Chapter 12
Twelve
Sully
On Monday, Zoe stays with me while Ru heads back to II Tech to ask for leave. I got up early to say goodbye to him. Made me nervous, watching him go.
I went back to bed afterward, and between Twenty-Four on my pillow and Socks curled up against my side, I managed to fall back to sleep for a few hours. Or a lot of hours. Daytime is hard for me judge.
Later, I heard Zoe poking around in the kitchen, so I dragged myself out of bed to spend some time with her.
I’m relieved she’s here. I don’t like being alone, and I do like Zoe. Very much. She’s nice and funny and thinks Ru should be my boyfriend, so aside from Ru, she’s my favorite person in the whole world right now.
Granted, I don’t know many people, but she’s definitely one of my favorites.
She still qualifies any mention of my being a vampire with “and I’m not saying I believe it” or something to that effect, but I don’t mind. If that makes learning vampires are real easier to swallow, then it’s fine with me. I’m glad to have her company.
“Ru wasn’t kidding when he said you didn’t buy any real food.” She closes the fridge and checks the cabinets.
I’m not sure what she means because there’s tons of real food in the house. I bought, like, four different types of cookies alone. “He’s stopping at a store on his way back. Want to try the candy in the pink and yellow bag?”
Zoe grabs the bag and tosses it to me. “Nope, but you can have them. Starbursts aren’t my go-to brunch food.”
I shrug and tear open the package while she puts bread in the toaster. The pastel colored squares are sweet and squishy. I like the way they feel between my teeth. “Mmm.”
She rolls her eyes. Her pajamas look so soft and cozy, I’m almost jealous. They’re big on her, purple and fuzzy in a way that make me want to reach out and touch. Her hair is hidden behind a purple bonnet, and her skin is glowing almost like it’s wet or something.
“Sully. You’re staring.”
“Oh, sorry. You look, I don’t know, awesome. What’s on your face?”
Her brows arch. “Moisturizer, why?”
“I like it. And I like your bonnet. And your outfit. You look nice.”
Her gaze narrows. “Thank you?” she says like it’s a question, which makes me confused.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No, not wrong, just strange. That’s not how people talk to each other.”
“You smell good too. Why not? Why don’t people say these things?”
“Thank you,” she says and this time it seems genuine. “I don’t know, they just don’t. Like, it’s too honest? Don’t worry about it.”
If she says not to worry, then I won’t, but I have very little experience making conversation. I’m not sure what else to talk about. I’m so curious about her. “What’s your job? Are you an engineer like Ru?”
She laughs. “Nope. Hated math in school. I majored in sociology, which isn’t the most employable field. Especially without a higher-level degree, and I was done with school after my BA. I work for a nonprofit that helps… uh, women who need help. It can be stressful, so I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Oh, okay.” Damn. I’m out of ideas.
“Tell ya what,” she says. “Do you want to try the moisturizer?”
A flutter of excitement races up my spine. “Yes!”
The toaster dings. She plates the bread and turns on her heel. “Come on then.”
I follow her down the hall to the room she stayed in last night. It smells good too. Sweet and bright. Maybe even a bit like the candy I’m eating, but softer. I can’t get enough of it. I sniff the air greedily.
“That smell is body spray. It’s called ‘Berry Secret.’ You want that too?”
So generous. I’m overcome with warmth for her. “Can I?”
“Yeah, sure. Hang on.” She retreats to the ensuite and comes back with a puffy black velvet band. “Put this over your head.”
“Like a crown?”
Her grin makes me happy. “No, like a necklace.”
I follow the instructions. The material is lush like nothing I’ve even felt before. I like the way it feels on my skin.
She crunches on a bite of toast, sets her plate on the bedside table, and stands in front of me. “May I?”
I don’t even know what she’s asking, but the answer is definitely yes. “Yes.”
“God, your hair is gorgeous.” She pushes my hair behind my ears and smooths it back, then lifts the velvet band and slides it up onto my forehead, keeping my hair from falling forward. “There.”
“I like it.”
She smiles. “Good, now go wash your hands with the soap on the counter and then wash your face with this.” She hands me a cream-colored bottle that’s somewhat see-through with a bubbly liquid sloshing inside. “It’s been ages since I’ve done a proper makeover. This will be fun.”
I’m so excited I could spit.
