Chapter 17

 Stevenson pushed his way into the novelty shop. he walked boldly past the clerk to the door in back and entered without hesitating. He skirted through rooms filled with vampires huddled together in small circles around couples, trios, or singles providing never-ending sexual entertainment until he reached the large, gilded door and then paused to regain his composure. Of late, the number of captives he’d presented to Wadim was painfully limited and lacking in substance. It had been months since he’d received such a large inventory of beauties to present at once. This new shipment would certainly put him in a better bargaining position for the future. He knocked soundly, stepping back slightly while the lion’s head doorknob turned without him touching it and the door slowly opened.

Ignoring the others in the room, Stevenson confidently climbed the spiral staircase leading to the observation balcony where Wadim sat regally on his gilded throne. As he rea