Hmm. Decisions, decisions.
I think about Lucius’ men, and I opt for both. He can put the Henley on later. But a button-up shirt and a vest to start the evening.
Ohhh, yeah.
And he wears boxer briefs that probably make his ass look sexy as fuck.
Nom!
Two pairs go into the pile, along with a black leather belt that matches the boots. Grabbing his charger cord from the nightstand, I pause and press my face into his pillow and deeply inhale, nearly bursting into tears as his scent fills my lungs.
Yeah, I’ve got it bad for Fangster Hunkadoofalus.
Please let him be okay!
I find a carryon and pack everything in it except the cooler full of blood bags and the button-up and vest. The latter two items I tuck into his zippered garment bag that I located in his closet.
Where I also spot a plastic storage tub on the floor, tucked into the back. I missed it there earlier.
Opening it, I find supplies—rolls of duct tape, rolls of wide, blue painter’s tape, a couple of tarps, and…
A body bag.
I grab the painter’s tape, a tarp, and the body bag. It’s a little after-the-fact, but maybe they’ll come in handy.
If I’m going to have a pet vampire—or, rather, be the pet of a vampire—I need to stay prepared. I won’t get caught off-guard again.
I stow them in the carryon and head out, making sure both his room door and the outer suite door are pulled tightly shut behind me.
* * *
Once I’m backin the Audi, I text both John and Mark and let them know mission accomplished. Then I stop by the grocery store to grab a couple of things for us for dinner. Back at my apartment building, I remember to slide the seat all the way back, so Dexter doesn’t get kneecapped when he drives it next. Somehow, I manage to carry everything inside in one trip, although my heart’s in my throat when the elevator doors slide open on my floor.
I spot one of Garret’s men, Cairo—“It’s KAY-roh, like the syrup,” he’ll tell you—by my apartment door, leaning against the wall, his cell phone in hand and looking like he’s playing a game on it or something.
When he sees me, he pushes away from the wall, stows his phone in his back pocket, and covers the distance in several quick strides before I’m even all the way out of the elevator. When he reaches to take things from me to carry them for me, I let him.
“Hey, Cairo,” I nervously say.
He nods. “Hey, Connie.” He lives in the building, too. He’s one of Garrett’s cousins or something, a wolf shifter, and just moved to Tucson not too long ago. Single and hunky, I’ve had some pleasant interactions with him. Last time, he tried to offer to take me out to lunch. That was a few weeks ago, and I almost said yes.
I wish I had, now.
Or, do I?
I don’t know.
I notice he starts to reach for the cooler with the blood in it, then apparently realizes what it is and bypasses that, letting me carry it.
I drop my voice to barely a whisper, knowing the wolf can hear me as we walk to my door. “Thank you for this. I’m sorry.”
He tersely nods. “Boss said it’s okay, but if you want my opinion? Don’t let it happen again.” He tips his head down the hall. “Johnsons in the last apartment down there have three pups, you know.”
My stomach sinks. They’re a super nice family, a wolf shifter family. I’ve babysat for them before when their usual shifter sitter couldn’t make it. “Are they upset?” I fit the key in the lock to open the door.
He snorts. “They ain’t happy. Pretty freaked out, if you ask me. Alpha talked to them, but my advice would be to keep this on the down-low. I would also suggest getting him out of here as soon as possible this evening.”
Shit. My life’s impacting others in a negative way. Exactly what Ididn’twant to happen. “I’m sorry. We literally lost track of time. I couldn’t exactly stash him in a stairwell or something. I swear, he wouldneverharm someone here, or an innocent anywhere else, either. He’s not like other vampires. I will put my own reputation on the line to vouch for him.”
