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I really wished I hadn't left my bike at home this morning.
I climbed out of the cab and started walking down the sidewalk toward my loft. I smirked when I heard two sets of footprints hurrying down the sidewalk behind me.
When I stopped to buy a pastry from a cart on the side of the street, I glanced over and saw two men in dark SWAT gear standing by the side of a brick building.
I chuckled and shook my head as I started walking again. They stuck out like a sore thumb. If they really wanted to blend in, they should dress like tourists.
Maybe I'd mention that to the prince the next time I saw him.
I bypassed the accident scene and took an alternate route between a couple of buildings and up a steep set of stone steps. I was in pretty good shape, but even I was huffing a little by the time I reached the top. I could only imagine how out of breath my two stalkers were with all their equipment and dark clothing.
Sucked to be them.
I finished my pastry and then slid my hands into my pockets and continued my trek toward home. I was actually only a few blocks away and the walk could probably do me some good. It might help me burn off a little of my anger.
I was so not surprised to find the black SUV sitting across the street from my loft when I got home. I had a compelling urge to flip them off again, until I remembered the two that were walking behind me.
I wasn't exactly sure what their orders were concerning me so pissing them off probably wasn't in my best interest. I mean granted, I was pretty sure they were here to keep an eye on me, but I couldn't be positive.
For all I knew, they could be here to take me out once I got home and there were no witnesses. Just because the prince had claimed me didn't mean he wouldn't kill me.
Especially if he knew I was half vampire.
I waved to the guys in the SUV instead of flipping them off and then walked inside my building. I'd fallen in love with the place when I'd first seen it, and that love affair had started with the industrial style elevator. Since I owned the entire top floor, it went straight up and opened right into my loft.
When the elevator stopped on my floor, I pulled up the gate and stepped inside. When I turned to pull the gate back down, something hard slammed into the back of my head.
I cried out and grabbed my head as I dropped to the floor. My ears rang with maniacal laughter just before I was hit again, this time in the middle of my back. I cried out again as I arched forward to get away from the pain as pure agony ripped through me.
This time, I received a blow to my side and then my chest, and the blows just kept on coming. Some to my head, others to the rest of my body. I tried to ward off the hits, but my vision was growing dim and my head was starting to swim.
I could feel my grip onconsciousnessfading fast so I covered my head with my hands and curled into the tightest ball I could to minimize the damage. I could feel blood dripping from my head onto my hands.
I don't know who was doing this, or why, but I wasn't sure I was going to survive this attack even with my increased healing ability. I'd been hit and knocked for a loop before I'd even had a chance to fight back.
I heard a loud crash and then caught just a whisper of blond hair whipping past me right before darkness overtook me.
Chapter Seven
~ Alessandro ~
I breathed in slowly through my nostrils and tried not to shout at the moron going on and on about why he needed more funds for his clan despite the fact that not even half of them held down jobs.
I didn't mind helping out where needed, but this guy wanted me to fund his lazy ass, not to mention the lazy asses in his clan. If they needed money, they should go out and work for it like the rest of the world did.
I was not a charity.
I picked up the tablet Paolo had given me and checked it over to make sure I had my facts straight before glaring at the guy. "Correct me if I am wrong, Alpha Santos, but you have over a hundred and thirty members to your clan?"
The man blinked at me as if surprised I would ask such a question. "Yes, that is correct."
"And of these hundred and thirty members, seventy-five of them are of legal working age?"
The man swallowed tightly. "Yes, sir."
"Of those seventy-five working age members, how many of them have jobs?"
"Oh, well, I...uh... I don't tend to meddle in the everyday affairs of those in my clan. I feel it is important that they stand on their own two feet, as it were."
