Page 29

“Done,” I grin.

“Let’s eat,” my mother shouts. It’s ten-thirty, but that doesn’t matter. If Victoria Loch tells you it’s time to eat, you eat.

Date two has to go better than the first date. Dr. Mendhi moved heaven and earth to procure me a month’s worth of serum in under twenty-four hours, which makes me believe he is at the center of those experiments.

My moral and ethical compass will have to take a back seat for the time being. My body needs a respite from pain. I’ll donate a bunch of money to a charity as soon as I can. Hopefully that will help balance the scales.

Dr. Mendhi was clear that I have to take the serum regularly. My body will become reliant, which I’m not happy about, but what else can I do? He was clear that missing doses would be a bad idea. I did not ask for the specifics. I’m intelligent enough to know it would likely cause either a significant amount of pain, or worse. The injection site has to be my ass for some reason. Guess who volunteered to jab a needle into me?

“Stay still,” Lucille growls.

“I am,” I reply just as testily.

Lucille gives my ass two sharp slaps. “Just prepping the area,” she says.

“You’re an asshole.”

“An asshole with a giant needle.”

Gritting my teeth, I wait for the sharp sting, but it doesn’t come. “Done,” Lucille announces.

“I didn’t even feel it.”

“Why do you sound disappointed? Do you want me to really stab you next time?”

“Obviously not.” Pulling up my jeans, I turn to Lucille. “Thanks,” I mutter. She nods and packs away the serum.

“Have you decided where you’re taking Erin?”

“Up the coast on my bike.”

“Excellent choice, sister. Beautiful views and you in tight leather. Well played.”

“I try.”

The weather is perfect for a cruise on the bike. I didn’t tell Erin what I planned, so I hope she is pleasantly surprised. Her apartment is twenty minutes away, which gives me plenty of time to settle into the ride.

As I pull up, I see Erin step out of her building. She’s wearing jeans and a t-shirt, which is fine. I’ve brought my spare leather jacket and helmet with me. I can’t read her expression. It’s a mix of excitement and apprehension.

The door to her building opens moments later and out steps Mack. Given the hour of the day, I can only conclude she spent the night. Now, this is usually the time I start to feel a little unwell. Seems that Dr. Mendhi’s illegal vampire juice is doing its job. I barely feel any discomfort.

Mack eyes me with a smirk. Leaning in, she whispers something in Erin’s ear and then kisses her deeply. I’m still sitting on my bike. Kicking the stand down, I make a spectacle of de-straddling the seat. Mack might have taken Erin’s breath away momentarily, but her eyes are firmly on me. I remove my helmet and run my hand through my hair. That move never fails.

Plastering a smile on my face, I step toward Erin and Mack. “Good morning. Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

“Amelia,” Mack answers flatly. I take it she’s no longer pretending to like me. That’s fine.

“Hey, hi, sorry. I thought I had a few more minutes.” Erin is flustered. She’s looking between me and Mack.

“No worries at all. I’m a little early. The traffic wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

“It’s fine, so, um, yeah, okay, I’ll see you soon, Mack.” Mack eyes me a second longer before leaning in for another kiss. I chuckle silently. I have to give it to the woman. She’s a fighter.

Erin looks utterly uncomfortable. Her eyes keep straying to me as Mack continues the kiss. Finally, after a ridiculous amount of time, Mack pulls back. “See you later, babe.”

Erin and I watch her leave. Mack peers over her shoulder and I offer her a little wave. “So, are you ready to go?”

“We’re going on your bike?”