Page 30 of Fire in My Blood
“Where are you staying? Is your bedroom close by?” Fisting my hands, I dig my nails into my palms to stop myself from going to him. I don’t want him to go, but I can’t really ask him to stay either. “It’s just that I don’t know this house,” I add in a whisper.
Lucas glances at me over his shoulder with a warm smile on his face. “I’m right next door. You’re safe here. Sleep tight, Erica.” Then he’s gone.
I grab a sandwich and start eating. The room feels colder and bigger without Lucas here. But he’s probably exhausted after being stuck in that basement for days, and he has a right to his privacy.
I finish the food and go to the bathroom. There’s a new toothbrush and toothpaste in one of the drawers. After brushing my teeth, I turn off the lights and climb into the big bed all by myself.
Chapter 18
Lyn
I make my way through the corridors of the castle. It’s really a big mansion, but it looks more like a castle with its lavish décor and heavy ornate furniture filling every room.
Markus enjoys his luxurious surroundings, and his love of expensive furniture is only surpassed by his fascination with electronic gadgets. And that’s why I’ve just had my blood scanned to gain access to the castle.
The security measures are on a level I doubt even the president requires. But then Markus considers himself more important than the president.
Having my blood scanned every time I enter the building isn’t really a big deal, though. As a vampire, the small prick in my thumb only takes a few seconds to heal.
But it’s only one of the elaborate security measures Markus has implemented to provoke me. It all seems a bit over the top for a guy who usually stays under the radar anyway.
Hardly anyone even knows he exists, and the few who do have been trusted allies for a long time. Any enemies are usually dealt with quickly and long before they have a chance to track Markus down.
I approach the big double doors to Markus’s office and nod to the two guards standing at attention outside. They are both vampires like me and have been protecting Markus for several centuries.
“Lynette Rogers to see Markus.” I enunciate every word to allow the voice recognition system to work its magic and permit my entrance. The guitar intro for “Hail to the King” by Avenged Sevenfold starts playing, signaling that my voice has been approved.
The guard on the right turns around and punches in a code on a keypad next to the door before leaning forward to have his retinas scanned.
There’s a click and a whirring sound, and the doors finally open.
I walk through the doors and enter Markus’s huge office. The man himself is sitting behind his large mahogany desk, and he raises his head to follow me with an inscrutable gaze as I saunter toward him.
His black hair is cut in a short modern style enhancing his striking features. His face is a bit too angular to be called classically handsome, but his masculinity practically oozes out of every pore. His dark-brown eyes don’t usually give away much emotion, yet they aren’t cold.
I take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk, waiting for him to tell me why I’m here.
Even sitting behind a desk, Markus’s well-honed muscular physique is evident, but it’s not as imposing as when he’s standing. At six foot four, he towers over most men, and his wide shoulders make him seem even bigger.
He leans back in his large black leather chair while lazily spinning a pen in his right hand. “Thank you for getting here so quickly, Lynette.” He’s the only one who insists on addressing me using my birth name. Everyone else calls me Lyn. “I need you to talk to Lucas and find out what’s going on. In person.”
“Okay, I can do that. Where is he?” I let my gaze play over his features. I’ve been attracted to him since the first time I methim almost three hundred years ago, but as far as I can tell he has no similar interest in me.
“They just arrived at Trevor’s mansion on Long Island. The jet is already prepared. A car will be at the airport to pick you up when you land and take you to the house. It’s a twenty-minute drive. That should leave you about two hours to talk to him before dawn.”
“Who arethey, and what do you want me to talk to him about?”
Markus folds his arms, and I can’t help the way my eyes stray to his big biceps and muscular forearms. He takes a deep breath and lets it out on a sigh, but his expression stays neutral.
“As you know, I regularly monitor the energy level for each member of my team. I taste their energy, if you will, to assess their status. Lucas’s energy level started decreasing below his normal range a few days ago, so I have been monitoring him closely since. Two days ago, I tracked him down and sent two of my guards to assess him more closely. He was inside a building at a military base, so I decided to hold off a little longer to avoid alerting anyone to our interest. However, my guards remained close to be able to act fast if necessary.
“This afternoon Lucas’s energy level abruptly dropped, and they were getting ready to go in, but before they could act his energy started increasing. Shortly after, he was escorted out by a woman, and the two of them traveled to Trevor’s mansion in her car. I want to know what happened and who this woman is, and I want you to assess his reaction when you question him.”
After letting his words sink in, I frown. “Do you have a reason to suspect that Lucas is involved in something he shouldn’t be?”
Pinning me with this gaze, Markus sits forward in his seat and puts his elbows on his desk. “I have no reason to suspecthim of anything, but he hasn’t contacted me since leaving the military base, and I know of no reason why he should’ve been there in the first place. The woman accompanying him is human, and he brought her into a mansion owned by a wolf shifter. I need to know what is going on.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to him and see what I can find out.” I stand and smile at him. “I hope there’s some bubbly waiting for me on that plane. I’ll call you before dawn.” Without waiting for his response, I turn my back on him and make sure to sway my hips as I move away.