I'll call them now

“What do you need me to do?” asked Jesen . He was the only one I didn't frighten, which was endearing when he was in a good mood and frustrating when he wasn't. But in addition to being my bodyguard, he was also my brother, and he never had anything to fear from me because the bond between us was strong.

“Hire lawyers to prepare the necessary documentation to claim Boucher's debts. All his debts. “ I passed the file to Jesen so he could follow my instructions.

He tucked it under his arm and pulled the phone out of his pocket. “I'll call them now.”

“No.”

He looked at me.

“No. Go over there and fucking stay there, keeping an eye on them. Make yourself at home in their office. We'll do it today. “ I watched Jesen until he almost waved.

I needed this victory today, this control, to stop thinking about the human woman. I couldn't spend time finding her today, so I needed something else to focus on. But I would find her later. Find her and explore all the delicious opportunities her scent offered, so damn it, help me.

A human. I could hardly bear to think about it, though I knew this day would come if my mother was right in her superstitions. It wasn't as if virgin vampires still existed.

Let me know when you get the paperwork. Arturo , I'll leave you in charge of the rest of these files.

Arturo nodded as I left the room and headed for my office. Jesen was already on the phone, alerting our legal team of his impending arrival.

I pulled my gun out of the safe and stowed it in the holster I wore under my jacket. Technically, I didn't need a gun. I was perfectly capable of... I smiled... neutralizing any threat without using firearms. However, and also on a technicality, I needed the gun without question. I couldn't reveal myself as a vampire to humans because we weren't supposed to exist, let alone roam among them. Almost all of us obeyed the creed, even the newly converted. And those who didn't... Well, we fought them. But not with weapons.

Still, today I saw humans, and sometimes a weapon was the only way to scare them.

Now, I had only come here for one thing. But there seemed to be a virgin inside that belonged to me, unless my nose was playing tricks on me.

“Very well, sir. “ He pulled gently into a weed-covered driveway, and as I got out of the car, I looked up at the building. More weeds were growing up the front steps, and some sort of vine covered the side of the building and had crept under the shingles.

I shook my head. “Fuck!” It was looking more and more like a bad idea, but a contract is a contract, and I owed it to Kamille's family line . Her family line of women had always been particularly strong. Almost special.

I approached the front door, stepping over rotten boards. No one answered the knock, but as I turned the knob, it opened to reveal a dark foyer. Specks of dust hung in a faint shaft of light that filtered through the edges of the heavy velvet curtains.

“Hello?” my voice echoed in the vast space. Had Harper gambled away all the furniture, too? His wife should have nailed them down before she died.

I took a deep breath, prelude to a sigh, then stopped as I felt my head spinning. That woman. She was definitely there. Her scent filled my nose, and I almost groaned as I breathed in again. She was here, somewhere, and.... Shit. It was like she'd cast a spell on me. More than just being a virgin, every fiber of my being longed for her to be meant for me.

I leaned against the doorframe before looking down at the folder in my hand, trying to remember what the hell I was doing.