1
Dexter
“I must say,I was quite intrigued to receive your call, Dexter.”
Lucius Frangelico, the self-proclaimed “vampire king,” studies me with a very practiced tip of his head and a smile that, combined, are supposed to elicit a certain reaction from most people.
I am not most people.
And he’s notmyking. I damn sure didn’t vote for him.
Not that I have any desire to challenge him for his throne, either.
Yes, he apparently has one of those, too. If he thinks he’ll make me take a knee for him, he’s mistaken.
“Why is that, Lucius?” I’m well aware I’m probably one of very few people walking the face of this planet who know what he is, who can get away with not using honorifics with him.
“I’ve extendedhowmany invitations to you over the years, all met with silence? And now…” He lets his words drift into silence between us.
I settle back in my chair and swirl the glass of bourbon in my hand as the silence descends. I won’t try to bullshit him—that’d be useless and stupid. Just because we’re both eternal doesn’t mean I should waste our time.
“Between us?” I finally ask.
He tips his head again.
“On paper, I’m scouting for expansion opportunities. Tucson is an ideal location for a new casino, and I’ve nearly aged myself out of Atlantic City.” I sip my drink and savor the sharp bite of the liquor. He doesn’t press or interrupt me.
Like me, he’s a patient man.
It’s a skill we’ve honed over the many centuries spanned by our existence.
I take another sip of the bourbon and savor it. I would miss bourbon. It’s the closest thing I’ve had to experiencing the sun in over a thousand years, once I lost—
I clip that thought short.
The sun isn’t the only thing my soul deeply mourns.
Rolling the liquor around on my tongue for a moment before I swallow, I finally let the words coalesce and fall from my lips.
“Between us, I’m wondering what a Tucson sunrise might look like.”
Beside Lucius, Selene lets out a soft gasp. She’s his queen, always by his side.
Not just because she’s a wolf shifter he turned, either. Although that is a very good reason.
She’s far more deadly than Lucius and me combined, and she’s his mate, his wife…
And his bodyguard.
Even Lucius’ well-paid and highly trained security team cowers before her, vampires and humans alike. I saw the way his men tip their heads to her and averted their eyes when she entered the room. It had nothing to do with her being Lucius’ love and everything to do with their abject terror of her abilities.
While I had waffled a little over my plans, seeing how happy Lucius is with his mate reminds me how empty and cold my own life is and has been for…
Well, forever, it feels like.
Maybe I will look for my first sunrise in close to two thousand years. Greet it with open arms instead of running from it. What started as an idle thought several months ago has become an increasingly strong instinct as of late. But first, one last business victory.
Luciustsks. “It would be a shame for you to do that.” Hell, he even sounds sincere.
