The entryway was a sight to behold. Glass upon glass upon more glass. And everything else was beautifully clean white marble and porcelain and polished granite.
“Reyna,” Beckham said sharply.
“Sorry.” She hurried to his side. “It’s just…incredible.”
“Follow me through the security screening.”
“The what?”
He sighed. “Pass through the body scanner.”
She looked at the glass box that she hadn’t noticed in her distraction. “What are they looking for?”
“Anyone and anything that doesn’t belong. I’ve already had you signed in.”
“Okay.”
She walked forward uncertainly. As she passed into the scanner, a red light blinked and then passed over her body. A duplicate image materialized before her. The light blinked blue and then posted a message: Human subject Reyna Carpenter. Identity confirmed. Approved.
She continued forward and shuddered as her body image disappeared. Beckham was waiting for her on the other side.
“What the hell was that?”
“A security measure.”
“What happens if you aren’t approved?”
“Don’t ever find out.”
Reyna rolled her eyes at his non-answer and then looked around at the Visage building. Everyone in attendance was dressed in a black suit. Even the women were in black skirt suits, with stark white blouses. Everything was crisp and orderly. Not a thing out of place.
Reyna followed Beckham to the elevator. “Is everyone a vampire who works here?”
“Of course not. You work here.”
“You know what I mean, Becks.”
His hand stopped before pressing the button, and he looked down at her. “Becks? Is this my new nickname? Is Beckham too long?”
Reyna shrugged. But she had a small measure of victory at throwing him off for a moment.
When the empty elevator opened before them, they stepped inside and Beckham selected his floor.
“Do any humans work on your level?”
“Why do you always ask so many questions?” he growled in irritation.
She shrank a little in on herself, but still said, “Because you don’t give me any answers.”
He reached instinctively for his phone in his pocket. “You have all the answers you need.”
“Fine.”
Beckham ignored her by focusing on whatever was going on on his phone. The elevator stopped on his floor, but before she could exit, Beckham reached out and stopped the doors from opening.
“What?” she asked, exasperated.
“Try not to bother anyone.” Reyna narrowed her eyes. “Not everyone is as…kind as I am.”
“Kind?” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.
His eyes hardened darkly. “Yes. And do be sure to remember that.”
Unceremoniously, he opened the doors once more and left the elevator. She grumbled under her breath but followed him. There was clearly a reason for him to give her that warning. Perhaps she needed to be more careful at his work, surrounded by a sea of vampires. She stuck close to his side as they made their way to his office.
“Becks?” she whispered when she felt eyes on her from all directions. “Does everyone know?”
“Know what?”
“You know…”
“That you are human?” he asked. “Yes, I think that’s quite obvious.”
Of course, that wasn’t what she had meant. She wondered if they all knew that Beckham was her Sponsor. Did they all look down on her for becoming a human employee? They needed people like her to make any money and keep the company afloat. But that didn’t mean they didn’t judge the humans who worked for them. She had seen worse behavior from her own kind. She couldn’t imagine how much she would be shunned by the vampires.
But she didn’t voice any of her concerns as they walked through the corridor.
Unsurprisingly, Beckham had a corner office on the top floor. The heights were dizzying and she quickly looked away from the window. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but it was still intimidating.
Beckham walked to a big black desk facing a giant wall of screens. He tapped a few things on his computer and seemed to zone out to his work.
“Anderson!” someone called from the doorway.
Reyna whipped around and saw a man walk in. He was tall, fair, and not exactly handsome, but he carried himself with authority. She couldn’t imagine anyone else barging into Beckham’s office otherwise.
“Batiste,” Beckham said casually. She could hear an edge to his voice though. This must be one of the vampires to be wary of.
“Is this her?” His eyes crawled her skin, and she suddenly felt completely exposed in her small black dress.
“Yes. Reyna, this is Rowland Batiste.”
Rowland stalked across the room and held his hand out. She slowly placed hers in his.
“Hi,” she said uncertainly.
“Pleasure is all mine, mademoiselle. You are simply magnifique.” He kissed her hand dramatically. “William was right. The absolute best.”
“Do you mind, Rowland?” Beckham said, suddenly standing right next to her and touching her elbow.
