Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 691(@200wpm)___ 553(@250wpm)___ 461(@300wpm)
“I’ll bet Al could get through it.”
Vishous immediately shook his head. “I am not putting him in that basement.”
“I’d protect him.”
“No.”
“I’d have backup.”
“No.”
“You could be there.”
“Fuck no.” Those eyes glared over. “And you can stop asking. That is never going to happen.”
Zsadist popped a brow. “But if he’s just an employment asset, what do you care. Even if he’s a good one, there will always be other boy geniuses—”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but fuck you, true? For real.”
Z gave it a minute. Then, even though he told himself that it was none of his business, and they really had no reason to get tangled in personal shit, he had to go there. Maybe because what was wrong in his own life was an echo of what V was facing while refusing to acknowledge it.
“You and Jane are going to see him through the change, aren’t you. That’s the real reason he’s with you guys after hours.”
V didn’t even look shocked at what should have been a non sequitur. Which told a guy how much the male was thinking about what was coming for Allhan.
Worrying about it.
There was a long silence. Then V put his head in his hands. “We did a blood draw on him a couple of nights ago. The transition is a freight train heading straight for him.”
“He couldn’t be in better hands. Who’re you using for a vein?”
“The Chosen Sahsa.”
Z whistled under his breath. “Can’t get much more pure than that. He’s getting his best chance.”
“He’s just an employee.” V dropped his palms and fumbled for his stack of hand-rolls. “I mean, he’s not my responsibility. He just happens to have a knack for computers, and no family.”
“Mm-hmm.”
After V lit up, the brother all but poked Zsadist in the eye with his cigarette as he emphasized, “Okay, see, this is why I don’t tutor. You go to Luchas House, because Rhage’s shellan asks you to, and no one says no to fucking Mary, and the next thing you know, you’ve got some kid sleeping down the hall from you and your mate, and you’re all like worried about his scrawny ass and the fact that he doesn’t talk about where his parents are or what happened to them—oh, and you’re not asking him about that bullshit because you want him reunited with them.” V pinwheeled with that lit tip of his. “Nooooo, you’re asking because you’re terrified that they’ll show up and it won’t be like Ruhn and Bitty and Rhage and Mary, no, you’re shitting yourself because what if the parents take him home—wherever the fuck that might be—and if that happens, you’re going to have to pick your shellan up off the ground because she’ll be fucking heartbroken, over something you told her you two shouldn’t do in the first place.”
The last part was said with emphasis on every syllable, that hand-rolled going aerobic with the jabs. And then V kept going.
“My Jane is going to get fucked in the head if that kid leaves us, or dies during his transition, or”—furious eyes pegged Z in the face—“some asshole like you gets a bright idea about taking him out into the field. Which is never happening, got it? I’ll try that lock a thousand times over before I let him get slaughtered in that fucking nasty-ass basement full of lesser blood.”
The brother paused for a deep breath, then took a drag that was so long and deep, it was a wonder smoke didn’t start coming out of his ass.
“And fuck you, Z, with your perfect family, okay. Just because it worked out for you, doesn’t mean anybody else is going to be so lucky with their young. Not that he’s mine. Fuck.”
Zsadist glanced over his shoulder again at Allhan. Then he sat down in the vacant chair next to the desk. “Nalla isn’t speaking to me, I think she’s moved out of our house, and she’s dating Nate.”
Cue the whiplash.
Then V leaned forward. “Say… what?”
“Don’t make me repeat it. You heard the shit right the first time, and it was hard enough to get through once.”
“Jesus.”
“My point is, don’t romanticize anybody else. And I get how much it drives you crazy when you think something is wrong with them or about to happen to them. Or when they seem farther away than the Old Country when they’re still physically in the same zip code as you.”
“Nate?”
“Kill me now.”
Vishous sat back in his chair. Then picked up the little porcelain dish of fresh hand-rolls and extended it forward.
“No, thanks.”
“You sure?” The brother put the thing back. “It’s easier than homicide and at least vampires don’t get cancer.”
Zsadist rubbed his tired eyes. “I haven’t slept for two days, and no matter how much I run the conversation through in my head, I’m not coming up with any great ways to patch things up. I still think that male is a total loser, and she is always going to believe that I hate everyone she’s going to be with.”