it if you don’t want me to.”
Archer growled unhappily and led me into his office. I watched as he crouched behind his desk and punched the code to the safe. When he turned back around, he had a small black velvet pouch in his hand. He turned the bag upside down on the desk and I heard a piece of metal hit the surface.
As he moved his hand I saw a shining gold band with a dazzling big, blood red Garnet stone in the center. I bent down and looked closely at it. There were markings of some kind surrounding the band; the engraving was even done on the inside. I had never seen anything like it before. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered as my fingers inched out to touch it.
“Don’t,” Archer’s sharp bark stopped me and I blinked and looked up at him.
“It’s just a piece of jewelry,” I sighed.
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” he said quietly as he eyed the ring. “I don’t want to take a chance with your safety. I’d rather you didn’t touch it until we met with Ruarc.”
I pursed my lips, a bit unhappy, as I stood back up. “That’s silly, but alright. Whatever you say, honey.”
We heard someone open the stairwell door and start climbing the stairs. Lochlan’s head popped up onto the landing a few seconds later and he gave me a goofy smile. “Sorry ta interrupt ya’ two, bu’ I’m gonna steal ya’ girl ‘ere an’ put ‘er ta work,” he wagged his eyebrows at me, his Irish accent heavy. He knew how much I liked it and he would slather it on extra thick whenever he was feeling particularly flirtatious. Ah, at least some things haven’t changed.
“I’ll talk to you later, boss man,” I winked at Archer over my shoulder as I headed out. “Let me know when it’s time to eat; I’m hungry.”
I saw him smile as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit a number on speed dial. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to wait long for a feeder to arrive.
I wasted no time getting behind the VIP bar and starting prep work. I learned quickly we not only sold liquor, but bagged blood too. So that’s what was in all those red plastic Solo cups I saw everyone drinking from up here.
Prep work was really easy for VIP/PVIP. Garnishes were only used when a human guest of a vampire ordered a drink. Day Walkers took liquor straight up 99% of the time and Dark Ones only drank blood. Lochlan showed me a hidden panel next to the cooler that housed all the ‘house blood’. Special requests and rare blood types were kept in the safe under the bar. I had seen that one before when Archer had me fix drinks the first time I met An Dilis. I also learned Gunnar stocked fresh blood daily in our refrigerator at home as well as here at the club. When I asked who Gunnar was to Archer, since he was human and not vampire like us, Lochlan shook his head and gave me a quick, “No’ my story ta tell.” I guess I’d have to ask Archer one of these days.
Lochlan also taught me some terminology the vampires used when ordering. An order for ‘House Special on the Rocks’ was unheated blood, straight out of the bag; orders for ‘House Special Straight Up’ meant blood that had been warmed in the microwave before being served. Anyone asking for the ‘House Special with a Twist’ wanted a shot of their preferred liquor poured into the blood before it was served either warm or cold, whichever they asked for. Plain liquor orders went by the same rules as they did normally.
Right before the doors opened for the night, Quinn escorted a human I had never seen before up the stairs. “Skye, why don’t you take your guest upstairs to Archer’s office?” he said with a look that clearly told me she was my feeder.
Samantha turned out to be quite tasty and Archer and I shared her together. It was a miracle I made it through the feeding without pouncing on Archer and having my wicked way with him. There’s something about sharing blood with someone that is so intimate and sexual.
I made it down just as the first group of vampires started pouring in. The first person I waited on was a Dark One. He was short and stocky and looked weak on the outside, but his emotions