First chapters: blood kiss

Hello and Happy Sunday! Blood Debt, book 2 in my vampire mafia series, is coming soon. So, I thought I'd share the first couple of chapters of Blood Kiss, Sanguis Syndicate #1. Check it out and be sure to read more under the cut! 

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Chapter 1
“I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
Solan grinned at his best friend. “I’ve always wanted to see what these auctions are like. What better way to find out than to enter one myself?”
Always the practical one, Todd shook his head. “I’m sure there were at least five different ways you could have found out the answer to that question that didn’t involve putting yourself up for sale to be a vampire’s blood pet.”
“True. But those ways wouldn’t have been as fun.”
He’d been curious about the blood pet auctions for some time. When he’d heard that Club Scarlet was hosting one, he’d decided to sign up. It was an exciting idea. Something to break up the everyday boredom of his life. He’d been thrilled when he’d received his acceptance package, welcoming him into the Club Scarlet auction program. Now, he was backstage waiting for the final approval before the auction began.
“Okay, Mr. Kane. Your second round of tests all came back clear,” one of the assistants said. “You are good to go.”
Solan nodded. “Thank you.”
He and Todd headed off to the hair and makeup area. A stylist waved at him so he went to her chair.
“I haven’t worked on someone with your coloring in a while. Had to snag you before anyone else did.” The stylist tied a small white bib around his neck to catch makeup spills. “Do you normally wear makeup?”
Solan shook his head. “Only the occasional lip gloss.”
“Okay, then. You’ll need something to define your features under the bright stage lights but I’ll keep it simple so you feel like yourself.”
“Sounds good,” Solan said. He sat still as she brushed powder over his face and dusted a peach blush over his cheekbones. She applied a soft bronze eyeshadow, brown eye liner, and dark mascara that made the indigo blue of his eyes pop. The makeup artist finished with a sheer rosy lipstick.
“Perfect,” she said. “Now for your hair.”
“I want it up when I first go out but I want to be able to take it down while I’m on stage.”
“Oooh, you’re dramatic. I like that.”
The stylist ran a brush through his long red hair that hung past his shoulders until the waves were soft and full. Then she gathered up the entire mass, twisting it into one long coil. She wrapped the coil around itself, forming a bun at the back of his head that she secured with a long silver hair pin.
Solan looked at himself in the mirror when she was done. “I love it! Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Good luck out there.”
He left her chair, happy with the results of his look. The last step was to change into the outfit that all the entrants wore. A black, short-sleeve shirt with a deep scooped neckline — to show off their necks obviously — and slim black pants. Once he was changed, Todd settled on a stool out of the way while Solan bounced on his toes behind the curtain, waiting his turn.
“Entrant number nine, you’re next.”
Solan drew in a deep breath to calm the last second nerves that tried to pop up. He slowly let it out and stepped through the curtain onto the glossy dark wood stage. The auctioneer stood behind a podium on the other side. Solan strolled to the center of the stage and faced the crowd, a light smile on his lips. He put one hand on his hip and let the other hang down loosely by his side.
“And here we have entrant number nine. He’s twenty-six, a natural redhead, and he’s never been bitten. This prospective blood pet enjoys evenings out as well as staying in with a good book. Number nine is type AB and he loves a good steak.”
As the auctioneer read off his attributes, Solan turned in a slow circle, giving the vampires in the club a look at all his goods. He returned to his original position when the bidding began.
“Do I have fifty-thousand dollars for this luscious strawberry?”
“Fifty thousand!” someone called out.
It was hard to see faces in the audience with the bright lights above him, but Solan saw the vampire who made the first bid. He was attractive enough. Tall, broad shouldered with blond hair cut short and neatly parted to the side. Immediately after his bid, a woman’s voice called out fifty-five thousand, but she was too far back for Solan to see her.
