In-Between Work and Play (The Jocelyn Frost Series Book 1) by Relina Skye Page B

causing white spots to dance across my eyes.  Two additional
vampires leaned against the tree I encountered earlier.  The third one pulled a
bare-footed Jocelyn into the nearby alley.  A ball of dread dropped into my
stomach.  All I could see was their mouths moving.  I promised if I got out of
this alive, I’d do everything in my power to help her.  No woman should ever
have been subjected to being alone with a vampire in a dark alley.
    Their leader
hissed at me before slamming my back into the building. “Declan Rivers, we
finally meet,” he growled, leering at my neck.
    I tried to
swallow, but the pain was so intense, my nerves felt like they were on fire. 
“Do… do I know you?” A groan escaped my lips as the window cracked. 
    The vampire
smirked. “I should drain you, you sorry excuse of a demigod.”
    My palm itched
to pull out my quarter staff from its hiding place, strapped to my forearm, but
first, I had to find out what this corpse wanted. 
    “No, I think I
will take payment instead.”   If vampires could salivate, this guy would have
been drooling.
    I fell several
feet on the pavement. “Payment?” My voice cracked. “Payment for what?”
    Faster than the
blink of an eye, the two vamps, who were just lounging against the tree,
flashed by my side.  Their stony fingers dug into my biceps.  Henchman one
gripped my face with his free hand.  I tried not to look at their leader. It
was never a good idea to make eye contact with a vamp, but at this point, I had
no choice. 
    The leader was
the tallest of the group.  Dressed in a black-and-grey, pinstriped suit with a
matching fedora, his blood-red eyes bore into mine. “For services rendered,” he
said before his fist collided with my stomach.
    “I don’t
understand.” I tried not to wince.  What type of services could I have received
from this rodent?  Most of my time was spent at the Archive. 
    “I thought you
were supposed to be some kind of intellectual!”  He waved his hand toward my
face. “Can you believe it, Vinnie?”
    The raven-haired
greaser molesting Jocelyn took a few steps back onto the sidewalk.  He shook
his head like I was trying to convince him that chocolate milk was an excellent
substitute for blood.  “Unbelievable, boss.”
    The boss pointed
his finger in my face. “You fucked one of my girls, moron.”  He rammed his fist
into my stomach again.  Bile climbed up throat and filled my mouth.
    I fucked one of
his girls?  I’d only slept with a handful of women.  Mostly dark elves, but
there was that vamp a couple of months ago.  “The platinum-blonde?”
    Clapping, he
announced, “Oh, lookie here, he remembers!”
    “She said…”  I
closed my eyes, trying to remember word-for-word what she told me. “She said
that she tracked me down because she liked the taste of my blood.” I narrowed
my eyes. “It was her idea to feed while we fucked, and she said it made the
experience so much more satisfying.” 
    The vampire
shook his head, “Bullshit, you skipped out on paying her normal fee.”  He
turned back toward Vinnie. “What do you think?”
    “He’s obviously
lying, Al.  I say we take this,” his canines elongated, “swan home with us
after draining the tool.  She can pay off the fifteen hundred dollars he owes
you.”
    “Good idea.” The
leader’s fangs popped out as he leaned into my neck. 
    I tried to kick
him in the stomach, but he dashed out of the way.
    “Aww, now that’s
going to cost you.”  He waved Vinnie over. “I want him to hear her scream.”
    This guy was
unbelievable. 
    The leader rubbed
his hands together as he appraised Jocelyn’s quivering body. 
    Apparently,
Vinnie was too slow.  Al flashed over toward Jocelyn.  I couldn’t hear what he
said to her, but her expression turned from fear to anger.  He took her wrist
in his hand and bit down.
    Jocelyn’s eyes
rolled back into her skull as a scream erupted from her mouth.  Bright, white
sunlight seared my