Epilogue
“Turn it up–you know that’s my shit!” Salem shouted, twerking in the passenger seat.
“Ain’t you tired of this song?” Felix said, sucking his teeth.
Felix reached for the next button on the Apple CarPlay Screen.
“AHT AHT!” Salem said, smacking the top of Felix’s hand. “You think you slick.” He reached over and cranked the music up.
Salem had been playing “Get It Sexyy” by Sexyy Red all weekend, and this was Felix’s thousandth time hearing it. He was over it. Felix rolled his eyes and placed his hand on the steering wheel as Salem reached over and placed a kiss on his cheek.
“Well, you know what I really don’t get tired of?” Salem whispered in his ear.
“What’s that?” Felix said in a deep voice as he bit his lip.
“This,” Salem replied, as he reached down for Felix’s pants zipper.
“I don’t think we got time for that,” Felix chuckled. “We’re about two minutes away.”
“I'll make it quick,” Salem insisted, as he winked and tied up his locs.
“Hey babe,” Sage said, answering her phone. “Can you stop and pick up some lunch on the way back? Salem and Felix will be here in a few.”
“Already on it,” Portia assured, smiling through the phone. “Just text me what y'all want and I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Aight bet,” Sage said. They exchanged I love you’s and ended the call.
Sage had been pulling an all-nighter, working tirelessly to get things ready for the new operation the Washingtons were launching in Southbourne Hills.
Since Kannon had assigned her to the region, she’d been tripling the cash flow expeditiously.
The long hours left her in desperate need of food.
Although Sage was getting acclimated to her new life as a vamp and her desire for blood, now and then she had a deep craving for actual food.
She still couldn’t shake it. Blood helped soothe her appetite.
Natural-born vamps were accustomed to surviving on strictly blood, but vamps turned later in life took a while to adjust to the new craving.
Blood supply had been booming throughout each region, so they needed a quicker way to distribute more supply at a faster rate.
Sage came up with the idea to launch blood donation trucks to reach vamps and provide what they needed on-call—24/7 services at a faster rate.
Trucks were ready to go and were set to hit the road tomorrow morning, providing around-the-clock service.
With Felix’s new high-tech navigation system installed in each vehicle, they’d be able to track not only the location of the vehicles but also the amount of supply going out.
Felix was the Washingtons' right hand for all their tech needs, and this innovation was guaranteed to take things to the next level for them—no question.
Sage sat down in the lounge area of the warehouse as she got a text from Salem saying they were pulling up. She walked over to the entrance and opened the garage for them to pull in.
“Sisteerrrr!” Salem yelled as he got out of the car and ran to Sage’s full embrace. “I missed you, bitch!”
Sage laughed. “We’re only 30 minutes apart, Salem,” she chuckled. “But I missed you too.”
Salem held Sage’s face in his hands as he scanned her features. “Girl, you look different,” he said, squinching his eyes. “You glowinnnn!”
Sage smiled mischievously. She brushed her hand with her chin and licked her lips as she striked a pose.
“Mhm,” Salem said, inspecting Sage’s new look. “Must be looooove.” He walked around her, looking her up and down.
“The love bug got you too,” Sage said playfully, pinching Salem’s arm. “I see this new man you’ve been totin’ around town.” She looked Felix up and down as he approached them.
“That’s my man or whateva,” Salem said, biting his lip as he took in all of Felix’s 6-foot stature and chocolate brown skin.
“What’s up, Sage?” Felix said, dapping her up. “Everything ready to go?”
“You know it,” Sage said, eager to get the ball rollin’.
“So, I brought the microchips to install that’ll track the flow of the supply,” Felix began. “The way it works is..”
“Felix, my man…” Sage said, placing a hand on his arm. “Spare me the technical details. Just set it up.”
They shared a laugh. Felix's enthusiasm for his new technology was unwavering, even if his explanations didn't always captivate those around him. He knew they trusted him implicitly, regardless of their understanding of his work.
Felix nodded. “Aight, say less,” he said, heading over to the first truck for installation.
“Portia will be here in a minute,” Sage said. “She bringin’ us lunch.”
“Good, bitch,” Salem said, rubbing his stomach. “I’m hungry as hell.”
In the dimly lit warehouse, rows of blood-filled trucks stood parked, their refrigeration units humming softly.
Sage and Felix paced the concrete floor, finalizing plans for the morning's truck dispatch.
They discussed distribution logistics, with Felix detailing how he'd monitor each supply as they left.
Suddenly, a loud banging noise echoed from the far end of the warehouse. Sage and Felix exchanged wary glances. Salem and Portia had gone out for last-minute supplies, leaving them alone.
"What the hell was that?" Sage whispered to Felix. She instinctively turned her head in the direction of the commotion.
Felix reached for his gun tucked in the back of his pants. Sage’s senses heightened, catching the unmistakable scent of cold, hungry vampires.
"Stay right here," Sage instructed Felix, motioning for him to stay put.
"Are you crazy!?" Felix responded in a low tone. "I'm not letting you handle this alone. I got it." He pulled out his glock, ready for whatever might come their way.
"Trust me," Sage said over her shoulder as she moved forward. "Let me handle it."
Felix reluctantly nodded, keeping a cautious distance behind her. Unbeknownst to him, Sage was more capable than he realized.
Sage followed her heightened senses towards the shipping containers, where she sensed not one, but two vamps. Her eyes glowed red as she scanned the area, approaching silently. She heard movement and rustling from inside one container.
Creeping towards the opening, Sage found two shadowy figures kneeling amidst the supplies, drinking vials of blood. They were so engrossed in their feeding frenzy that they hadn't noticed her approach.
Sage moved swiftly, grabbing both vampires by their necks and lifting them off the ground. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
The vampires clawed desperately at their necks, struggling for air as blood spilled from their mouths—blood they had hungered for. They could only gasp in response.
"Sage!" Felix's voice suddenly rang out as he rounded the corner, freezing at the sight of Sage holding the vampires aloft. Shocked beyond words, he collapsed.
Sage sighed, unsure how she would explain this to Salem. Felix and Salem were oblivious to her new life as a vampire, but she pushed those thoughts aside. With resolve, she focused on subduing the intruders.
Using her strength, Sage subdued the vampires until they passed out. She bound them back-to-back in chairs, ensuring they had no means of escape. The immediate threat was neutralized, and she prepared to make a crucial call.
"Ayo, we've got a problem," Sage spoke into her phone. “Vamps on location in Southbourne. How the fuck did they find us?”
TO BE CONTINUED...