Reyna shook her head and walked through the park again. Why did this damn man make her so totally insane? All she hoped was that he got the hint this time and left her alone. She was in no real danger in this park. He clearly just wanted to follow her to torment her.
But then she felt his presence behind her a few minutes later. “Oh my God, is this part of my newfound insanity?” she asked.
“You didn’t eat.”
“Nice change of subject, but I’m not hungry.”
“I know a great place nearby.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Do I look like I eat the same things you do?”
“I used to go there before I was turned.”
“It must be really old, then,” she muttered.
“Not that old,” he said with a smirk.
She just glared. “Stop being nice to me.”
“Reyna, you are a fact of life in my world. I neither asked for you nor wanted you here. I had to take you because of my job. You leave yourself so open. I don’t even know if you can help it. If you guarded yourself better, then you would not be hurt so easily.”
“My emotions are my own. Don’t try to take away my humanity.”
“You would surely know if I was,” he said, flashing his fangs. She took a step back at the sudden movement. “Now let me assure that you don’t starve.”
“What? Like you?” she asked, angling her neck suggestively. She knew he wasn’t going to do anything.
“And yet you continue to tempt me, Little One?”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t seem to hurt anything.”
His eyes darted to her neck and then away quickly. He did seem paler than normal. Maybe he really was hungry. He never acted this way. Normally when he was near her neck, he was completely in control. The way he stuffed his hands into his pockets and avoided looking at her too long now proved otherwise. As much as she wanted to needle him further, she decided to let it be for now. Arguing with him took so much effort and she knew that he wasn’t going to change his mind today anyway.
“All right. Where is this place?” she asked.
As they walked across the park, Reyna kept her camera out and snapped pictures. She turned her camera on Beckham, catching a picture of him looking thoughtfully ahead.
“Huh. A reflection. And here I thought you needed a soul to have a reflection,” she joked. She had photographed vampires before, but never this close…and none as good-looking as Beckham.
“All of those rumors about vampires are really pretty ridiculous, you know. Reflection, sunlight, stakes.”
“What? Stakes don’t work?” she gasped.
“Please, you think it’s that easy to kill one of us?”
“You think it’s easy to get a stake through someone’s heart?”
“Very.”
“Oh. Well then.”
They came up to a small restaurant inside the park that Beckham directed her into. The place was packed with a line of businesspeople waiting to get seated, but when Beckham entered, the staff immediately escorted them to an empty table. Had he planned this or did they just know him?
Once they were seated, Reyna looked over the menu. She ordered a sandwich and a drink, and then sat there before Beckham, tapping her foot impatiently. It was times like this that really frustrated her. It was so easy and natural to be here with him. Yet, there were so many complications regarding their relationship—professional or otherwise.
She was trying to untangle her emotions when a voice brought her out of her thoughts.
“You don’t mind if we join you, do you?” Rowland asked. He strode right over to their table with Cassandra, Sophie, and Felix in tow as if he had already known they would be there.
Beckham stiffened. “Of course. I didn’t know you were coming here for lunch.”
Cassandra ran her hand through Felix’s hair as if he were a pet dog. “We love this place and thought we’d call in for an early lunch.”
The staff quickly pushed the table next to them into place so they connected and then the entire group sat down. Reyna sat very straight and still. She might be pissed at Beckham, but even she wasn’t dumb enough to make that knowledge known among his colleagues. She didn’t trust either of them, and Sophie was a bit crazy. Felix was clearly besotted with Cassandra, so Reyna rarely paid him any mind.
Reyna kept quiet as Beckham discussed work with his colleagues. She was halfway through her sandwich when the conversation shifted to her suddenly.
“So, are you excited for Friday night?” Rowland asked, staring straight at her.
“I…what? What happens then?”
Rowland looked from her to Beckham and back. “You know. Going to the Vault for the first time.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What is the Vault?”
“Beckham, were you going to surprise her with the party? Did I ruin everything?” Rowland asked. He sat back in his chair, laughing softly as if it were all some kind of joke.
