#Free #FridayReads - House of Immortal Pleasures (Part 19)



House of Immortal Pleasures
Copyright © 2010 by Katie Salidas

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial
sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive by some readers.


Connor spoke slowly to hold back the rage in his voice. “What concern of yours is she? You have her money.”
“It would be a pity if something were to happen to her.” He smiled wide and licked his fangs. “She was your last customer after all.”
Anger forced its way though Connors restraint and his voice came out as a snarl. “Leave her out of this, Alexander.”
“Would you want another woman’s death on your hands?”
Connor’s heart sped, his muscles tensed, coiling, ready to spring into action. “You will not harm her.”
Alexander’s grin widened. “I can do whatever I please.” He walked behind the large mahogany desk.
“I promise you this, if even a single hair is out of place on her head, I will kill you.”
Alexander waved his hand flippantly in the air. “Your threats mean nothing. You are weak, nothing more than a pretty-boy piece of meat for my customers.”
Connor snarled, baring his teeth and lunged at Alexander in a superhuman blur of motion. Grabbing him by the neck, Connor slammed Alexander into the wall. “Just because I have not shown it, does not mean I have no strength.”
Alexander hissed as he thudded into the wall. He raked his hands across Connor’s face, tearing open a large gash. He bent forward and licked the fresh wound. “I made you what you are, Connor. Remember that. Your strength comes from me.”
Connor threw his head back, away from Alexander’s mouth. “You gave me your blood, but you did not make me who I am.” He balled his free hand into a tight fist and punched hard into Alexander’s ribs. A snap and a crack echoed in the room. Connor delighted in the satisfying sound of bones breaking.
 Alexander moaned in pain but recovered quickly, breaking free from Connor’s grip. He lunged forward, catching Connor off balance and knocked him to the ground.
Connor caught Alexander’s arm as he fell and pulled him down too.
Together, they wrestled on the hardwood floor.
Connor fought to gain the upper hand and pin Alexander down. With his teeth bared, Connor blindly bit at any open flesh he could find. His heart beat with the pounding fury raging inside him. He had to end this, tonight. The taste of blood filled his mouth as he locked on to cold flesh.
A guttural groan escaped from Alexander as he flailed wildly, attempting to free himself from Connor’s grip. A flailing arm connected with Connor sending him crashing down.
White light flashed before Connor’s eyes as his head slammed into the hardwood floor. Before he could regain his senses, he felt himself lifted, by unseen hands, into the air. A momentary weightlessness took him and then his body struck something hard.
Wicked laughter filled the room as Connor fought against blinding pain to refocus on Alexander.
In a flash, long, white fangs were inches from his face. Alexander’s sickening, putrid breath attacked his nose. “You need to be taught a lesson in obedience. I think a month down in the basement might take care of that. And as for your little girlfriend, I might have considered recruiting her, but after your display here, she will serve as your reminder never to cross me again. Consider her dead.”
At the mention of Daphne’s impending death, Connor frenzied with strength. He would let no harm come to her. Not now, not ever. He threw himself forward, head butting Alexander. The crack as their heads collided sounded like the breaking of a wood plank.
Alexander’s body went limp.
Connor jerked Alexander sideways and lunged at his neck. Sinking his teeth in deep, he clenched his jaw and pulled back hard; ripping away the flesh, creating a large, bleeding wound in Alexander’s throat.
Alexander screamed. Blood poured from the wound, like a fountain. Down to the floor it ran, creating a growing pool underneath both men. Alexander’s eyes fixed on to Connor’s face.
Connor licked the blood from his lips, savoring the sweet taste of it. For a moment, he considered draining his former master. He would savor every last drop. But reason got the better of him. Alexander might be missed and Connor already had a record. He chose his words carefully. “I’ve put up with you all these years because I genuinely wanted to pay back my debt to society. But I will not take your bullshit any longer. Now, we can do this one of two ways. You can let me go and never bother me or Daphne again, or I can kill you and leave your body to burn in the midday sun.”
 He released his grip on Alexander, allowing him to slump against the wall.
Alexander’s hands flew to his neck in an attempt to stem the flow of blood still gushing from his open wound. He gulped and then slowly nodded.
Connors voice was a menacing growl. “I want your word.”
“Fine … you have my … word.” Alexander choked the words out.
“Wise decision. Now, where are the keys?”
Alexander pointed a shaky hand at the desk and then slumped further down on the floor.
Relief washed through Connor as he opened the top drawer and extracted a large ring of keys. Finally he was getting the freedom he so desperately wanted. He unlocked the collar. Years of carrying that dead weight around his neck, the reminder of his one and only mistake, fell away with a loud clank as the metal ring hit the desk. Inside, he saw a magnetic mechanism, and the razor-sharp blades, folded against the metal ring, that would have sliced though his neck if he had ever attempted escape and triggered the mechanism.
He rubbed the spot where the collar had been, enjoying the cool rush of air against his skin before turning back towards Alexander. Connor took the collar, snapped it around Alexander’s throat and pocketed the key.
 “Now it’s your turn to wear this damn contraption. And if you’re thinking of going to the council and spinning any lies about me, remember, I have been here long enough to know the shady things you do. I know about the new recruits and the compulsion tactics you use to pad your pockets. You risk our reputation with your business practices. One word to the council and this collar won’t be the only thing you have to worry about.”
 Alexander pulled at the collar surrounding his wounded neck. Blood oozed around the metal ring. “Just get out of here,” Alexander rasped. “Get out of my sight.”

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About The Author

Katie Salidas is a USA Today bestselling author and RONE award winner known for her unique genre-blending style.

Since 2010 she's penned five bestselling book series: the Immortalis, Olde Town Pack, Little Werewolf, Chronicles of the Uprising, and the all-new Agents of A.S.S.E.T. series. As her not-so-secret alter ego, Rozlyn Sparks, she is a USA Today bestselling author of romance with a naughty side.

In her spare time Katie also produces and hosts a YouTube talk show; Spilling Ink. She also has a regular column on First Comics News where she explores writing from a nerdy perspective.