a number, presumably Tuan’s, and got out of the limo to talk privately.
“Dr. Tredeger?” asked Boaz. “You okay, sir?” He spoke quietly, concern etched on his face.
“Fine,” said Adin brusquely. “I’m fine. I guess I’m going to have to see about my blood sugar. That’s twice I’ve felt faint in the last week.”
He straightened his sweater, which must have bunched around him when they’d loaded him in the limo. He sat up carefully, exploring how he felt. He remembered the buzzing sensation he’d had when he’d seen the man in the trench coat.
Adin’s heart froze. There were more of them .
He slumped back against the seat. Boaz handed him a water bottle and he nodded his thanks. Somehow, in the brief period of time he’d known Donte, known of Donte, it never occurred to him that there might be more.
Adin accepted, albeit unwillingly, a world in which vampires could exist; indeed, he accepted that Donte did exist. Adin had offered himself to Donte, knowing full well that if he did it, he would be slamming the door on the world he’d known his entire life. But he’d never thought this far ahead. There were others, not just Donte. There were whole legions, maybe, of things out there that he’d never believed in that he had to make room for now, in his imagination, surely, and maybe in his life.
“Boss?” asked a worried Boaz. “You’re sweating. Do you think we should go to the hospital?”
“No!” Adin said, louder than he meant to. “No. Just…take me home, okay? Back to the hotel. Then take Edward wherever he needs to go.”
“I’m not just going to leave you—”
“I probably have a touch of the flu, nothing more serious. I promise. Please, just do as I ask. I have a lot to think about. Bring me takeout when you return to the hotel, okay?”
“All right.” Boaz watched him speculatively until Edward climbed back into the car. Boaz looked as if he wanted to say something but in the end, he remained silent.
“Feeling better?” Edward looked Adin over closely. “You need to rest.”
“I know.” Adin patted the seat next to him. “I only just came back from Frankfurt a few days ago. I really haven’t been taking care of myself. I’m sure I’m just run-down.” He sighed. “Boaz is going to drop me off and then take you wherever you’d like to go. If you’re feeling motherly, maybe you can help him choose something to bring me for dinner. Would that be all right?”
“Now that, I can do.” Edward nodded at Boaz, who was backing out of the limo door. When Boaz closed the door behind him, Edward said plaintively, “I want a Boaz. He’s so cool! Do you think he would drive me if I asked him? I’d love to have a driver.”
Adin smiled. “I’ll bet he’d be delighted. He’s very efficient.”
“And he didn’t even get mad when I—” Edward bit his lip on a snigger. “You know.”
“I’ll bet you’re not exactly the first,” Adin remarked as the car pulled away from the curb.
Edward suppressed a smile. He got serious a minute later, gazing at Adin with naked anxiety. “Something’s different about you. You’d tell me if—” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.
“I’m healthy,” stated Adin. “I promise. I’m fine. I’ve had a shock with this manuscript, and then with the theft… My heart feels broken.”
“Oh, Adin,” Edward murmured sympathetically. “I know. I know. But don’t bother telling that to Tuan. It’s like trying to teach a rock to sing.”
“I believe that.” Adin took Edward’s outstretched hand in his. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Edward smiled his wide, white smile and chattered all the way back to the hotel. Adin tuned him out. There was so much he had to find out.
More of them.
There were more . And while Adin could cope with a world that had Donte in it, he was wholly unprepared to deal with vampires as a large and lethal group of undead people who actually existed. Suddenly he wanted Donte
“Dr. Tredeger?” asked Boaz. “You okay, sir?” He spoke quietly, concern etched on his face.
“Fine,” said Adin brusquely. “I’m fine. I guess I’m going to have to see about my blood sugar. That’s twice I’ve felt faint in the last week.”
He straightened his sweater, which must have bunched around him when they’d loaded him in the limo. He sat up carefully, exploring how he felt. He remembered the buzzing sensation he’d had when he’d seen the man in the trench coat.
Adin’s heart froze. There were more of them .
He slumped back against the seat. Boaz handed him a water bottle and he nodded his thanks. Somehow, in the brief period of time he’d known Donte, known of Donte, it never occurred to him that there might be more.
Adin accepted, albeit unwillingly, a world in which vampires could exist; indeed, he accepted that Donte did exist. Adin had offered himself to Donte, knowing full well that if he did it, he would be slamming the door on the world he’d known his entire life. But he’d never thought this far ahead. There were others, not just Donte. There were whole legions, maybe, of things out there that he’d never believed in that he had to make room for now, in his imagination, surely, and maybe in his life.
“Boss?” asked a worried Boaz. “You’re sweating. Do you think we should go to the hospital?”
“No!” Adin said, louder than he meant to. “No. Just…take me home, okay? Back to the hotel. Then take Edward wherever he needs to go.”
“I’m not just going to leave you—”
“I probably have a touch of the flu, nothing more serious. I promise. Please, just do as I ask. I have a lot to think about. Bring me takeout when you return to the hotel, okay?”
“All right.” Boaz watched him speculatively until Edward climbed back into the car. Boaz looked as if he wanted to say something but in the end, he remained silent.
“Feeling better?” Edward looked Adin over closely. “You need to rest.”
“I know.” Adin patted the seat next to him. “I only just came back from Frankfurt a few days ago. I really haven’t been taking care of myself. I’m sure I’m just run-down.” He sighed. “Boaz is going to drop me off and then take you wherever you’d like to go. If you’re feeling motherly, maybe you can help him choose something to bring me for dinner. Would that be all right?”
“Now that, I can do.” Edward nodded at Boaz, who was backing out of the limo door. When Boaz closed the door behind him, Edward said plaintively, “I want a Boaz. He’s so cool! Do you think he would drive me if I asked him? I’d love to have a driver.”
Adin smiled. “I’ll bet he’d be delighted. He’s very efficient.”
“And he didn’t even get mad when I—” Edward bit his lip on a snigger. “You know.”
“I’ll bet you’re not exactly the first,” Adin remarked as the car pulled away from the curb.
Edward suppressed a smile. He got serious a minute later, gazing at Adin with naked anxiety. “Something’s different about you. You’d tell me if—” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.
“I’m healthy,” stated Adin. “I promise. I’m fine. I’ve had a shock with this manuscript, and then with the theft… My heart feels broken.”
“Oh, Adin,” Edward murmured sympathetically. “I know. I know. But don’t bother telling that to Tuan. It’s like trying to teach a rock to sing.”
“I believe that.” Adin took Edward’s outstretched hand in his. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Edward smiled his wide, white smile and chattered all the way back to the hotel. Adin tuned him out. There was so much he had to find out.
More of them.
There were more . And while Adin could cope with a world that had Donte in it, he was wholly unprepared to deal with vampires as a large and lethal group of undead people who actually existed. Suddenly he wanted Donte
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