City of Dragons: Of Flesh and Blood (40 page)

The flesh trader went back to alternating between shaking his head, moving his comb over, and nodding his head. Just watching the son-of-a-bitch made Farley dizzy, so he stared out the side window and waited for him to get over his epileptic fit.

“Please don’t make me do this,” Paul said.

“Like you, Paul, I don’t have a choice.” Farley looked at the man’s reflection in the mirror.

“Why not?”

“I owe a friend a favor.”

“This is some favor.”

“He’s some friend.” Considering how many times Garrett had pulled his ass out of the fire, this wouldn’t even cover the interest. At least it would pay him for September. Farley could have been fired for his little trip off the wagon when he ate that MKFK member. Medan’s influence or not, he’d killed and consumed an innocent Human being which was a sure fire pink slip if there ever was one. But Garret had smoothed it out. Probably because he’d never reported the incident. Farley didn’t ask and his boss didn’t tell.

After a minute Paul said, “Okay.” The Hummer cranked up. “Okay, I’ll do this. We can do this.” He sounded like a man choosing the road to redemption. Farley didn’t bother with popping his bubble. Getting the living to forgive was empty because it was the dead who had already paid the price.

In the underground parking lot of the GLG Grand, Farley thought Paul was going to have another attack of conscience. Eventually he managed to pull himself together and get out of the Hummer.

As they headed to the elevator Farley shivered and hoped to hell the inside was a lot warmer than out here. By the time the lift doors were sliding shut his nuts were anticipating the next ice age and crawling into his stomach.

The entire ride up Paul wouldn’t look at Farley, which was fine with him. He had nothing to offer the man. No thank-yous or it-will-be-okays. Nope. Reassurance wasn’t in his job description. He was here to do what he did best.

Get on the inside. Get information. And get out with his ass intact.

The elevator opened into a small foyer with two doors at opposite ends, covered by suits wearing guns. Not that Farley could see the weapons. On a good gunman one never can. But Farley knew the weapons were there because he could smell them.

“You go that way.” Paul pointed to the door on the left. His frightened eyes said
this is your last chance
. Farley gave him a crooked smile and turned on his heel.

On the other side of the door the room was almost pitch black. It reminded Farley of the inside of the Pit minus the glow sticks and laser lights, but there were strobes and Manson’s Nobodies was playing loud enough rattle his teeth. At least Heikman had good taste in music.

And just like the Pit, the Sin was the oxygen everybody breathed.

One-way glass mirrors stretched the length of the right wall, reflecting the room and the people in it. Farley was willing to bet his next pay check people were sitting back there watching the action in safety, with or without company.

And boy, there was a lot to watch. A whole lot to see.

Farley moved, easing through the loose crowd occupying the floor. The sounds of
feeding
drifted through the darkness, riding on screaming guitar riffs. Voyeurs cluttered the space along the wall as they gorged themselves on the sights while the Kin gorged on blood. No one was dancing here, at least not the stand up kind. All the couches and thick lounge rugs were occupied with sweaty bodies and bare flesh. The bar on the right was filled with people and between the long necks and the shots, they were serving up each other.

Farley paused behind a group watching two Males like they were some sort of art exhibit. One of the Humans had palmed himself to stroke off to the rhythm they set. The rest swayed, glassy eyed, breathing deep and absolutely captivated by what they saw. One Male at the other’s back, fucking, while
feeding
.

As always the prospect of becoming
food
made Farley’s scent flare. He licked his lips, felt the sharp points of his teeth and tasted his blood on his tongue. For Farley the biological reaction was about survival, and the only reason he’d ever crawled out of the Hive. In the Dens the skill earned him protection, and when information was tight, offering up blood and flesh could always shake it loose.

Farley moved—liquid—sliding between people caught in the ebb and flow of pleasure and gluttony. Glowing draconian eyes flicked up at him and faces turned as the Males tracked his flavor floating on eddies of air. Bodies shifted, flowing and rolling in his direction. Moving like beasts and nothing like men.

A small private smile curled on Farley’s lips. This was too easy. Too much fun.

