His answering grin was hesitant, but it was there. “Do you need any help?”
I figured by the tight way he was holding himself that asking him to rub me down then rub off against me might be a bit much, so I merely shook my head. He indicated the pile of clothing. “Help yourself. They won’t fit perfectly, but they’re clean and warm. Use anything in the bathroom you want or need. I’ll make you something to eat.”
I dropped my pyjamas and hoodie on the floor of the en suite, grimacing at the state of the trousers. Eh, worst case I’d do without until I found a new job. The shower was everything I needed; seemingly unlimited hot water, and every product any bloke could ever need for a bit of pampering. Wrapped in a fluffy towel, I found a new disposable razor on the side by the basin, and scraped my face clean, not that my beard grew any faster than it had when I was fifteen. I wondered if that was another product of my funky genetics.
Dressed in clothes that smelled of Luc, I wandered through to the living room, admiring the open plan design and the understated luxury the place exuded. I peered through the blinds to see a spacious balcony. He’d done all right for himself.
Curiosity satisfied, I followed the scent of coffee to a visually stunning kitchen. But I didn’t take more than a cursory glance, because huddled over the unit at the far end was Luc, his back to me and his shoulders shaking. I crossed to him in seconds and laid a hand on his arm. “Luc?”
He turned, and gulped an ugly, ragged sob. “I thought you were dead.” Tears coursed down his cheeks, and his beautiful amber eyes were anguished. “I couldn’t hear your heartbeat, at all. I thought they’d killed you, and I…I…” A fresh wave of misery assaulted him and he broke down, covering his face with his hands.
“Oh god, Luc. Come here.” I opened my arms, and closed the gap between us to nothing. “You should know better than to think anyone could finish me off that quickly. I’m tough, you know.” I gently removed his hands, and tucked him into me, cradling his head in the crook of my neck while his tears soaked my borrowed top, whispering nonsense, and kissing any part of him I could reach while he cried himself out.
Finally, he took a shuddery breath and sniffed deeply. “Ahh, god, I’m sorry.”
He tried to pull away, but I held firm, and snagged a length of kitchen towel which I pressed into his hands. “Don’t say sorry for having feelings, you idiot. Blow your nose, then tell me again how much you love me.”
His sigh was heartfelt. “Fuck, Charley, I’ve never known pain like it. I was only holding it together because the thought of being restrained by three vampires was so awful, I didn’t dare lose control. Why the hell couldn’t I hear your heartbeat?”
I didn’t have a clue, and I told him so. “Hang on, three vampires? Who’m I missing? You don’t mean Eleanor, or do you?”
He managed a watery grin. “God no. She’s human, regardless of what goes on between her and her undead boss. I meant Sorley. Oh yeah, you probably weren’t in any state to notice him. He’s one of Dalziel’s — possibly literally by the way he reacts to him like Dalziel is magnetic north. He got volunteered to get locked into that shack in your place. Stanno is in for one hell of a nasty shock.”
I paused to think how that made me feel. ‘One of Dalziel’s’ presumably meant Dalziel had changed him, turned him into a vampire. That was something I’d only mentally skated around the edges of, not sure how I felt about turning humans into immortal beings. I hoped it had been consensual. But for now, I shelved it: not my body, not my problem.
I took Luc’s hand, and towed him through the flat so we could sit together on his couch. “Stanno’s not going to enjoy this, is he?” I couldn’t help but enjoy the edge of pure malice in my thoughts. The fucker deserved everything that happened to him. “What’s the plan? Presumably they’re not actually going to unalive him?” Yep, I was definitely not a nice person because I found myself caring only about the vampires’ well-being. Stanno could fuck himself on a rusty chainsaw for all I cared.
Luc shook his head. “No. Scare the shit out of him, then hand him over to Ledge and the club, who have already said they’ll pass him onto the police. Or what’s left of him.” He dropped his head onto my shoulder. “I really thought I wanted my turn at hurting him, but I’m so relieved you’re in one piece, it’s like I’ve got nothing left.”
