Page 51 of Night of the Vampire

"I love you both so much right now."

"We know," I told her. "Get some sleep."

"And don't expect this to be a daily thing now," Jamal said.

"Every other day, maybe," I teased, but she was already drifting off.

Back in my own shite room, I peeled off my wet jeans and put on some lounge pants. I wanted to call Lizzy. But she didn't have a phone. She was probably still asleep, anyway. And I was glad I'd been here to help Kenya and calm her fears about what had happened. Giving in to my own exhaustion, I climbed into the cheap bed and tried to get some sleep.

But something was scratching at the back of my mind.

Something that was telling me I should've stayed with her.

Chapter 19

Lizzy

I woke up to an empty bed, my entire body sore, like I'd been in an accident or something. With a groan, I rolled over. It took me a minute to remember.

Sitting up, I looked around the empty room. "Killian?"

No response.

It was morning, and the sun was shining through the windows. Maybe he'd just gone to a different room. He couldn't be in the sun, could he? I didn't think so. I'd only ever seen him at night.

Surely, he didn't just slink off after everything that had happened.

Only, I kind of wished he had. I needed time to process everything I'd seen and heard yesterday. Because right now I wasn't sure what to think about it. How to feel. I felt like I was walking on a thin plate of glass that could shatter at any moment, and there was nothing for me to grab onto, nothing to stop my fall.

I got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take care of my first urgent need. Then I brushed my teeth and found a new T-shirt to wear.

"Come on, boy." I rubbed Wiggles' chubby body until he woke up and saw me there. "Come on, buddy. Let's go outside."

In the kitchen, I called for him again. "Killian? Are you here?" I turned on the coffee machine and grabbed a cup from the cabinet, then went to the backdoor to let Wiggles out. The sun was deceiving. It was pretty cold outside.

As I waited for him to finish his business, I spotted a note on the table. Beneath it was a wad of cash.

* * *

Lizzy,

I needed to go check on Kenya. We'll talk tonight.

* * *

Killian

* * *

PS- The money is for you.

* * *

He left me money?

Picking it up, I thumbed through it. I had to admit this was the first time I'd ever been paid for sex. Anger rose, unbidden, heating my face and chest. Did he think he could just throw cash at me and I'd do as he said like a good little girl? Was this what being his "mate" would be like?

Yeah, fuck that.