Chapter 5
Chapter five
Saiden
Saiden whipped his car into the parking lot of the warehouse.
An icy chill ran down his spine, his senses alerting him to danger.
It was enough notice that he was able to narrowly avoid the old, blue Ford Focus trying to exit through the entrance lane.
He thought he vaguely heard a ‘sorry’ come from the other driver, but they were halfway down the street in seconds.
Sliding out of the McLaren, he snapped his head over to the door of the factory when it opened.
A woman carrying a large camera bag stepped out, and he halted halfway out of his car, his hand lingering on the door handle.
He had memorized the photo of Cora Lee in the file Marquin gave him, so he was certain the slender, awkward creature mumbling profanities as she fought with a set of keys was the person he needed to speak with.
Her long auburn hair was twisted into a braid that fell most of the way down her back, almost hitting the shapely ass that was partially hidden beneath a baggy, long-sleeve purple sweater.
He stood there for a second, watching her struggle to lock up the factory, and found himself mildly entertained by the creativity of her cursing.
He’d never before heard a person threaten a doorknob with being melted into ball bearings that would be shoved up the ass of a constipated rhino.
He absently wondered what the rhino did in her little scenario to deserve such a fate.
It wasn’t until her head popped up and she took notice of him that he realized he had completely forgotten his cover story.
Lilith take me, he thought. Her eyes were incredible. The way the bright amber color practically glowed in the fading sunlight. His vampire sight allowed him to see each and every speck of brown that drifted in her honey-colored irises, and he wanted to get closer, wanted to look even deeper.
“Hello?” Cora called out to him, and the sound of her lilting voice tore him from his blatant staring.
She approached him cautiously.
Smart girl. On her own in a secluded location with a stranger and no witnesses? She had every right to be wary. Saiden knew what he looked like, and even a grown man would be nervous if they were alone together in a parking lot.
Remembering his mission, he cleared his throat and finally shut his car door.
He didn’t miss the way her eyes widened slightly as she took in the $200,000 vehicle.
Investor, he recalled from her ad. She had been looking for an actor as well as someone to help with financing.
Glancing down at his Linkin Park t-shirt and faded jeans, he wished he’d dressed a bit more appropriately, but time had not been on his side.
“Hi there,” he said, smoothly striding toward her. “I’m looking for Cora Lee. Am I too late for the auditions?”
He could barely hide his grin as he realized he wouldn’t have to deal with any deceit from this adorable creature.
Every thought that went through her head played out across her face, and he watched as her expression morphed from worried, to curious, back to worried and then, after another long glance at his car, ended on curious with a hint of hopefulness.
She looked up at him and smiled.
His pulse thrummed a little faster, and Saiden couldn’t remember the last time it had done that. He was an enforcer, the very definition of unflappable, yet the curve of her full pink lips reminded him of hope, joy, and a million other things he had long since given up on.
Things that would ultimately just be a distraction if he didn’t focus on his goal.
It was supposed to be a quick mission. Get in, get the info, deal with any liabilities as needed, and get out.
He'd told Marquin he would be back at the compound by tomorrow morning, which meant he really didn’t have time to stick around just because his target had a pretty smile.
A really, really, pretty smile.
“You’re here for the auditions?” she asked, tossing her braid behind her once more and smoothing down the loose strands atop her head.
A nervous tick, he noted, committing it to memory.
“I am. My name is Saiden Massaro. I’m sorry that I don’t have a headshot, but I saw your posting at the last minute.
” He gave her his best imitation of a Hollywood grin and hoped it didn’t come off too much like an axe murderer.
He didn’t have a lot of experience with charming ladies these days.
Not that he ever did, if he was being honest. Like most vampires, he would only truly care about one person in his undead lifetime, and the fates would let him know when they finally arrived.
If they ever did. Lately, he was beginning to question what he’d done to piss Lilith off.
“Do you mind if we go inside?” he asked. “It’s a little warm out here.”
It wasn’t actually that warm. In fact, most Angelenos would probably consider it closer to the chilly side with the coast nearby.
The longer he spent in the sun, though, the sooner he would need to feed, and he’d stupidly forgotten to pack a blood bag.
If the McLaren didn’t have custom tinted windows, he could only imagine what kind of hangry state he would be in.
He should have fed before he left, but in all the chaos, it had slipped his mind. Not exactly an ideal situation when spending time around humans, but he considered himself more disciplined than most, so he could keep his fangs to himself like a true gentleman. It just sucked.
He watched the debate play out on Cora’s face as she tugged at her thick sweater.
Watched her eyes flash back to his expensive car and then down to his decidedly inexpensive clothing.
He guessed it was his face that ultimately made her decision because she analyzed his features for considerably longer than a person should in polite society.
Whatever she saw must have intrigued her because she turned and unlocked the door to the warehouse.
“Come on in,” she said pleasantly. “I can make time for one more.” She walked briskly into the room, stumbling as she crossed the threshold.
Without thinking, he dove forward and caught her arm before she could crack her pretty face on the concrete.
She steadied herself and gave him a curious look. “Thanks. Those are some quick reflexes you have there.”
“Can’t have my future director getting injured,” he replied with a wink.
She let out a self-deprecating laugh as she passed through the open space. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” She set her things down on a table in the middle of the room and began unpacking her equipment.
Saiden lingered just inside the doorway, watching her curiously. He could hear her heart pounding against her ribs, so he decided to hang back until she calmed down a bit. It wouldn’t pay off to scare her away too soon.
As she set up her camera, her heart rate slowed back to normal, and the slight tremble to her fingers disappeared.
She sat down and pointed to an X made out of blue tape on the concrete floor. “You can stand there.” Cora scanned a piece of paper in her hand, then set it aside. “I’m guessing you didn’t have a chance to memorize the audition script if you came here last minute, huh?”
He shook his head as he prowled closer, moving at a slow and steady pace so as not to frighten his prey.
“That’s fine,” she said. “We can improv it then.” Cora reached up and flicked a switch on her camera. “If you’re ready, let’s get started. Tell me, Saiden, why do you think you would make a good vampire?”
He couldn’t help it. The question was just too perfect. And if he was going to be forced to deal with humans, he might as well have some fun and give the girl a little thrill before he wiped her memories.
He grinned.
“Because I am one.”