Summary: Despondent after he is forced to watch Sookie choose a life with Bill, Eric strikes a crazy bargain with a man desperate enough to sell his only daughter.
Chapter One: Bargain First, Pay Later
"Some depressingly overweight and unattractive man is here to see you. He said it's."
Eric barely looked up from his desk at Pam's words, his mind so far away he had barely heard a word.
"I'm not really in the mood for visitors, Pam."
The noise of Fangtasia vibrated around the office and Pam clicked her heels against the floor in annoyance.
"Eric, it's been six months since Sookie and Bill left. It's time to move on. Cut your losses."
Eric bristled at the mention of her name and reached into the fridge by his desk for a Tru Blood; his drink of choice since the corporation had rid itself of the Hep V virus. A lot had changed in the past few months. The cure for the virus had saved his life and thousands of other vampires fortunately, but it had also saved Bill's life, and Sookie Stackhouse had chosen him. Eric should have known; everyone else had. But he had to admit to himself that he had held out hope. After everything they had gone through, after all of Bill's betrayals, after the sacrifices Eric had made, he had hoped that perhaps Sookie would choose him. Unfortunately, Bill had been her first love. It was the only way Eric couldn't compete.
"I told you I didn't want to talk about Sookie, Pam," he responded flatly before taking a sip of the very mediocre Tru Blood.
"No, you just want to spend all your time thinking about her and wallowing in this office while we actually start to make some money again."
The Hep V infestation had scared a lot of humans and pushed back a lot of the progress that vampires had achieved, but things had finally started to go back to normal with the return of the very safe and very bland Tru Blood again. The fangbangers had returned to their old ways and Fangtasia had become the hot spot of Shreveport again.
"You want me to just pretend the past few years didn't happen?" Eric growled.
"I want you to forget about that hillbilly Sookie and the complete waste of space that is Bill Compton. The fact that she chose him at all should be enough to convince you how idiotic she is."
"She's not idiotic," he snapped. He had to keep from wincing from the putrid taste of his drink.
"Any woman who chooses the traitorous bore that is Bill Compton over you is an idiot. You should have killed him when you had the chance."
Eric couldn't disagree with her there. But now it was too late.
"I don't want to talk about Sookie or Bill anymore."
"Fine with me, but there is someone who wants to talk to you."
"I told you I wasn't in the mood for visitors," he weakly reminded her.
"Neither am I but he won't leave." She raised one of her perfectly arched brows. "And I can't kill him, can I?"
Eric sighed. "Who is he?"
"Some asshole named Ray Creole. Says he owes you money."
Eric's interest piqued a little then and he finally met Pam's gaze. "Creole? As a matter of fact, he does. Let him in."
Ray Creole had moved with his family to Shreveport just a few months ago to take advantage of the various abandoned businesses and homes that so many people had left behind. He had been just one of the many rats eager to sweep in and rip off grieving families. But he had also gotten a loan from Eric for $30,000 and it was time to pay up.
"Mr. Northman will see you now."
Ray swallowed down his fear and tried to meet the gaze of the chic but very frightening female vampire who had summoned him. He didn't like vampires – he had actually been relieved when so many had started dying off from the virus – but they had vast amounts of money. And when he had moved to Shreveport he had quickly learned that Eric Northman was the best vampire for business. Although now he wasn't so sure if this had been such a good idea.
He had met Eric before but it was still always daunting to come face-to-face with the 6'4 Viking vampire. He completely filled the small office and Ray shifted nervously as Pam brought him and placed him in front of the old vampire. Even with an apparently bored expression, that imposing stare was enough to make most grown men pee their pants.
"Mr. Creole for you," Pam introduced. Ray watched her leave and almost gulped at the sinister grin that spread across her face before she slowly closed the door.
"You've been a little late on your payments, Ray," Eric finally spoke after a very long and disturbing silence. "I thought I remembered that we had agreed to a full payment by now."
Shit, he was already sweating. "That's why I came to talk to you, Eric, er… Mr. Northman. I know we agreed on a date but the construction on my investment stalled."
Eric raised a brow just like his female companion. "Stalled?"
"Prices have skyrocketed since the events almost a year ago and my contractor didn't anticipate the amount of work it was going to take, so…"
"So," Eric swiftly interrupted, "you're telling me that construction hasn't even finished? That means breaking even for you is quite far off, isn't it?"
Ray froze for a moment. "I-I just need a small extension. If I can have a few more months I promise that I can pay you back in full…"
"How far in debt are you, Ray?" Eric interrupted again. His cold blue stare sent goosebumps shivering down Ray's flesh.
How had he known? "I'm about twenty grand under."
The cold silence was fear-inducing and Ray waited painfully.
"So not only are you unable to pay me in full as we had both agreed, but you are so far off from doing so that I may have to wait another year or two. Is that correct?"
