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I frowned back at him "To be the permanent Enforcer, you have to be bound at least a little, but hu a blood- or sexual It can be simple A few drops so he can read you, and know you’re not compromised by another vamp So he can know and feel your loyalty to hi a few sips from my wrist Nooo" He flapped a hand "No other stuff No sex stuff"

If Derek had been white, the blush would have been scarlet As it was, his skin went darker and his flesh ser/shame/worry "Yeah Like that," I said "It depends on what you want What you need What you can handle" How ive up for the price Leo is offering But I didn’t say that Derek was already there

He held his head in both hands, scratching it Maybe using his upraised arms to hide his face fro in the position of coale or Mother Teresa or one of those loving, caring women that I had no idea how to be Butmaybe I didn’t have to be any of those

I said, al your blood felt painful, then it’d be okay when he drank froood, and you’re all ood part of your brain Then your little brain starts to think sex and your big ol’ ht? And that petrifies you becauseI don’t know You’re a ets all wonky?"

Derek’s uy on him I slapped the back of his head Hard "What aet sucked on And so to like your body’s reaction if you don’t swing that way But get over it Do the job Get your mama well Or quit and hope for modern medicine to heal her"

Derek’s eyes filled with tears, quickly gone If he’d been a big-cat, the look he gave me would have been a snarl, all teeth His muscles bunched; his balance shifted, ready to attack me as my words penetrated his thick skull

"You made a deal with the Devil," I said, "and now it’s tis," I snorted, "talk to a priest or a counselor about the gay part Or talk to Leo Lack of pain and having Leo’slaid or turned into a sex toy Drinking from you is the way Leo protects himself And he knows you don’t like it"

Derek looked ataway "Say what?"

"You had to know that He’s reading everything you feel as he drinks Dude He’s playing with you the way a cat plays with its dinner It’s his nature So you can accept that it feels good and decide that it doesn’t have to lead to sex, or you can tell hiames Leo will accept it either way And like I said, he can make it hurt if that makes you feel better"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," Derek cursed, bending his head back down More embarrassed

Out front, a black SUV drove in front of the driveway, going the other direction from the last one To Derek I said, "I think that’s the saet soet a look at the plate?"

"I don’t have any ofa crisis of ot the feet?"

"My brother, I got the feet and the hands They wasn’t hurt when I got sacked in ame" He tapped his head "Only the old brain box"

"There’s a black SUV cruising past out front Get out there and get a look at the license plate next time it comes by Make sure they don’t see you"

"I’ll take a pic with my phone, bro" Mannie dashed down the drive to the street