But I won’t.
Because gross.
Inside her bathroom hides a treasure trove of little bottles and tubes and small circular containers and brushes and puffs. The smells overlap to an aroma that’s a bit overwhelming, but very welcome.
When I’m clean, she points to the closed toilet. “Sit. We’re starting with toner, not that you need it. Not that you need any of this. Your skin is perfect.”
“Yours is better. So dark and lovely.”
“Thanks, weirdo. Now shh, keep your face still.”
With gentle fingers, she smooths the liquid across my cheeks, over my forehead, my nose, my chin.
I can’t help but lean in. Her touch is careful, feather light, and kind.
No one but Ru has ever touched me in a kind way.
And not like this. So delicate. I would love for Ru to touch me like this. Would his fingers feel different?
“We let that dry.” She fans my face. “Then we go in with a vitamin serum. This supports healthy collagen and provides antioxidants. Again, not that you need it.”
“I want it.”
A low chuckle resonates from her chest. “You are the definition of touch-starved, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know.” I’ve never heard that term, but it does seem to fit me. Starved of touch. Yes. I feel that way.
“I’m guessing you don’t need sunscreen, so we’ll skip straight to moisturizer.” She adds another soothing layer. No wonder her skin looks so glowy and damp. So many luxurious products. How have I lived without them for so long?
I close my eyes and enjoy the gentle handling and the sweet fragrances.
“Feel like indulging me?” she asks.
A sprinkle of nerves flutters beneath my skin. “How?”
“You’d look super hot with a bit of eyeliner. Ru won’t know what hit him. Can I?”
“Yes. Absolutely yes. Anything you think Ru would like, please.”
Her smile widens. “So you aren’t the reason you and Ru aren’t boyfriends. What’s his hang up?”
“Well, until you said something, I didn’t even know he was gay.”
“He didn’t tell you that? He’s not closeted or anything. He’s been out since before we met.”
“Guess it didn’t come up. But that’s not the only reason. He’s afraid of me.”
“What? No, he isn’t. Last night you hand fed him frosting-covered popcorn.”
“He’s good at hiding it. But he is. The blood freaks him out. He avoids even looking at me when I drink it. I’ve ruined his life, Zoe. He’ll never like me that way.”
“Don’t be so sure.”
I hope she’s right.
Meanwhile, she’s looking me over from head to toe and back again. “You know,” she says, “you’re not much bigger than me. Want to try on some of my clothes?”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about something in my entire life. “You are my favorite human. Don’t tell Ru.”
“And you’re my favorite…” She almost says the V-word, but chickens out. “Weirdo. Come on, let’s dig through my bags. I have a sweater that’ll bring out your eyes.”
Ru
It’s a struggle to keep my face neutral as I go through the motions at II Tech. Like I’m not sweating. Like it’s just another ordinary day. Like I didn’t just smuggle their prized vampire hybrid to Vermont in the past 48 hours.
“You all right, man?” Malachi bumps my elbow with his. “You look stressed.”
I am stressed. Malachi is probably my best friend here, but I can’t talk to him about this. It’s too big of a risk. Secret’s gotta stay secret. “Just tired. Slept funny.”
Jenkins is annoyingly cheerful about some girl he met over the weekend. Normally, I’d try to be happy for him, but my mind is racing.
What do they know? What do they suspect? Was it a mistake to come here?
But the gears of II Tech tick along like ordinary—as ordinary as it can be while they search for Sully—so I’ll keep pretending nothing’s wrong.
I tap at the frame of the open door to Oliver’s office to get his attention. My breath comes tight and shallow. This is no time for an asthma flare-up. Nerves on fire, it’s now or never.
“Martin. What’s up?” He sounds normal enough. Looks at me without any obvious signs of suspicion.
“Is this a good time for a chat? I need a favor.”
“A favor?” His brows knit as he gestures to the chair opposite his desk. Not a good start. “Sit down.”
Oliver’s office is standard. Clinical. Not a personal item to be found. No family pictures. No knickknacks. Even the pen in his right hand is standard issue from II Tech. He’s been my boss for a year, and yet what do I really know about Oliver Kalinov?
Nothing.
“We have a busy week ahead of us, Martin. What kind of favor you asking for here?”
Might as well come out with it. Tap dancing will get me nowhere. “Some personal stuff has come up recently. I need to take a leave of absence to deal with it. A month, maybe more.”
