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CHAPTER NINETEEN

ZAND

I sat behind my desk trying to figure things out. Natasha sat quietly across from me. The partygoers were gone. It was six in the morning and even the janitorial staff had cleaned the entire building in record time. Last night went badly but it seemed my luck could be changing.

My body had just calmed down from the events of the previous night. I hadn’t killed anyone in years. This time, I didn’t have much of a choice. The bastard shot me. And worse, he was trying to force himself on my girlfriend. He was probably going to kill Chanel once he had his way with her. I didn’t feel any remorse but it felt strange to sink my teeth into a human when I’d been drinking from blood bags for years.

“Boss.” I looked across my desk at Natasha. “If you’re worried, you shouldn’t be. Everything is under control.”

“I hope so.” I exhaled but not from relief. I was mentally drained. Mayhem. Murder. Disposal of a body. Not the day I had planned. I thought I was going to have my girlfriend move in with me and take a step toward our future together.

“We are always prepared. The apartment has been scrubbed clean. It was done quietly and discreetly. Here, look for yourself.” Natasha slid her cell phone across my desk .

I swiped right. I glared down at the pictures and stopped after four swipes. I’d seen enough. “So, there’s is no trace of a struggle? No blood pools or splatters anywhere? What about his vehicle?”

“Stripped. Everything is good, we even removed the bullet out the wall, fixed the hole and retrieved the shell casing.” Natasha placed the bullet and casing on my desk. “A souvenir.”

“What would I do with it?” I asked.

“I would save it and make it into something.”

“I’m not into trophies.”

“It doesn’t trace back to any handgun. The gun is gone. The weapon has been cleaned and melted down.”

I looked down at the items. “You take them.”

Natasha reached for the items without hesitation. “As you wish. Your girl, Chanel, what is your plan?”

“I don’t know.” I leaned toward the desk. “Your advice is welcomed.”

“Don’t kill her right away. Give her a chance to join us. She isn’t a coward. She’s just a human.”

“I don’t think I can kill her.”

“You don’t have too. There are other options.”

“I know but all the options are fucked up.”

“Maybe, maybe not. She’ll be out for a few more hours. You have time to come up with a feasible explanation for tonight’s events. Or you can lie and hope she buys it.”

“I don’t think I can lie to her.”

“You don’t have to lie. Just don’t volunteer information. Wait for the questions. Do not force her to comply. It has to be her idea. She is either rocking with us or the other alternatives will prevail.”

“I wish I would’ve taken care of him before he got this close to her. I could’ve taken him out in Bloomington. I could’ve hunted him. Murdered him and dropped his body in an open grave right where Morgan’s boyfriend was buried. Then she never would’ve seen me as a vampire .

“The past is the past.”

“Did you wipe my video cameras?”

“Yes, we took care of it. I handled the CCTV personally.”

“I’m trying to think about every single detail.”

“The only detail left is Chanel.” Natasha stated the obvious. “I have her cell phone in my possession. She can’t call the police or anyone. When she wakes up, you have to make her understand what we are and why we can live amongst her kind in secrecy. I know you love her.”

“I do, but I will handle this.”

“I know that you will.”

“Has my brother been back around?”

“No, I don’t believe so, but I can find him if you like.”

“Yes, I just want to keep and eye on him. I want to make sure he’s left town.”

“Yes, of course. Any other requests?”

“Human food. Chanel will be hungry when she wakes. If she can eat I want to make sure there’s something here for her.”

“I will send Josh out, and see what Uber eats can deliver.”

“I appreciate everything you have done.”

“It’s my job. Don’t worry. I am here to make your life easier. This is our sanctuary.”

“I need one more thing.”

“Of course.”

“My ex-wife, I want to make sure she’s left town. I don’t have time for any more drama.”

“If there’s drama. I will handle it. It’s business as usual.”

“Seems you have everything under control.”

“We have everything under control.” Natasha stood. She had an instinct for timing and there was really nothing more to say.

I watched her leave my office. I needed guidance and calling my father was an option but I couldn’t bother with him. He would have many questions. He would scold me for falling for another woman. He would admonish me for involving myself in human issues. He had been a vampire for so long he couldn’t remember when he was human. I remembered that time and I didn’t think I was superior to them.

Chanel was different. She was mine, and I wouldn’t be made to feel guilty for loving her.

I reached under my desk and removed a bottle of wine. My wine was blood but it was all the same to me. I removed the corkscrew from the desk drawer. I didn’t need a glass. Turning the bottle up to my lips did the trick. I drank the bottle to the half way mark. It was a nice blend but never as good as drinking from the vein. Lonzo’s blood was satisfactory. I wouldn’t call it delicious but it was nourishing all the same.

I needed to shower and change. I used the shower in my office. I had a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt in the attached bath. I sat quietly for a while and then I knew it was time. I had to face the music, in this case, Chanel.