What was he supposed to do now? Get up and go home? He didn’t think he could drive right now, even if he could locate the rest of his clothes. He was dizzy just from sitting up, and his stomach was now deciding whether or not it had a bout of dry heaving.
He looked around the room again. It was dark, but a lamp had been left lit for him to see by. He spotted a secondary door to the room. A bathroom?
Could he walk to it?
Luis took a breath, and then another. He tensed his muscles to test them, and they still felt weak, uncooperative.
What the fuck had been in that drink?
How stupid he’d been last night, taking the drink. Karim had even made a comment about it. He hadn’t liked Ericimmediately. Instead of believing Karim’s instinct, Luis had picked a fight.
Fuck, he was so stupid.
Luis had never considered he could be a target for something like a drugged drink. He’d walked Cassie home for years because he knew the risks for women, had heard plenty of stories from her about being harassed when she was minding her own business.
But Luis had never considered he could be a target.
See?A voice cut in sharp, accusatory. It sounded like his mother’s.You go out and that’s what happens. It’s dangerous out there. You took a chance and were almost–
That–that was not helping.
Luis wrapped his arms around his bare torso. Eric hadn’t had the time to do anything to him, he was pretty sure, but just the memory of being in that car made his stomach clench. If Karim and Julien hadn’t been there, what would have happened?
He shut his eyes. He couldn’t think about it. Couldn’t deal with it right now.
Luis took a breath, and then another to try and bolster himself. Bathroom. Some freshening up would help.
Slowly, he lowered his legs to the ground.
But the moment Luis tried to put weight on one of his legs to stand, it gave out. He went down with a painful groan, hard enough his hip sent a shock of pain through him.
“Fuck,” he hissed. He’d luckily landed on a plush rug which had spared him from a more painful injury.
“Luis?” came Julien’s voice from behind the bedroom door.
His heart stammered, adrenaline jolting through him. Before Luis could reply to stop him, the door opened.
“Oh, dearest,” Julien said the moment he spotted Luis sprawled in his underwear on the floor.
“I’m fine,” Luis said, already trying to claw his way back up to the bed. His face was hot with shame.
But Julien wasn’t deterred. The man was immediately at his side, lifting him by both arms as though he weighed nothing.
Julien gentled him back to a seat on the bed. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
His arm slid around Luis to support him when he began to slump. He was so pathetic he couldn’t even keep himself upright.
“I’m fine. Sorry. I just stood up too quickly.”
Julien made a low, empathetic sound. “You scared us last night, Luis. Karim started feeling weird after you went to the bathroom, and we realized it must’ve been your drink. Few things can affect a vampire.”
“I’m really sorry,” Luis said, turning away from Julien. This was the first time Julien had ever touched him, and it was in pity. “Sorry about everything last night.”
The arm around him squeezed. “Please don’t apologize, that wasn’t your fault. If anything, we should be apologizing to you. Neither of us realized what was going on until it was almost too late.”
Too late. Luis shivered and Julien held him tighter. It made his belly swoop.
“I’m glad y-you did. Um. Just sorry you had to deal with that. I can order a car and be out of your hair in a few minutes.” He’d need to find clothing, but it was surely around here somewhere.