“He’s not worth getting your claws dirty,” I assured him. “How about you take a nap, and I’ll poke about the kitchen and find a snack?” He paled, and apologised he’d forgotten to make good on his promise of food. I kissed him and told him I was pleased that angst over my theoretical demise was more important than snacks. Then I kissed him some more, because I could.
Apparently he didn’t love me enough to trust me not to set the place alight, because my offer to cook propelled him out of his seat. We concocted a mishmash meal of tinned soup, toast, and fruit. Luc ate the chicken lumps from the soup, leaving me with the veggies. He cleared the dirty crocks away, and checked his phone for the umpteenth time. “Still no word.”
“Stanno stank of beer,” I mused. “For all I know, he was planning to sleep it off and come back in the morning. That won’t work well for the vampires.”
Luc glanced up at me from where he was leaning against the counter. “If it comes to it, Dalziel and his crew will hand over the vigil to Ledge. It’d be a bit disappointing not to fuck with Stanno’s head a bit, but he won’t chance any of them getting caught out by the dawn.” I swivelled to stand up, and he stepped into the gap between my thighs, carding his fingers through my hair. “Speaking of dawn, you’ve had a stressful time. D’you want a nap?”
I did not want a nap. “Let’s race or kill something on a video game,” I suggested. I’d clocked an Xbox, a PlayStation and a Switch, and had some serious gaming envy.
Luc poured himself a massive glass of wine, and me an equally large glass, except mine was three-quarters blood. He shushed me when I protested I was fine, explaining Baxter had brought it, and after what I’d been through, it was wise to keep topped up. He sat patiently while I flipped through all his many options and finally chose a car chase game I’d seen but not had the chance to play. I was losing by two games to one when Luc’s phone vibrated.
He snatched it up. “Yep?” I presumed he knew who was calling. “Uh huh. Yeah.” His lips widened into a feral grin. “Excellent.”He listened some more, then said, “Just come over. Yes, all of you, although if that arsehole sneers at me again in my own home, tell him I’ll personally be delighted to lash him to my balcony railings and break out the popcorn while I wait for dawn.” That confirmed my suspicion it was Dalziel on the other end of the line. I was obviously more tired than I realised if I’d not been sure of this. No doubt I’d recover quickly though.
Luc drained his wine glass with a grimace. “Hope they don’t plan on staying all day. Not sure my blinds are vampire proof. Plus, I don’t want them here.” He slid a hand behind my neck and hooked me close. “I’d much rather spend some down time ruining you for other men.” My breath hitched at the thought, before he groaned. “Shit, I forgot about your parents. You should go home. They must be worried sick about you.”
Argh. But he was right, I should go. I looked down at my borrowed clothes. “What’m I gonna tell them? I’m not putting my wet things back on.”
“Wait ’til everyone gets here, and we’ll make a plan. Nobody will expect you to change, don’t worry.” He tucked me against his side and inhaled my hair. “You always smell amazing anyway, but I like you even better with my body wash all over you.”
I wriggled one arm between him and the sofa, and under his top. “That’s ’cause your wolf is a fucking Neanderthal. How long d’you think we’ve got?” I tilted my head in order to lick a stripe up his neck, catching his ear lobe between my teeth, and biting down gently.
He pressed a button and the TV screen went dark. “We’ll make time. Bedroom, now.” His eyes glittered, and I walked backwards in front of him, shedding my clothing as I went, one eye on the bulge in his jeans. Oh yes please.Make me forget everything but you.
* * *
It felt crowdedin Luc’s apartment, but I was fuck-drunk and loose-limbed, sprawled on Luc’s lap as if he were a cushion, listening as Dalziel updated us about what had happened in our absence. The guy I didn’t know, Sorley, took great delight in detailing everything he’d done to Stanno, before partially wiping his memory and handing him over to Ledge and Razor. Before they’d melted into the shadows, Baxter told us they were pretty certain they’d also found the murder weapon, a kitchen knife wrapped in a torn bandana and shoved in a box under a heap of tools. “We didn’t touch it, obviously,” she said, “but we could all smell the blood on it. Well dodgy place to stick a knife unless you were in a hurry and were planning to come back later to dispose of it. Razor was damn near shitting himself with the need to inform the cops.”
“Oh yeah?”
