Page 5

Well, that was . . . stern. “Oh, erm . . . Zodiac? I’m sure he won’t . . . I’ll talk with him.” Hm, clearly this vampire had a beef with Zodiac, and the way he’d said incubus, implied it was the demon aspect he had an issue with. If it wasn’t personal, then it should be easy enough to keep them apart for one night.

“Adam? One more thing.” He stopped in the bar doorway, and lifted his gaze to the back wall, where the rules were displayed. “What is the shotgun for?”

Oh, he’d noticed that. I supposed it was rather crude, since we used wards to protect everyone. “Display mostly. Nothing really.”

“Then it’s not there for backup, should the wards fail?”

I smiled, and liked the way the vampire lord absorbed my smile, drinking it in, his silvery eyes widening with something almost like surprise. “The wards won’t fail. Trust me. In the SOS Hotel, every guest is guaranteed a safe stay.”

I signed him in at reception, ran his black card for payment, collected the room key, and we stepped into the lift together. It was only a short journey up, just a few floors.

The elevator jolted, the cables twanged, and the gears groaned.

“It’s uh . . . it sounds worse than it is.”

“I’m sure.”

Perhaps some lift music would be a good idea, to drown out the creaking cables. I’d get Claymore, the handyman to install something.

“So, is this a business stay, or uh, for pleasure?” I winced as soon as the word pleasure left my lips. Goodness, was it hot in here? I tugged at my shirt collar.

He stared at the door, but those silver eyes cut sideways to me, as though my question only deserved half his attention. “Pleasure.”

“Oh.” Zodiac probably would have had his life story, his shoe size, what kink he had, and the name of his firstborn out of him by now. But that wasn’t me. We didn’t interrogate guests. Their reasons for staying were their own. They just had to know they were perfectly safe from all outside forces, supernatural or human. Perhaps Mr. Reynard just wanted a change of scenery for a night? Roughing it with the locals? Maybe that was his kink?

The excruciating elevator ride finally ended, and we stepped into a small lobby area. “This room is the only one on this floor, so you’ll have it all to yourself.”

“Special treatment is not necessary.”

“Of course, it’s just, well, you’re our first guest, and that seems reason enough to celebrate. And thank you, for thinking of us.”

“You’re welcome, Adam.”

Hm, there was my name on his lips again. Mercy, his eyes glittered like molten mercury, warm and smooth and absolutely deadly.

“Do you want to put the key in the lock and open the door, or shall I do it?”

“Oh, yes. Right.” I’d been staring at his eyes like a loon.

I slipped the key into the lock, pushed open the door, and flicked on the light. The large room had a sumptuous double bed and a warm, red and black décor, complete with little seating area and coffee table by the window. It was so new, the smell of fresh paint hung in the air. Hopefully, that newness wouldn’t bother him.

His nose twitched.

“Oh, that’s just a fresh lick of paint.” I headed to the side of the bed. “If you need anything, just dial zero for reception. The room comes with all the modern necessities. We’re uh . . . having some trouble with the internet. The wards don’t like it you see. Something about ill intent. There’s a little fridge, for your uh . . . chilled wine.” Did vampires drink wine?

He strode into the room, passing me and the end of the bed, heading toward the window. Maybe the paint smell bothered him. There wasn’t much I could do about that, except air out the room—which of course should have been done already! I hurried after him. “We have room service, a laundry service, and⁠—”

“A corpse?”

He stopped. I stumbled into his arm—so firm—sprang back, and ducked around him. Couldn’t really miss the dead man on the floor, his throat cut and much of his blood on the outside of his body where it was definitely not supposed to be.

“Oh.”

“Is this a gift?” Reynard asked.

A gift? Like a . . . present? “It’s, uh, clearly . . . a dead man.” I dragged my gaze from the dead man and blinked at Reynard’s mildly intrigued face.

“I see that, Adam,” he said. “But is he here for me?”