CHAPTER ONE #3
Mr Intense looked down first to her laptop under her arm, then to the other one. Luce held an advanced Taser against his body. She twisted it. It was powerful enough to ash him.
“It’s strong enough to take down a Vamp. Wanna test it?” she asked smiling up at him.
Mr Intense removed his hands in surrender and took a step back. Luce wasn’t sure she liked that. He nodded at her.
“Ok you need Regin’s vranks and I will teach you to use a gun. And call me Alex.”
Blimey, this guy was throwing her…….
“Emm Alex that’s nice of you and all, but you know Pete’s my man and he will be teaching me to use a gun.”
Alex shook his head. “No. He’s human and spoken for, you need a Vamp. Me.”
Confused she looked at him. “Err thanks but why do I need a Vamp exactly?”
Alex looked at her with such intensity her body creamed. “Your human.” He told her and walked away. Now she was seriously confused.
What the hell did that mean and who made him lord and master?....
Pete came out the house followed by Val and found her standing there. “Ready?” he asked. She hoped she’d made him proud tonight, well apart from the outburst that was. Pete had given her chances that others hadn’t. She owed him. But that was her.
“Yeah. Umm Pete, Alex said he was going to teach me to use a gun but I’d rather you did. Is that going to be a problem?”
“I don’t see why. Why do you think it will?” She felt uncomfortable.
“I told him you were my guy. And he got a bit….. I don’t know. Just said I needed a Vamp and that you were human and taken. I didn’t really understand what he’s trying to say but then he just walked off like that was it. Done deal or something.”
Pete looked at Val. Val seemed to hold his gaze for a bit then turned and smiled at her. “I’ll talk to Arturo and clear it up for tomorrow night ok.”
Relaxing she nodded. “Great thanks. I’m starving let’s go.”
Alex watched the girl leave with Pete. She was …. He didn’t know what. He’d overheard the conversation and it amused him. He scared her on some level. She was running from him and that was good. He should scare her. They all should. They were monsters and she wouldn’t survive in his world.
He should make her go. Let her run from him and watched her grasp her laptop tighter walking into the darkness.
She … affected him and if he allowed it, he would get her killed. He couldn’t face that again.
Maybe she was different? Maybe she could protect herself … a bit and maybe, he could show her more?
Maybe, she’d have the chance to survive this. She wasn’t a naive child; he feared to hurt. She might look it, but he sensed a strength in her.
Marcus wouldn’t be able to overtake her will.
She was strong, not weak and scared. He’d tried just a little with his own power and it had had no affect at all.
That was good. She would need that. It would help her survive.
Now he needed to make sure she understood what she needed to do to protect herself. What she needed to kill.
Those like him.
And if she wouldn’t stay away, then he’d have to make sure she could fight.
Watching her leave the grounds his fear for her heightened, his beast growled, and he had the intense need to protect her. She’d be a target out there but with Val, or not, she was protected and headed to meet with his people.
One night ago …
Lucie Elizabeth Jane, known as Luce to her friends found herself corralled into a small reception room next to Arturo’s office.
“Err Charlee, I’m not a secretary you know.”
Charlee looked amused. “I know, Arturo thought this would be the best place as its near to his office if you need him and the main server. If anyone talks to you like one tell Jenson.”
Luce frowned. “Doesn’t Arturo have a secretary?” Her attention grabbed by the lady she now knew as Regin, coming in, Arturo’s wife.
“No Luce, I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. He doesn’t but does need one. Actually Charlee, why doesn’t Arturo have a secretary? We need to look into that.” She told them both.
“I’m not a secretary.” Luce repeated.
Regin laughed. “No I get that. Like Charlee said, anyone who acts like you are, tell them you’re not and to speak with Jenson until the position is filled ok?”
Luce nodded. “Good enough. Where do I set up?” Charlee pointed to a highly polished ornate desk and modern leather desk chair with all her equipment stacked up next to it. It came with its own phone and table blotter. “You want me to use that?” She asked turning to Regin.
“Yes, is that ok?”
She nodded with a really worried expression on her face. “Aren’t you worried I might damage it. It’s an antique.”
Regin laughed again and shook her head. “Everything in this house is an antique including Arturo.”
Surprised and a little scared she stared at her. “I err won’t be telling him that.”
