Jesse felt an immediate flush across his face, the sketchbook sliding out of his suddenly damp grip, and he couldn’t tell if Pike’s Cheshire grin intended to mock him or not.

Probably mock.

“I don’t…think…” Pike was approaching him, stepping around the counter with a look that spoke words—words telling Jesse it was happening.

“I wasn't asking,” He slipped behind Jesse, laying the corset on the counter and pressing his entire body into him, purposely positioning his half-erect cock against Jesse’s ass.

“Pike…” Jesse said half-moaning as the vampire kicked his feet apart, just enough to lean him further onto the counter. Then, those cold hands slipped under his shirt and around his waist, teasing skin and tracings abs with the tips of claws. “…Don’t…someone might come in.”

“Dinner and a show.” Pike was making a noise in his chest—a growl or snarl against Jesse’s ear that was followed by a slow lick up his temple.

Jesse moaned, and Pike chuckled, a wicked and lovely sound with an echo of other voices. “You know, your ass looks nice and fat in these leggings.”

“A-Athletic pants…” He corrected, speaking words that were followed by a quick sound when Pike smacked his ass. “Ow…jeez…”

Chilled hands made a path up his chest, sending hot pulses to Jesse’s already-aching erection and instinctively, his ass pushed out into Pike’s firm hips. Cold breath played over the dip of his neck, and a spiral of fear turned within Jesse, the foreboding expectation that those long fangs would tear into his flesh in the body-trembling sensation he longed for.

A sharp pain stiffened Jesse with a sudden flinch, and Pike found his nipples.

Rough fingers flicked each one in a separate rhythm, and his shirt was tight enough to catch outlined-glimpses of those movements. And Pike leaned into him, towering close with a demon’s chuckle. “Oh yeah, these are definitely tits,” He squeezed Jesse’s chest with great pressure, forcing a whimper of good-pain from sealed lips, the fabric of his shirt stretching over stiff nipples.

The scent of Death was all over Pike, but it wasn’t the strong metallic-smell of blood or the decaying of bodies one would think. No, Death had the aromatic scent of Corsican blackcurrant with a kiss of amber dried cedar, a seductive cologne that welcomed all into the arms of eternity. And Jesse was losing the battle with better senses.

Pike pinched and pulled on his nipples, twisting those sensitive peaks until they were swollen and red. Jesse sounded, breathing brokenly and glancing at the door in fear someone would be watching—or hoping they were.

“Fuck, I want to rip into you,” The vampire spoke threats into his neck. “Bite this pretty throat and drink down to your soul.

“A-Ahh, god…P-Pike,” Jesse squirmed, but pointed claws clamped down on his raw nipples to make him shiver.

A dark smirk hummed from Pike’s fangs, and he let go long enough to pull Jesse’s shirt up, forcing the fabric into his mouth to keep it from falling. And Jesse bit down.

Pike rocked against him, dry humping his thick erection into Jesse’s backside with forceful movements sending him into the counter. The vampire grabbed the corset with his hips still moving, and he wrapped it around Jesse’s torso, tightly latching it closed. Jesse sucked in a quick breath.

“Suck it in until it hurts,” Pike purred, pulling on ribbons and dry-fucking his ass with a violent pressure. “Until the air leaves your lungs and you realize I'm the only one keeping Death from choosing you, bitch.”

Jesse’s eyes tensed when his orgasm ripped through him, smashing in his knees and driving his hips back into Pike’s body with a trembling cry for more. He couldn’t stop, feeling a flow of cum soaking his briefs and thighs, and listening to Pike’s inner voices making deadly noises.

Finally, he relaxed, dropping his head against the counter in a pathetic sigh of lusty breaths and embarrassment. Pike leaned down, wrapping his arms around Jesse’s bound chest and fondling. “Corset play, mm? You really are a perverted slut.”

Jesse groaned, and Pike chuckled.

He laid there, half-dazed from the trembling aftermath of his body’s eruption when the door opened, and the bell rang.

“Hands up, mother fuckers!”

Jesse obeyed without a second thought and lifted his hands with Pike still on top of him, nervously staring at the two armed and masked men who stepped inside.