“No,” Beckham said. He didn’t elaborate further, but he refused to look at her.
“Well, then do tell us why you’re keeping this juicy secret from your beautiful pet,” Rowland said. “Cassandra is bringing Felix. I’m bringing my Sophie. It’ll be a real party.”
“I’d planned to bring Penny,” Beckham said.
Reyna inhaled deeply. She didn’t even know what the Vault was, but she couldn’t believe he had been keeping it from her. If everyone else was going, wouldn’t it be weird that she wasn’t there? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach over the whole situation. Plus, he was taking Penelope. God, she was such an idiot. This whole thing was a mistake.
Cassandra giggled as she ran her finger up and down Felix’s neck. The image of her sinking her fangs into his neck made Reyna shudder all over again. “Pets are more fun, Beckham.”
“She’s right. Penelope can miss one such occasion for you to introduce Reyna to our world. It will be her first time after all. There won’t be another one for a while. She’ll want to see it, won’t you?” Rowland asked, directing his attention back to her again.
She swallowed, but answered truthfully. “Yes.”
Beckham scowled at her. “The plans are already in place.”
“Oh, break the plans. Little Reyna is so young and innocent. Don’t you think it will be positively delicious to see her reaction?”
“Delicious,” Cassandra purred against Felix’s throat.
“Plus, she wants to go.”
“I do,” Reyna agreed. Though she had no idea what she was agreeing to.
“I see,” Beckham said stiffly. “Then I’ll have to change my plans for the evening.” He gave her a look that said, You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.
She just smiled back deviously.
Chapter 25
“What the hell is the Vault?” Reyna asked later when they were leaving the restaurant.
“You’ll see,” Beckham said.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“No,” he said curtly.
Reyna bit her lip. The way they talked about it at lunch made it sound both exciting and scary. What was she about to walk into? And why the hell wouldn’t Beckham tell her where they were going?
Once they were finally back in the apartment and Beckham was halfway to his room, she spoke again. “Are you going to tell me anything about it? What I need to wear? Where we’re going? What we’re going to be doing?”
But then she felt his presence behind her a few minutes later. “Oh my God, is this part of my newfound insanity?” she asked.
“You didn’t eat.”
“Nice change of subject, but I’m not hungry.”
“I know a great place nearby.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Do I look like I eat the same things you do?”
“I used to go there before I was turned.”
“It must be really old, then,” she muttered.
“Not that old,” he said with a smirk.
She just glared. “Stop being nice to me.”
“Reyna, you are a fact of life in my world. I neither asked for you nor wanted you here. I had to take you because of my job. You leave yourself so open. I don’t even know if you can help it. If you guarded yourself better, then you would not be hurt so easily.”
“My emotions are my own. Don’t try to take away my humanity.”
“You would surely know if I was,” he said, flashing his fangs. She took a step back at the sudden movement. “Now let me assure that you don’t starve.”
“What? Like you?” she asked, angling her neck suggestively. She knew he wasn’t going to do anything.
“And yet you continue to tempt me, Little One?”
She shrugged. “Doesn’t seem to hurt anything.”
His eyes darted to her neck and then away quickly. He did seem paler than normal. Maybe he really was hungry. He never acted this way. Normally when he was near her neck, he was completely in control. The way he stuffed his hands into his pockets and avoided looking at her too long now proved otherwise. As much as she wanted to needle him further, she decided to let it be for now. Arguing with him took so much effort and she knew that he wasn’t going to change his mind today anyway.
“All right. Where is this place?” she asked.
As they walked across the park, Reyna kept her camera out and snapped pictures. She turned her camera on Beckham, catching a picture of him looking thoughtfully ahead.
“Huh. A reflection. And here I thought you needed a soul to have a reflection,” she joked. She had photographed vampires before, but never this close…and none as good-looking as Beckham.
“All of those rumors about vampires are really pretty ridiculous, you know. Reflection, sunlight, stakes.”
“What? Stakes don’t work?” she gasped.