Regin linked her arm and pulled her towards the desk laughing. “It’s all yours so make the most of it. If your thirsty or hungry, dial 7 on the phone for the kitchens and I know, Alice would be very happy to make you anything you want.”
“Wow really. Anything?” She had her happy bug on. Oh yeah….
“Anything. If we don’t have it, we’ll get it ok.”
“Wow, that would be great thank you.” Walking round the table running her hand along the surface. It was like silk. Beautiful. The workmanship a masterpiece. Taking her seat and laying her laptop down on the blotting paper she heard Regin tell Charlee to make sure she ate.
Just loving this job……
And opening her laptop she plugged in.
Connecting all her equipment and uploaded.
Luce looked around the room as a Vamp brought in her four new stacks.
It was hardly private with one door to the hallway and one to Arturo’s office.
It did make a perfect secretary’s office, with two desks, another identical to hers and several chairs dotted about in groups and an ornate fireplace. The full-length windows a surprise.
She’d have thought that Vamps would avoid windows, but looking again, she could see a film on them. Interesting. UV protection. Smart. But that didn’t help her with the feeling of being ‘on show’.
Then she remembered seeing a screen of some kind in the room before this one on the other side of the hallway.
Getting up walking around her desk to the doorway she poked her head out.
No one around. Tip toeing along the corridor she came to the open doorway and peeked round it. Another sitting room of some kind.
And grinned when she saw the screen. Perfect. Walking quickly over to it, she gently folded it closed and lifted it.
Shit.… it was heavier than it looked……
She managed half a dozen steps and had to put it down.
Jeepers…….
Taking several deep breaths, hosting it again she tried again. Another stop, near the doorway. Breathing hard she peeked out and checked the hallway was still clear while rubbing her arms. They were killing her. She needed to get to a gym. Stat. Or maybe not. It really wasn’t her kind of place.
Steeling herself she had to cross that hallway into her office space. She took several deep breaths. Braced her arms on the sides of the screen and lifted heading straight out into the hall and down the corridor to the open doorway of her space.
Oh my god……. Her arms were screaming….
She put it down inside the doorway unsteadily and held on.
Fuck….
Shaking her arms out and breathing heavily she walked around the space catching her breath.
She was going to need a drink after this.
Coming back to the screen she prepared for one more lift.
Taking a deep breath and holding it she braced her arms and lifted.
It came with her smoothly and she almost ran across the room with it, stopping just about where she wanted it keeling over onto the chair breathing in deep.
Bloody hell…..
Standing again, shaking out her arms and flexing her hands she opened the screen to the left and blocked the view of her desk from the doorway, opened the right and blocked Arturo’s office door.
Boom! And her work was done here!....
Only too satisfied, if exhausted and in need of that drink, she made sure she had an entry way to her desk along the windows and the two chairs in front of the desk were still useable if someone came to see her. Perfect.
She was not a secretary.
Lifting the phone she pressed 7. A female answered. “How may I help you?”
“Hi Luce I’m working in the room beside Arturo’s and I’d appreciate a chocolate milkshake or any milkshake and something to eat. Any sandwich as long as it’s not fish if possible.”
“Of course. Milkshake with ice cream and cream?”
“Ooo yes please.”
“Turkey salad and mayo in the sandwich?”
“Oh yes that sounds great.”
“Maybe a cake too?”
“Lady, I just died and went to heaven. Thank you I would like that very much.” Luce heard chuckling on the other end of the phone.
“You’re welcome. Carol will bring it up shortly.”
“Thank you.” Luce told the phone as it went dead. And sat back in her chair rubbing her hands together.
Wow this was just epic…… Time to get to work….
All her equipment unpacked and put together, systems up and running, she was on her second milkshake and her piece of cake.
Both were delicious. She’d taken the time to print off a sign alerting people to her presence.
Not wanting to overhear anything she shouldn’t, printing it off on a wifi printer in Arturo’s office with ‘Do Not Disturbed Working’ on it.
And not wanting to stick it to the screen she’d folded it over the top so it could be seen should anyone bother to look.
Good enough….
She was here to work.
Completely engrossed in her new networking system she didn’t realise that her milkshake had disappeared from the desk and was being slurped. Only when the noise registered did she turn in its direction confused by the interruption, annoyed that it had disturbed her.
Leaning against the window the Vamp Alex appeared to be drinking a milkshake. It took her a minute to realise it was her milkshake.
Oh hell no……