Blood Type
Page 18
She put a hand to her heart, and her chest was pumping up and down with her erratic breathing. What was she supposed to say? What did they expect of her? Oh God! The expectations.
No. She couldn’t do this.
“Reyna,” Beckham said softly. He touched the small of her back, and she sank into his touch. He pulled her toward him. “I apologize. She doesn’t like public speaking.”
“Sick. Going to be sick,” she whispered.
“I’m going to take her out of here,” he said immediately. She wasn’t sure if he was really concerned at the moment or just embarrassed, but she couldn’t care. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, and she was going to hyperventilate.
“Yes. Make sure she is all right, Beckham,” Mr. Harrington said. Beckham started walking her toward the back door. “Humans. Such fragile things. Well, the Permanent positions will begin rolling out for all top Visage employees as soon as we find suitable choices…”
The door shut behind them, and Beckham placed a hand on her shoulder. “Reyna, calm down. You’re fine. Everyone is gone.”
“S-sorry,” she stuttered. She put a hand to her forehead and the other was holding his jacket.
“When you said you didn’t enjoy public speaking, I thought you meant that you weren’t fond of it. I didn’t think you meant that you would freeze up and almost pass out.”
“Oh hey, public speaking makes me almost pass out,” she quipped.
“Do you always do that?”
“What?”
“Use sarcasm as a defense mechanism.”
“You think?” she asked. Her breathing was slowly coming under control. She leaned heavily back against the door and threw her head back.
His eyes widened as he stared down at her exposed throat. She felt him inch toward her. Her own body stilled at his approach. For a moment, it was as if the world revolved around them. As if she had been waiting her whole life for him to get close to her. Then he took a step back and cleared his throat. “I should probably return.”
She closed her eyes, not sure if it was in fear or in embarrassment at what he must have seen in them. “Fine. Go.”
“Your heart is racing,” he growled softly, so close to her she could practically feel him on her.
“Yes,” she murmured. She knew what that meant for a vampire. His hand brushed her neck gently, and she almost stopped breathing altogether. “Becks?”
She opened her eyes when the pressure disappeared, and he was gone. She straightened in surprise. She looked through the glass, back into the room, but he was nowhere to be seen. What the hell? Where had he gone…and why had he disappeared so suddenly when he had touched her?
Beckham was an enigma wrapped in a mystery.
Chapter 11
Reyna stayed leaning back against the door until she finally calmed down, her pulse returned to normal, and her breathing wasn’t ragged. Though she was confused about what had happened with Beckham, her mind was back to functioning on a normal level.
She didn’t know what had scared him off, and she knew asking him would do no good. She hadn’t been with him all that long, and it was clear that he didn’t like to answer questions or for her to ask them.
A few minutes later, the staff meeting dispersed and all the vampires exited the room. She plastered herself against the wall, suddenly feeling very vulnerable without Beckham there next to her. But people barely glanced at her as they left. The flow reduced to a trickle, when Rowland and Cassandra appeared with their subjects and Mr. Harrington.
“Ah, there you are, Miss Carpenter,” he said. “I don’t believe we were officially introduced. William Harrington.”
He extended his hand out to her, and she placed hers in his. “Um…you can call me Reyna.”
“Reyna, of course. Sorry to see your discomfort earlier. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Much better,” she said quickly. She drew into herself at the present company. God, where was Beckham? He might make her uneasy, but he was her vampire at least.
“Good.” Mr. Harrington gave her a toothy grin, and she could see his fangs. She tried to keep from shuddering. “How are you liking the program so far?”
His eyes were as sharp as his fangs when he asked her. She didn’t know what he was fishing for, but she wasn’t going to give him any additional information than he needed. “Good. I’m very satisfied.”
“I bet you are,” Rowland said.
She ignored that comment. “Thank you for asking, Mr. Harrington.”
“Where did Beckham get to anyway?”
Rowland shrugged. “Do you want to wait for him? I can take care of his pet until he shows up,” he said, placing his hand on Reyna’s shoulder.
Her heart kicked into overdrive. No. She wasn’t supposed to be alone with Rowland. That much had been very clear from Beckham, but where the hell was he?
Sophie reached out and took his hand. “Why, do you want her too?”
