“The pleasure’s all mine,” Christian called out.
Blue appeared in the doorway, wearing a brown sweatshirt and pants. “I’m here to relieve you.” She snatched Wyatt’s hat and put it on her own head. “What do you need me to do?”
“Let me sleep for at least five hours without interruption; I’ve been up all night.” When he got up, she took his place. “Keep an eye on this message box. If you get message requests from anyone other than Mr. X, click this button. That’ll ghost ’em. I have to leave my screen name, so don’t change it. If he sends you a message, call me. Don’t bother me with other questions.”
She glared up at him. “And if you don’t answer?”
“That only happenedonce. And I was, um, in the bathroom.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t be all judgy,” he said, making air quotes. “I can’t ignore my bodily functions.”
“According to Claude—”
“I’m going to sleep!” he announced, bustling out of the room.
Blue put her feet up on the desk. “If your version of sleep is a porno magazine and aloe vera lotion, then sleep well!”
“I have sensitive skin!” he yelled from the hall.
“Do you need help with anything?” I asked her.
She locked her hands behind her head. “Nah. I got it covered. Hopefully something pops up soon and Viktor doesn’t keep me at home.”
“Worry not, lass. He’s probably saving you for the dangerous work.” Christian jerked his head toward the hall, summoning me out.
Once in the hall, we strolled toward the front stairwell.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he said in earnest. “Old habits die hard.”
“You mean bloodlust?”
He chuckled. “It hardly counts as bloodlust. That’s when younglings can’t control themselves, or when feeders have too much and go into withdrawal.” Christian clasped his hands behind his back. “I used to have an arrangement with a phlebotomist for an occasional drink. It’s not uncommon among Vampires trying to keep on the straight and narrow. I used to take it home and drink it at my leisure, but since we couldn’t separate, that meant staying in the hospital. One drink led to three, and it was hard to control myself since I was right at the source. I honestly thought I could handle myself.”
“Nobody’s perfect,” I said, understanding that we all had our moments of weakness. “When you told me not to drink from the dead, I assumed that included bagged blood. Not that I would ever do that.”
“The blood is drawn from a live body and then frozen. It’s not the same as fresh blood, but you can store it in the fridge for a short time.”
“Why does it make you drunk?”
“It’s processed though some infernal machine where it’s all separated, so it can sometimes produce side effects.”
“Like swinging from giant balls?”
He lifted his chin. “It’s not as easy as it used to be to get your hands on free blood, let alone AB negative. Most people drink alcohol when they want to wind down or wish away their problems. Vampires desire a little hemoglobin. You’re not wired with the same cravings.”
“Weren’t you addicted to Lenore?”
“That was Vampire blood. Not the same. And I’m strictly talking AB negative. Less than one percent of people have that type; it’s not easy to come by. Especially in blood banks, which is why I used to know a guy. Then the higher authority ruined all the fun for everyone. I don’t expect you’ll understand, but hanging around a hospital brings back good memories. I haven’t been able to drink like I used to, and I was feeling a wee bit nostalgic. I knew where they kept it, and I knew how to get it. But it’s not as simple as it used to be.”
I put my hands in my sweatshirt pockets. “I hope you got it out of your system.”
“I had a lot on my mind. Let’s just leave it at that.”
I knew what he meant. After running into Lenore, I wouldn’t have minded knocking back a bottle of tequila myself.
When we reached the staircase, Christian gripped the railing of the descending stairs and sighed. “I lost points with your da. I can’t win that man’s approval. You gave me an impossible task.”
