Page 30 of Just the Pool Boy at Vampire Mansion

“Witherborne who?” I asked, playing dumb. I’d been told, by Bet, that my dumb impression was extremely convincing.

“Lives next door. Why’s he out cold? Did you do that?”

“What?”

“Drugs.” The thin guy butted in, and sniffed.

Big Guy and I both looked over at him.

“What?” Thin Guy said, sounding defensive.

“Nothin’,” Big Guy hedged. “Just wonderin’ how you’d know that, is all.”

“It’s always drugs with that generation.”

“You’re probably right,” I butted in. I poked Theo with my shoe, for show. He didn’t wake. “I should uh . . . take him back next door, maybe? Which way is it?”

“Right over there.” Big Guy pointed toward the Witherborne Mansion’s lights barely visible through the palm trees.

“I’ll tell Mr. Briar about this.” I smiled. “You guys don’t need to worry.”

“So how come you’re checking hardness levels near midnight?” Big Guy asked me, now deciding to be suspicious.

“It’s uh . . . cooler. Perfect time to check the water. Morning water gets hard. You want it soft.” I waffled. “Soft is always better.”

“Not every morning.”

“I like it hard,” Thin Guy said.

Big Guy looked at him. “Don’t say shit like that near me, bro.”

“Like what? Hard water, it’s good for exfoliating. Look at my face, see how clean my skin is. Touch it.”

“I’m not touching your face.”

They finally ambled off, arguing about male skincare products. I made like I was packing up the pool stuff, until their voices had faded.

“Hey . . .” I crouched beside Theo.

Nothing.

A vampire who couldn’t face blood?

Here we go again.

I couldn’t leave him on the neighbors’ property with some kind of family feud going on and Jeremy being the likely murderer. Yet again, Theo Witherborne was a problem I was going to have to clean up to keep both of us out of trouble.

“Saving your fine vampire ass once was unlikely enough,” I sighed. “Twice makes it look like you aren’t even trying.” Weren’t vampires supposed to be all about control and elegance and poise? Why did I have to get involved with the one who was the opposite of all those things?

I grabbed his wrist, pulled him into a sitting position, ducked into his chest, and heaved him off the ground, flopping him over my shoulder. “Carrying your sexy ass home was definitely not in the job description.”

I headed back the way we’d come.

“So, what did we achieve? Not much, honestly.” I mumbled to myself. “We don’t know why Jay was here or why he was killed.”

Theo’s head bumped against my back. His arm dangled, brushing my hip every time I had to twist to maneuver us both through the bushes.

“We learned I can’t say no to you, which is kinda dangerous for a guy in my position. I should definitely ditch you as a client tomorrow.”