The bidding went on, but the amounts weren’t high enough for Solan. Reaching up, he pulled the pin from his hair. With a slow shake of his head, the long, wavy red locks uncoiled and fell down around his shoulders to his upper back. He leaned his head to the side, letting his hair drape down one side while he bared his neck on the other.
There was a stunned hush before the bidding resumed at a frantic pace. And then a deep voice rose over the shouts of both the bidders and the rapid-fire barking of the auctioneer.
“One hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.”
Solan smiled. Now that was a good bid.

He straightened, running his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t see the person who’d just bid. They were too far back for him to determine anything other than a tall figure in a dark colored three-piece suit. More bids came in, flying past the one hundred seventy-five thousand dollar offer.
But then that deep voice rang out again with a bid far above any other.
“Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
Someone gasped. The auctioneer actually fell silent for a moment. No one offered a competing bid.
After the brief pause, the auctioneer started up again. “I have three hundred and fifty thousand going once. Going twice...”
Solan bit his lip, waiting with breathless anticipation to see if anyone would try to outbid the man in the dark suit that apparently had very deep pockets.
The gavel banged against the podium.
“Sold! Entrant number nine to Mr. Everett for three hundred and fifty thousand dollars! Congratulations, Mr. Everett.”
The audience applauded. Solan bowed slightly in the direction of the man who’d just bought him for a ridiculous amount of money. He calmly left the stage, while inwardly jumping with glee at the high price he’d managed to get for himself.
* * *
Everett strolled through the club, ensuring that everything was running smoothly for tonight’s auction. Cocktail servers moved throughout the room, delivering drinks. Staff members passed out the catalogue of blood pets to bidders who hadn’t arrived with their own copy. The catalogue was a glossy book with head shots of the attractive humans up for sale, accompanied by a paragraph listing their attributes and blood type.
Auctions for blood pets fell under sex work in the organization he was a member of and as such were part of his domain. Although he’d only had his own pet a few times over the years, he enjoyed these auctions and the purpose they served. Both parties got what they wanted from them. The pets were paid extremely well in addition to the gifts, clothes, and housing they received from their vampire owners. And the owners had the convenience of a willing human to service their blood needs at all times. With a blood pet, there was no need to use a blood service, purchase blood bags, or troll the nightlife looking for someone to drink from. And if both parties were amenable to it, the vampire and pet could have an intimate relationship as well.
At a starting bid of fifty thousand dollars for each blood pet, only the wealthiest vampires in Dear Lake were able to enter the Club Scarlet auctions and make a purchase. And every buyer was thoroughly vetted. If there were ever any complaints from past pets — physical or emotional abuse, drinking too often, or the discovery of the ultimate crime — draining a blood pet — they were barred from entering Everett’s auctions for life. And for vampires, that was a very long time.
There were fifteen humans on the auction block tonight. Everett didn’t have any intention of bidding himself. That is, until entrant number nine walked through the curtain. The slim redhead sauntered to the center of the stage. He was beautiful, no doubt about it. And the almost haughty expression on his face said that he knew it. From the way many vampires’ heartbeats accelerated it was clear that a fierce bidding war was about to begin. The auctioneer opened with the usual starting bid of fifty thousand dollars. Immediately a paddle went up.
Everett didn’t enter the bidding. He wasn’t in the market for a blood pet. He was too busy. Running the sex trade arm of the Sanguis Syndicate took up a lot of his time. And he was satisfied with the blood service he used. Eric, one of their donors, came to his mansion once a week. Everett fed. Eric left. No muss no fuss. There was no reason for him to bid on this gorgeous young man.
He remained in the shadows, silently watching the process. The bidding was wild, increasing in five thousand dollar increments with such speed that the auctioneer could barely keep up. And then entrant number nine took his hair down. With it loose, Everett saw that it wasn’t simply red. It was bright — the color of flames in a winter fireplace with streaks of burnished gold that sparkled under the stage lights. Number nine let those lush, wavy locks swing to the side as he bared the long, pale line of his neck. A momentary hush fell over the crowd before the bidding resumed, even more fast-paced than before. Without consciously planning to, Everett stepped forward.
