28. First Aid, with a Touch of Romance
28
First Aid, with a Touch of Romance
“Yikes.” Fred stared as we trudged into Hawthorne & Associates half an hour later. “You look like you went ten rounds with a brick wall.”
“She face-planted in front of half of Amberford,” Bo said helpfully.
I swallowed a sigh. My knees and elbows still stung from my encounter with the cobblestones, though the scrapes were already starting to feel better.
The Hawthornes had told me werewolves had accelerated healing powers.
“Did one of your surveillance ops go awry again?” Charlene asked sympathetically. The banshee shot a worried look at Gavin. “Wait. He didn’t set fire to something again, did he?”
“I did not.” Gavin huffed indignantly and almost set a lobby plant ablaze.
We left Charlene and Fred hastily patting down smoking vegetation and took the express elevator to the fifth floor.
Barney looked up from his typewriter when we emerged in the open office area. “I smell blood.”
Hugh stared at me where he was leaning a hip against the vampire’s desk. “You look terrible.”
“Thanks for those useless observations,” Didi muttered.
“What are you doing here?” I asked Hugh.
He shrugged. “Mother and Samuel decided I could return to work.”
“He’s our social media manager,” Barney explained.
Somehow, social media manager suited Hugh to a T.
Janet came out of her office and rocked to a stop at my disheveled state. “What the heck happened to you?”
“Our surveillance op kinda failed.”
Janet eyed Gavin warily. “He didn’t set fire to something again, did he?”
The dragon newt stormed toward his desk, tail popping out and swinging irritably.
Nigel poked his head out of a corridor. “Did you guys get any footage of Wheeler?” Several tentacles manifested in his agitation.
“No.” Didi made a face. “But you might be able to find something from the cameras in Bloody Good Coffee.”
Nigel adjusted his glasses nervously. “I’ll see what I can do.” He headed back toward his lair.
Mindy materialized through the break room wall.
“I’ve color-coded the incident reports you guys need to fill in,” she said briskly. She paused at my sight and wisely elected not to comment. “They’re on your desk.” She perked up when she spotted the boogeyman’s retreating form. “Want me to help with anything, Nigel? I’ve got some free time.”
A strangled sound escaped the boogeyman. It was followed by a rushed “I—I would like that very much!”
The rest of us watched Mindy disappear after Nigel.
“Ten bucks says he manifests all his tentacles at once,” Didi muttered.
“Do you think Mindy knows he has the hots for her?” Janet asked warily.
We all exchanged a glance.
“Nah,” we muttered at the same time, Bo and Hugh included.
“By the way,” Hugh asked curiously. “What exactly happened during your surveillance op? Abby looks like she’s been rolling around in dirt.”
I was saved from having to explain by Samuel’s arrival. He took one look at my scraped hands and torn clothes and lowered his brows in a way that chilled the air.
“My office. Now.”
“Uh-oh,” Hugh murmured. “Someone’s in trouble.”
Samuel cut his eyes to his brother. Hugh blinked innocently.
Bo gave me a cautious look. “Want me to come with you?” His ears flattened a little at Samuel’s expression. “I’ll go check out the muffins in the break room,” he added hastily.
“You do that,” Samuel said coolly.
I plodded reluctantly after the Hawthorne alpha as he headed for his office, conscious of the stares burning into my back.
Samuel closed the door and indicated the couch, his jaw tight. “Sit. I’ll get the first-aid kit.”
“I’m fine,” I protested. “Werewolf healing, remember?”
His eyes flashed amber behind his glasses. “Sit. Down.”
I scurried over to the couch.
Samuel went to a cabinet and returned with the kit. He crouched in front of me and carefully took my hand. The mate bond sang at his touch.
I swallowed, suddenly conscious that we were alone.
“These need cleaning,” he said quietly.
“They’re already half healed.”
“They’ll heal faster if they’re clean.” He opened an antiseptic wipe. “This might sting a little.”
I tried not to focus on how good he smelled or how his fingers were sending little sparks of electricity up my arm as he took care of my wounds. The last thing I needed was to jump him in his office. Although that desk did look sturdy?—
I cut that thought off hastily when his nostrils flared at the sudden burst of lust thrumming through our bond. Damn werewolf senses.
“So,” he said as he dabbed at my knuckles. “Want to tell me what happened?”
I reluctantly explained how I’d followed Wheeler into the coffee shop and the ensuing chase.
“Helen and Priscilla were in the coffee shop?” Samuel’s voice held a dangerous edge.
“Yes.” I clocked his expression. “Wait. You don’t think they have something to do with this case, do you?”
“It’s just strange that they’d be there.”
I wrinkled my brow. Amberford wasn’t exactly a metropolis. Priscilla and Helen being in that coffee shop may have been pure coincidence.
“I was more surprised to see Marcus Holt with Camilla,” I admitted reluctantly.
Samuel blinked, nonplussed. “Priscilla’s son was with Camilla?”
“Yeah. That’s how I lost Wheeler. Camilla accidentally bumped into me.”
“Interesting.” He finished cleaning my hands and indicated my elbows. “Those need attention too. So do your knees.”
I tried to pull away. “They’re fine.”
His expression darkened. “Stop being stubborn.”
“I’m not being stubborn. I’m being practical.” I gestured at my clothes. “Unless you want me to take these off in your office?”
It was the wrong thing to say.
Samuel’s pupils dilated. The mate bond sparked with sudden heat.
Desire coiled through my veins. My breath caught when he cradled my face and leaned in to kiss me.
Someone knocked on the door.
Samuel closed his eyes and cursed under his breath before reluctantly letting go of me.
“Come in,” he growled.
