Nine Shillings

Den Of Thieves

London - 1842

'This is a little further down-market than I would choose,' Josef said close to my ear, without my vampire hearing I would've lost the words above the people and out-of-tune piano.

He tapped the bar behind us and the barman immediately refilled his glass as if the room wasn't crammed with thirsty gamblers, I could never get service like that.

'Two thousand years old and you're a snob?' I asked.

'I prefer to think of it as "developing standards",' he replied with his small smile that said he was being facetious. 'Look at the partner I chose, exceptional.'

I shook my head and tilted back on my heels to peer down the bar. Gale was hunched over it drinking gin and counting a small stack of coins like she'd stepped out of a Hogarth. She'd been losing more than she'd been winning but the arrangement she had with the gambling houses required the occasional losing streak.

I dropped back onto my toes. 'Technically, I shouldn't be here, I was banned for cheating.'

He drew away. 'I am shocked, Mrs O'Connor.'

I chuckled.

Josef sipped his rum. 'Sometimes I wish I could get drunk so I won't notice what I'm drinking.'

I shook my head. 'Maybe you should stop drinking it then.'

'That's the problem.' He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, 'I have a taste for what's bad for me.'

'Hmmm...' I sipped my ale. 'I can see where getting rammed up the arse could go wrong.'

'Not if you know what you're doing,' he replied.

'And I don't.'

He gave me a look that said he was surprised Bran and I had never tried back alley antics.

'He clenches,' I said. 'There was a moment where I thought he'd break my fingers.'

Josef grimace.

'I might've been embarrassed by that injury, if I knew what embarrassment was.' I raised my hand. 'And it was only my tiny, little fingers.'

He took my hand, put my finger in his mouth, and sucked.

'You don't know where that's been,' I said.

He kissed the tip of my finger. 'I know where I'd like it to go.'

'Oh, do you now?'

He smiled. 'I don't want to be in anyone's bed but yours.'

'Not long ago you were telling me about the fantastic sex you had with someone else.'

He caressed my jaw. 'And then you kissed me as I have not been kissed in a very long time.' He traced my lips with his thumb. 'A kiss like that is better than any orgasm.'

I could've mentioned what Tomas had told me about his recent lack of success, but it was irrelevant. 'Does that line usually work?'

'I don't know,' he said. 'I've never tried it before.'

'I didn't bring you to flirt.'

'I thought that was exactly what you brought me to do.'

'I brought you to ask Gale questions.'

His smile was wicked and he opened his mouth to reply, then horror spread across his face. 'Where's Millie?'

'Staying at her friend's again.' I followed his gaze.

The crush of people had separated around one of the gambling tables and make way for Johnny Briggs. Sitting at the table with two men was Millie.

Briggs put his hand on her shoulder and whispered to her. One of Briggs's thugs grabbed her by the arm, hauled her up and dragged her through the crowd.