"A pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen."

Two lawyers in pristine black suits shook their hands and showed them out of their gilded marble and mahogany offices. Kit felt out of place in his jeans and white shirt, with his ratty shoulder bag in tow.

Devlin Novák on the other hand, looked as if someone had sewn him into his dark blue Armani two-piece. Kit faced him in the hallway, offering a leather folder with the bill of sale for his inheritance - the business his adoptive father had spent his entire life cultivating. His hands were steady.

"So now what? I've given you the property."

"You have yet to swear allegiance to me."

"I will - once you give me Sabdova."

Devlin smiled his close-lipped, malicious smile. "Come with me."

They headed into the spacious steel elevator together and Devlin pressed the button furthest down. The garage.

"I am curious...how did you find Sabdova? And me?"

"The police identified him using fingerprints and security footage. He has a record. They just couldn't find him. I asked around and found out he was working for you, and then I hired a PI to track you down. The warehouse was a gamble."

"Quite the betting man, aren't you?" Devlin whispered by his ear as the doors slid open. Kit felt a chill run up his spine.

More of a calculated risk-taker really...

Flickering light rods illuminated the underground garage. It had a low concrete ceiling and smelled of mould, with cars everywhere. Devlin led him towards a corner of the long room where Kit spotted a group of dark figures and a silver car. Glancing back at him, his grin widened.

"Don't worry. We have dealt with the cameras."

Looking up, Kit spotted black spray paint covering the lens of every nearby security camera. At first sight of Devlin the group of men - three of them today - straightened and formed a line. Two of them dragged forward a bound and hooded figure. Throwing him down in front of them, they tore off his hood.

The man had dark hair and eyes. He was shaking, his pale gaunt face covered in sweat.

"Well, Mr. Callaghan, are you satisfied? Is this the Sabdova you were looking for? "

Kit had seen pictures, mugshots of this man. And he had watched the security footage countless times from every angle, watched the sallow face in front of him contort into a grimace. Watched his hands, now duct-taped behind his back, hold a gun over the bodies of Kits uncle and adoptive father.

"Yeah. That's him."

"Then he's all yours. Be quick."

He stepped aside and left Kit facing his uncle's murderer in the dimly lit space. The two stony faced men flanking Sabdova gripped his shoulders, holding him immobile.

Kit felt so stupid. Just what was he supposed to do? He had been unprepared, caught off-guard and now he only had the contents of his shoulder bag. In front of this audience however, he could not afford to hesitate.

His dead mother's contorted face popped before his eyes, followed by an image of Charlie's tear-streaked one, their hazel eyes identical.

Then he pushed those images aside and flipped his bag open, pulling out a scalpel handle and a foil-wrapped blade. His breath felt very loud.

Four pairs of eyes watched him as he fumbled with the blade, finally sliding it into place with a click. It was only one inch long but razor sharp.

He held it loosely against his side, one finger resting on the spine, and stepped up to face the man on his knees before him.

Kit's heartbeat thudded in his ears. If he did this it would be murder - coldblooded murder. But if he didn't then this man would get away with what he had done. Kit could walk away but Devlin would keep his inheritance and he would never get another shot at revenge.

He tried to summon anger, the mad hot rage that had consumed him before, but he only felt dread, cold and hard in the pit of his stomach.

Just do it. If it has to be done - don't hesitate.

He grabbed Sabdova's dark hair and yanked his head back.

"I have a family," the man rasped.

Kit brought the scalpel up, stabbing the sharp tip into his left iris. It sunk in with almost no resistance and he snatched it back again, teeth sinking into his own bottom lip until he tasted blood. Sabdova flinched away, clear pink liquid trickling down his face as his mouth opened in a scream.

"Keep him quiet," Devlin hissed and Kit slashed forward, running the blade across Sabdova's throat.

A red lie appeared but the skin and cartilage were much tougher here - the scalpel slid off. He continued screaming.

Stabbing at the flesh where the man's throat met his collarbone, he pressed forward and started sawing with the short blade beneath his Adam's apple until he hit his spine.

Dark red and crimson blood welled out over his hand, gushing, pulsating, among white cartilage and gaping skin. Kit felt numb, his surroundings blurry an his vision sharpened in on his hands, cutting, stabbing, nothing more.

Sabdova's body convulsed and blood squirted over Kit's face, spraying him from head to toe. He flinched away and threw up a hand, stumbling backwards into a concrete pillar. He couldn't see anything. His whole body was shaking and he fought back the urge to vomit.

Don't think about it.

"Get rid of that," he heard a voice say over the pounding in his ears.

Elegant, tattooed hands pulled his own away from his face as a black car pulled up. Devlin's face appeared inches from his, gaining focus. He licked his lips.

"Now, swear to me, Kit Callaghan."

Still shaking, Kit sunk to his knees in front of Devlin. The pool of blood spreading over the concrete soaked into his jeans.

"I swear my allegiance to you, and promise to obey all your orders until your get sick of me," he croaked, neither knowing nor caring if those were the right words.

Devlin's eyes gleamed burgundy in the shadows and his hand shot out to grab Kit's collar, shoving him head first into the waiting car.

"Go!"

Kit tumbled onto the black leather seats, head banging against a tinted window. He saw the silver car pull out behind them. Devlin scanned their surroundings and then his dark eyes pinned the boy into place and he smiled.

Something like an electric shock ran through Kit. The vampire leaned forward, trapping him between the seat and the locked door. He inhaled carefully, pupils expanding until they darkened his entire iris.

"You look beautiful like that..." His voice was almost a purr, his eyes caressing Kit's blood-soaked limbs.

If he was going to survive he had to snap out of his numb state, now. Swallowing hard, he reached out and wrapped his arms around Devlin's neck, pulling himself into his lap and pressing his lips against his, kissing him deeply.

Devlin's fingers dug into his hips and his tongue slid across Kit's, teeth nibbling and sucking at his bleeding lower lip. He groaned, his erection pressing against the young man's jeans.

Kit moaned, making Devlin grin and reach a hand up to his bloody shirt. With one sharp tug he ripped the fabric, tearing it away from his chest. His head fell forward and he sucked on Kit's nipples, biting and swirling his tongue over them. Kit yelped, pushing him away.

Devlin's grin turned feral and he tugged at his tie, pulling it loose.

"Put your hands up, Kitty," he ordered.