“You sound like you have experience with this.”
Vivien shrugged. “I wouldn’t know if I did. But I can tell you that your ex is a selfish narcissist. Maybe she’s even behind this whole vampire thing. Have you thought of that? She just happened to be at the club right before Bruiser and his butt-face squad ruined the party.”
I shook my head. “She may have the tongue of a snake but she wouldn’t get anything out of bringing vampires back to power.” I could see Vivien was about to protest so I added, “Not to mention, the audacity and cunning it would take to pull off this kind of plot is beyond her ability. She may be a liar and a manipulator, but a mastermind, she is not. There is a bigger game here; I am just not sure what it is yet.”
“Hmm,” she said, unconvinced. “And I think you don’t want to believe she’s involved because you want to avoid her at all costs. I’m simply saying we should keep an eye on her.”
As I studied Vivien, I realized now I’d believed her to share many qualities with Qwynn. I’d thought both were wrecking balls, intent to smash my world in order to pursue their own needs. And while Vivien had every opportunity to cause harm to humans, to trap souls by creating more sekhors, she had no such designs. Now that I had seen them side by side, they were as different as night and day.
But what they shared was far more dangerous. The ability to draw out a part of me that craved pleasure, play, and refuge from my never-ending duty.
There was a knock at the tinted window, saving me from my thoughts. I rolled it down and Timothy handed over the pair of heeled boots along with some folded clothes.
I set them on the seat next to me, and said to Vivien, “I will step out so you can change.”
“Wait, what?” she asked, sliding down the bench closer to me.
“We have one last stop to make before the dawn comes. Your attire is not appropriate for the next venue.” I pressed the button, sending the window back up with an electric buzz.
“We don’t have time for me to pop inside to change clothes in a bathroom or something?”
“The fatigue you must be feeling by now should indicate to you that daylight is fast approaching. There is no time. I cannot let you leave my side, and there is one last place we must go.” I opened the door and stepped out.
Vivien moved to where I had been seated. She stared up at me with big green eyes. For the bloodsucking bane of my existence, it surprised me how she could both look so earnest and wanton in that tight suit that pressed her breasts up for my consideration.
I swallowed, clearing thoughts of running my fingers along her inviting flesh, or leaning down to capture her lips in a hot, demanding kiss.
“We are going to visit the Original.” At her blank looked, I clarified. “We are going to see the very first vampire.”
17
Timothy did not join us, mentioning he was still dealing with the cleanup at Wolf Town. I wondered about all Timothy had to do. There was not only the cleanup, but there were terrified partygoers to deal with, and then the cops. He seemed more inconvenienced than overwhelmed by his task, though. He somehow still made the time to prepare that thermos of blood and deliver an outfit to me.
I appreciated the clothes Timothy provided, the same heeled boots I’d worn before along with a red halter top, leather jacket, and jeans. He’d even thrown in a belt with a big buckle of sparkly ruby-red lips.
Despite being the coldest hour of the night, I still didn’t need my jacket after my snack. We’d driven off the strip for fifteen minutes on a road that wound into a deserted stretch of land. The building was tucked away out of view.
I raised an eyebrow at Grim as I closed the car door behind me. “This is where the first vampire is?”
Instead of responding, Grim held out a hand to invite me to go first.
“Lion’s Den Care Facility? Did the Original come here to get treated for his blood addiction?” I let out a nervous laugh. “Maybe I should check in next?” After coming so close to losing control earlier, I was only half-joking.
Grim tried to hide his smile, but I saw it anyway. The glimpses of his smile did funny, fluttery things to my belly. I chalked it up to him being sinfully sexy. I wondered if he looked delectable in order to help people deal with the transition of death. Like here, you have to die, but at least this devastatingly handsome man will send you to the afterlife.
I’d also seen his scary side, though, and it was enough to make me change my shorts. The idea of another escape attempt entered my mind before it drove right on by in a Bugatti. Grim was right. There was only a little over an hour until dawn left, and I could feel lethargy settle into my body. I was already anticipating passing out and sleeping like the dead for two straight days. Pun intended. Trying to fight off, run away, or outsmart Grim was not in the cards for me right now. I had to bide my time.
Grim pressed a buzzer and within minutes, a male orderly showed up and cracked open the glass door. He was in his early thirties with a round face, twinkling brown eyes, and a smile any girl in her right mind would drag home to Mommy and Daddy. The shiny nametag read Kabir. His eyes lingered on me a moment, his smile intensifying before he saw Grim. Uncertainty flickered across his face as if he were considering the need to be nervous. He had no idea.
“Can I help you?”
“We are here to visit my aunt,” Grim explained.
Kabir looked back and forth between us. “You are a little early for visiting hours. You’ll have to come back at ten a.m.”
“You can make an exception.” The imperious chill of Grim’s words demanded Kabir obey.
Death had a short fuse for patience, go figure.