In places like this, control and power wasn’t about brute strength. It was about the ability to manipulate the
need
. And here, he was stronger than anyone. Only when he was back in front of the widest stretch of mirrors did he stop. If Heikman was watching he was about to get a show.

A line of heat pressed against Farley’s back and words were warm at the nape of his neck. “You like what you see?”

Farley rolled his eyes and caught sight of a moderate frame about the same size as his own chosen form. The smooth chocolate color of the Male’s skin was a shocking contrast to his blond crop of hair worn in short dreads. When the Male spoke again the words came flush against Farley’s ear. “I like what I see.”

“I aim to please.” Farley took the hand offered to him and raked his tongue across the palm. The Male pulled in closer, opened his mouth and drew in the scent from Farley’s skin as he fondled the scar on his shoulder.

“You
belong
…” His eyes flicked up, swimming gold. “
To Whom Do You Belong
?” Farley wasn’t about to start throwing around names. Instead of giving an answer he leaned in close and exhaled his breath across the Dark Male’s parted mouth. In response the Male curled his lips, flashing fang. His throat worked to swallow the scent down. “Mmmm—that’s nice.” His erection pushed against Farley’s hip. “A little more please…” Farley did it again and the Male made a deep thrumming sound.

More joined in. Farley turned to each of them, passing his scent, and they in turn passed it to each other. A chorus of purrs accompanied the hands touching him and mouths tasting his skin.

Without any warning the Dominant poured out of the dark. When Farley looked at him the words “fucking huge” came to mind. His size and the face hardware reminded him of prized bulls. The nasty kind that gored out cowboys and rodeo clowns then stomped the remains into the dirt.

Dark Male hissed and the Dominant responded with an earth shattering growl. His hand came out and Farley took the offering, buried his face into the palm as big as his head and raked the skin with his teeth and tongue. Farley watched the two display by flashing fang, thoroughly enjoying the attention.

“Your name?” Farley asked the Dominant first.

“Lor.” Blazing yellow eyes rolled over him.

Then to the Darker Male. “And you?”

“Junily.”

Lor dipped his face low and brushed his lips along Farley’s shoulder. His eyes were still locked on Junily. “You smell wonderful.” Farley rubbed his face against Lor’s jaw and cheek. Lor said, “Share with me.”

Not a request.

Farley tipped his chin up and Lor assaulted his mouth, drawing the air directly from his lungs and pressing hard enough to cut his lips. When the Dominant pulled away, his eyes fluttered as he rolled the taste on his tongue.

Junily tugged at Farley’s arm and he turned, giving the smaller Male his mouth. His tongue slipped in and out of Farley’s mouth, drawing the taste with exaggerated strokes. Touching, petting, Farley slid his hands all over Junily’s chocolate colored skin, feeling warmth and metaphysical hunger.

The thrum in Junily’s chest kicked up another notch.

Lor seized Farley by the hips and yanked him back. The massive bugle behind his low hung jeans hit him in the back and teeth punched through his shoulder. The pain made Farley chase the thrusts of his tongue into Junily’s mouth with a moan.

On the floor bodies rolled, hungry clicks and whirrs sounded off as they rubbed against the Dominant, begging for their share. The group of Males tightened and hands slid up Farley’s legs, across his waist, along his back. They rubbed his scent on their fingers so they could suck it off.

When the Dominant popped his mouth free, Farley spilled out of his arms and into awaiting hands. Farley blinked and found Junily’s gaze only inches from his own.

“Hello again.” Junily dipped his fingers in the closing bite wound. When he brought his hand up he watched Farley with golden eyes while Junily sucked his blood from the tips. “You taste good.” Closer now, Junily lowered his eyes under thick blond lashes. “I want to take from you…” And he did not wait for an answer.

Farley groaned as the bite was reopened. He rolled his head so Junily could adjust his hold and met the wanting stares of Human voyeurs.

The woman who came out of the crowd had brown hair. Quick and greedy, her lips hit Farley’s and her cool hands cupped his face. Then she let her date, or maybe her escort, pull her back into the audience.

Farley rolled her flavor around on his tongue. She didn’t taste nearly as good as Claire. God of Man, if only he had her flavor on his tongue.

Pants off…now…he was rubbing himself raw.

