that no one can find him down here. Or maybe he truly has lost his sanity and the cunning that goes with it.
With his heart racing, he took the first step down the corridor. He tried to keep his expression and pace lazy, telegraphing that he had no destination in mind. The hallway wasn’t very long and dead-ended immediately after a sharp left turn. He’d counted two rooms, one on either side, both locked and with an electric key-pad, which was very unfortunate. Breaking in would prove tricky. A third door was at the very end. It was the same as the other two, except that as he approached, it swung open. A human stood glaring at him for about two seconds before launching toward him. Merlin allowed himself to be pushed against the wall. The human was tall, so they met eye-to-eye.
“What the fuck are you doing down here, kid?”
Merlin took a moment to study the man’s face. He wasn’t one who’d come to Boston, which either meant he was more trusted than the others…or less. Regardless, he was likely stir-crazy to an even greater extent than most, having missed out on all of the ‘fun’. That restlessness could work in Merlin’s favor, if he played it right—and if he were willing to degrade himself, which he totally was, so long as it was in the service of the Queen. He let his body go lax in the man’s bruising grip and put what he hoped was an inviting look on his face.
“Sorry… I didn’t see anything indicating this was off limits.” He licked his lips with a slow sweep of his tongue. “I’m just killing time. It’s so boring here.” He used a whiney tone of voice that would have left him bloody on the floor back in the day.
The human didn’t relax his grip, but his gaze did track Merlin’s every movement. A flicker of interest showed in his eyes. “You’re preaching to the choir, pussy boy. Try living down here for months.”
“Weren’t you allowed to go out and play with the other hired killers?” Merlin dared to ask with enough breathless pouting that he hoped his unstated message was getting through.
The human dug his fingers more firmly into Merlin’s skin, while pressing his body closer and lodging a knee against Merlin’s groin. “I’ve got important work to do here, asshole. Anyone can spray a room with bullets or steal babies. It takes brains to do what I do.”
“Which is?”
“None of your fucking business, twat.”
“My name is Merlin.”
“Like I care.” There was a pause while the man gave him the once-over. “You’re as pretty as a girl, so maybe I’ll call you ‘Mary’.”
A typical human… As if comparing him to a female was supposed to be an insult. He pursed his lips. “You can call me whatever you want. I’m only looking for a bit of fun. The Master hasn’t given me any job to do, important or otherwise.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, you’re one of them…a vampire.”
“Sure, we’ll go with that.” Honestly, these idiots hadn’t even bothered to figure out whom they served. “Except I’m half human, too.”
“How does that work exactly?”
“You really don’t want to know.”
“Probably not.” He eased his hold, although he didn’t relinquish it entirely as he stepped back a bit. “I should tell the boss I found you here. What do you think he’ll do to you?”
Merlin didn’t have to fake his reaction. “Nothing good.” He licked his lips again. “I don’t suppose I could talk you out of that?”
“Not with words, sweetheart. I bet your mouth could be persuasive in other ways.”
So boringly predictable. He was prepared for this, however, and he knew what to do, having witnessed the sluts in Dracul’s castle appeasing their alien masters in a variety of ways. It had all been done out in the open, too. His education in bodily functions had started early. It all looked ridiculous and, having met Annika, he couldn’t imagine wanting anyone the way he did her. Anything else he might do with males of any species was nothing compared to the exalting joy he expected to find when the time was right for her to mate.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any experience, but I am always eager to learn something new. Besides,” he added with what he hoped was a coy look, “it’s a way to pass the time.”
The human made an expression that could have been a smile. “You’ve got the funky teeth, right?” When Merlin nodded, the