Hugh stuck his head in. “Am I interrupting?” he asked innocently.
“Yes,” Samuel snapped.
“No,” I said self-consciously. I flushed at Hugh’s small, knowing smile.
“What is it?” Samuel said impatiently.
“Barney says the investors’ meeting is starting soon.”
Samuel glanced at his watch. “Dammit.” He studied me with a frown, his eyes dark with concern. “Do you think you can get home okay?”
I nodded, a little disappointed that our moment had been interrupted.
“Good.” Samuel surprised both Hugh and me by kissing my brow tenderly. “I’ll be in touch this weekend. Make sure you get some rest.”
I went out into the main office and tried to not get distracted by the lingering effects of my close encounter with Samuel while I filled out the incident report.
As bonded mates, the attraction between us was undeniable. I was painfully conscious we were both avoiding the inevitable. After all, we’d met each other less than a week ago and hadn’t spoken much. Yet the more time I spent with Samuel, the more I felt like I had known him my whole life.
Which was weird.
“You’ll have to be more careful from now on,” Didi warned as I handed over the paperwork. “The Council of Elders will be watching your every move after what happened today.”
Gavin nodded. I did my best not to grimace.
Doing my job under a magnifying glass sounded like my idea of Hell.
By the time Bo and I got home, I was more than ready for the weekend. A pang of guilt shot through me as I slipped the BMW’s key in my bag.
Ethel was still in the Hawthornes’s garage.
“I’ll give the new car back eventually,” I told Bo as we rode the elevator.
“I didn’t say anything.” He gave me an innocent look and swung his tail like a snake oil salesman pitching a miracle elixir. “That BMW’s AC is gonna be sweet come summer though.”
My dog knew how to make a convincing argument.
We walked through the front door of our apartment and found it smelling of coffee beans and something distinctly otherworldly.
“Is that—?” Bo sniffed the air cautiously.
“Vampire,” I confirmed warily.
Ellie was in the kitchen. She was surrounded by coffee-making paraphernalia and practically vibrating with excitement.
“You’ll never guess what happened,” she blurted.
“You got a job at Bean Me Up?” I hazarded.
Ellie deflated slightly. “How did you know?”
It was scary how accurate my wolf’s nose was getting.
“Lucky guess.” I decided not to mention that she reeked of Virgil’s scent. “When do you start?”
“Monday.” She beamed. “The manager said I have a natural talent for customer service.”
Bo and I exchanged a look as she went back to practicing her coffee making.
“You should stop her,” Bo whispered stealthily. “She’ll probably poison someone!”
“You don’t know that!” I whispered back.
The doorbell rang before my dog could come up with a clever repartee.
I left the kitchen to go answer it and stiffened when I picked up on a pair of familiar scents coming from the hallway. Bo followed me with a look of hesitant hope.
Victoria was on our doorstep, Pearl in her arms.
“Good evening,” the Hawthorne matriarch said.
“Yo, fam,” Pearl said regally.
“Furball!” Bo wagged his tail so fast I was worried he would achieve vertical lift off.
I let them inside. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t call first.” Victoria swept past me, her gaze taking in our apartment with barely concealed curiosity. “I was in the neighborhood and thought it best to tell you this face-to-face.”
I narrowed my eyes. Judging from recent experience, I was pretty convinced I wasn’t going to like what she said. Victoria pretended not to notice my suspicious stare.
Ellie popped her head out of the kitchen. “Oh. It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Hawthorne.” She hesitated. “Would you like some coffee?”
Victoria’s mouth curved in a small smile. “I would like that very much.”
“The coffee might be poisoned,” Bo warned Pearl in a low voice.
I hushed him. Victoria pretended not to notice as I escorted her into the living room.
“So this is how the other half lives.” Pearl jumped down from Victoria’s arms and looked around. “This place is smaller than my litter box.” For once, her voice didn’t drip with its usual degree of contempt.
“Not everyone can afford a million-dollar mansion,” I muttered.
“Try ten million,” Pearl said.
I choked on air while she navigated the floor gingerly with her delicate paws.
“Wanna see my pad?” Bo asked excitedly.
“You have a pad?” Pearl asked doubtfully.
“Okay, it’s a basket, but it’s still nice.”
Victoria and I watched them leave.
“It’s good to see Pearl getting along with your dog,” Victoria murmured. “She doesn’t have many friends.”
I hesitated. “You know that’s because she acts like a prima donna, right?”
Victoria sighed. “Rumor has it the first thing she said to her mother after she was born was ‘How dare you present me with such a filthy litter of siblings.’”
I could totally see that.
Ellie brought our coffee over and joined us. To my surprise, it was delicious.
“So what is it you needed to tell me?” I asked Victoria guardedly.
I could tell she was trying to avoid the subject.
Victoria put her cup down and visibly steeled herself. “There’s a regular social function at Chateau Montmartre we need to attend.”
Yeah, I pretty much hated every word she’d just said.
“Chateau Montmartre?!” Ellie gasped. “You mean that posh place where they serve tea in gold-rimmed cups?”
I chewed my lip. Chateau Montmartre was one of the most high-end hotels on the East Coast. It boasted luxurious suites that catered to celebrities and royalty, two Michelin-star restaurants, and an afternoon tea salon with a one-year wait list.
It was not the kind of place that ever featured on my bucket list.
“I’m sorry, Abby,” Victoria said apologetically at my accusing expression. “It completely escaped my mind after what happened with the Council. All the important supernatural families in Amberford will be there. I intend for it to be your official introduction to our supernatural society.”
“When is this thing?” I asked wearily.
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
My mouth pressed to a thin line.
My weekend of R&R was doomed before it even began.