“Oh baby, don’t worry,” he said, petting her hair like a child. “I’ll take care of you both.”
“I don’t like when you talk like that,” she pouted.
His hand gripped viciously in her hair, wrenching her head backward. Sophie winced, her eyes wide with fear. “I pay a lot of money to have you here, Sophie. I’ll do as I please.”
Reyna gulped, but no one else batted an eye at the behavior. She hadn’t thought that Beckham was being serious by saying he was kind. Cold, distant, broody…those were all words she would use to describe Beckham. Not kind. But looking at how Rowland treated Sophie, she found herself feeling fortunate.
“Yes, bring Reyna along for the ride. Beckham knows where we’re going,” Harrington said.
“I’m…I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” Reyna said nervously.
“It’ll be fine,” Cassandra said. “You can ride with us.”
She smiled, but Reyna wasn’t sure if she could trust Cassandra either. She wasn’t as creepy as Rowland. But she also had vicious eyes and a charisma that said not to fuck with her.
Reyna glanced around once more anxiously and then nodded. “Okay.”
Their group took the elevator to an underground parking garage. The walls were lined with heavily tinted black Town Cars and limos. There were a few exotic sports cars in reds and oranges and yellows at the far end of the garage. Not a single plain car in sight. She wondered if this was the level for upper management and regular employees parked elsewhere or if these all belonged to the company for business use.
Three cars backed out and rolled up in front of them. Harrington got into the first one alone. Rowland and Sophie got into the next one. He looked over his shoulder once at Reyna, but Cassandra put her hand on Reyna’s shoulder and he disappeared inside the vehicle. The next car was for Cassandra, Felix, and Reyna. She walked around to the other side and sat down next to Felix.
Cassandra brushed her red locks off her shoulders and glanced over at them. “So, Reyna, what did you do before becoming an escort?”
Reyna coughed unexpectedly. Vampires called them escorts too?
“Um…nothing really.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Nothing at all? You had no life?”
“I, well, no, not really. I went through school, didn’t have the money for college, and couldn’t get a job.” It wasn’t like jobs were readily available. She’d spent two years looking. No one would hire her. At least not for anything her brothers approved of. And playing house didn’t exactly give her purpose.
No. She couldn’t do this.
“Reyna,” Beckham said softly. He touched the small of her back, and she sank into his touch. He pulled her toward him. “I apologize. She doesn’t like public speaking.”
“Sick. Going to be sick,” she whispered.
“I’m going to take her out of here,” he said immediately. She wasn’t sure if he was really concerned at the moment or just embarrassed, but she couldn’t care. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, and she was going to hyperventilate.
“Yes. Make sure she is all right, Beckham,” Mr. Harrington said. Beckham started walking her toward the back door. “Humans. Such fragile things. Well, the Permanent positions will begin rolling out for all top Visage employees as soon as we find suitable choices…”
The door shut behind them, and Beckham placed a hand on her shoulder. “Reyna, calm down. You’re fine. Everyone is gone.”
“S-sorry,” she stuttered. She put a hand to her forehead and the other was holding his jacket.
“When you said you didn’t enjoy public speaking, I thought you meant that you weren’t fond of it. I didn’t think you meant that you would freeze up and almost pass out.”
“Oh hey, public speaking makes me almost pass out,” she quipped.
“Do you always do that?”
“What?”
“Use sarcasm as a defense mechanism.”
“You think?” she asked. Her breathing was slowly coming under control. She leaned heavily back against the door and threw her head back.
His eyes widened as he stared down at her exposed throat. She felt him inch toward her. Her own body stilled at his approach. For a moment, it was as if the world revolved around them. As if she had been waiting her whole life for him to get close to her. Then he took a step back and cleared his throat. “I should probably return.”
She closed her eyes, not sure if it was in fear or in embarrassment at what he must have seen in them. “Fine. Go.”
“Your heart is racing,” he growled softly, so close to her she could practically feel him on her.
“Yes,” she murmured. She knew what that meant for a vampire. His hand brushed her neck gently, and she almost stopped breathing altogether. “Becks?”
She opened her eyes when the pressure disappeared, and he was gone. She straightened in surprise. She looked through the glass, back into the room, but he was nowhere to be seen. What the hell? Where had he gone…and why had he disappeared so suddenly when he had touched her?
