Page 54 of Born Reckless

My eyes search for Elena as I walk through the office. I find her standing at the elevators, her back turned to me. Just as I walk up to her side, the elevator arrives, and the doors open. Elena doesn't hesitate as she steps inside, and hesitantly, I step in behind her.

"It seems you’re getting plenty comfortable in Chicago," Elena says.

I shrug. "The city is growing on me. It's no New York, but it will do."

Elena lets out a hard breath, and it’s almost like the tension Mason just created burns out with it. Maybe we can have a real conversation after all. "Do you think you'll be ready for your apprenticeship with Dr. Vincent soon?"

I take in a deep breath. Even in this elevator, I can smell the scent of all the blood that surrounds me. It sparks a small fire in the back of my throat. "Soon. I don't know. There are still times when I look at a human and want to tear into them. It's kind of hard to imagine that I'll be able to work in any kind of an emergency situation with blood around me. But I don't know, it's getting easier."

I would be horrified if Elena knew that I was feeding off of her brother on almost a nightly basis. She might actually kill me then.

"Well, I can tell you that Sebastian is certainly anxious for you to come and work with him," Elena says. "He's getting kind of obnoxious, truth be told. Every time I see him, he asks about you."

I don't know what to think of the good doctor. I've only met him the once, and he kind of seems like he should be the center of The Bachelor, happily surrounded by dozens of women who all think they’re going to fall in love with him. He is certainly easy on the eyes, but as I have learned in the last few weeks, it really isn’t just about looks for me.

"Well, we will see," is all I answer.

“Have you gotten any answers about your father?” she asks. And I hate this stiff, all too forced conversation.

“No,” I say. “So far no one has heard of Jon Bonny. And no one wants to talk about Archer King.”

“The man was an evil overlord who nearly destroyed this city and killed dozens,” Elena says, her voice tight. “He’s dead. Let him stay dead, Juliet.”

Well, fine.

The elevator doors open, and we step out into the bustling lobby. Poe waves an enthusiastic hello as we head for the front doors. I genuinely like the man. He is sweet and happy and kind. He always seems thrilled to see me. He seems even more thrilled to see Elena.

I'm not even surprised anymore when we step outside and there is a limo waiting for us. Elena has a different driver than Mason does. While Patrick is huge and scary looking, Elena's driver is a serious and grim looking Asian woman. She doesn't say a word as she holds the door open for Elena and we climb inside. Tabitha is waiting for us.

Elena and Tabitha exchange a few words, all of them in Russian. Sometimes I wonder what they talk about. Is it all just work, or are they friends? It's hard to imagine spending so much time together if you don't actually like each other.

Mason and I have spent lots of time together, and we certainly have taken a liking to each other.

It's a weird feeling not having a single dollar to my name, yet having every one of my needs met to such an extreme measure. I've always had to work my butt off. Every dollar has always been precious. But now, I don't get paid for the “work” I do. It's a temporary situation. But I have an exceptional place to live. There is always plenty of food in the fridge, and half of the time Mason has food brought to us, prepared by someone else. I have a closet full of clothes that fit me just perfectly. I have more shoes now than I have ever owned in the entirety of my life.

I don't particularlylikethis feeling. Sure, being spoiled is kind of nice, but the thought that I don't have even one dollar to my name right now? It's a little scary.

I make a mental note to negotiate some kind of pay when I begin working with Dr. Vincent. Sure, I am not a fully licensed doctor. I won't expect to be paid what a doctor would be paid. But I just need… something. Anything would be better than what I'm dealing with right now.

Slowly, I am becoming more familiar with the different areas of Chicago. So, I am not surprised when we head straight for the Magnificent Mile. It's a stretch of Michigan Avenue where all of the highest-end stores are located. We park outside the building that bears a name I would never be able to afford on my own. A name I would never even dream of walking into. But Elena looks like she’s simply making a quick stop into Target as she climbs out and heads straight for the doors.

I just shake my head and follow after her.

Sometimes I forget. I forget just how much power and sway the Godfrey twins hold.

When we walk inside, there are four employees waiting there for us. And there is not one other person in the building.

Elena Godfrey blocked out the entire store for us.

"Guiana will take your measurements and then you can start trying on dresses," Elena says as she looks over her shoulder at me. From the slight smirk on her face, I think she is at least somewhat aware of the ridiculousness of this situation. "I hope you feel like looking pretty today, Juliet."

"Are you trying to say I don't look pretty every day?" I ask sarcastically with a smile.

"Let me rephrase my question then," Elena says as she hands her purse off to one of the employees. "I hope you feel like looking like a goddess today."

I am whisked away to a fitting area of the store. Really, the space is gigantic. You could fit an entire boutique in this area. But swift and efficient, Guiana measures every bit of me. My hips, my waist, my bust. She measures the size of my upper arms, my wrists. She measures each of my thighs, and even my ankles.

And I realize that she isn’t simply measuring me for a dress for this gala.