"Because you were trying to apologize. Or punish yourself. Or?—"
"I wanted to." The words came out quiet but clear. "I've wanted to since I first saw that ridiculous smile of yours."
Charlie's brain short-circuited. "My ridiculous smile."
Simon's mouth twitched. "Yes."
"Wait, does that mean you wanted to kiss me while you were hunting me?"
"Apparently."
Viktor made a sound that might have been a cough or might have been barely suppressed laughter.
"That's messed up," Charlie said.
"Yes," Simon agreed. Then, with a small grin, "At least we're not actually cousins."
Charlie laughed in spite of himself. He'd completely forgotten about the remark Simon had made to his boss.
Too late, Charlie noticed that Simon used his distraction to extricate himself. He glanced at Viktor. "You know what I need you to do."
And then he turned to the door and left before either of them could try to stop him again.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
The gravel driveway curved through manicured woodland for nearly a quarter mile before the main building came into view in the headlights of Viktor's car. A little while later they stopped in front of what looked like a cross between a nineteenth-century manor house and a yoga influencer's fever dream.
"Reconnect Retreat," Charlie read from the tastefully weathered wooden sign. "Digital Wellness & Authentic Living."
"Subtle, right?" Viktor killed the engine. "Nothing keeps mortals away like the threat of having to disconnect from their phones."
Charlie nodded distractedly while he studied the building, looking at the ivy that crawled up the brick walls. "You sure about this?"
"These aren't regular vampires." Viktor's fingers drummed against the steering wheel. "We'll be okay here."
Before Charlie could ask more questions, the massive front door opened. A woman in linen pants and a cream sweater glided down the steps. She looked to be in her mid-forties and her heartbeat sounded human.
"Welcome to Reconnect!" She smiled brightly. "I'm Sage. You must be Viktor's friend."
Charlie climbed out of the car, immediately aware of his borrowed clothes and the faint smell of rabbit that still clung to him somehow. "Charlie."
"Wonderful. We're so pleased you're joining us for this journey back to authentic connection." Sage's eyes swept over him with the practiced assessment of someone who'd worked customer service for years. "First time?"
"Yeah."
"You'll love it here. We're all about stripping away the artificial barriers modern life creates." She held out a small linen bag. "Phones, tablets, any devices go in here. Part of the digital detox."
Charlie pulled out his dead phone, its black screen reflecting nothing. "It's already pretty detoxed."
Sage laughed. "Perfect. You're ahead of the curve."
Viktor handed over his phone as well, without comment.
Sage offered another smile. "Now, let me show you to registration." She led them through the doorway into a large foyer with dark wood paneling and white expensive-looking rugs.
The registration desk looked like an antique. Another human girl sat behind it, this one younger, with the dead eyes of someone who'd expected way more from adulthood thanthis.