Beckham was an enigma wrapped in a mystery.
Chapter 11
Reyna stayed leaning back against the door until she finally calmed down, her pulse returned to normal, and her breathing wasn’t ragged. Though she was confused about what had happened with Beckham, her mind was back to functioning on a normal level.
She didn’t know what had scared him off, and she knew asking him would do no good. She hadn’t been with him all that long, and it was clear that he didn’t like to answer questions or for her to ask them.
A few minutes later, the staff meeting dispersed and all the vampires exited the room. She plastered herself against the wall, suddenly feeling very vulnerable without Beckham there next to her. But people barely glanced at her as they left. The flow reduced to a trickle, when Rowland and Cassandra appeared with their subjects and Mr. Harrington.
“Ah, there you are, Miss Carpenter,” he said. “I don’t believe we were officially introduced. William Harrington.”
He extended his hand out to her, and she placed hers in his. “Um…you can call me Reyna.”
“Reyna, of course. Sorry to see your discomfort earlier. Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Much better,” she said quickly. She drew into herself at the present company. God, where was Beckham? He might make her uneasy, but he was her vampire at least.
“Good.” Mr. Harrington gave her a toothy grin, and she could see his fangs. She tried to keep from shuddering. “How are you liking the program so far?”
His eyes were as sharp as his fangs when he asked her. She didn’t know what he was fishing for, but she wasn’t going to give him any additional information than he needed. “Good. I’m very satisfied.”
“I bet you are,” Rowland said.
She ignored that comment. “Thank you for asking, Mr. Harrington.”
“Where did Beckham get to anyway?”
Rowland shrugged. “Do you want to wait for him? I can take care of his pet until he shows up,” he said, placing his hand on Reyna’s shoulder.
Her heart kicked into overdrive. No. She wasn’t supposed to be alone with Rowland. That much had been very clear from Beckham, but where the hell was he?
Sophie reached out and took his hand. “Why, do you want her too?”
“Oh baby, don’t worry,” he said, petting her hair like a child. “I’ll take care of you both.”
“I don’t like when you talk like that,” she pouted.
His hand gripped viciously in her hair, wrenching her head backward. Sophie winced, her eyes wide with fear. “I pay a lot of money to have you here, Sophie. I’ll do as I please.”
Reyna gulped, but no one else batted an eye at the behavior. She hadn’t thought that Beckham was being serious by saying he was kind. Cold, distant, broody…those were all words she would use to describe Beckham. Not kind. But looking at how Rowland treated Sophie, she found herself feeling fortunate.
“Yes, bring Reyna along for the ride. Beckham knows where we’re going,” Harrington said.
“I’m…I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” Reyna said nervously.
“It’ll be fine,” Cassandra said. “You can ride with us.”
She smiled, but Reyna wasn’t sure if she could trust Cassandra either. She wasn’t as creepy as Rowland. But she also had vicious eyes and a charisma that said not to fuck with her.
Reyna glanced around once more anxiously and then nodded. “Okay.”
Their group took the elevator to an underground parking garage. The walls were lined with heavily tinted black Town Cars and limos. There were a few exotic sports cars in reds and oranges and yellows at the far end of the garage. Not a single plain car in sight. She wondered if this was the level for upper management and regular employees parked elsewhere or if these all belonged to the company for business use.
Three cars backed out and rolled up in front of them. Harrington got into the first one alone. Rowland and Sophie got into the next one. He looked over his shoulder once at Reyna, but Cassandra put her hand on Reyna’s shoulder and he disappeared inside the vehicle. The next car was for Cassandra, Felix, and Reyna. She walked around to the other side and sat down next to Felix.
Cassandra brushed her red locks off her shoulders and glanced over at them. “So, Reyna, what did you do before becoming an escort?”
Reyna coughed unexpectedly. Vampires called them escorts too?
“Um…nothing really.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Nothing at all? You had no life?”
“I, well, no, not really. I went through school, didn’t have the money for college, and couldn’t get a job.” It wasn’t like jobs were readily available. She’d spent two years looking. No one would hire her. At least not for anything her brothers approved of. And playing house didn’t exactly give her purpose.
