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CHAPTER FOUR
Enzo sat in the nondescript black vehicle that Noori had delivered and kept his eyes on number seven. Periodically throughout the night, he walked the area and moved closer to the unit, hearing his beloved breathing inside and aching to meet him. Foster had a restless night, and Enzo could almost taste his worry and his fright, causing the agitation within him to grow.
His beloved began to stir, moving about the small unit at five in the morning and made a phone call at six. He contacted Zac, who traced the call to Foster's neighbor, Roddy Green, who lived in the apartment next to Foster's. He was a retiree, and according to reports, he and Foster were friends. They spoke for thirty-four minutes, but Enzo was unable to hear any of the conversation. He might have been asking about his apartment, which was currently being surveilled.
The sun was rising, and it was time to meet his beloved. Enzo got out of his car and started across the parking lot toward unit number seven. He felt his heart rate increasing and his attention becoming laser-focused on the weathered, blue door of number seven.
Enzo adjusted his jacket and ran his fingers through his hair before knocking on the door. He waited but heard nothing from inside, and as he was about to knock again, he heard the bed springs and footfalls coming toward the door. Foster was hesitant, which was to be expected of a man in his situation. Enzo stood firm and waited as he heard the handle turn and the door begin to open.
It took only seconds, and yet it felt like hours before the door was partially opened, and Enzo was able to see Foster, face to face, for the first time. His vivid blue eyes trained upon him speculatively and assessingly. He sensed surprise and heard a deep, shaky breath and then smelled the sweetest aroma known to man. Foster was enchanting.
Foster saw the tall, handsome man through the small opening, taking in his appearance and stance, and couldn't believe his eyes. It was the man from the restaurant, the one who sat at the bar. He now had an opportunity to really look at him, and he was as impressive as memory had served. His suit was subtly different cut from the other guards but overall, the same look. He was definitely a Hadden Center guard, but this man did not scare him.
His eyes were dark, yet they flashed electric and alive. He was looking at him and seeing him, and he smiled. It was not what Foster had expected; the smile was not smug but rather exuded a warmth that Foster believed he could feel. "What do you want?" He knew what he wanted, but Foster felt compelled to play this out.
"I think you know." Came the response, followed by. "May I come in or might you step out so we can talk?" Foster thought for a moment and then stepped out but left the door of his unit open. It was unlikely he'd be able to get back inside if things went south, but it gave him a sense of security to think that he had a plan B.
“Are you a vampire?” Foster asked, wanting to get the bullshit out of the way and let this guy know that he was not playing any games.
"How long have you known about vampires?" The man's voice was like smooth, sweet liqueur, and Foster felt it flowing over his senses, leaving him hot and anxious. He didn't sound surprised or alarmed, he stood there looking Foster over as if he was studying every inch and appeared relaxed.
"What time is it?" Foster shot back, and the man smiled.
"Roddy Green informed you of the paranormal in our town?" He said, completely surprising Foster.
“You listened to my phone call?” Foster responded curtly.
"No, but I did trace the call." His tone was too casual for everything that had gone down in the last few hours. Why was he so relaxed and not roughing him up or dragging him off to be interrogated. This man was more than a guard. He was someone special, and Foster felt an intense desire to know him better, to reach out and touch him, to move closer and breathe in the fresh, invigorating scent that was all man. Instead, he fought the pull and stayed rooted to his spot, but his heart was aching.
“What happens to me now?” Foster struggled to get the words out.
"Master Nikolas Hadden would like to speak with you." Foster felt his heart tighten at the thought of going before Nikolas Hadden, and his mind conjured horrific outcomes. He was considered harsh and uncompromising, and those were his good points. It was unlikely that he could avoid this meeting, but everything in him wished he had the power to run away.
"You have nothing to fear." The man took a step closer, and his expression softened. "My name is Enzo Blackstock, and I work for Master Nikolas Hadden." Foster was shocked by the fact that Enzo appeared to have read his mind or his emotions.
“Are you a guard?”
"I'm a field operative. I work at the capital in Harrisburg."
"How did you find me? None of the others even got close."
“They were close.” He clarified and then added. “I identified and recognized your scent and followed it from the bathroom in the Sienna Restaurant through town to here.”
“Vampires can follow scents like a bloodhound?” Foster was astonished.
"Some can, yes." He answered softly this time and took another step toward Foster. He was even more handsome than Foster remembered, or maybe it was just seeing him in the flesh that made him so potent. "Will you come with me and speak with Master Hadden?"
“Do I have a choice?” Foster noticed the large grin that spread across Enzo’s face and knew that was his answer.
"Come with me," Enzo said and held out his hand in a let's go gesture. Foster looked back over his shoulder at the open door of his room and then back at Enzo. "Do you need to pack?" Enzo asked, and Foster shook his head.
"This is all I have with me." He indicated the clothes on his back. Enzo waited, and Foster knew he had no recourse at this time. He took a tentative step toward him and then paused and looked around and then back at Enzo. He walked up to stand in front of Enzo and looked up at him.
“What’s going to happen to me?”
"Nothing." Enzo looked affronted by the question. "The Master wishes to speak with you and ask you to say nothing of the scene you witnessed last night." He acknowledged Foster's expression of distrust. "It was consensual, I promise you. Rex, the guard you saw, and Irene, the waitress involved, are currently a couple." He paused and stared at Foster silently, but his mind was working. He was deciding something.
"Irene is not human. She is a fox shifter, and there are aspects of their relationship that would shock the human population while being completely acceptable in their own respective cultures." The word shifter stuck in his mind for a while, along with the word fox. Foster found his breathing becoming labored, and his desire to bolt was strong.
