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Okay, maybe it isn’t a lair. But still, I should be in a looney bin for the decisions I’ve been making lately. I could also blame it on this intense attraction and pull I feel towards him. I look into his unusual eyes and turn gooey inside. I have a healthy dose of fear somewhere in there too.

Ava seems content with this sudden turn of events, playing on her phone without a care in the world. Honestly, that’s part of why I’m going along with this. Knowing she believes and accepts everything he told us.

Mates? Vampires have mates for life, and for some crazy reason, he says I’m his.

Right now, I’m going to choose not to look at that too closely and concentrate on the murder of Beth and all those other poor people. Ryker assures me he can protect us. Looking at him, all dark and deadly, I decide I can put my faith in him. If he were going to kill us, he would have done it by now. From the things Ava shared with me, he could do it with a flick of his wrist.

We pull up to a large building that looks like an apartment but nothing I could ever afford. We all get out, and Ryker gathers our bags and takes the lead inside. We follow him through an elegant lobby to the elevator. He stays close to me, shooting me concerned glances. I feel the burn of his gaze on my cheek. The elevator stops on the second floor, and we follow him out. He knocks on the door, and Bash answers.

“Bash, this is Ava. Ava, this is Bash, your new roommate.” He waves his hand towards the apartment.

“Wait, what? Why am I staying with him?” Ava protests. I’m not sure how I should be feeling about this.

“Because it’s safer to separate you two.” Ryker hands her bag to Bash, who doesn’t look too thrilled about this either. He takes the bag stiffly.

“I want to stay with Serenity,” Ava pouts.

“My place is on the third floor, and it’s not like it’s that far. You can still see each other.” Ryker grabs my hand and steps back, pulling me. “There is no one I trust more than Bash. He will protect you.”

“I’m not happy about this either, princess, but he is my King. She is my Queen. I have to do what I have to do. I don’t want a human stinking up my place, but I’ll have to live with it,” Bash spits, his face showing his disgust.

When Bash calls me his queen, I stop staring at Ryker’s hand around mine and look at him. “Queen?” I ask.

“We can talk about it later,” Ryker says to me and then looks at Ava. “Be a good girl, don’t turn Bash’s hair more white.” He grins.

“Asshole. I don’t have any say in this?” Ava asks, fisting her hands on her hips.

“No. Our goal is to keep you both safe. Let us.” Ryker pulls me towards the elevator.

“I’ll call you later. I love you,” I tell her, smiling weakly.

“Fine. I love you too.” She turns toward Bash, glaring, “No drinking blood around me. No drinking my blood. No touching. Give me plenty of space. Jeez, you don’t snore, do you? Do you sleep at night or during the day?”

The elevator doors close before I hear Bash’s response.

I search my emotions for any fear. I’m alone with a vampire. A vampire that claims I’m his mate. I just learned about this new world living all around me without knowing. There’s a murderer on the loose, and I just willingly left my best friend with another vampire that I’m pretty sure hates her. He could kill her while she’s sleeping.

I’ve officially lost it. All I feel is warmth building between us. I feel safe with him. It took me a bit to identify it. It’s something I hadn’t felt for too long.

“I own the building. About five years ago, I bought this apartment building and renovated it. It only holds three apartments spanning the entire length of it, along with the first floor. Bash and Tristan live on the other floors. We have the best security you can have and two rotating security guards at the front door,” Ryker assures me. I vaguely remember a big guy opening the door for us, but I was too wrapped up in my head for it to register.

Ryker puts his hand on a large pad beside the door. He must have some massive security here. The question now is, how will I get out?

“Come on in.” He holds the door open for me.

It’s impressive inside. The first floor is completely open. Once you make it through the door, a small table is slightly to the left, and the kitchen is in front of me. Beyond that is the large living room with a fireplace and television. On the far wall is the floor-to-ceiling window. The light shines brightly throughout the open apartment. “So vampires can be in the sun. What other myths are false?”

“We don’t just drink blood. We eat food too. I love it. We can see our reflections too.” He puts my bag down, watching me wander around. “Our eyes are sensitive to the sun, but we don’t burst into flames when we go out in it; nothing a pair of sunglasses doesn’t cure.”

“Interesting. No coffins. Can you sleep whenever you want? Garlic?” I tease. On the far side of the large room, hundreds of books line the walls, old and new, the pages torn and read millions of times. Comfortable chairs and a couch fill the space for the ultimate relaxation time. I move closer, curious about the books he reads.

“I love garlic. I would hate to sleep in a coffin. I prefer to sleep in the morning, though. I enjoy the night, and it works with the job.”

“How old are you?” I run my fingers over the spines of the books.

“Older than you, give or take a few years.” He smiles secretively.

I can see I won’t get an answer from him anytime soon. I’m not sure I want the answer—I can live in denial. He doesn’t look much older than me. “So, what happens now?” I ask, turning back to face him.