Page 31 of Skin Trade

“Sit,” he said.

She did. Being around him made her feel vulnerable, but that was a vulnerability she could stand, she could push away with her words. This was different. In here, she was surrounded. There were so many vampires, so many who could do what they wanted, take what they wanted. All it took was a few vampires to launch into a hunger frenzy, and not one single human would stand a chance.

“Sit like you mean it,” Seth said. “With confidence. I do not bring with me a woman who is afraid.”

“I’m not afraid,” she said.

“Then show it.”

Pushing her shoulders back, her spine straight, she placed her hands in her lap with her bag.

The room was already breathing power with everyone seated and ready. Everyone except Alexander, but when he came into the room, the power grew, like electricity charging and creating a faint hum in her ears. It made the sound of her heartbeat even louder, and she hoped to God no one else could hear it.

Alexander looked the same as the last time she had seen him at Creven’s. Tall, slender, arrogant. His long dark hair tied back at the nape of his neck, making his face even more angular, harsher.

Aamon took the seat beside Alexander. The seat that was probably meant for his blood slave. Payton was pretty sure Aamon was not that to Alexander. He was vampire after all.

“Greetings my friends,” Alexander said. He didn’t sit, but he didn’t pace either. He stood perfectly still, gaze flicking across everyone, taking it all in. When he spoke, he spoke about things Payton didn’t understand, things that went way over her head in the laws of their world. What she did understand was when they discussed money for the property. Twenty-five million for the property itself. She couldn’t even imagine that figure or what that amount of money looked like.

“My understanding is that it is split five ways,” Creven said. And even sitting away from her, his voice made the hairs on Payton’s arms stand.

“Do you have five million, Creven?” a female asked from beside him. There was no denying the disdain in the way she looked or spoke to him.

“Recent business transactions have seen to it that I do.”

“You finally got business smart.”

“Enough,” Alexander said. “You are correct. The business will be divided between the five of us here tonight. However, the share will not be five million apiece. Each of you will lay down four million from your estates. I will give the final nine.”

As she understood it, from what little she could remember with her father, this meant Alexander had the upper hand with it all. He would get the final say within the dealing of the business.

“As well as this, you are each to supply five of your best men while we establish control and smooth out the details of Lush’s business practices. Your men will answer to mine in all cases and any causes for dispute will be brought directly to me. For the first quarter, Aamon will be resident within Lush. He knows my wishes and has my permission to carry them out in my name.”

He laid out other terms of the deal and gave the others ample opportunity to protest. No one did of course. Alexander was not a man who was often argued with.

They talked of other things. Things Payton didn’t understand either. All the time she sat behind Seth, not moving, not even fidgeting to get into a comfier position. Her leg ached with the way she sat and her back twinged, but still, she didn’t move.

When Seth took his jacket off and turned to throw it across the back of his chair, he met Payton’s gaze only briefly, but it was enough to make her swallow, to make something in her wake up and stand to attention—his attention. And she hated him for it. Even worse, she hated sitting right behind him with a clear view of his back. She could see the way his body moved under his shirt, the way his muscles bunched.

But Payton’s attention was soon caught when Creven stood. His voice was white noise, because at the side of Creven was Josie and she stood too. Dead eyes stared on, almost vacant like she was drugged. Payton had to bite her lip to save from calling out to her.

Look this way, she thought to herself. Just once. Just look this way.

She never did.

Chapter Twenty

The meeting lasted a little over two hours and Payton could barely stand by the end of it. Her leg had passed the point of cramp and her foot had gone numb, so numb it felt swollen in her shoe, making it hard for her to walk when Seth told her to. Despite the uncomfortable sensations, she kept her sights on Josie. If she would just look this way. She never got the chance. As soon as the meeting was called to a close, and Alexander dismissed everyone, Creven ushered the girl out of the room.

Always one step behind Creven, head down, eyes at the ground, not looking or talking to anyone—Josie was a perfectly trained pet whose will had been broken. Payton strained to hear when Josie leant up and whispered something to Creven. He nodded and pointed to the stairs beside the door to the meeting room they had all just come out of. He nodded once more, and she left his side, scurrying in the direction he had just pointed as if being set free for a limited time.

Standing beside Seth, Payton cleared her throat and rubbed at the back of her neck. Another vampire glanced her way. She smiled at him and only looked long enough not to show him disrespect. Looking too long would be a way to get her in more trouble than she would care for. It would say she wished to make a challenge and that was the last thing she wanted. If it had been Seth, then it would have been a whole different story. For some reason, she liked to push those buttons with him.

“I need to use the bathroom,” she told Seth when they were clear of people. But she could still swear every vampire in that room turned to look at them like she’d just spat at Seth or something worse.

“You need?” he arched a brow. “May I,” he said, correcting her.

Cheeks going hot, she sucked in a breath, and the need to tell him to get lost and shove hismay Iwas strong enough that she almost did, but he gripped her hand in warning. “May I use the bathroom,” she said finally.

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