His bushy eyebrows climb his forehead. He scoffs. “You’ve got to be kidding. Tell me you’re kidding. At a time like this?”
“I’m sorry. The timing couldn’t be avoided.”
“We need all hands on deck until Specimen 19 is recovered.”
I came prepared for this sentiment. “My part is up and running. The behavioral model based on his design parameters is finished. It’s predicting his movement patterns as we speak. Jenkins can run the simulations without me at this point.”
“Jenkins is half the engineer you are and you know it.”
“Then get Malachi to—”
“Malachi is overworked as it is. I can’t afford to lose you right now. We need you in the field.”
“But, I’m not an ‘in-the-field’ type of guy. I’m a behind-the-computer type of guy, and unfortunately, my family situation won’t wait.”
He leans in, scowling. “I thought your parents were dead. You’re not married. No kids. What family?”
Some part of me is appalled at how casually he mentions my loss, but I can’t dwell on it now. “Cousins, actually.”
“Cousins?”
“Cousins I wasn’t aware of until recently.
” Here comes the lying. I tell myself to stay calm and just say it like I practiced in the car on the way over.
How hard could it be? “I’m the executor and primary beneficiary of my parents’ will, but I haven’t done the necessary due diligence allocating their assets because I didn’t think I had to.
It was just me. The house, their bank accounts, all their personal belongings.
But with cousins coming out of the woodwork, it all needs to be properly assessed and documented. ”
“You can’t be serious.”
Does that mean he believes me? “I am. And apparently they had property near Zurich, but the deed’s MIA. It’s a lot to track down. I need the time off to handle it right. Will probably have to fly to Europe.”
“Martin, you’ve had a year to take care of all of this.”
“I haven’t. My family had a year to contest the will, and they’ve done it last minute.
Had they spoken to me, they wouldn’t have needed to because I don’t mind handing over their share.
The trouble is, I don’t know how much their share needs to be, and now I’m on the clock to find out. Sorry. It’s court ordered.”
“The best I can do—”
“Oliver, have you the report I requested—oh, my apologies.” Voijin stands in the doorway looking sincerely sorry for interrupting. “I wasn’t aware you were occupied. But I do need that report.”
My nerves, jittery already, explode under his intense gaze.
“Yes, give me a moment.” Oliver turns his attention to his monitor.
Voijin comes in closer, too close for comfort. “Hello, Dr. Martin. What brings you to Oliver’s office?”
Should I tell him? I don’t have much of a choice. But Sully smelled vampire outside of my house. What if it was him? What does he know?
I shift in my seat. “Um, I had some family stuff come up, and I need a bit of time off.”
“A lot of time off,” Oliver remarks. “You mentioned a month.”
“Or more,” I say.
“Oh, dear.” Voijin’s cold hand lands on my shoulder. “Is there anything I can help with?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. I’ve been remiss in getting my parents’ affairs in order, and now my family informs me it can’t wait any longer.” The lie is beginning to sound true even to my ears.
Voijin squeezes my shoulder gently. “Then, by all means, you must take the necessary time off. Family will always be more important than work. Wouldn’t you agree, Oliver?”
I’m stunned.
The last thing I expected was for Voijin to help my case with Oliver.
Oliver who’s looking mighty put-out with that last statement.
He has no choice but to agree now. He’ll look like an ass if he doesn’t.
And I won’t even need to bring up the fine print in my contract—the tiny section about emergency leave.
“Certainly,” Oliver chokes out. “Take the time you need, Martin. Family first.”
“Go ahead and leave early,” says Voijin. “I insist. You’ve precious matters to attend to.”
I always wondered who was the real boss here at II Tech. Voijin has never asserted any authority that I can remember, so I always assumed it was Oliver.
Guess I was wrong.
Voijin reaches for my right hand and takes it in both of his. “If you need anything, Dr. Martin. Anything at all.” His gaze threatens to penetrate my walls. “Please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Um, thank you, but I’m sure I’ll manage.” Chill bumps prickle up my forearm. His hands are cold as the grave. Not at all like Sully. Sully is warm and full of life.
Voijin is decidedly not.
“If you change your mind, you’ll find I’m at your service. I’ll treat your family as if they were my own.”
What. The. Fuck.