Chapter 13 #2
“Hmm, that’s weird.” Could Robert have sent a spy to see how well I was doing without him? Now I was just being pitiful. As if he cared. “Was he human or vampire?”
“That’s the strange thing, I couldn’t tell. Usually, I know immediately, but I couldn’t place him.”
“Weird. Well, he obviously didn’t know who you were, or else he wouldn’t have even looked in my direction.”
“You can’t fault him for looking,” Joseph purred. “I couldn’t take my eyes off you all night, either.”
Flustered by his compliment and wanting to have something to do with my hands, I leaned forward and set my champagne glass on the coffee table. At that precise moment, Joseph did the same thing with his tumbler of blood, and our heads nearly butted.
We locked eyes. I cried out as he curled his cool fingers around my wrist and roughly pulled me into him.
I stiffened, frozen with indecision. Should I or shouldn’t I? I wasn’t that I didn’t want to—
His grip slackened and he sat back. He began to apologize, but I didn’t want to hear it.
I pounced, cutting his apologies off with a kiss.
Moaning, he pulled me too him, and . . .
No. Just no.
It was the shortest kiss of my entire life. I guessed it was the same for Joseph. We didn’t even need to come up for air—it was that short.
I wiped a hand across my mouth. He did the same.
I said, “Well, that was . . .”
“Weird.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do you maybe want to try again?”
“Sure. Okay.”
The kiss lasted longer this time, but the outcome was the same. Zero chemistry. I wouldn’t say that I wanted to shudder, but I could have been eating a burrito in my pajamas, for all the passion I felt. Which was none.
Joseph and I sat back and regarded each other.
“Okay, don’t take this the wrong way,” I began. “But that was . . .”
“Bloody awful.”
Suddenly, we were cracking up. We laughed so hard that tears sprang from our eyes like a dam had burst under our lids. I snorted like a little piggy as I wheezed for breath, making us laugh harder.
Joseph slapped a hand down on his thigh. “I’ve had more passionate kisses with goats!”
I swiped a tear from under my eye with a knuckle. My mascara was probably all over my face, but I didn’t care. “You’ve kissed goats?”
“I was a herder back in the day. They’re quite affectionate, like dogs.”
“Oh,” I said, and then we were off again.
“I don’t know why this is so funny!”
“Me, either!”
Joseph picked up our drinks, then handed me mine. He held his glass up and made a toast. “Here’s to us never, ever, ever kissing again.”
I chinked his glass against mine. “Never again, as long as we both shall live.”
We sipped on our drinks and then I said, “I mean, what the hell was that?”
Joseph grimaced. “I have no idea. But it was—”
“Bad. So bad.” I shook my head. “So, where does that leave us?”
“Where do you want it to leave us?” he asked.
“This is weird, because I don’t really know you, but I feel like we have a connection.”
“Same.”
“I like you.”
“Like as a friend?”
“Yes. So, maybe we can be friends. If it’s allowed?”
His brow crinkled. “Why wouldn’t it be allowed?”
“Because of the VGO. My blood bargain with you guys, I mean.”
“You aren’t planning on skipping town, are you? Reneging on our bargain?”
“No, not at all,” I said solemnly, so there was no room for interpretation on his part. “I made a deal, and I’m a woman of my word.”
“Good,” he said offhandedly, as if he wasn’t bothered about my blood either way. “So, there should be no problem.”
“I just didn’t know if you’d get into trouble for being buddy-buddy with me, because of who you are. Being so high up.”
He seemed amused. “It’s decent of you to be concerned about my welfare after everything we’ve put you through, Olivia. I know the VGO’s treatment of you has been harsh.”
He could say that again.
“But as you’ve pointed out, I do have some pull within the organization.”
“Right.”
He chuckled. “Wait. You don’t seriously believe the VGO sent me here on orders, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you find it strange that I came to take your blood and not a lab tech?”
“Funny you say that, because I thought that when I saw you. I almost passed out when I opened the door to find you standing there.”
He smirked. “I do have quite the effect on ladies, don’t I?”
I rolled my eyes.
“I wanted to see you. I fancied you when we first met.”
“Duh.” I smirked. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out better.”
“Don’t be. I have few genuine female friends that I can talk with so openly. Vampires are very sexual beings, if you didn’t know.”
Oh, yeah, I knew. I’d spent enough time with Robert to know that.
Joseph sat back on the sofa. “I’m glad I came, and that we’ve become friends. I had fun with you tonight.”
“I had fun as well.”
“As far as the VGO, nobody sends me anywhere. There are only a handful of members I take orders from, and they’re ancient and mostly stay out of our affairs.”
“More ancient than you?”
“Easy. You make me feel old,” he said with a chuckle, as if he’s hobbling around with a cane and a long white beard.
Before I could stop myself, I quipped, “You mean you don’t take orders from Serena?”
Mentally, I slapped myself on the forehead. I’d been so good up to that point. I hadn’t mentioned Robert or Serena once.
He snorted. “Uh, no. No way.”
His reaction was odd, as if he couldn’t fathom something so ridiculous. “Oh, not a fan? But she was so lovely when I met her,” I said, knowing he’d remember how awful she’d been to me during my visit to the VGO headquarters.
“If by lovely you mean horrible, then yes,” he said. “You didn’t hear it from me, but Serena is on her way out.”
I couldn’t believe Joseph would divulge such clandestine information to me, a humble human. Then again, it didn’t sound as if he had too many vamps to answer to, so he could pretty much say whatever he wanted, couldn’t he?
“What do you mean, on her way out?” Could it have something to do with Robert?
“I mean that Serena’s going to be invited to leave us.” He’d said ‘invited’ sarcastically, the subtext clear. She’ll leave or the VGO will throw her out on her ass.
“Why?”
“Vampire stuff—politics. She’s aggravated the wrong members.”
“She did seem kind of . . . prickly.” That was my polite way of saying she was a raging bitch.
“Most vampires are prickly, Olivia,” he joked.
“Serena has no respect for her position. She’s dishonored our organization one too many times.
We have traditions and rules for a reason, but she’s ignored them all, as if they don’t apply to her.
” Now he was venting. Joseph was evidently one of the wrong members she’d aggravated.
“So, when are you going to tell her she’s out?” Man, how I’d love to be there for that. Bitch stole my man.
“That’s the problem we’re having, Olivia,” Joseph said. “Nobody knows where she is.”
I sat up straight. “What do you mean? Like, right now you don’t know where she is? At this moment?”
“No,” Joseph said slowly. “We haven’t seen Serena in almost a month. She’s vanished. We’re not sure if she’s gone into hiding or . . . What is it?”
“Joseph,” I said, fighting to keep my voice even. “I think I have some information you need to know.”