“Please, you think it’s that easy to kill one of us?”
“You think it’s easy to get a stake through someone’s heart?”
“Very.”
“Oh. Well then.”
They came up to a small restaurant inside the park that Beckham directed her into. The place was packed with a line of businesspeople waiting to get seated, but when Beckham entered, the staff immediately escorted them to an empty table. Had he planned this or did they just know him?
Once they were seated, Reyna looked over the menu. She ordered a sandwich and a drink, and then sat there before Beckham, tapping her foot impatiently. It was times like this that really frustrated her. It was so easy and natural to be here with him. Yet, there were so many complications regarding their relationship—professional or otherwise.
She was trying to untangle her emotions when a voice brought her out of her thoughts.
“You don’t mind if we join you, do you?” Rowland asked. He strode right over to their table with Cassandra, Sophie, and Felix in tow as if he had already known they would be there.
Beckham stiffened. “Of course. I didn’t know you were coming here for lunch.”
Cassandra ran her hand through Felix’s hair as if he were a pet dog. “We love this place and thought we’d call in for an early lunch.”
The staff quickly pushed the table next to them into place so they connected and then the entire group sat down. Reyna sat very straight and still. She might be pissed at Beckham, but even she wasn’t dumb enough to make that knowledge known among his colleagues. She didn’t trust either of them, and Sophie was a bit crazy. Felix was clearly besotted with Cassandra, so Reyna rarely paid him any mind.
Reyna kept quiet as Beckham discussed work with his colleagues. She was halfway through her sandwich when the conversation shifted to her suddenly.
“So, are you excited for Friday night?” Rowland asked, staring straight at her.
“I…what? What happens then?”
Rowland looked from her to Beckham and back. “You know. Going to the Vault for the first time.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What is the Vault?”
“Beckham, were you going to surprise her with the party? Did I ruin everything?” Rowland asked. He sat back in his chair, laughing softly as if it were all some kind of joke.
“No,” Beckham said. He didn’t elaborate further, but he refused to look at her.
“Well, then do tell us why you’re keeping this juicy secret from your beautiful pet,” Rowland said. “Cassandra is bringing Felix. I’m bringing my Sophie. It’ll be a real party.”
“I’d planned to bring Penny,” Beckham said.
Reyna inhaled deeply. She didn’t even know what the Vault was, but she couldn’t believe he had been keeping it from her. If everyone else was going, wouldn’t it be weird that she wasn’t there? She suddenly felt sick to her stomach over the whole situation. Plus, he was taking Penelope. God, she was such an idiot. This whole thing was a mistake.
Cassandra giggled as she ran her finger up and down Felix’s neck. The image of her sinking her fangs into his neck made Reyna shudder all over again. “Pets are more fun, Beckham.”
“She’s right. Penelope can miss one such occasion for you to introduce Reyna to our world. It will be her first time after all. There won’t be another one for a while. She’ll want to see it, won’t you?” Rowland asked, directing his attention back to her again.
She swallowed, but answered truthfully. “Yes.”
Beckham scowled at her. “The plans are already in place.”
“Oh, break the plans. Little Reyna is so young and innocent. Don’t you think it will be positively delicious to see her reaction?”
“Delicious,” Cassandra purred against Felix’s throat.
“Plus, she wants to go.”
“I do,” Reyna agreed. Though she had no idea what she was agreeing to.
“I see,” Beckham said stiffly. “Then I’ll have to change my plans for the evening.” He gave her a look that said, You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.
She just smiled back deviously.
Chapter 25
“What the hell is the Vault?” Reyna asked later when they were leaving the restaurant.
“You’ll see,” Beckham said.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“No,” he said curtly.
Reyna bit her lip. The way they talked about it at lunch made it sound both exciting and scary. What was she about to walk into? And why the hell wouldn’t Beckham tell her where they were going?
Once they were finally back in the apartment and Beckham was halfway to his room, she spoke again. “Are you going to tell me anything about it? What I need to wear? Where we’re going? What we’re going to be doing?”
