Landon read the address once more. Twelve twenty-seven Park Avenue. Not exactly the ritzy part of town. Then again, vampires didn't have to live in classy digs -- not above ground anyway. He groaned. All the practice to become a decent stripper only to end up with his first gig at the damned Haven House.
But he needed the money. He rang the doorbell. "Come on. Someone answer." Don't leave me out here this long.
He rubbed his bare arms and glanced around. No one on the street and no lights on. God, the place was creepy. But he owed a debt to the vampires, and he wouldn't get the money repaid if he didn't do as told. Unfortunately for him, that meant prostituting himself.
He still hadn't wrapped his mind around how his life had changed. Less than a year before, he was a simple college student. Then the vampires came to power. Andreas, bent on finding his counterpart, killed so many women until he found the one he believed could bring him ultimate power.
Andreas had entrusted Landon with bringing Daisy in. Thankfully, she hadn't given in to the evil vampire or her friend. With the help of her vampire protector, Julian, she'd killed Andreas. But she'd also unintentionally forced Landon into servitude. He owed the vampires a hefty debt. Julian wasn't collecting, but Terrence expected full payment.
He pressed the doorbell again. What was taking the vampires so long? They had super hearing powers and a heightened sense of smell. Didn't they already know he was there?
The door opened and a figure emerged from the shadows. "Took you long enough. In."
Landon hesitated, but the person yanked him forward. His heart hammered. At least he still had a heart. The vampires didn't. They lost the need to breathe and have a heartbeat when they were turned. He suppressed a chuckle. Some of the vampires decided to become creatures of the night, but some didn't. Why that made him laugh, he wasn't sure.
"We've been waiting for you," the man said. He clasped his cold hand around the back of Landon's neck. "You're the guest of honor."
A couple of torches illuminated the space. In the dim light, he could barely see where the figure took him. A shiver ran up his spine. Guest of honor? No way. He was the main course. He'd never been to the bowels of Haven House before and wasn't sure what to expect.
"The party has come to us, boys," the figure shouted and opened a door. Light bathed the hallway and catcalls came from the room. "Do your thing when you're ready." The figure left him alone in the hallway. The walls sparkled.
Stainless steel? Metal? Who had metal walls?
"Come on, boy. Show us what you've got," the man said. He disappeared into the crowd of other men in the room.
I can do this. Landon stepped into the light. The clients wanted a man in business attire. If he played his cards right and appealed to the vampires, he might make enough to pay off his debt that night.
"Music?" He held up the small mp3 player. "I need tunes before I can strip."
"We oughta peel the shit from you," a hulking vampire said. He glared at Landon. "Ain't nothin' to him. I thought you said we were getting a man, not a boy."
I'm twenty-five. Landon didn't dare argue with the vampires. He was one human among at least fourteen vamps. Either dancing for them would be the craziest thing he could do, or lead to the hottest time of his life. He'd take both.
One of the men -- a tall, brooding one with long black hair and an open suit coat with no shirt underneath -- strode up to him. "Give it here." He didn't grab the player from Landon but rather gently removed it from Landon's hand. "I'll plug it in." He nodded to the middle of the room. "Dance."
Landon murmured a thank you, then strode to the assigned spot on the carpet. He smoothed his hand along the back of his head until his fingertips touched the brim of his hat. When the music started, he knocked the hat forward and obscured his view. He wriggled his hips and turned around, then popped the hat from his head. He whipped around again and dropped to his knees...