“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” he called out.
When a few of the vampires saw who’d bid, they lowered their paddles and settled back in their chairs, dropping out of the bidding war. A few remained however. A brunette woman in a silver evening gown. A blond man in a tweed jacket and cream turtleneck. And a bald vampire with a jeweled monocle tucked against his right eye. Everett was confident that he could beat them all.
He let a few bids go unchallenged before he called out his next offer. “Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.” Shocked silence followed his bid. Yes, he would pay that and more to have a year’s access to the strikingly handsome figure on stage. The three who were still bidding conceded by placing their paddles face down in their laps. Everett swept his eyes across the room as the auctioneer called for the final bid. No one moved, every paddle was still.
“Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars going once. Going twice...”
The auctioneer let the anticipation hang in the air. Everett waited patiently.
“Sold!”
The lovely redhead bowed in his direction. Everett nodded back, his eyes tracking his new pet as he left the stage. He stayed where he was. An attendant would bring him his prize soon enough.
* * *
Behind the curtain, an auction assistant waited for Solan. At her prompting, he held out his left hand. She clasped a red plastic bracelet labeled with Mr. Everett around his wrist.
“That might have been the highest winning bid we’ve ever had in the club,” she said in awe.
“Really?” Now that he was out of view of the wealthy vampires, he couldn’t help but bounce with excitement at the bid amount.
“Yep. And Mr. Everett is awesome. I think you’ll have a good time as his blood pet. After you get changed, an assistant will take you to him.”
She waved him off and Solan went to the dressing area to change back into his own clothes and return the hair pin. He thanked the stylist for her help.
“Thank you. The hair pin trick worked exactly as I hoped it would.”
“You’re welcome. Happy to help.”
Todd stood up from his stool when he went up to him.
“Holy shit.” Todd’s green eyes, bright against the warm brown of his skin, were wide with amazement. “I heard how much that guy bid for you. Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars! I hope your blood tastes like Chardonnay for that amount.”
Solan laughed. “Come on, it’s time to go.”
Another staff member waited for him at the exit. They left the back area and she escorted them to his buyer.
“Here you are, Mr. Everett,” she said holding out her hand to indicate Solan. After a polite smile at them both, she returned to the back.
Now that Solan was standing directly in front of his buyer, he could see what he looked like. Solan was tall at five ten, but the vampire was a head and then some taller than him. He had dark hair, a neatly trimmed low beard, and crystal blue eyes. Like all vampires, the irises had a dim glow in the dark light of the club. His skin was smooth with a slight, almost golden sheen, and not a single blemish. He looked to be about thirty-five, but there was no way to tell how long he’d actually been alive. And the way he wore that three-piece suit. It should look stuffy, but on him the style was stern yet elegant. The man gave off an air of danger, making a shiver run down Solan’s spine. He wondered if it was simply because he was a vampire or if he was a criminal of some sort. Maybe it was both. Regardless, this man was gorgeous. It almost made Solan regret what he was about to do.
“Hello entrant number nine.”
“It’s Solan.”
The vampire nodded. “Solan. Hello. Shall we sit down and discuss—.”
Solan cut him off. “Actually, I came to tell you that I won’t be going home with you tonight or any other night. I only entered the auction for fun.”
A dark eyebrow rose.
“For fun?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see what it was like.”
“I’ve already paid the auction fee and I’m prepared to transfer your initial payment of the bid amount to the holding account set up for you.”
“I can refund you that fee,” Solan said with an unconcerned shrug. “And I don’t need the money you would have paid me.” He signaled to his driver to come over, who up to that point had been standing near the entrance to the club. “Isaac, make a transfer to Mr. Everett’s account for the auction fee. I believe it’s five percent of the winning bid so seventeen thousand five hundred dollars.”
