Brem’s smirk was all shades of black. “How adorable.”
“Let’s not do this,” I pleaded, “there’s got to be an easy way.”
“The easy way is boring.”
Jake tensed but said nothing.
This had to go smoothly. I didn’t want to start a war with this man. “Let’s not make this a long night, Brem.”
“The nights are already long, Mr. Tseng. I need some winter cheer.”
“You know how deadly that stone is,” I replied.
“I do.”
“Then why not give it back?”
“Maybe I want to see how things turn out if I play with it. Did you not register the fact that I’m bored?”
“Oh, please,” Jake droned. “Spare us that crap. You’re too chicken shit to play with it just like the rest of us. You know the stories about the jinn who made those stones.”
The jinn had not been seen for centuries. Not necessarily having died out, but they’d made no move on the human race since the last case I’d read about. It involved a luck stone, an innkeeper, and a whole village getting slaughtered. The gist of the luck stones was that they were loaded with jinn magic, were almost sentient, and brought luck and wealth and wonderful times to those who were ‘lucky’ enough to get their hands on one. Only, there was always a nasty ending when the fun had dried up. Basically, the stones were nothing more than a lavish trick to prey on human weakness.
“Don’t lecture me,” the vamp retorted. He rolled his eyes. “I can’t stand the sanctimonious attitude of know-it-all PIAs.”
“How many PIAs do you know?” Jake chimed in.
“Just two, and they are so irritating.” He sipped from his goblet of blood. “If you don’t want to bargain, then leave.”
“Can’t do that,” I said.
“Then, let’s deal.”
Jake let go of my hand, stepping forward. “We’re not giving you anything. Keep Sonny, let him be your fucking bitch. What do we care? Just hand the friggin’ stone over.”
“I don’t like your tone.”
“Jake—”
He went off on one. There was a button somewhere inside him that had an explosive override to any calm he tried to exude.
“Don’t like my tone, you stupid prick? I don’t give two flying shits what you do and don’t like. You’re a common thief in a posh suit. At least Sonny’s honest about who he is.”
The vampire was on his feet. “You would come into my home and call me a thief?”
“Uh, yeah. You deaf?”
“I think you need to learn some manners, Mr. Winter.”
Jake flipped him the middle finger.
Oh, God.
“I’ve changed my mind. I have a new proposition to put to you.” Brem clapped his hands twice, and the floor gave way beneath Jake’s feet.
“What the fuck!” I cried as Jake was swallowed into darkness.
The trapdoor slammed shut as I landed on it. “Brem!” I went for him, grabbing him by the collar. “What the hell have you done?”
“Now then,” the vampire drawled, not bothered by me being up in his face. “Things have become more interesting. If Mr. Winter survives, you get the stone with no questions asked. If not, well, then you don’t. Simple.” He grinned his wicked grin. “This is fun.”
I shoved him back. “You sick bastard!”
“Tick, tock, Mr. Tseng. While you waste time with your pathetic insults, your man is wandering in my tunnels beneath this house where I throw my trash.”
“No.” His trash meant vampires that could not be tamed, beyond the point of civilization—the transition from living to living dead breaking the mind of those who couldn’t handle it.
“They’re so hungry. They’d just love to suckle on Mr. Winter’s insides. I’d hate for your daughter to be a one-father child.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“Take the door behind me and head down the stairs. They will lead to the tunnels. Save him. Or not. You’re free to wait here if you’d also like to teach him a lesson. A hot-headed PIA isn’t great for business.”
“Fuck you!”
I broke into a run, bursting through the heavy wooden door.
I’m coming, baby.
Three
Jake
I landed heavily, knees bending then giving way. Tumbling onto my arse, I let out a curse as my denim-clad cheeks hit something wet.
“Gross!”
I gagged at the stench of rotten eggs.
Though my butt muscles hurt, nothing was broken. I scrambled to my feet, pulling at the back of my jeans.
I was in a tunnel that looked like a sewer. Anemic light lit the damp space in rectangle strips above my head. Nasty-looking water dripped down the walls, pooling into the center to make a tiny stream that flowed quickly off to my right.
Great. That vile crap was on me, soaking through my boxers to my crack. I’d have to shower in bleach when I got home.
My big mouth had landed me down here. It was all my own fault. I knew better than to gob off. But sometimes, I just couldn’t help myself when confronted with as smug a bastard as Brem.
Ugh.
Now, what was I supposed to do?
Okay. Scan the surroundings. At the end of the tunnel to my left was a grate, and at the end on my right was a junction—the same direction the stream of skanky water was flowing in. Right it was, then.
I walked quickly to the end of the tunnel past grated alcoves with dark voids beyond them. Creepy tunnels were worse than creepy alleyways.
What a prick that vampire was! A bigger drama queen than me! Why all the pissing about? So what if he was bored? The knob needed to get himself a better hobby rather than tossing the likes of me into sewer tunnels for kicks.
I should’ve kept quiet.
Pausing at the junction, I looked left and right. Decisions, decisions. In front of me, was another grate that the stream vanished into.
There was no air down here, no sound but the water. Too quiet, and not helpful in any way when it came to clues. There
