Free Night's Promise by Sandy Lynn Page B

twisted it, snapping his neck.
    Releasing him, he watched his friend fall to the floor.
    “I can’t afford to have any friends. But that doesn’t mean I have to make you suffer either.” Still looking at the body crumpled on the floor, he added, “And if Tony doesn’t like it, he can tell me so himself.”
    Looking into the shadows, he stared at the almost invisible spy, sent by the boss to ensure he killed Thomas.
    “While you’re at it, tell him he’s damn lucky I don’t rip his eyes out for sending anyone to spy on me.” Growling he spit out, “Leave, before I decide I’m not feeling quite so generous.”
    The boy scurried out of sight without hesitation.
    Walking over to the sorcerer’s cabinets he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Grabbing a bottle of wine, he opened it, and sniffed, quickly flinching away from the vile smell. Unlike humans, he knew exactly what would happen if he drank as little as one sip of the brew. Just how sick it would make him. But at the moment he didn’t care.
    With just a single sip of the vile liquid, he was ensuring that he would become deathly sick. It may not kill him, but he knew he’d wish for death. Unlike humans, his kind could feel the poison and rejected it quickly in an attempt at preservation. But right now he’ didn’t care about the pain, he’d risk it for even just a few minutes of the forgetfulness that humans found in the alcohol.
    Placing the bottle against his lips and tilting it, he drank deeply, shuddering with the taste.
    Striding out of the man’s house, he went to the house of a nearby sorceress that he kept as an occasional lover.
    “What are you drinking, lover? Do you know—”
    “I know exactly what I’m doing,” he told her in a tone he knew would stop the questions.
    “If you wanted comfort you could have just come straight to Peg. I’ll take good care of you, I always do.”
    Removing his pants without his assistance, Peg teased his body as he finished off the bottle of vile liquid. He wondered if it would bring the blissful numbness that it gave humans. And how long he would have to wait before it took effect.
    When he was undressed, she pushed him onto the bed, handcuffing him to the frame. Removing a fat candle from a drawer beside the bed, she lit it.
    “Would you like to talk about it?” she asked before biting his stomach.
    “No.”
    Wisely she allowed the subject to drop. Nothing she did, however, was able to distract him. He didn’t even enjoy it the way he usually did when she drizzled melted wax on his chest and stomach.
    Not letting her know he wasn’t into their play, he mechanically drew moans from her as he thrust into her body. He didn’t find release, but that was no reason to neglect her.
    When she collapsed on top of him, completely sated, he looked up at the ceiling.
    “That was amazing.” She sighed. “I love it when you come to see me.”
    “Peg, I want you to do something for me.”
    “Name it, lover. Should I pull out the whips?” she purred.
    “I want you to enchant some ink for me. I want a tattoo and I don’t want it to ever disappear.”
    She sat up, still straddling him. “Do you know how much magicks that will require?” she exclaimed.
    “A better question would be do I care. No, I don’t.”
    “And if I refuse to do it?” she replied angrily.
    “Then when I walk out that door we’re done. And I’ll make certain everyone knows we’re finished.” He didn’t even raise his voice, but she blanched like he’d just slapped her.
    She knew the only reason she hadn’t been hurt was people knew she and Duncan were lovers. None made the mistake of thinking he loved her. But the last time an angry vampire had threatened her, she’d spread around that she was his favorite lover. Everyone knew he wouldn’t be hurt by her loss, but she’d made sure they would think he’d be pissed.
    “It’ll take me about a week to prepare the proper spells…”
    “Fine, now get