“Very sorry,” the man muttered, his voice trembling. “Won’t bother you again.”
“Thank you. My partner, Benji, deserves an apology as well, don’t you think?”
I put the phone on speaker as Benji’s former boss said in a thin, strained voice, “Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Excellent,” I said. “I have business to attend to, so have a fantastic evening.”
The line went dead in a hurry, and I handed the phone back to Benji. He blinked at me wide owl-wide eyes.
“What the hell was that?” he asked incredulously. “You just shut my boss up likethat!” He added with a snap of his fingers.
A smirk graced my lips. “It’s always amusing how quickly humans change their tune when you mention you own the business they’re working for.”
“Oh, yeah,” Benji said. “What was that whole thing about the Tenebrae Group?”
A bat servant fluttered by to politely take the phone from Benji, then flapped away. I noticed how much calmer he’d been around the bats lately. I was glad to see him ease into comfort instead of his previous fear.
“When you’ve been along as long as Margaret has, you accumulate quite a bit of wealth,” I explained. “She began a conglomerate centuries ago, meaning she owns many business who ultimately report back to her. Many of the businesses you frequent are owned by the Tenebrae Group.”
“Whoa,” Benji said. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s not something we boast about,” I told him with a smile. “It’s not a good look for those with wealth to show it off unnecessarily.”
Benji sighed and leaned back in the bathing pool. The shimmering pink water shifted around him, and with the movement, the sweet-smelling oils floated up into the air.
“This is crazy,” Benji said with a laugh. “I never imagined my life would end up like this. Becoming a rich vampire’s omega.”
“Indeed you are,” I said, running my hand over his shoulder possessively.
He blushed and continued. “I wasn’t really anything - or anyone - before this, you know? I was just a cashier at some supermarket, going nowhere in my life.” He grinned sheepishly. “Hell, and then I got fired. The way I live now is like something out of a movie.”
“Well, it’s not a movie,” I said, moving in closer to him. “It’s very real.”
To illustrate my point, I let my hand snake down his chest, ending up just below his belly. He shivered in anticipation.
But before I could touch him, the bat servant returned with an urgent squeak.
“What now?” Benji groaned.
The bat flapped its wings hard and let out a shrill cry.
“I think it’s important,” I told him. “Who is it?”
Benji mumbled something under his breath and took the phone without looking at the screen. “Hello? Who is this?”
With my heightened hearing, I caught the other voice clearly. “Benji! It’s me, asshole!”
Benji’s jaw dropped. “Caleb! Oh my god, how are you? Are you okay?”
“Well, duh, I’m calling you, aren’t I?” Caleb replied.
“Shit, I guess so. How do you feel?”
Caleb chuckled. “Um, kinda crappy? I did just come out of a big, invasive surgery. But thanks for asking. I mean, I definitely feel better than I did before, and I can only get better.”
“That’s right,” Benji said. He couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face, and it warmed my heart to see him so happy. “God, it’s just good to hear your voice.”
“You too,” Caleb said. “So, um… Are you gonna tell me abouthowyou got that money now?”