Junily released his bite and Farley was pulled in another direction. More mouths assaulted his wrists and another set of teeth slammed against his shoulder. The crowd of Males pinned Farley where he stood. He was Food and here even the lowest ranked had the right to
feed
from him.

It was almost too much. Even for him. “God…” Junily’s body pressed against his back. His heart-shaped face and pale eyes slid into view. The smile on the Male’s face was fucking perfect.

“Let me ease you,” Junily said.

Farley rolled his eyes upward and nodded.
Yeah, ease me, please.
He was too lit to talk. So many Males
feeding
on him at once.

Farley’s hiss rode on a wave of pleasure as Junily’s hand slid across his stomach and to the edge of his pants. The button came loose and the zipper went down. It was a relief to get free, and then Junily’s hand gripped his cock and stroked. More hands converged, more teeth on the inside of his thigh. If there hadn’t been so many holding him upright, Farley was sure he would have puddled into the floor.

They bit him, tasted him, and
fed
. Too many mouths, too many teeth, and fuck him it was good, so good. He was close to losing it. So close.

Junily laughed low and soft. “You like this?”

“Fuck…yes….” Farley jerked and his muscles tightened. “More… God…more…” He wanted to wrap his hand around Junily’s fist and make him squeeze, but too many hands held him. Junily changed his position so he was standing in front with his shoulder pressed close to Farley’s chin.

“Feed.” The Male didn’t have to ask twice. Farley’s bite punched through Junily’s chocolate smooth skin. As the first swallow washed down his throat he came, burying his screams into the other Male’s flesh and thrusting in his grip.

Farley fed, sucking down great bouts of blood until his insides burned. At some point the others let him go and Junily pushed him into a couch and held him.

“I should like to
keep
you.” The Male rubbed his cheek against Farley’s. Sweat bloomed across Farley’s skin and heat flared. Sated, his bite popped free.

In long languid strokes Junily ran his hand up and down Farley’s back while he purred. When the metaphysical burn banked, Farley put his face in Junily’s neck and said, “That was nice. Thank you.” And it was nice. No urgency. Just a slow draw of blood. Giving and taking.

Just when he was about to doze off, Junily froze and he made an unhappy sound. Farley looked up to see his golden eyes flashing red. His arm tightened and the barest growl kicked up in his chest. Farley swung his head around and he saw a suit cutting his way through the crowd.

So, he won the prize? But then he knew he would. Feeling all smug, Farley put his feet on the ground and grabbed the hem of his skaters to pull them up. But then the Human raised his hand and Farley caught sight of something black with a barrel. A pin rifle.

Farley rolled off the sofa and tried to run, but his legs tangled in his pants and with his body uncoordinated and blitzed from the
feed
, there was only one direction for him to go.

Down.

Just fucking great. How rich was this?

The burn hit Farley between the shoulders and he screamed, jack knifing off the ground, his limbs refusing to function as the smell of Alchemy permeated the air.

While they were at the DA’s, maintenance cleaned up the room, erasing all the bad things which had happened the night before. No more blood stains, no more broken glass. Even the mattress was new.

Really new. It still had the tags dangling from the end.

“I’ll call for room service,” Deshi said as he stepped through the elevator door. “Come on.” Haley gave Orin’s hand a pull. “Let’s get something to eat.” He went, one foot in front of the other, but he wasn’t there. No, Orin was stuck somewhere in his head. Haley pulled out a chair and Orin sat down. Numb, he felt completely numb.

That, and helpless.

“I really need to go home and feed my cat.” And he did. Jingles would be pissed they’d missed another shrimp dinner. As trivial and silly as doing things like that seemed at the moment, Orin wanted to be doing it. Being home meant none of this was happening.

Orin put his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. “God of Man, Maze is right.”

“It’ll be okay,” Haley said.

“No…no it won’t.” He made an angry sound and buried it against his fists. “Even if Rehbek’ah is dead, it won’t change anything. Mary’s dead, my job is in the toilet, and that means I’ll have to go back to the Dens.”

Orin brought his eyes up and caught sight of Deshi busy in the kitchen. He tracked the Prince like prey.

“Have you called Farley?” Orin looked at Haley. “He’s probably missing you.”