“You’re going to let us in,” Lucien stated.
The man’s eyes took on a glassy stare Lucien recognized. It was working but not as well as it should. However, that would come with time, and all that mattered was getting inside this place.
“And once we’re inside, you’re going to forget our existence,” Lucien continued.
The man didn’t blink as he stared at him. Then he stepped out of his booth, grasped the edge of the rollaway gate, and pulled it back to allow them entrance.
Callie was so astounded by this turn of events that for a second, she couldn’t move. She had no choice but to move as Lucien started forward, pulling her along with him. He seemed stronger and steadier as he stopped in front of the man.
“You’re also going to go through the camera footage. If you find anything with us on it, delete it,” he commanded.
The man’s eyes remained glassy, and his mouth parted as he nodded.
“Repeat to me what I just said,” Lucien demanded.
“I’m going to delete any footage with the two of you on it,” the man said.
“And you’re going to forget all about us.”
“And I’m going to forget all about you.”
“Good. Where’s your car?”
“At home.”
“How did you get here?”
“The bus.”
Lucien’s teeth ground together. Once he got some sleep and healed, he would find a car, but it would have been much easier if he could have taken this man’s car.
“Close the gate,” he commanded.
The man shut the gate behind them, and Lucien led her into the numerous rows of storage units. Trying to process what she’d witnessed, Callie walked numbly beside him until they were halfway down the first row of units. He tripped and went to the ground, pulling her with him.
She muffled a startled cry when her knees hit the asphalt. Whatever reserves of strength he’d dredged up were fading as he knelt with his head bowed and his shoulders hunched forward.
She had no idea what she would do if he couldn’t get up on his own. She wasn’t strong enough to drag him through the rows of closed and padlocked doors, and she couldn’t leave him here. She didn’t want to spend any more time with the vampire than necessary, but he hadn’t left her, and she wouldn’t leave him.
“Lucien, you have to get up.”
“Okay,” he slurred, but he remained on the ground.
Bracing herself, Callie kept her arm around his waist as she strained to lift him. She gritted her teeth when she almost fell over, but he caught her, shoved himself to his feet, and leaned against her.
They stood in an awkward embrace as he leaned heavily against her and she tried not to fall on her ass. Then he peeled himself away but kept his arm draped over her shoulder as she held onto him with both hands.
Together they walked to the end of the row, but Lucien was aware he was leaning on her far more than he should. However, he had no other choice as his legs felt as sturdy as a deck of cards in a hurricane.
They could stop and break into any one of these units, but he was trying to get far into the maze of storage containers before stopping.
“There’s a bathroom,” she breathed.
He tried to locate what she was talking about, but everything blurred around him. “Do you need to use it?”
“Yes.”
Callie led him toward the concrete building with the bathroom sign reading “employees only.” She searched for another guard patrolling the lot before recalling the golf cart by the guard booth. It was more likely that, every once in a while, he would drive it around the area to make sure everything was fine.
