Page 49 of Taste of Blood

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I awaken slowly and take inventory of my body. I feel…good. I don’t know how long I slept, but I feel well-rested, and there’s none of the usual dull ache of hunger clawing through my veins.

I open my eyes and look around at the unfamiliar surroundings. Reality comes back to me slowly.

The bar. The alley. The donor.

Ash.

I glance to my side and see that while the bed has been slept in, there’s no sign of him there. I stretch and take a deep breath, and that’s when I smell it.

Coffee.

The scent pulls me up. My clothes are clean and folded on the bench at the foot of the bed. I get dressed and make my way out to the livingroom, where Asher is standing with his back to me at the window, a cup of coffee in his hand. He’s dressed in black slacks and a button-down blue shirt, his suit jacket draped over the back of a bar stool. Dapper, as usual.

He turns to me and smiles. “Sleep okay?”

I rub my eyes. “Yeah.” I point to his cup. “Is there more of that?”

“On the counter.”

There’s an empty cup in front of a fancy coffee machine. I pour myself a coffee and take a sip, savoring the taste. Like everything else Asher, this is the good stuff. Probably sourced the beans from some boutique farm in the high Andes or something.

“What time is it?”

“Close to ten.”

Ten? Shit. I must’ve been exhausted. “Aren’t you late for work?”

“I’m the boss. I’m allowed to be late.” He crosses the room and sets his now empty cup down on the island and meets my eyes. “I want you to promise me something.”

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. Promise him? I don’t like the sound of that, but he did allow me to sleep without bothering me, so maybe I can at least give him the benefit of the doubt.

“I’ll listen. No promises.”

He considers that for a moment then shrugs. “I guess that’s the best I could hope for from you.”

I take another sip of coffee and wait for him to continue.

“What you’re doing right now, looking for this Outlier boss, is dangerous. If you need anything–a safe place to crash, a friendly ear, a source of blood, a ride, or…stress relief,” he adds this last with a smirk, “remember I’m here. I would never be ableto forgive myself if something happened to you and I was in a position to prevent it.”

“Like I told you before, Ash, I’m a big boy.”

“I know that, but–”

“But that being said, I appreciate the offer.” I’m not a total dick. I can see he’s sincere.

He exhales and nods. “I spoke to Elaine this morning. She hasn’t come up with anything on the Python, but she’s still looking.”

That doesn’t surprise me. It’s as if this guy is a ghost.

I finish my coffee and set the cup in the sink. “I guess I should get out of your hair so you can go to work.”

“No hurry. I’m…kind of enjoying having you here.”

I grin at him, trying to lighten the mood. “I’ll bet you say that to all your sleepovers.”

“There’s been no one since you.”