The driver pulled out his phone.
“Sir, what name and account would you like me to send the transfer to?”
“I don’t want his money,” Mr. Everett said in a tight voice.
Solan shrugged. If the guy didn’t want a refund, he wasn’t going to force him to take it. “Okay, then. Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Everett. Bye!” Figuring a quick escape was the best strategy, he grabbed Todd’s hand and pulled him along to the club’s exit. Once they were outside, he laughed as they ran to the car.
“Can you believe it?” he breathlessly asked. “Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars for a vampire to be my sugar daddy and drink my blood for a year.” Solan leaned against the car door, waiting for their driver to catch up.
Todd reprimanded him but he was grinning too. “That was wild. You know that vampire is probably pissed that you backed out of your contract.”
“Maybe. But it was worth it. That was the most excitement I’ve had in months.”
* * *
Everett watched as the beautiful young man disappeared from his club. “Who is he?” he asked the driver. He could find out the identity of the redheaded minx who’d left him high and dry from the catalogue later but he wanted to know who he was right now.
“Solan Kane,” the stocky middle-aged man answered. “Younger brother of Nora Kane of the Kane family.”
Everett recognized the family name. “Thank you.”
The driver excused himself and followed after his employer.
Although Everett was angry at the stunt Solan had pulled in his club, his fangs sharpened with excitement at the thought of chasing him down. Solan didn’t know it, but he’d just become his prey. And he would be fulfilling the contract to become his blood pet. 
Warren, a fellow boss of the Sanguis Syndicate, came over from the bar with a drink in his hand. “What the hell just happened?”
“Apparently, I won a blood pet who had no intention of fulfilling his contract.”
Warren’s dark eyebrows shot up. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“And you just let him go?”
Everett cast his friend a look.
“Ah, I see.” Warren grinned. “Good luck on your hunt.”
One of the vampires who’d been bidding against Everett for Solan — Rupert Davies, the monocle wearing one — joined them.
“I overheard what entrant number nine said. Unbelievable! Are humans allowed to enter the auctions as a lark?”
“No, they are not.”
Rupert put a beringed hand to his chest, shaking his head as if he were completely scandalized. “I think I’m glad I lost out on that one. I wouldn’t want the hassle of dealing with this situation. But I’m sure you’ll take care of it.”
Indeed, he would. He knew who Solan was. Which meant he knew where he would be. He would deal with him later. Right now, he had an auction to run.

Chapter 2
The next evening, Everett set the wheels in motion to collect his runaway blood pet. He called Harumi, his second in command, into his office.
She came in, tablet in hand and heels rhythmically tapping on the glossy black marble floor.
“Harumi, get me Nora Kane’s personal number. And what’s the best time in my schedule tonight for a meeting?”
“I can reschedule the quarterly drinks and payoff meeting with the captain of the vice squad. That frees up the nine o’clock hour.”
“Do it.” He hated those anyway. The vice-captain only wanted to meet in person so he could brag to his fellow crooked cop cronies that he regularly met with a mob boss vampire. But keeping him happy was essential. Because although the blood pet auctions were legal, there were many other Sanguis Syndicate enterprises that were not. A happy vice captain kept the vice squad off his back.
Harumi nodded. “Give me a minute and I’ll have Ms. Kane on the line. I’ll speak with the captain myself.”
“Thank you.”
Barely a minute after Harumi left the room, his desktop phone beeped and his receptionist’s pleasant voice came through the speaker.
“Mr. Everett, Ms. Kane is holding for you.”
“Thank you, Nancy.” He pushed the button to accept the call. “Hello, Ms. Kane.”
“Mr. Everett. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?”
“I believe I met your brother last night. A redhead named Solan?”
“Yes, that is my little brother. What is he up to now?”
“That’s what I’d like to come by tonight and discuss.”
There was a brief pause before she answered.
“Of course. What time is good for you?”
“I have an opening at nine o’clock.”
