Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Just a few more.”
“It’s been a long first night back. Don’t make me decapitate you, too.”
“Pretty please?”
He groans and starts unbuttoning his shirt. “What else?”
“They said you used to rule L.A.? What are you, like the vampire king or something?”
He snorts. “No. There is no vampire king in this country. I never ruled L.A. I was simply the strongest in the city for a time. Perhaps I still am. I don’t know.”
“Have you made vampires before, and if so, where are they now?”
“Not here,” he says. “Though, at least, one of them should be.”
“Can we still eat and drink human food?”
“Why would you want to?”
“Because donuts. Duh. But hang on, you have all of that wine out there.”
“I like the scent.”
“How were you able to kill Archie?” I ask, leaning against the doorframe. “For someone so important, he was dispatched pretty easily.”
“Strength comes with age. I am older and, therefore, stronger. The strength of the one who turned you can also play a part.”
Off comes his shirt, and wow, that’s a lot of muscles for one man. The old suit was doing him a serious disservice.
His shoulders and chest have definition for days. It must have been a while since I saw a man half naked, because not staring at him is harder than it should be. Not that he is the least bit aware of me ogling him. Me and my issues aren’t even on his radar.
“Archie was only turned around 1850. But he was tenacious. Killed his sire early and started building himself a coterie of guards. If he hadn’t gone for size and scariness over actual fighting skills when he made them, they might have been able to defend him from me, and he might still be with us.”
“He was a hundred and seventy?”
“Rose is about eight hundred, and Javier was turned when this country was colonized.”
My eyes are as wide as the moon. “Huh.”
He undoes the button and zipper on his pants and pushes both them and his boxers to the ground. Nudity is obviously not an issue for him. I turn around before I can see it all. Though a fleeting glimpse suggests he’s a man of size. Next, I hear the groaning of pipes and the sound of water falling. My hearing is sensitive enough to make out the soft splashes from his footfalls as he steps into the shower.
“The oldest vampires, ones born BC, haven’t left their castles or caves in millennia. They have minions fetch their food,” he says. “But not many of us manage to survive that long. Some simply lack the will. After a couple of centuries, time starts to lose meaning. Once you’ve seen and done it all, there doesn’t always seem to be a reason to continue. But more practically, it’s hard to remain hidden. We need humans to feed on, but they tend to get upset and hunt us once the bodies start piling up.”
“You said we could feed without killing.”
“We can. I didn’t lie to you. It just takes practice and control. But some prefer to give in to their instincts and bleed victims dry. The rush from killing can be substantial. It’ll be interesting to see what these new rules of theirs entail regarding such matters.”
“Getting involved in vampire politics was not on my list of plans,” I say. “What about drinking animal blood?”
“It’s adequate, but the taste is subpar,” he says. “Are you out of questions yet?”
The water and soap he’s using smell nice. “I’m done for now. Oh. Where’s my phone?”
“I left it with Helena. Did you know people can track you with those things?” he asks, sounding sort of amazed.
“When did you do that?”
“When we first got up to her office. You were busy feeding. She explained that keeping it would be a mistake.”
“But I want to call my mom so she’s not freaking out, wondering where I am. I’ve thought up a story that’s plausible. I’ll tell her work is sending me to a foreign office. Then I’ll fake some pictures of me in France or something. I have it all planned out. I don’t know if I can do this…be like you. But I am not ready to die again yet, either.”
Nothing from him.
“Do you think the security guard had family?”
“Helena will ensure they’re taken care of,” he says.
I rest my head against the doorframe and close my eyes. Just for a moment. My body is weary. My strength and vitality diminished. I still don’t feel hungry, so I don’t think it’s due to lack of blood. However, my mind is mush.
“You’re falling asleep on your feet,” he says. “Go lie down.”
“Guess it must be close to dawn. We sleep all day, right?”
“No,” he says as the water turns off. “The older you get, the less sleep you need. But you’re a newborn and still adapting. Your brain has been dealing with a rush of new information from your heightened senses. It needs time to rest. Go lie down. The bed’s right there.”