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As I watch the GPS screen built into the dashboard, the minutes until we reach the destination tick down. The closer we get, the faster my heart beats. Despite my deep hatred for Selene, part of me will always have a sickening loyalty to her. I never wanted to see my sire again, but my blood sings as we round the corner onto S Street, connected to her on a level I’ll never be able to rid myself of as long as she is alive. Until we find out what her tie is to the hunters and what they’re up to, the plan to take her out has been put on pause.
My stomach drops as the car slows to a stop at the curb outside Selene’s building. The driver shifts into park and glances at me through the rearview mirror.
“Have a good night,” the man says in a polite tone.
I unbuckle my belt and reach beside me to grab my duffle bag, unable to voice a response. Without a word, I go through the motions of opening the door and forcing myself out of the car. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I close the door and walk to the front of the building, where a well-dressed doorman in a dark gray suit and hat, who appears to be in his fifties, nods at me before opening the tall glass door.
I walk inside with my duffle bag over my shoulder, my shoes echoing softly against the shiny white marble floor as I head through the empty lobby toward a bank of elevators in front of me. Everything is white—the floors, the walls, the reception desk. In the air lingers the scent of overpriced cologne and perfume as well as the faint smell of roses, coming from the tall vases around the lobby. The scent makes my chest tighten; I can’t help but think of Calla’s rose-scented body wash as I walk through the space. Chandeliers hang from the high ceilings, and yet, I still feel as if the room is closing in on me. I press the elevator button, fisting my hands at my sides when I catch the way they’re shaking.
Stepping into the elevator, I suck in a slow breath and press the button to the penthouse, because of course Selene lives in the penthouse. Her tastes haven't changed. My eyes stay locked on the climbing numbers above the door, and when the elevator slows to a stop at the top floor, a softdingsounds, and the door slides open, revealing a foyer styled similarly to the lobby downstairs.
A large set of white double doors with a gold P1 placard above them stands between me and my sire.
I close my eyes, taking a deep breath through my nose and exhaling it through my mouth. I force my muscles to unclench and step forward, lifting my hand to knock.
The sound of footsteps coming toward me gets louder, and a moment later, one of the doors opens to reveal an older-looking human woman with kind blue eyes and shoulder-length, graying brown hair. Her lips immediately turn upward into a genuine smile when she sees me, wrinkles becoming more prominent around her eyes and mouth, and she opens the door wider.
So, Selene still employs humans. Not shocking, considering they’re easier to control and to dispose of when she’s through with them. In the time I spent with her, I can recall at least three different human housekeepers. I’m not certain what happened to them, but I can guess easily enough.
“Mr. Simmons, please come in.” She steps aside, gesturing for me to walk into the suite.
I clear my throat and force out, “Thank you.” Putting one foot in front of the other, I enter Selene’s penthouse, resenting the increase in my pulse as my eyes flit around the light and open space, immediately searching for her. She’s here—I can feel it in the tingling along my spine and the pressure in my chest. It easily overpowers the connection I have to Calla at this proximity, and I clench my jaw at that, wanting to snarl.
“May I take your bag? I’ve set up our main guest suite for your stay.” Her voice is soft and pleasant. Perhaps she doesn’t know I’ve been coerced into being here. Though, this woman is loyal to Selene, so maybe she does and just doesn’t care.
I hand it over silently, and she beams at me.
“You are a very handsome young man,” she comments, taking my bag.
Choking on a harsh laugh, I point out, “You’re far younger than I am.”
Her eyes sparkle when she smiles. “Yes, of course.” She switches my bag from one hand to the other. “Please make yourself comfortable. Miss Selene is finishing a call in the study and will be out to greet you shortly.”
I follow the housekeeper through the entranceway to an open living and dining space, decorated in soft tones of gray and white. I walk toward the fireplace, the light and warmth beckoning me.
“Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”
I look back at the human over my shoulder. “Scotch if you have it would be good. Thank you.”
She nods. “And would you like anything else? Perhaps a drink with some sustenance?”
Is she offering me blood?
“We keep several types in the house. Miss Selene’s tastes shift every now and then,” she explains, as if the need to have blood available to serve her employer is completely normal. I can’t help but think this woman has been glamoured, likely for years.
My lip curls back, and I shake my head. “Just the scotch, please.”
With another nod, she hurries out of the room, leaving me to the crackling flames. I brace my hands against the thick white wood mantle and stare into the fire, trying to convince myself that I’m going to get through this and get back to my brothers and our girl.
My entire body stiffens when she walks into the room. I straighten and turn around slowly to face her. My gaze starts at her bare feet, skimming over her black painted toes. She’s wearing a floor-length black dress with a deep V neckline. I force my gaze to her face, and my lungs hollow out when our eyes meet, that damned connection sparking between us.
Her crimson lips curl into a slow grin. “Gabriel,” she purrs, “I’m so pleased you decided to join me. I asked Beth to give us some time alone.”
I assume Beth is her housekeeper.So much for my scotch.
I focus on the borderline painful throbbing in my gums, my fangs threatening to extend as an array of mixed, confusing emotions whirl inside me. “I’m here,” I say in a flat voice. “Now I want proof that whatever magic your witch used on Calla has been removed.”
Selene sighs as if she’s frustrated that I ruined what she thought would be a happy reunion. “I’ve been in contact with her,” she says. “Tessa should be there as we speak.”