“Then I’ll see you at nine.”
They said their goodbyes. Everett set the phone back in its cradle and leaned back in his chair. He was one step closer to claiming his pet.
* * *
Solan sat curled up in one of the home theater room’s big recliners. He was dressed warmly in a hoodie and sweatpants and a fire crackled in the fireplace to ward off the chill of the Michigan winter night. He had the bracelet from the night before in his hand. Mr. Everett. Remembering Mr. Everett’s tall build and aura of danger, Solan wondered what it would have been like to actually become that vampire’s blood pet.
He wasn’t normally one to fantasize about vampires and being bitten. Since the veil that hid the supernatural had dropped thirty-two years ago, vampires had always been a part of the world he lived in. They, along with werewolves, and other creatures previously thought of as myth, weren’t exactly full-fledged members of human society. But they were an everyday part of life.
It wasn’t unusual to go through the check-out line at Wal-Mart at ten o’clock at night and have a vampire as a cashier. There were whole areas of the city run by them. While some humans loved the excitement and danger of interacting with that world, Solan usually didn’t give it much thought.
But now, he couldn’t stop thinking of Mr. Everett, the dark-haired vampire with an aura of unmistakable power. The man clearly had deep pockets. He’d probably bid on and won another blood pet after he realized he couldn’t have Solan.
The theater room door opened and Solan looked back over his shoulder, thinking it was Todd arriving for their planned double-feature movie night. But it was his sister. Her red hair — the same color as his but straightened and cut into a sharp bob — gleamed under the lights. And even this late after the dinner hour she was still immaculately dressed in a lavender sweater and gray slacks.
“Do you want to tell me why Mr. Everett, one of the bosses from the Sanguis Syndicate, is coming here in an hour to talk to me about you?” she asked as she came down the aisle.
“Oh, is that who he was?” The man’s commanding vibe suddenly made sense. “No wonder he could afford that bid.”
“What bid?”
Solan sat up straight and swung his feet to the floor. “Don’t get mad.”
Nora crossed her arms over her chest in what he thought of as her stern big sister pose.
“I’m already mad.”
“I went to a vampire club and entered one of their blood pet auctions. Mr. Everett placed the winning bid for me.” He held up the red plastic bracelet to show her, twirling it around his index finger.
“You did what?” She stared at the bracelet, her eyes wide with shock.
“I just wanted to see what it was like. Todd went with me and we had fun. Plus, I set a record for the highest winning bid in the club’s auction history. Not bad for the Kane genes, huh?” he asked with a grin.
“Oh my God.” She unfolded her arms from their crossed pose and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“What’s the big deal? I’m not really going to be some vamp’s blood pet. I offered to pay the auction fee but he said no. I guess he changed his mind and he wants his money.”
Nora dropped her hand from her forehead to glare at him. “Do you really think he’s coming over here to collect a refund for a goddamn service charge?”
Now Solan frowned. “He can’t make me be his blood pet.”
“What world have you been living in all your life where the strong don’t make the weak do what they want?”
She had a point. “But we’re not exactly weak.” His sister was the head of the Kane family, one of the top five human crime organizations in all of Michigan. That gave them no small amount of power.
“We’re not. But we’re also not in a position to go up against the Sanguis Syndicate. They could wipe us out over your little prank if they wanted to.”
“Shit.” Solan was starting to think his fun little lark might not have been the best idea. “I didn’t think it would be that serious.”
“You never do. You’d better hope we can figure a way out of this. And be prepared to grovel and apologize.”
She spun on the heel of her chic flats and left the room.
* * *
Everett rode in the backseat of the Maybach as they drove to the Kane estate. Harumi sat next to him. They used the time to work until the car stopped at a set of steel gates embellished with a gold letter K on each side.
“We’re here,” Everett said to Harumi.
