Tuesday Teaser!

Here’s a snippet from The Vampire Bondsman!

 

The same butler let him in again but this time the man bowed low as Quentin stomped by. He resisted the urge to punch the guy. It wasn’t his fault he’d been marked.

“Follow me Master Quentin. Master Jakinson is in the library.”

Quentin didn’t bother to snarl at the other man and deny he was the master of anything as much as he longed to. It wasn’t the servant’s fault Quentin was in a foul mood.

He followed the butler down a long hallway. He spent the time trying to rein in his temper. He needed to get the vampire’s permission. Stacy hadn’t been kidding when she said she wanted Quentin to return with a signed form before she’d send him out again.

“Back so soon?”

Quentin glared at the elegant vamp. “Take it back!” he demanded.

“No.” The vampire looked at him like he was requesting the impossible.

“I need this job.” He wasn’t going to tiptoe around the reason he was there.

Jakinson walked over to him. The man was stunning and any other time Quentin would be more than willing to be the vamp’s boy toy but this was about his mother and no one got in the way of her treatment.

“I can provide for you.” The vamp’s voice was low and seductive and the bounty hunter was certain it probably usually let the man have his way with anything but Quentin couldn’t back down. He didn’t forget the wonderful experience of paying off his mother’s bill.

Quentin shook his head. “Sign this!” He handed over the paper.

“What’s this?” the vampire took the sheet of paper and scanned it as Quentin stood there shifting from one foot to another.

“It frees me to do my job.”

“No.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’m not going to authorize you to go and hunt down vampires. It’s a miracle Vlad didn’t kill you.” Anger burned in the vamps grey eyes.

“I have to take care of my mother!” Quentin shouted.

Jackison lost the angry expression from before. “What about your mother?”

“Sh-she has cancer.” He looked away from the vampire. He didn’t need pity. He needed a job.

“That’s why you work as a bounty hunter?”

Quentin nodded. “Yes.”

Strong fingers turned his chin to face the vamp.

“You have a big heart for a human.” The look in the vampire’s eyes almost undid him. “I will take care of your mother.”

Quentin rolled his eyes. “I don’t need you to take care of her. I’m already doing that. I need you to free me to do my job.”

The vampire crossed his arms. “Not going to happen, honey. You’re better off agreeing to accept my care.”

“I don’t need to be taken care of. I need to be allowed to do my job and my boss said I need your signature in order to do my job.”

He got a pleased smile. “You won’t get it from me. Come stay with me and I’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t need a sugar daddy,” Quentin said, offended. Why were they even having this conversation? He wasn’t the type rich men looked to for their next boy toy. His height didn’t pass medium, his hair could graciously be called mousy and although his eyes were considered his best feature they were not half as brilliant as a vampires.

Jaks gave him a wide smile. “But I have chosen you and as such you are my responsibility.”

Quentin lost his temper.

“Listen Jaks. I’ve gone through a lot to make sure my mother has everything she needs and I’m not going to let some vampire ruin my plans. Now you can sign that paper now or I’ll show you how close I am to having a magical mastery degree in potions.”

The vampire gave him a delighted smile. “Brilliant. I’ve never met a potions expert before. I’m sure there’s all kinds of useful things you can do for me.”

Quentin’s hand clutched around the vial in his pocket but he couldn’t do it. Groaning he threw himself into the leather chair by the fireplace. “Why can’t you just let me be? I just want to be left alone so I can take care of my mother.”

The vampire’s face went solemn. “I’m not toying with you bounty hunter. You are in serious need of a watcher. I’m not going to let you go out into the world and get killed. If you wish to continue on this mad crusade then you will have to take one of my vampires with you.”

Oh hell!