CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“What are your plans with Declan tonight?” Alexius asked me the next evening, shortly after sundown, blood ready for me. He slid it across the counter, and I made a face.
“Nothing. I think this was a bad idea,” I admitted to him.
“He, uh…” I tried to find a way to put it.
“I was telling him about things, and it really freaked him out. Said I seemed like I had been body snatched. I think he and I need a few days, maybe a week, to really come to terms with how much I’ve changed and… you know. Then we’ll try again.”
“I’m sorry,” he said gently. “I know you were looking forward to seeing your brother.”
“Can I help you instead? I actually went to Court of Coffee last night. Lexi had given me a pack list of places for supernaturals, and after I stormed out on Declan, I wanted to see somewhere new. Wren gave me a, uh, freebie and let me in to the office. You’d been there earlier?”
“What kind of freebie?” Alexius asked, half-growling.
“Just to read what sort of intel they collect on you and me. And I saw him add my visit.”
“Good. Wren deals secrets in sex acts sometimes, and you are beautiful enough for him to consider the currency.” Alexius looked like he’d deliver death to Wren if it had happened.
“Though, he’s been known just to like beautiful people and to sleep with them.
” Alexius sounded like he would murder Wren for even attempting.
“He’s really good looking, so if anyone can get away with it…” I said, shrugging.
“Are you saying you would be interested in that?” Alexius asked, staring at me like I had said something insane when I was pretty sure it was a perfectly normal thing to say.
“Would it be a problem if I had a sexual appetite and slept with someone? A girl’s got needs, you know,” I snapped.
“Then…” Alexius was finally flustered. “Just not like that, please. What you do…” He stormed off instead.
“This trip was so we wouldn’t go more crazy,” I muttered, then drank my entire meal in one go. I checked my phone to see I had twelve missed calls from Declan and ten texts.
“Holy shit, Declan.” Groaning, I checked the texts.
Some were angry with what I had said. Most of them pleaded for me to come over and give him at least one movie to just hang out.
No important conversations, no Lexi, nothing like that.
Just share space for a moment. The last was that he was worried about me.
That was the one that got me to call him back.
“Oh, Everly! You answered. I was getting really worried you were going to leave for Georgia and never talk to me again.” He sounded so relieved.
“Hey, Declan.” It actually healed something in me to know he had been worried I would do that. I wouldn’t. I’d have to make sure he knew that. I’d never really abandon him like that.
“Look, I want to apologize…” Declan made a noise. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“I have a thing with the local vampire nest tomorrow that I need to get ready for. But please don’t forget that I’m here for a month and we’re on day three or something, Declan. A couple of nights just to cool our tempers after the last conversation isn’t the end of the world.”
“I know… We should probably work out what days you can come over and how free I am, because I can only use so many emergency sick days to stay up late with you.”
“Oh, shit, that’s right! You don’t really have vacation. I bet I could swing something to get you time off.”
“Please don’t involve the werewolves. Make a calendar, and we’ll both fill in our halves tonight. While I’m bummed we’re not going to hang out tonight, I get it. And I know that you have appearances you need to make since you’re a vampire in a place you don’t live. That makes a lot of sense.”
“Yeah. Mistress Maria is kind of really fucking important,” I said, making a face. She wanted me to go to a blood club, and I couldn’t decline. A moment later, I heard a door, and the rumbling SUV started in the garage. I stood up to look out the window as Alexius left, without even saying goodbye.
“That’s one of the vampires you mentioned… You know what? No. I’m going to live intentionally ignorant right now. Get a calendar up, and we’ll make a proper schedule. We should have done it initially.”
“Yeah, but the whole trip was so rushed.” I sighed. “Blame my boss. That’s what I do.”
“Will do. Love you, Everly. I mean that.”
“I love you too, Declan.” I smiled and hung up, feeling a bit better about facing the night.
Should I have told him about Henry?
No. He doesn’t need that right now. I don’t need it right now, but I should figure it out.
I looked at the number I had already saved in my phone and decided it was time to call it. Early in the night. He’d be waking up and getting started with his evening just like I was. Hopefully near his phone and not busy with whatever work he had or would be doing.
From one tough call to another.
“Henry speaking,” he said, something curious in the way he said it. “Who is this?”
“It’s me, Everly,” I said, and heard him inhale.
“You called,” he said, like he didn’t believe it.
“I called,” I said, nodding to myself as I went to sit down on the couch. “So…”
“I’m off tonight, if you want to meet,” he said quickly. “Oh, I’m so happy you called. You have no idea, Everly. I never thought…”
“I have a list from someone of supernatural places in the city. Are all of them like Wren’s place, or is there somewhere we can talk somewhat privately?” I wanted to get right to it.
“There are a few places in Los Angeles we can talk privately that will allow a couple of vampires. You have to pay for the privilege, though.”