The driver pressed a button on a call box and spoke into the speaker. After a moment, the gates opened and their car proceeded through them. They drove down a long, tree-lined drive until they reached the Kane home. The mansion was beautiful, fitting for a family that had been in power in Michigan for decades. And somewhere inside that mansion was the young man Everett hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since he’d seen him on stage.
His driver parked the car. He came around to open the door and Everett stepped out, followed by Harumi. The two of them went up a short set of stone steps, where the door was already open and a woman stood waiting.
Everett knew immediately she was Solan’s sister. They had the same titian red hair and they shared similar facial features. But while Solan’s eyes were a deep indigo blue, his sister’s were a clear, amber brown.
“Mr. Everett. Welcome to my home,” she said with a polite smile.
“Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Ms. Kane. I know how busy you must be.”
“It was no trouble at all. And please, call me Nora.”
“And call me Everett.” He gestured to the petite woman by his side. “This is Harumi, my second in command.”
Welcome,” Nora said as the two women shook hands. “Come in and we’ll talk in the library.”
She led them to a large room with two walls covered by floor to ceiling bookcases filled with books. Turkish rugs in patterns of red, blue, and gold warmed the hardwood floors. And there were several arrangements of chocolate brown leather seating. She waved them to a couch and took the chair across from them.
“Can I offer either of you anything to eat or drink?”
They both declined. Nora nodded at the servant waiting by the library entrance. At her signal, the woman stepped outside the room and closed the door.
Nora settled back in her chair, legs crossed at the knee, one arm draped over the arm rest. Her posture was relaxed and confident but her gaze was sharp.
“I have a little of the story from Solan but if you don’t mind, Everett, I’d like to hear all of it from you.”
“Last night, Solan entered one of the blood pet auctions that I host at Club Scarlet. Blood pets agree to serve as exclusive blood donors to the vampire that purchases them for one year. Most live with their owners during that year for the convenience. I placed the winning bid for Solan. When I met with him to make arrangements for our new relationship, he informed me that he’d only entered the auction for the experience and had no intention of honoring his commitment. He left after I refused his offer to refund me the auction fee I’d already paid.”
“That sounds like something Solan would do.” She leaned forward and clasped her hands together atop her knee. “Perhaps he didn’t understand the gravity of such a spur of the moment decision during a wild evening out with his friends.”
Everett shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s not the case. In order to ensure that all of our blood pets are physically and mentally healthy and not embroiled in any legal issues, we require them to apply. A process that started several weeks ago. We run blood tests, background checks, etc. Which means, he’s known for some time what he was getting into. And he signed a contract well in advance of the event.”
Harumi opened the leather portfolio she carried and took out a printed copy of the contract. She passed it over for Nora to read.
Nora quickly scanned the document, stopping at the bottom where her brother’s signature scrawled big and bold next to his typed name. “I see.” She leaned forward to the coffee table between them and pressed a button on the call box that sat there. A second later the library door opened.
“Yes, Ms. Kane?”
“Please let Solan know that I want to see him in here immediately.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Nora looked back at Everett, her expression was still polite, but there were tight lines of restrained anger bracketing her mouth. “We’ll get this taken care of,” she said firmly.
They waited silently until the door opened again.
Everett’s heartbeat quickened when Solan walked into the room and went to stand next to his sister’s chair. The humans wouldn’t notice it but Harumi surely did. She didn’t react however. This young man was gorgeous. But it was more than that. Something about him called to Everett. Being in his presence set sparks of awareness dancing over his skin. If it were anyone else who’d pulled this stunt, he might have been content with letting them off by paying the auction fees and apologizing. But he wanted Solan. And he was going to have him.
“Solan. Mr. Everett has just informed me of the extensive process you completed before you entered his auction.”
Solan looked wary. “I had to fill out a few forms.”
“And take a blood test and get a background check. That seems like an awful lot of effort to undertake for a joke.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” He turned to Everett with his eyes big and imploring. “I apologize Mr. Everett. I realize now that what I did was out of line. I wasted your time and resources. I swear it won’t happen again.”