She knew that she shouldn’t gain warmth from his nearness, but she did. Rowland made her skin crawl. There was something about him that sent off bad vibes. She suddenly understood what Beckham had meant in the elevator. Rowland was dangerous. She could feel it in her very being. It scared her that Beckham was somehow the good guy in this situation. Everything about it terrified her.
“Mais bien sûr.”
Reyna looked up at Beckham quizzically. She didn’t understand what he was saying. “Is that French?” she asked.
Rowland laughed. “Indeed it is. I said but of course. Where are my manners?”
“Lacking as usual,” Beckham said dryly.
Rowland continued to chuckle as if Beckham had honestly said something funny. Reyna could see Beckham was quite serious. He didn’t want anyone, especially not this Rowland, to touch her.
“William wants us in the meeting room in five. I’m going to bring my pet as well. Wait until you see her. She’s what you Americans call a knockout.”
Beckham waved him off irritably, and Rowland left the room. Reyna released a breath at his departure.
“Is that the kind of person you meant when you said you were nice?”
He was still looking at the door, but he hadn’t released his hold on her. His voice was stern when he spoke next. “Yes. That is exactly what I meant.”
Chapter 10
“Do exactly what I say,” Beckham said as they approached the open conference room door.
She nodded her head minutely. After her encounter with Rowland, she wasn’t looking forward to this meeting. She was about to enter a room full of very powerful vampires, and if nothing else, that alone had frightened her into silence.
She just wished she knew what the hell she was doing here.
As Beckham entered the large conference room, Reyna tiptoed after him with her head down. The room was already full and buzzing with excitement. She prayed that she was invisible, but she knew that she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Beckham took a seat near the back of the large rectangular table.
“Sit here,” he said, pointing to the seat next to him. The seat dwarfed her figure, but she was in no position to argue.
A few minutes later, the room quieted, and a man walked inside. He was hunched over and relying heavily on his cane. His hair was thin, his skin pasty, and he seemed even paler than the other vampires. If she hadn’t known he was one, she would have thought he was just a dying old man. But all of the men and women in the room were very clearly vampires with their perfect complexions, perfect outfits, and perfectly beautiful young bodies. And they all very clearly were deferential to this man.
“Reyna,” Beckham said sharply.
“Sorry.” She hurried to his side. “It’s just…incredible.”
“Follow me through the security screening.”
“The what?”
He sighed. “Pass through the body scanner.”
She looked at the glass box that she hadn’t noticed in her distraction. “What are they looking for?”
“Anyone and anything that doesn’t belong. I’ve already had you signed in.”
“Okay.”
She walked forward uncertainly. As she passed into the scanner, a red light blinked and then passed over her body. A duplicate image materialized before her. The light blinked blue and then posted a message: Human subject Reyna Carpenter. Identity confirmed. Approved.
She continued forward and shuddered as her body image disappeared. Beckham was waiting for her on the other side.
“What the hell was that?”
“A security measure.”
“What happens if you aren’t approved?”
“Don’t ever find out.”
Reyna rolled her eyes at his non-answer and then looked around at the Visage building. Everyone in attendance was dressed in a black suit. Even the women were in black skirt suits, with stark white blouses. Everything was crisp and orderly. Not a thing out of place.
Reyna followed Beckham to the elevator. “Is everyone a vampire who works here?”
“Of course not. You work here.”
“You know what I mean, Becks.”
His hand stopped before pressing the button, and he looked down at her. “Becks? Is this my new nickname? Is Beckham too long?”
Reyna shrugged. But she had a small measure of victory at throwing him off for a moment.
When the empty elevator opened before them, they stepped inside and Beckham selected his floor.
“Do any humans work on your level?”
“Why do you always ask so many questions?” he growled in irritation.
She shrank a little in on herself, but still said, “Because you don’t give me any answers.”
He reached instinctively for his phone in his pocket. “You have all the answers you need.”
“Fine.”
Beckham ignored her by focusing on whatever was going on on his phone. The elevator stopped on his floor, but before she could exit, Beckham reached out and stopped the doors from opening.
“What?” she asked, exasperated.
“Try not to bother anyone.” Reyna narrowed her eyes. “Not everyone is as…kind as I am.”
“Kind?” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.
