Page 3 of Bleed

I smirk. “Apparently feeding makes them horny. You sign up for higher-tier stuff, you can charge for extras.”

Dev huffs a laugh, while Alaia’s eyes gleam. She’s hooked.

He notices, nudging her with his shoulder. “Don’t even think about it,” he mutters.

“Why not?” she shoots back. “It’s not like we’re exclusive.”

Understatement of the year.

Those two blur lines for fun. I’ve been dragged into their bedroom more times than I can count, and not once has it been boring.

“True,” Devin grumbles, his jaw tightening a fraction. “But I don’t love the idea of some vamp getting handsy with you.”

“You’re just afraid she’ll like it too much and leave your sorry ass,” I snort.

He flips me off, but there’s no real anger behind it. Insults are practically our love language.

“I’m gonna call them tomorrow, see if I can get on the roster,” I say coolly, unwinding my messy bun and shaking my hair loose, the short dark strands falling around my face. “You two interested?”

There’s a beat of silence where Dev glances at Alaia, something unspoken passing between them.

“Three hundred for one bite,” Devin repeats slowly, like he’s trying to taste the number.

“Fifteen minutes, tops,” I add. “That’s what she told me. In and out.”

“In and out,” he echoes, brows lifting. “That’s… insane.”

“Right?” I grin, crossing the room to flop into the armchair opposite them and tucking one bronze leg up underneath me. “And remember, that’s just base level.”

Alaia plucks the card back from Dev’s hand, studying it again like she’s trying to see past the sleek surface into whatever’s hiding underneath. “There’s no website?” she asks, turning it over.

“Black market businesses don’t typically have a homepage,” I point out, easing back against the cracked leather. “She said you just call the number and schedule a time to go in. They take pictures, run bloodwork, and build your donor profile. Then vamps can request engagements with you through their app.”

Devin huffs. “And then you show up and bleed for some stranger? That’s not weird at all.”

“You tattoo people for a living,” I deadpan. “You’ve literally had strangers bleed all over you.”

“Yeah, but that’s different.”

“Is it?” I tilt my head. “You’re still dealing with bodies and blood. Only difference is, this time you’re getting paid more for less work.”

He opens his mouth, then shuts it again.

Because I’m right, and he knows it.

Alaia’s thumb traces over the red lettering again. “White-glove service, huh?” she muses. “So some rich vamp picks you up, feeds, and sends you home with cash?”

“That’s the gist,” I murmur. “I’m sure we’ll learn more when we go there to sign up.”

“You sure you wanna do this?” Devin asks, his skeptical gaze dragging over me. “Vampires are freakishly strong, Bex. You’re so puny that a vamp could carry you off one-handed.”

I scoff and flip him the bird. “Don’t make me kick your ass just to prove a point.”

He snorts under his breath, but he knows damn well I mean it.

I’m used to being underestimated– people tend to take one look at me and assume small equals defenseless– but being five-foot-nothing doesn’t automatically make me easy to overpower. If anything, it just means I learned early how to fight dirtier than everyone else.

“Okay, but even by our standards, this still seems sketchy as hell,” he presses. “Aren’t you even a little concerned about getting caught?”