Chapter Twelve
After a smooth landing, a hired car meets us on the tarmac and drives us through Boston and into Salem. On the short journey into the city, I point out the sites, both historical and otherwise. The architecture here is an eclectic blend of New England charm and modern cityscape.
There is an inherent beauty in the way the old blends seamlessly with the new, as if history had a hand in designing the future. Even in this age of technology, humans seem to have a deep-seated appreciation for the past here, or at least their version of it. I”m sure the witches would have another tale to tell.
We pull up in front of the hotel and make our way inside. I”ve found the most luxurious accommodations money can buy for our stay, and based on the way Lola gapes at her surroundings, I”d say she agrees that I”ve outdone myself.
”Wow, Drake! This is amazing,” she breathes as she takes in the ornate décor and lavish furnishings in the lobby.
”I aim to please,” I tease, brushing a kiss on her cheek. ”Come. Let”s check in.”
She follows me to the front desk, where a well-dressed young man greets us with a polite smile. Once we have our keys, the concierge ushers us into a sumptuous haven, a suite fit for royalty. It has every amenity one could imagine—a full kitchen, a spacious living room, a lavish bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub, and a spectacular view of the city.
The spacious living area boasts plush, custom-designed furnishings that invite indulgence, and floor-to-ceiling windows unveil a panoramic spectacle of the city”s glittering skyline. The tasteful décor features exquisite artwork and classic, antique-looking pieces that complement the sleek modern aesthetic.
We take our luggage into the bedroom, which is just as impressive, with a king-size bed adorned with luxurious bedding and fine linens. Beside the bed, a small table displays an arrangement of fresh flowers, lending a fragrant, welcoming aroma to the room. The en-suite bathroom, a masterpiece of marble and glass, invites relaxation with its oversized bathtub and rainforest shower.
It”s the epitome of luxury, a decadent refuge from the outside world. I’ve always taken great care in selecting the finest accommodations for my travels, and this is no exception. The amenities are to my standards, and I’m pleased with the attentive service from the staff.
But it’s Lola’s reaction that truly satisfies me. Her awe at the grandeur of the suite and her delight at the luxuries on offer are like a balm to my soul. I’ve spent centuries surrounded by the trappings of wealth and excess, but it’s a rare privilege to be able to share my experience with someone who appreciates it.
“Oh, my goodness,” Lola murmurs as she explores the suite. “This place is incredible!”
I smile at her enthusiasm. “I’m glad you like it, Lola.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “I don’t think I could ever get used to this,” she admits. “It’s just so... extravagant.”
“Well, you should get used to it,” I tell her. “You deserve it, even if you’ve yet to have it. Though perhaps one day I’ll spoil you even more than this.”
She gives me an incredulous look. “Even more? Drake, this is already more than I could ever imagine!”
“Just wait until we’re done here,” I chuckle. “The world will be your oyster, Lola. You’ll never want for anything again.”
She grins and wraps her arms around me, standing on her tiptoes to reach up and kiss me on the lips. “You’re spoiling me already, vampire.”
“If you think this is spoiling you, then you don’t know me very well yet,” I tease, sliding my hands down her back and giving her a playful smack on the ass.
She jumps and lets out a surprised squeak. “Behave yourself,” she chastises, but there’s no bite to her words.
“All right, all right,” I concede. “You go ahead and settle in. I need to meet with some associates.”
“Associates?” she inquires, arching a brow at me.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” I assure her.
“I see,” she says, not sounding convinced.
“They have a hot tub downstairs and a spa connected to the lobby. Go ahead and enjoy some pampering while I take care of this business,” I suggest.
She hesitates a moment before nodding in agreement. “Okay.”
“Good girl.” I press a kiss to her forehead and bid her farewell, leaving her to enjoy the pleasures of the hotel while I attend to my errand.
The city awaits, its neon-lit streets pulsing with the promise of dark delights and hidden secrets. When I’m back in my seek sedan, I instruct my driver to take me to the address my contacts provided. As I’m driven through the city, I watch the comings and goings of people on the streets and revel in the anonymity of my human disguise.
Soon enough, we’re pulling up to an apartment building in a questionable part of town. The driver announces our arrival and opens my door to let me out. I thank him and step out into the night, taking in the graffiti-strewn walls and the clusters of young people lingering on the street corners.
In the distance, I can hear the faint thumping of music and the occasional siren. It’s a far cry from the opulent surroundings I left Lola in, but this is where I need to be.
I make my way up to the second floor and knock on the door of unit 201. There’s a long pause before it swings open, revealing a haggard-looking young man with shaggy brown hair and bloodshot eyes. He eyes me suspiciously and asks what I’m doing here.
“I’m here to see King,” I reply.