His eyes hardened darkly. “Yes. And do be sure to remember that.”
Unceremoniously, he opened the doors once more and left the elevator. She grumbled under her breath but followed him. There was clearly a reason for him to give her that warning. Perhaps she needed to be more careful at his work, surrounded by a sea of vampires. She stuck close to his side as they made their way to his office.
“Becks?” she whispered when she felt eyes on her from all directions. “Does everyone know?”
“Know what?”
“You know…”
“That you are human?” he asked. “Yes, I think that’s quite obvious.”
Of course, that wasn’t what she had meant. She wondered if they all knew that Beckham was her Sponsor. Did they all look down on her for becoming a human employee? They needed people like her to make any money and keep the company afloat. But that didn’t mean they didn’t judge the humans who worked for them. She had seen worse behavior from her own kind. She couldn’t imagine how much she would be shunned by the vampires.
But she didn’t voice any of her concerns as they walked through the corridor.
Unsurprisingly, Beckham had a corner office on the top floor. The heights were dizzying and she quickly looked away from the window. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but it was still intimidating.
Beckham walked to a big black desk facing a giant wall of screens. He tapped a few things on his computer and seemed to zone out to his work.
“Anderson!” someone called from the doorway.
Reyna whipped around and saw a man walk in. He was tall, fair, and not exactly handsome, but he carried himself with authority. She couldn’t imagine anyone else barging into Beckham’s office otherwise.
“Batiste,” Beckham said casually. She could hear an edge to his voice though. This must be one of the vampires to be wary of.
“Is this her?” His eyes crawled her skin, and she suddenly felt completely exposed in her small black dress.
“Yes. Reyna, this is Rowland Batiste.”
Rowland stalked across the room and held his hand out. She slowly placed hers in his.
“Hi,” she said uncertainly.
“Pleasure is all mine, mademoiselle. You are simply magnifique.” He kissed her hand dramatically. “William was right. The absolute best.”
“Do you mind, Rowland?” Beckham said, suddenly standing right next to her and touching her elbow.
She knew that she shouldn’t gain warmth from his nearness, but she did. Rowland made her skin crawl. There was something about him that sent off bad vibes. She suddenly understood what Beckham had meant in the elevator. Rowland was dangerous. She could feel it in her very being. It scared her that Beckham was somehow the good guy in this situation. Everything about it terrified her.
“Mais bien sûr.”
Reyna looked up at Beckham quizzically. She didn’t understand what he was saying. “Is that French?” she asked.
Rowland laughed. “Indeed it is. I said but of course. Where are my manners?”
“Lacking as usual,” Beckham said dryly.
Rowland continued to chuckle as if Beckham had honestly said something funny. Reyna could see Beckham was quite serious. He didn’t want anyone, especially not this Rowland, to touch her.
“William wants us in the meeting room in five. I’m going to bring my pet as well. Wait until you see her. She’s what you Americans call a knockout.”
Beckham waved him off irritably, and Rowland left the room. Reyna released a breath at his departure.
“Is that the kind of person you meant when you said you were nice?”
He was still looking at the door, but he hadn’t released his hold on her. His voice was stern when he spoke next. “Yes. That is exactly what I meant.”
Chapter 10
“Do exactly what I say,” Beckham said as they approached the open conference room door.
She nodded her head minutely. After her encounter with Rowland, she wasn’t looking forward to this meeting. She was about to enter a room full of very powerful vampires, and if nothing else, that alone had frightened her into silence.
She just wished she knew what the hell she was doing here.
As Beckham entered the large conference room, Reyna tiptoed after him with her head down. The room was already full and buzzing with excitement. She prayed that she was invisible, but she knew that she stuck out like a sore thumb.
Beckham took a seat near the back of the large rectangular table.
“Sit here,” he said, pointing to the seat next to him. The seat dwarfed her figure, but she was in no position to argue.
A few minutes later, the room quieted, and a man walked inside. He was hunched over and relying heavily on his cane. His hair was thin, his skin pasty, and he seemed even paler than the other vampires. If she hadn’t known he was one, she would have thought he was just a dying old man. But all of the men and women in the room were very clearly vampires with their perfect complexions, perfect outfits, and perfectly beautiful young bodies. And they all very clearly were deferential to this man.
