When her sister sells her to pay off debts, Adalyn's life takes a drastic turn. She finds herself at the notorious vampire nightclub, Crimson Den, where opulent indulgence lurks in the shadows. Her desperation intertwines with survival, and Adalyn offers her virginity up for sale.
She draws the attention of Lord Gareth Huntley, a noble vampire whose presence captivates her. But when she realizes he has overpaid, Adalyn's act of returning the excess ignites a spark of respect, leading her down a path she never anticipated.
Adalyn's journey with Gareth starts with a dark allure she can't resist. As the sun sets on her old life, she is swept into a new realm of danger, where loyalty and compassion are priceless.
Her gaze collided with a laser sharp focus centered on her, although the man from whom the stare came from was too far away to see what color his eyes were. Dark hair, shorn on the side and longer on top. A close-cropped beard and mustache that couldn’t hide his square, angular jawline. Handsome wasn’t the right word to describe him. Magnetic. Captivating. He had a presence that made all the others fade in comparison.
Every time she looked away, she couldn’t help but glance back. He continued to watch her, and then he raised a hand. Immediately, a man answered his summons, leaning over to listen. Was this vampire interested in her? Was he inquiring how much to buy her? She had no idea what to think or how to feel. How would she think about herself tomorrow morning?
That was a question for future Adalyn.
Suddenly, her cage started to move, sliding back into the recessed nook where the same big bouncer waited. He unlocked the cage and held up his hand, helping her step out.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You’ve been acquired.”
“That’s a pleasant way of saying bought,” she muttered.
“So it is,” he replied. “This way.”
Heading in the opposite direction from where they entered, she had to double step to keep up.
“Can you tell me who bought me?”
Apparently, he was finished talking because he didn’t answer. Didn’t even glance her way. They came to a set of stairs and he led her down one level, where another set of ornate gothic doors waited. He knocked and they slowly opened, revealing two men dressed like something out of the French Revolution, who stood statue-still until she entered. Then they exited and closed the door behind them.
Adalyn finally found out why the place was called The Crimson Den. The color red was floor to ceiling. Chairs, decoration, couch. It looked like blood coated the room, which was probably the idea.
And there stood her vampire.
Well, not her vampire.
Just the vampire who bought her for the night.