Everett thought Solan was cute. He stood with his hands clasped in front him, a sincere expression on his face. But the rhythm of his heartbeat was steady — not the rapid pace of someone worried or nervous. And Everett had caught a flash of defiance in his eyes before he’d hidden it. Two clues that told Everett that Solan wasn’t as sorry as he outwardly appeared. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t letting him off the hook with an apology.
“While I appreciate the sincerity of your apology, I don’t want to set a precedent that our auctions are something for humans to come and gawk at like tourists. Or have them start entering them in bad faith as part of a fun night out on the town. We take them seriously, as they are vital to our survival. My clients need to know that when they bid on a blood pet, they will get what they pay for without any hassle. Because of that, I have to insist that Solan follow through on what he signed up for.”
At Everett’s insistence that he honor his commitment, Solan instantly dropped his contrite pose. That spark of defiance burned bright in his indigo eyes, no longer hidden behind pretend humility. Everett inwardly smiled. The young man clearly wasn’t used to not getting his way.
“I understand your position,” Nora said.
“And of course, there is the matter of someone from your house insulting the Sanguis Syndicate,” Everett added smoothly.
Nora didn’t outwardly react, but Everett picked up the tiny increase in her heart rate.
“I can find you someone else to take my place.” Solan said. “I’m sure there’s lots of people out there who would love to be your blood pet. And I’ll pay their salary for the year myself.”
“Would that work, Mr. Everett?”
Nora had asked the question, but Everett kept his eyes on Solan when he answered. “No.”
Solan’s eyes narrowed and his blood started pumping faster. He was mad, without a doubt. Everett had to keep his fangs from sharpening hearing that delicious rush of hot liquid flowing through the redhead’s veins.
“I won’t accept a substitute. However, I can offer a compromise.”
“And that is?”
He returned his attention to Nora. “Instead of the full year he signed up for I’ll accept Solan as my blood pet for three months. After that, I’ll consider his obligation met. He will also be banned for life from returning to Club Scarlet and from entering any Sanguis Syndicate run blood pet auctions to prevent this from happening again.”
Nora leaned back in her chair, considering. It was a good offer and she knew it. The Kane family wouldn’t be able to stand against him and his people if he decided to retaliate with violence. She clearly wanted to protect her brother. But if she was smart — and she had to be as the head of a large criminal organization — she wouldn’t risk a war over his folly.
“I think that’s a fair compromise,” she said finally.
Solan however, didn’t agree.
“Are you actually agreeing to this?” Solan balled up his fists, his face flushing red with anger.
Nora snapped around to face her brother, her blunt cut bob swinging with the sharp movement. “Yes! You got yourself into this, Solan. Maybe now you’ll start accepting that there are consequences for your actions.”
Solan scowled at her for a moment. Then, he threw Everett a furious glare before he stormed from the library.
“I’m sorry about his behavior,” Nora said once he was gone. “Our parents died when he was young and I’ve spoiled him ever since. That’s not an excuse but an explanation.”
“That’s understandable. We do whatever we can to protect the ones in our care. You’re older than him, right?”
“Yes. By ten years.” Nora looked down at the contract again. “I cannot believe he—.” She cut herself off with a shake of her head and passed the contract back to Harumi. “I accept your compromise and Solan will honor it.”
She held out a hand and Everett reached forward to take it, sealing the compromise with a handshake. But before she released his hand, Nora’s demeanor abruptly changed. She was suddenly fierce, her posture stiff and her gaze direct and hard.
“You won’t hurt him?”
Everett understood what she was asking. And in that piercing gaze, he saw the woman who’d been in charge of a large criminal organization since she was in her twenties. He knew if he didn’t answer to her satisfaction, the deal was off the table.
“I will not,” he solemnly promised. “I only want him to uphold his contracted agreement. And even with that, I will wait until he is comfortable.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. She let his hand go, her shoulders relaxing.