“You too, asshole!” The man spat at Pike, pointing the gun in his direction.

With a sliver of amusement escaping his lips, Pike lifted his arms under Jesse’s shoulders, locking them in an awkward position that made both men tilt their heads.

“T-This isn’t what…it looks like!” Jesse said.

“I know exactly what it looks like, fucker,” One man responded. “Saw you last night on demand.”

“Oh, Christ, don't tell me...” Jesse buried a bright red face into his hands, lowering his head in shame with Pike still surrendering.

“That's right, worst twenty bucks I ever spent.” The man continued. “You have no fucking class.”

Jesse sighed, nearly crying out in frustration.

“I thought it was pretty sexy,” The second guy commented, shrugging in defense when his companion shot him a quick glare. “What? It was. Especially when he took two at the sa—”

“Do me a favor…please?” Jesse looked up, stopping the second guy from saying anything else. “Shoot me now? Take the money and all the coupons for a free-medium with every large one-topping. Just…let me die with what’s left of my self-respect. ”

Pike snickered, almost laughing.

“Shut the fuck up. All of you.” The first guy said with a quick glance to everyone before turning his attention back to Jesse and Pike. “Give us everything you've got, and be fucking quick about it.”

Neither of them moved, but Jesse felt the shadows of the room circling them, seeing black shades of otherworldly beasts prowling over cracks and plaster. He glanced up at Pike, and his heart skipped.

Unseen—or unnoticed—by both men, Pike’s eyes had lost their amber color. Dark claws reached out for the center of his irises, cutting into soft white and spilling red.

“Did you fucking hear me?!” The guy stepped closer to the counter, gun pressing into Pike’s forehead. “I said now, asshole!”

“Hey, hey, chill.” In a voice as calm as the first snow—untouched by outside disturbances—Pike spoke. “He just finished the deposit, so everything is in…back.”

His lip lifted in a quirk, a simple smile flashing fangs hiding behind a glamour both men couldn’t see past.

The first guy nudged his head, an order for Pike to get moving.

And he did.

Leaving Jesse’s side, the vampire stepped away and headed for the kitchen doors.

Both men followed.

“Pike…”

The second guy put a finger to his hidden mouth and shushed him.

With that, Jesse pressed his lips into a line and watched them disappear into the kitchen.

Silence.

He stared at the door, listening to the faint voices of the fishing show on TV and the rain pattering against the building.

The lights flickered.

And the screaming began.

There were no gunshots—thankfully—just the bloodied cries of pain and the sound of flesh tearing. He heard many things break, most of them probably body parts, and saw a wing of blood splatter across the door’s window. Pike wailed—a hideous sound from the darkest part of a forest Something born from nightmares.

With a long sigh, Jesse adjusted his shirt and walked around the counter. The screaming reduced to the sobbing of one, and he locked the front door.

And clicked off the neon sign.

It was going to be a long morning.

Vampires didn’t sleep.

There wasn’t a biological clock attached to newly acquired instincts that forced them to submit to the sun.

But they needed to avoid it.

And Pike disappeared well before Jesse finished cleaning, scooping up what remained of his victims and disappearing into a maintenance hole in the alley. He didn’t know exactly where Pike went, but the sewers seemed like a practical spot to hide from the light of day—and to hide the bodies.

Pike disposed of, Jesse cleaned. That was the deal. 

A forced deal outlined in threats and pointed teeth, but still valid.

The sky was still gray when Jesse stepped outside and locked up, the sun unable to break through thick clouds. Few raindrops fell, and Jesse glanced at his phone.

5:30.

He smiled. “Just enough time for leg day.”

Jesse stepped back and bumped into someone.

“Hey!”

A voice too loud and energetic shattered the gloomy morning, and Jesse glanced to the couple standing beside him: a pretty young woman with a dragonfly clip in her hair, and a man close to his age wearing glasses with a small scar running down perfect lips.

“Sorry!” He said, looking to the girl who seemed too-drunk and unbothered then to the handsome man with a slight flush.

Her sober date smiled.

“No harm done.” He said, ushering the giggling girl along and vanishing into the fog of a rainy morning.