Page 6 of Sweeter than Honey
“No, I’ll be all right,” she says. “Thanks again, Lily! If you ever need another donor,pleaselet me know.”
She grins at me one final time, then practically floats down the hallway to the elevators.
As she enters the elevator, someone else gets off. Immediately, all of the hair on the back of my neck stands up. The man wears a dark suit and slim tie, as well as a pair of sunglasses. His brown hair is slicked away from his temples, not unlike how Tudor wears his. He travels with a security guard, a man with long blonde hair, also in sunglasses and a tight black turtleneck and slacks. They approach the receptionist, and I don’t need to guess who they are.
“Lily,” says the receptionist’s voice on my headset. “Xavian Night has arrived for his nine-thirty meeting with Ms. Espina.”
“Thank you,” I reply, swallowing nervously.
I take my laptop and go back down the hallway to greet them. Xavian Night stands at reception like a boxer waiting to begin a match, his jaw tense and brow furrowed.
“Good evening, Mr. Night,” I tell him. “My name is Lily, I’m Ms.Espina’s assistant. How was your journey?”
“Quite comfortable,” he replies silkily. His voice is deep, with the strange edge that older vampires often have. “Although it would have been more convenient for Renata to come tous.”
I plaster a smile on my face. “We certainly appreciate you taking the time to come into the city. If you don’t mind, I can show you to the boardroom.”
“I don’t mind at all,” he says, an eyebrow rising provocatively.
Eager to get out of their presence, I quickly walk down the hallway toward the boardroom. Xavian Night and his security guard move with terrifying quietness behind me, like two shadows. Two dangerous shadows. I hold the door to the boardroom open for them and show them to their seats, which have already been arranged on one side of the oval boardroom table.
“Ms. Espina will be with you shortly,” I tell them. “Is there anything else I can do for you before she arrives?”
Xavian takes off his sunglasses. I almost gasp. His eyes are an inhumanly pale shade of grey, tinged just slightly crimson. They travel with predatory intent up and down my body, causing an instinctual shudder to pass through me. I feel an uncomfortable pull as his eyes meet mine again, then I quickly break his gaze.
“I…I’ll just go find Ms. Espina…” I stutter, unable to keep my voice level as adrenaline pumps through my veins.
This only seems to rile him up.
“Why don’t you stay here?” he drawls. Despite my desire to run as far from him as I can get, fear keeps my feet rooted to the spot. “I’m sure I can think of something else you can do for me while we wait…”
“There will be no need for that,” an assertive, sharp voice declares.
Relief washes over me. Renata steps into the room, glaring fiercely at the other vampire. I close the door and scamper to my seat at her right-hand side, opening my laptop and preparing to take minutes. I avoid the gaze of the other vampire, terrified at the prospect of what his eyes could do if they locked onto mine.
“Renata,” says Xavian Night with a slow nod. “You’re looking well.”
“I wish I could say the same for you,” she replies icily, taking her seat at the head of the boardroom table. She looms impressively overthe other vampires. Her chair is two inches taller than all the others in the room. “Perhaps if you fed more recently you wouldn’t have to terrorize my assistant.”
Xavian’s monstrous eyes narrow slightly. His words are still cordial, but with a tone that indicates his displeasure. “Now, now, Ren. We don’t want to get off on the wrong foot, do we? After all, we come with a very tantalizing offer for you and your sisters. I wouldn’t want you to do anything that would jeopardize such an appealing opportunity.”
“I reviewed your proposedopportunity,” Renata replies, tossing the black file to the boardroom table with disdain. “It’s a poorly-disguised takeover. You want full control over our hotel empireandthe club and casino?”
Xavian leans back in his chair just slightly, his intense stare never faltering. “‘Our’ hotel empire? That’s interesting.”
Renata’s lip twitches. There’s a tense pause. I look nervously back and forth between them, and find that I’m holding my breath.
After an agonizing minute of silence, Renata speaks. Her voice is low, but firm. “If you think that just because Tudor is locked up in the Cave, you can encroach on our territory, then you’re seriously losing your touch, Xavian. I thought that you were a brilliant, strategic businessman. The most powerful vampire entrepreneur on the east coast. You should have read the situation better than that.”
There’s a flash in Xavian’s eyes. “I’m reading the situation perfectly well. We were all waiting for Tudor to falter. It was inevitable. He was too wrapped up in the witch’s politics, they were bound to bring him down sooner or later. And it was all too easy for them. The only reason those hags didn’t lock up you and your sisters too is because they don’t consider you a real threat. If Tudor couldn’t handle some glorified fortunetellers, why would his newborn progeny-”
“I was turned overtwo hundredyears ago,” Renata hisses. “And my sister a hundred years before me. If you doubt our strength or age, Xavian, I’m perfectly happy to…”
“Renata, don’t gethysterical,” Xavian responds, a twisted smile marring his ancient face. “I was only saying what nobody is willing to speak aloud. That Tudor was the backbone of your organization, the power behind your empire. Now that he’s gone, it’s only a matter of time before a more powerful vampire is going to swoop in and fill thevoid.”
“And you’d like to be that vampire,” Renata says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’d like to save you from a much worse fate,” Xavian responds smoothly, running a finger across his jaw. “If my company acquires the Respite hotel chain, I’d be happy to keep you and your sisters on, and more importantly, to keep yousafefrom the other ancient vampires who, let’s be honest, are already circling. They’re waiting for the best moment to strike. If I take over, they’ll realize you’re protected, and they’ll leave you alone.”