“Let him take tonight to pack. I’ll send for him tomorrow evening.”
“All right.”
The meeting over, all three of them rose.
“I’m going to leave someone out front,” Everett said as they crossed the foyer. “I trust you to uphold our agreement. It’s your brother I’m concerned about.”
“That’s probably for the best. He snuck out of the house on more than one occasion when he was a teenager. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s here and ready to go tomorrow evening. And again, I apologize for the trouble he’s caused.”
Everett didn’t doubt that causing trouble was Solan’s forte and that he would continue to do so once he was under Everett’s roof. Lucky for him, he was actually looking forward to it.
* * *
“So, what happened?”
Todd had arrived while he and Nora were waiting for the vampire to show up. They’d blown off their movie plans in favor of going up to his bedroom to speculate on what was going to happen once he got there. Solan had left Todd sitting in the window seat when he’d gone downstairs. He was in the same spot when he returned to his room.
“He wouldn’t agree to let me out of the contract. But he offered a compromise.”
“Which is?”
“I only have to be his blood pet for three months. After that time is up, he’ll release me, but I’m banned from entering his club and auctions for life.”
“Are you going to do it?”
Solan wanted to say no. He really did. But he nodded in answer to Todd’s question. “Yeah. I don’t want to make any trouble for my sister. This isn’t her fault. And he made it clear he considered what I did an insult to the Sanguis Syndicate by the Kane family. So, he’ll definitely retaliate in some way if I don’t agree to it.”
“Wow. You’re going to live with a vampire and let him drink your blood every night. That’s hot.”
“Shut up.” Solan grabbed a pillow from the bed and threw it at Todd, who laughed and caught it. “It’s not hot. And it won’t be every night unless he wants me to pass out from anemia.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Come in!” he called out. The door opened. Solan wasn’t surprised when his sister walked in.
“I did hope to be able to negotiate your way out of that. But with your signed contract and him concerned about both his business and saving face there wasn’t much I could do. You understand why I had to agree, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I do. I may not act like I have a brain some of the time—.”
“All of the time,” Todd muttered behind him.
“But I understand how our world works. Heaven forbid a crime boss have his honor besmirched,” he said rolling his eyes. “I guess I wasn’t thinking beyond the fun of it. I’m sorry for potentially bringing trouble down on your head.”
Solan reached out to give her a hug. He loved his big sister more than anyone. She’d raised him along with taking on the massive challenge of becoming head of the Kane family after their parents’ death. Solan knew he was a brat who frequently exasperated her, but he’d never caused her this much aggravation. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be mad at him. She returned his hug, giving him a tight squeeze.
“Good. And as a crime boss myself, I’d have done the same thing if I were in his shoes.” She leaned back and flicked the tip of his nose. “Troublemaker.”
“Ouch.” Solan grumbled and rubbed his nose.
Nora grinned. She let him go, moving to the door. “He’ll be here tomorrow evening to pick you up so you need to be packed and ready to go by then.”
“Got it.”
“And Solan?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t leave the house until he arrives. He left a guard behind to watch you and I don’t want there to be any issues because of a misunderstanding about where you were going.”
After Solan agreed to stay put, she left the room, closing the door behind her.
Solan groaned and went to stand in front of his walk-in closet. For a rich person, he didn’t own much. Recent drama with a vampire aside, his life was normally fairly simple. He preferred to stay out of organized crime society with their parties and social life that let them pretend they were some sort of aristocrats and therefore had no use for fancy clothes.
“What the hell am I supposed to take to go and live with a vampire crime boss for three months? I own club clothes, jeans, and sweats.”
“Whatever you do, make sure you pack your nice underwear,” Todd teased with a grin.
Solan snorted. “All my underwear are nice. But unless he’s doing my laundry, Mr. Everett won’t ever be blessed enough to see them.”

---

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Love,
Christa

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