take her home with me tonight,” the vamp said.
By now, the vampires lounging about the room had stopped feeding and fucking to watch, intrigued by the human in the room that wasn’t quite what she appeared.
“Okay,” Paul said, “She’s yours for the night. Jane, go over there.”
Humans didn’t question. Mainly because they couldn’t with a thrall on them. “Paul, no. Don’t.”
It would have been better for her to go to the other vampire than to piss him off by embarrassing him in front of his friends. Before she could track the movement, Paul had left his seat and backhanded her. His claws sliced her cheek, and she went flying.
She landed on an empty couch that was just soft enough to break her fall. The thought crossed her mind that Paul had the foresight to aim for the couch so she’d be able to do whatever he was going to force her to do later in the night. She remained absolutely still, her eyes on the floor, knowing every glowing eye was on her … the girl with the fresh blood flowing down her cheek in a den of monsters.
Jane heard the drapes ripped to the side, followed by a low growl. “Paul!”
She looked up to see Cole standing in the doorway. His eyes flicked momentarily to her then back to his prey, the vampire.
“You got my money?”
Jane chanced a look at Paul. If possible, he was even paler than before.
“No … I … um … not yet. Give me a few weeks. I’ll get it.”
Jane felt the tears running down her cheeks, mixing with the blood that still flowed freely. She knew how he’d get that money now. The thought of being passed from vamp to vamp again would have been enough to empty the contents of her stomach if she’d eaten recently enough.
Rayne, who’d been silent during the pimp business plans, rose smoothly to his feet and turned toward Cole. “Get out. It’s vamps-only in here tonight.”
Cole strode forward, put his hand on Rayne’s shoulder, and forced him back into his chair as if he were a kitten trying to climb out of a basket. “Sit. Down. My business is with Paul. Don’t make it become about
you.”
The wolf moved past Rayne and stopped in front of Paul, “That’s what you said a few weeks ago. I’m going to have to collect something now. You understand that, right? If I just let you walk, it makes me look weak.” He wrapped a hand around Paul’s throat. “Would you like to be an object lesson?”
Jane should have been jumping up and down to see the vampire, who’d been lording it over her, stink with fear of his own. If she could sense it from him, she knew the vamps could as well. But all she could think about was how badly he would take it out on her later. She was only human, but he’d find ways to make sure she survived whatever it was he was likely planning for her now.
“If you kill me, you’ll start a war. You know who my sire is.”
Cole rolled his eyes. “Yes, I also know your sire has cut off the money tree to his beloved fledge. Trouble in paradise?”
“It’s that fucking human he’s with,” Paul snarled.
Cole loosened his grip. “Be that as it may, you owe me ten grand, and my patience is up. Think fast. How are you going to make payments?”
Paul’s eyes drifted to Jane, and the world stopped. He wasn’t going to pass her around to all the vamps to raise money. That would be too much work for Paul. He was going to try to give her outright to the wolf.
She wanted to beg him not to do this to her. The wolves had an even worse rep than the vampires. Judging from Paul’s earlier reaction, it would only drive him on, so she remained silent as she watched the transaction.
“How about a trade, call it even?”