"Please, Mr. Northman, I can try and get some back…"
"You owe me, Ray." His icy eyes roved over Ray in a cool appraisal. "And you have nothing to give."
"I'll double the amount, I'll give you a third of the profits…!"
"When you're already this far in debt? I don't think so. I'd rather take it from your back."
Ray fought hard not to pee himself. "You-you're going to kill me?"
"Not for some time at least. I'd like a substitute for the Tru Blood."
"You'd keep me as some kind of blood slave? But… I have a family, my work, a house, I can't…"
"Maybe you should have thought of all those things first."
Ray's brain worked on over-time as he tried to come up with some way out of this hellish situation. What could he give this bloodsucker that he didn't have? How could he offer anything when he owed him so much money? He didn't have anything Eric could want. Did he?
Ray swallowed the ever present lump of fear lodged in his throat and looked back at the bored expression of Eric. "You'd only want me for blood?"
Eric snorted. "I certainly wouldn't use you for sex."
"What if you could have both?"
Eric didn't say anything but he didn't scoff either.
Grabbing onto his only option, Ray offered the only thing he could imagine Eric would want. "My stepdaughter is 22. She's beautiful – perfect little body, ass like a dancer, and she's a virgin. Just think: an endless supply of pure virgin blood and a tight little body just ripe for you. You could have her, for as long as you want."
Eric stilled, his eyes far away as he seemed to mull over Ray's offer and Ray waited. Yes, it was illegal. Yes, it was technically wrong. But Ray knew Eric wasn't the kind of man to respect the law unless it served him.
"I don't need anyone to find me women," Eric finally said as his gaze still centered on the distance. "I could have whoever I want."
For some reason, Ray saw the first hint of a lack of assurance in Eric's voice. "But you have to admit that I'd make a poor substitute for a beautiful young woman. And I'd still pay you double."
Eric finally looked up at him. "How are you going to manage to convince your stepdaughter?"
He'd have to trick her that was for sure. "Let me worry about that. I'd find a way."
Eric still didn't look uninterested as he stood and went to the fridge and looked into for a few seconds. "How beautiful would you say?"
Ray could feel hope springing up inside him slowly. "Gorgeous. I mean, if my wife wasn't around, I'd go for it."
Eric's condescending sneer instilled some fear in him but Eric continued, "Frankly, it seems I'd be doing her a favor, taking her from a father like you. It sounds like a challenge, but I've dealt with worse. Bring her to me in a week and I'll forgive your debt."
Ray held back the sigh of relief that wanted to rush out of him but nodded instead, quickly trying to figure out how he was going to make this happen. "I won't disappoint, I promise."
"For your sake, I hope not."
Lana sighed with relief as she walked through the door of her small apartment and greeted her dog, Rosie. The apartment was dark, meaning her roommate was out, and Lana felt a pang of loneliness as she flipped on the lights. It wasn't a long walk to the kitchen where a nice cold beer waited for her, and she quickly got herself situated on the couch with her goldendoodle by her side. Another night by herself. Until the phone rang.
Lana wasn't a huge fan of her stepfather. Frankly, she kind of despised him, and she had been pretty pissed when he had moved her mother and the rest of the family down to Louisiana where Lana had been trying to work for a few years now. But she loved her mother and she had always tried to get along with the creep, so she took his calls sometimes.
"Hey, Ray," she answered then when she saw his face on her phone screen.
"Lana, how you doing?"
She couldn't help but cringe at the tone in his voice. Not only had she always suspected that he dealt in some shady business at work, but she had also always suspected that he kind of liked her. Gross.
"I'm fine. What's up?"
"Your mom and I were wondering if you'd want to come up to Shreveport this weekend."
Lana worked in Baton Rouge, her home of two years since she had moved down so she could get in-state residency for LSU, her dream school of choice. She had been working at the same restaurant the whole time and rarely ever bothered to travel up to the god-awful Shreveport where Ray had moved the family some months ago.
"Do you guys have some kind of event going on?"
"No, we just miss you."
Right, Lana thought, because Ray was always eager to spend some more time with her.
"Well, I'm not sure, I'd have to cover some shifts at work."
"It'd be worth it. Your mom sure misses you and we'd like to talk you a little, see if we could help you save some more money for school."
Lana's antenna went up. "You want to give me money for school?"
"Well, we know how hard you work and my business has been going well lately. You deserve it."
Ray was never selfless, and Lana felt a huge wave of suspicion wash over her, but she needed the money. Even serving and bartending six days a week wasn't enough to pay major university tuition. Maybe Ray was changing. Maybe things were going good in Shreveport.
"I guess I could come up for the weekend."
"Oh, great," he exclaimed. "You won't regret it,"