“He didn’t mention anything about visitors.”
“I’m not a visitor. I’m a client. Drake Hastings.”
His eyes widen in recognition, and he steps aside to let me in. ”Wait here,” he grunts.
He disappears down a darkened hallway, leaving me alone in the living room. There are two tattered couches, one of which is occupied by a young woman who seems to be passed out. The television is on, though muted, and a half-empty bottle of whiskey sits on the coffee table.
The whole place stinks of desperation and neglect. I can only imagine what King gets up to in this pigsty of an apartment.
After a few minutes, the shaggy-haired man returns with King in tow. King is tall and lean, with close-cropped blond hair and a cocky attitude. He”s wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, and his feet are bare.
”So you”re the infamous Drake Hastings,” he drawls, appraising me with cold blue eyes. ”Simon told me you”d be by to see me. You don”t look so tough.”
I smile humorlessly. ”I”m sure we can dispense with the posturing and get down to business. My time is valuable, King.”
He scoffs and runs a hand through his hair. ”That it is,” he says. ”I hear you”re looking to rob a museum here in Salem. That true?”
My eyes dart to the woman and then to the kid who answered the door. King follows my gaze and chuckles. ”Don”t worry about them. They work with me. This here is Cipher, he”s our tech guy, and that”s Acid.”
”Acid?” I repeat.
”It”s because she can burn anything down, not that we”re talking about that.”
”Got it,” I say, cutting off any further discussion about her unique skill set. I pull out a picture of the knife, passing it to him. ”This is what we”re after. The artifact is in a museum here. I need your expertise to get past their security and create a diversion, and Simon says you”re the man for the job. Is that right?”
He lets out a low whistle as he studies the picture. ”Looks fancy. Those markings... that”s not just decoration on the blade, is it?”
”No,” I state bluntly. ”It”s more important than you can possibly understand.”
He shoots me a sidelong glance and smirks. ”Maybe so, but I have a feeling it”s worth a pretty penny.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes. ”You”ll be compensated, rest assured.”
He nods slowly, still eyeing the photograph. ”All right, Hastings. You”ve got yourself a deal.”
”You sure you can handle it?” I ask. ”My guys did some preliminary research, and they say that the security at the museum is tight.”
He laughs in my face. ”No offense, Drake, but your ”guys” don”t have the experience that mine do. We”re professionals. We can get in, no problem. When do you want it?”
”As soon as possible.”
King nods and hands the picture back to me. ”You”ll have it, then. We”ll need a few hours to set everything up. There”s a warehouse nearby where we can finalize the plan. Meet us there at say, nine in the morning?”
”I don”t do mornings,” I tell him. ”Make it nine at night.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. ”You got it. The address is—”
”Text it to me,” I interrupt him, waving him off. ”And don”t forget, King. This isn”t just some ordinary knife. We need to be discreet and precise.”
”Yeah, yeah,” he says, ushering me toward the door. ”We got it under control, Drake. Cipher insists. We know how to handle our business. You”ll get your precious knife.”
”I better.” I allow King to shuffle me out into the hall, where he closes the door behind me.
With that settled, I return to my car and instruct the driver to take me back to the hotel. On the ride back, I contemplate King and his team. He seems to think he can handle it, and I”m inclined to agree with him. He may look unassuming, but Simon wouldn”t have pointed me in his direction if he wasn”t confident in King”s abilities. Plus, in my experience, looks can be deceiving. I”ve learned to trust Simon”s judgment.
If I can”t have my team with me for this, I”ll settle for King”s ragtag crew of criminals. They”re professionals, after all—at least according to Simon and King—so I shouldn”t have any problems working with them. As long as they can get the job done, I”ll be satisfied. And if not... well, let”s hope it doesn”t come to that.
Now, I have a more immediate need to attend to. I have a tasty woman waiting for me back at the hotel, and I intend to feast on her once I”m back. Not literally, of course, though the thought has been growing on me. It would be a delicious way to mark her as mine. Perhaps someday.
In the meantime, I”ll settle for sampling her sweetness and pleasing her in ways she never imagined. Just thinking about her writhing beneath me and moaning my name gets me hard. I”m still not sure how I ended up in this position—wholly entranced by this mortal woman—but I”m going to enjoy every moment of it.
By the time I make it back to the hotel, I”m practically buzzing with anticipation. I take the elevator up to our floor, my eagerness to see Lola mounting with each passing second. When I reach our room, I swipe the key card and burst into the suite, only to find an empty room.
At first, I”m disappointed that she”s not here, but then I remember the spa and hot tub downstairs. I”m the one who urged her to go enjoy herself, after all. She probably just hasn”t made it back yet. But then I get this feeling, this vibration of discomfort in my gut that something is wrong. Something is... off.