* * *
Work was long.The guys hadn’t argued with me the rest of the way there, and I’d managed to get through minute by minute without breaking down in tears again. Every second was an effort, but it was hardly the first time I’d worked on what amounted to autopilot. One step after another. Minute by minute. I tried to focus on the next right thing.
“Hand it to me.” I jumped as Rowan spoke to me, leaning against the wall. He stepped toward me. “Come on. I’ll help. I can carry the box for you. Take a break. Sit down.”
I shook my head. “It’s my job. You don’t have to carry anything for me.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I offered. I want to. You had a very long morning, and that’s my fault. We should have gone back last night.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I was in any condition then either. This isn’t on you.”
He put out his arms. “Hand me the box.”
“Rowan, this is my job. And now it looks like I’ll be keeping it a lot longer than I thought I would be. Like a year longer. So thank you for wanting to help, but I’m going to do it.” I kept my box.
He walked toward me. “I solve everyone’s problems. You won’t let me solve yours?”
“No, but thank you. I was pretty mean to Ace and Caesar. They didn’t deserve it. I’m surprised you want anything to do with me.”
A noise outside startled me, and I almost dropped the box. It must have been a car backfiring. Rowan walked to the window to stare outside. It was open again, the same way Ace had gotten in. “That’s old man Peterson. His car really needs a tune-up. I’m going to fix it for him later this week.” He turned back around. “See? Other people’s problems, I fix them. And whatever you said to Ace and Caesar, they felt you were particularly on point. They don’t like lying. Neither do I.” He was really close to me right then. “I wonder if you could handle the truth. I would really love to tell you.”
I swallowed. “It’s that bad that you can’t be sure I can handle it? What kind of trouble are you in?”
He cupped my cheeks. “So much trouble.”
The door swung open to the storage room, and my manager stood there. He stared at Rowan for a second and then at me. When he spoke, his voice was shaky. “There’s someone here to see you, Maci.”
There was?I didn’t believe the guys would come through the front door to speak to my manager. Ace and Rowan had both snuck in. “Who?”
“Fuck,” Rowan whispered as a man walked in behind my manager. I blinked. Was that Rowan’s father?
I swallowed. “Sir, we were just talking. I swear I’m not a bad influence on your son.”
“Oh,” he glided toward me, “that I believe. I think you are going to be just what I need for my son and the others.” He put out his hand, bending toward me when he did. “Put down that box and come with me. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He looked over his shoulder to my manager. “Go, now.”
Like he was a puppet on a string being directed, my boss scurried away.
“Father, I’m not sure what you are hoping to achieve here. I’ve told you, Maci is a friend. An unknowing person. We’ve done nothing we shouldn’t…”
His father held up his hand. “Look at me in the eyes, Maci.”
I lifted my head, not sure I could have said no if I wanted to. He stared at me for a long moment. “You’re right. She’s just a human girl. I had to be sure. Come with me.”
“Father.” Rowan sounded like he spoke through gritted teeth, but I couldn’t look at him.
His father took my wrist, and before I could even consider why, he bit me. Hard. I yelped and tried to yank back, checking out of my stupor finally, but he had me in a hold like I couldn’t believe. As I shrieked, he sucked the blood from my wrist.
The whole thing lasted seconds, but Rowan bellowed, grabbing his father’s arm, tugging to no avail. “Stop it. Come on. Not her. Stop.”
The man—is he a man?—sucking on me stopped. He lifted his head, my blood dripping down his chin. With a lick of his tongue, my wrist stopped bleeding, and he stepped away.
“Now, Maci.”
I hurried to catch up to him, not even sure why I would do that. I didn’t want to go with him. This man who sucked my blood, who… Was he a vampire?
“Rowan?” My voice shook. I didn’t even know what I was asking him.
“Don’t fight it.” He sounded defeated. “For at least the next hour or so, you won’t be able to resist doing what he wants. It will be easier if you just go. Maci.” He ran to walk with me. “Try to forgive me. I told you this was bad.”