Page 5 of Surging Reef

Kazimir must’ve lost his mind. Who released a monster chained to a wall? But he couldn’t leave him, so he went to grab his break-and-enter backpack. He’d dropped it inside the door once he’d managed to pick the lighthouse door lock.

He put Pharos down and patted his head. “Such a good boy.” He’d tried to protect him when Ashby had attacked. His bestest bud.

With the bag slung over one shoulder, he walked back toward the room with the…

where Ashby was. Were vampires real? He’d never believed he was one of those who saw things, but he had both seen and felt those fangs.

And the way his skin burned when he touched the chain wasn’t faked.

How could it be? Someone could’ve smeared it with some sort of acid or something, but who would and why?

When he entered the room, Ashby looked smaller. He was huddling against the wall, his left leg stretched out away from his body. The cuff around his ankle was melting through the flesh, and Kazimir had to fight a gag as he realized it had already eaten away a good portion.

“Are you a good lockpick?”

Ashby stared at him. “No. I always rely on my strength to get through doors. Never learned to pick locks.”

“Okay. I can do it, but while I might have bragged about being a master thief mere hours ago, or maybe less than an hour ago, I’m not the fastest at picking locks.”

Ashby straightened. “You can pick the lock?” He gestured at his leg.

“Maybe. What do I get if I do it?”

Shock overtook Ashby’s face. “Eh…what do you want?”

“I’ll have to think about it.” He lowered himself to his knees, pulled out his pants, the bolt cutter, and the lockpick set. “Are you like a genie who’ll grant me three wishes?”

“Three?”

“Yeah, I think it’s a fair deal. I get the flesh-eating chain off you, and you’ll grant me three wishes.

” He focused on the cuff. There was nothing special about the lock, so he inserted the wrench, followed by the pick to push open the pin inside.

It took a few tries to find it, and he didn’t think Ashby was breathing the entire time.

Kazimir almost forgot he was there. He was so focused.

When the lock clicked open, he let out a triumphant cheer. He didn’t want to touch Ashby, but he opened the cuff and removed it from the oozing ankle. Fuck, that was disgusting.

“You did it.” There was awe in Ashby’s voice.

“You better believe I did! You owe me three wishes.”

“Fine, I’ll take you on a date.”

Kazimir snorted. “We’re not going on a date.

You’re not getting away that easily.” He didn’t have a clue what he’d ask for, and in all honesty, if he never saw Ashby again, he wouldn’t cry himself to sleep.

“Come on, Pharos. We’re out of here.” He didn’t want to linger if the vampire queen was going to arrive, and he had a glass of wine waiting for him at home.

Exhaustion made his motions sluggish. Weird.

He’d been all keyed up about seeing Surging Reef.

Glaring, he turned to Ashby. “How much blood did you take from me?”

Ashby grimaced. “You should eat, drink, and rest.”

It might explain the lethargy. Damn, he didn’t want to row the boat back or jump in the water or carry Pharos to the car and drive all the way home. What little energy he had trickled down on the stone floor and formed a puddle there. It would take a couple of hours before he was back home.

“Okay, my first wish, genie, is for you to take me home. I’m exhausted.”

Ashby winced but got to his feet. “Your wish is my command.”

* * * *

Ashby owed the man, and he had taken more blood than he normally did. It would weigh on him if this human fell asleep behind the wheel and killed himself on his way home.

“What’s your name?”

“Kazimir.”

“Weird name.”

Kazimir huffed. “Ashby sounds like a surname.”

“Maybe it is.”

Kazimir stared at him until he wanted to squirm, which was interesting. He couldn’t remember the last time a human had been able to make him squirm. “Ashby Kalen, my name is Ashby Kalen.”

Kazimir nodded and headed toward the doorway, backpack slung over one shoulder and the dog limping next to him. Ashby followed.

The salty air greeted him as he stepped out onto the dock area. The island was mostly hidden underneath the water, but it was there. Would Anne come in the morning when the water was lower? Urgency clawed at him. They had to get out of here.

“How did you get here?”

Kazimir pointed down through a hole in the metal platform. There was a ladder, and Ashby could make out a rowing boat bobbing next to it.

“Borrowed a boat.”

Borrowed? Ashby was pretty sure it was stolen, was pretty sure it was Anne’s boat, which made him grin. “Awesome. Did you get here by car? To the beach, I mean.”

Kazimir nodded.

“And you’re parked where?”

Kazimir looked toward the beach and gestured toward the right side of the shoreline. “There is a parking lot behind the dunes. I didn’t know I’d have to walk the entire beach and onto the rocks before I could get hold of a boat.”

Ashby nodded. He didn’t care, but he’d take them as close to the parking lot as he could, and then he’d release the boat to the sea. The longer it took for Anne to realize he was gone, the better.

He might be able to escape her.

How much effort would she put into finding him? His escape would make her look bad, and if it was one thing she couldn’t tolerate, it was people making a fool out of her.

He’d have to leave Waterside, would be forced to stay in hiding for a while.

“Climb down.” They had to get out of here while they had the chance.

“I need to carry Pharos, and I don’t know if I can…What if the boat wobbles? Is it deep here?”

Ashby descended through the hole. His leg was still hurting, but it was healing. Thank fuck, it was healing. He had almost given up hope of ever walking out of here.

He clung to the metal ladder and reached for the boat with his foot. Once he made contact, he pulled it closer. It wobbled as he put his weight on it, but he put both his feet on the seat while still holding on to the ladder. “Okay, climb down.”

Ashby looked up to see Kazimir’s underwear-clad ass coming his way. It was a nice ass. “Why aren’t you wearing pants?”

“Didn’t want them to get wet. Should’ve removed my shirt too, but I wasn’t thinking.”

Wet. Yeah, he’d been wet when Ashby fed from him. It hadn’t registered until now. “Did you swim here?” He looked at the boat. Had he pulled the boat along?

Kazimir was near the bottom of the ladder and looked into Ashby’s eyes. “No. I had to wade in to get to the boat, but then a crab scurried over my foot, so I let out a manly shriek and swam instead.”

Ashby snorted. Humans.

Kazimir pushed the dog at him. “Hold him.” He placed the dog’s front legs over Ashby’s shoulder, and without thinking, he curled an arm around its bottom.

Ashby was unsure if he’d ever carried a dog before.

It was an ugly little thing, but kind of cute in some weird way.

It had a mustache. Ashby had never been a fan of mustaches on men, but on dogs it was… cute.

The boat rocked as Kazimir dropped from the ladder. “Okay, hand Pharos over.”

Pharos. What a weird name.

Ashby was capable of following instructions, so he handed the dog over and waited until Kazimir sat before he let go of the ladder and positioned himself by the oars.