“Are you hungry?” I picked up a menu for room service and handed it to her.
She glanced at it and her eyes bulged. “Too expensive.”
“No. I’m paying. Order whatever you like. Ohhh, truffle fries.” I glanced at the menu. “Have you ever had those?” I rattled off a few other items and she shook her head shyly.
Well, if I couldn’t eat bacon or chocolate cake anymore, someone was going to!
Picking up the phone, I ordered a smorgasbord of yummy foods and desserts while Milika watched wide-eyed. When I hung up, I reached for the letter Carmen had brought. It was a simple letterhead with an invite for dinner at 7:30 p.m. Which ironically was probably breakfast to the vamps. It had an address I couldn’t decipher, but was hoping Milika would help us get there.
We sat in companionable silence while I wondered how much her debt was and if I could convince Luka to pay it. I also kind of wanted to see if he would come to the conclusion on his own about freeing Milika. I mean, we had told her we would get her out of here, but we’d need a solid plan to do that.
When the food came, I watched in fascination and jealousy as Milika ate everything in sight. Chicken fingers, fries, chocolate cake, French onion soup, cobb salad. All my favorites. She kept looking at me nervously while she ate and I realized I was staring.
“Sorry. I was human last week. I miss food,” I told her honestly.
She relaxed, grinning. “This is my favorite.” She pointed to the chocolate cake.
“Good choice. I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t like chocolate.”
We both erupted into laughter and I felt the lightest I had since getting here.
“What’s so funny?” Luka entered with shopping bags on his arm.
“Nothing. What’s all that?” I peered over at him.
Luka looked down at our casual clothes. “Dinner with a king. We cannot go in anything less than black tie.”
Whatever that means. I stood and walked over to him, reaching into the bag and pulling out a sequined emerald green dress. I grinned. “It’s beautiful.”
“Like you.” Luka winked.
“You are not normal vampires,” Milika observed, causing Luka to smile.
“I guess not, huh? Have things always been this way here?” he asked her as I slipped into the bathroom to shower and get ready.
When I was fully dried and slipped into my dress, I peeked my head out and called out to Milika. She was sitting at the edge of the bed talking to Luka, and looked up.
“Can you help me get ready?” I asked. Technically, I could get ready myself, but I wanted to get to know her a little better, and hopefully have her trust me. I knew it must be a shock to have two vampires just barge in like this and say that we were different.
Her face brightened. “Yes I can.”
She stepped into the bathroom and I pointed to the curling iron. “Do you know how to?”
She nodded. “My main job at the brothel is sanitation, but I do help the ladies get ready for their … dates.”
The anger rose up inside of me again, but I pushed it down. Those poor women, all born with debt as well I was sure, told they needed to work it off in order to be free. It made me sick.
I changed the subject: “So tell me about your family.”
Her cheeks blushed as she grabbed a chunk of my hair and started to curl it. “I lied before so you wouldn’t kill me. I have no living family. My nan died a few years back.”
I nodded. “I would have lied too.”
That brought a goofy grin to her mouth.
“Do you have family?” she asked.
I bobbed my head. “I grew up in an orphanage but recently found my mom and half-sister. They were being held captive in the Idaho breeder farm equivalent to your brothel.”
