Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 391(@200wpm)___ 313(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
My eyebrows nearly jump off my forehead. “You pay?”
“We do.” She smiles. “Fifty dollars for the first five donations, and forty dollars per donation after that.”
“Is it like giving blood?”
“Sort of. Donating plasma is a process that involves extracting plasma from your blood and returning the remaining components back to your body.”
“And you’ll pay me for that?”
“Yeah. We’re always looking for more people to donate. Plasma donations are crucial for medical treatments, including treating burn victims, patients with immune disorders, and those undergoing certain medical procedures.”
Seems like a no-brainer for someone who needs money. “Sure. Sign me up.”
“Okay.” She hands me a clipboard. “Fill this out and bring it back to me.”
I take a seat in one of the plastic chairs and read through the form. When I get to the section on previous drug abuse, I freeze.
So much for making an extra buck on the side.
I put the clipboard down on the chair next to me, and without saying another word to the cheery receptionist, I walk out.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Diana
“Hello?” I say into the phone.
“Hi, Diana, it’s Antonio Carbone.”
“Hi, how are you?”
“I’m good. Just wanted to let you know that I offered your friend a job.”
“Dragon?”
“Yeah. I mean, I need drumming instructors, and I suppose he’s qualified.”
I furrow my brow. “You mean you didn’t ask about his background?”
“No. I figured you wouldn’t have recommended him to me if he wasn’t qualified.”
“He’s the percussionist for an up-and-coming rock band, so yeah.”
“I’m sure he’ll be great. Are we still on for Friday night?”
“Yeah, sure.” I put my phone on speaker and open the calendar app. “Did we say seven?”
“Yeah, we did. See you then, Diana.”
“Bye.”
I look up when the door clicks open.
Dragon walks in, looking pale.
I stand up. “Hey, are you okay?”
He doesn’t look at me. “Yeah.”
I want to ask where he was, but how can I ask that? He’s an adult. He can come and go as he pleases.
“How was your day?” I ask.
“Good.” His voice is artificially even. “Yours?”
Something is up with him, but I decide not to pry.
“I’m exhausted, but it was good. I got a chance to look at that great project I want, but I found a problem in the plans, which is really strange since they all have so much more experience than I do.”
He simply nods.
“What did you do today?”
“Got a job. Your friend Antonio called me. Offered me a job teaching percussion. Doesn’t pay a lot, but it will help tide me over until the band gets back to work.”
“That’s great.” I force a smile. “I’m happy for you.”
He simply nods again.
Something’s eating at him.
Of course, something’s always eating at Dragon. The most emotion I’ve ever seen out of him was when he and I made love.
Scratch that.
There was no love involved.
At least I don’t think there was.
“You look…tired,” I say. “Can I get you some water or anything?”
“I can get it myself.” He walks into the kitchen, grabs a glass out of the cupboard, and gets ice water from the door of the fridge.
Then he turns and looks at me. Glares at me. Only it’s not a glare. It’s more of a…lustful stare?
It’s not unlike the way he looked at me yesterday before…
There’s something else in his gaze right now. I can’t place it. I’m not sure I want to place it.
“Diana…” he says on a groan.
I swallow. “Yes?”
“I got another one of those phone calls.”
Not what I was expecting him to say.
“Oh?”
He nods. “Whoever it was says I need to call off your private investigator.”
I drop my jaw. “How does he even know we hired her?”
Dragon shrugs. “Got me. Of course I tried calling the number again—it was a different number from the first one—and no one answered. It just rang and rang.”
“Did you call Alayna?”
“No.” He frowns. “I felt like it might be too late.”
“I think we need to call her right now.” I grab my phone from the kitchen counter.
But Dragon comes toward me, puts his hand over mine.
Tingles I’m not expecting shoot through me.
“Don’t, please.”
“Dragon, we have to let Alayna know. This is a new number she can look into.”
“If there’s any chance that…” He shakes his head vigorously. “I can’t take any chances with this.”
I look into his eyes. “Dragon, what is it that you’re not telling me?”
He turns his back to me then, releasing my hand. His shoulders quiver a bit.
I reach toward him tentatively, place my hand on his upper arm and turn him around.
His eyes are glazed over. There are no tears, but something’s going on.
“Dragon…”
“No one knows everything,” he says. “Not even my therapist. Not even Jesse.”
“I’m not asking you to spill some kind of secret you’re not ready to talk about. But if you want Alayna’s help, you need to at least level with her.”
“I have…” He rubs his forehead. “As much as I can, at least.”