“Money isn’t a concern.”
“Then I will send you an address…” Henry was the one thrown off now. Or he seemed like it. “I could just meet you at home, you know.”
“I’m not in a place to be accepting guests. And I’m not sure I want to do this in yours. A third-party neutral location, Henry.”
“I can give you that,” he said softly. “I’ll see you there in an hour?”
“I can do that. If I’m late, it’s because I’m new to L.A. I’m not going to stand you up.”
“Then we’ll make it two hours from now. I’ll see you there.”
I hung up. Goodbyes seemed… personal, friendly, professional. I didn’t care to do any of that for Henry.
A text came through quickly, and I got ready. Nearly an hour away, I was grateful he pushed the meeting time because it gave me time to do a little bit of research on the place. It was a high-end restaurant, but much of it seemed obscure.
I texted Alexius, hoping he got back to me.
Is this place good?
He got back to me in less than a minute.
Very. Serves vampires. Private. Expensive. Use my account for it and call ahead. Going alone?
I had to make a decision. Alexius was being intentionally cagey with me about what he was doing with Maria, but was that a dumb enough reason to hide Henry from him? Or did I just want to handle my uncle myself? Was that good enough?
Did I care if he would be mad at me for hiding this?
Right then, no. I didn’t.
Yeah. Treating myself after the drama of recent days, and it seems like a nice place.
I made the call right after that, quickly explaining that I needed a last-minute private room for two, adding who I was and what account the bill would go to.
Alexius didn’t have an open tab or anything, but the person on the phone knew who I was referring to.
I told them the other vampire would be a Henry, and that was all.
With everything confirmed, I put the phone away, ignoring Alexius’s final text, ‘Something like that’.
Since I had just fed, there wasn’t much I could even do at a restaurant.
I could chalk the visit up as research. What did restaurants do for vampires except offer an atmosphere?
The drive wasn’t smooth, but I did get there on time. Somehow. I nearly got in three accidents on the way, and I was nearly certain none of them would have been my fault, but in the madness of the traffic, I couldn’t be sure.
I was nervous as I handed my keys to the valet.
This place was valet parking only, and I learned quickly Henry had called ahead.
Either he had an in, or he name-dropped someone.
I wasn’t taken in the front door from the valet.
Instead, I was shuffled into a side door, where a lone man waited. Human.
“Miss Abbott, welcome. The rest of your party is already here. Would you like to read the waiver about costs?”
“I just need to know when you charge me,” I answered. He held out a small tray, so I pulled out the black card and dropped it there.
“You’ll get this back when you leave,” he promised. “Follow the young lady to your room.”
The hallway was dark, light peeking out of the private rooms, but it was almost impossible to hear anything.
There were a few things working against me.
The music in the hall and the main restaurant was louder than I thought it would be.
Second, it seemed like the walls were thick with soundproofing insulation.
Perhaps magic was involved from there to make sure they really provided the privacy they promised.
Finally, a door slid open, and there was Henry sitting alone at a table.
The room was outfitted for fine dining, and under different circumstances, it could be romantic.
The lighting was soft, and the natural tones, with the soft amber glow, were intimate.
With Henry sitting there, it wasn’t that type of intimate, but I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of Alexius in a place like this.
How he would lounge back in his chair, filling the room while tucked into a corner of it, the lighting making his dark eyes seem like they were whiskey and wicked thoughts.
But it was Henry there, so the thought of Alexius passed quickly as I met his eyes and found my seat.
“Two things before I go. There’s a button in the center of the table. Hit it if you need any assistance, like if you would like to put in your order. Also, please remember, violence on these grounds isn’t tolerated.”
The woman left, and there was a heavy silence in the small, private room. I thought of the button location, center table between us. If someone got slammed onto the table, the chance of hitting the button was high. They’d know if a fight broke out.
“Private enough?” Henry asked, smiling at the space like I wasn’t pondering how many ways to get into trouble without the staff knowing or scanning the room like a paranoid criminal.
“Yeah.” I clicked my tongue, realizing he had given me exactly what I asked for.
I had to pay for it, but I wouldn’t have known about the place if he hadn’t recommended it.
I stared at him, taking him in. He and my dad looked somewhat alike.
Over the generations, many things were lost. But it was in the shape of the nose, the line of the brow.
Some things stayed. If my dad were in the room, you’d think they were cousins or half-siblings. Maybe even actual brothers. Maybe.
“It’s been a long time,” Henry started when I never filled the silence.
He leaned forward in that casual, friendly way when someone is just talking to a loved one or close friend, believing the personal space between them was a space they were allowed to occupy due to familiarity. “How are you? I’ve been wondering—”
“Where were you?” I asked, cutting him off when it was clear he wouldn’t offer an immediate explanation for the years past.