Page 42 of A Sip of Sin

If ‘just a bit tired’ was equivalent to ‘about to keel over’ then Munro could’ve believed him. Munro frowned, slipping his arm around Hollen’s waist and supporting him as he swayed. His heartbeat was still strong, pulsing sweetly on that vein that stoodout. Everything else about him was limp, from his hair to his eyelids.

“Let me take you downstairs. You can rest for a bit longer.” Munro bit back everything else he wanted to stay.If you’d just stayed, you’d be fine right now.

“Nuh-uh.” Hollen shook his head, pressing his hand to Munro’s chest. “I know you’re trying to be nice, but I don’t want any handouts, even if they are from you. I can work, and I’m pulling a full shift this time.”

Sliding free, Hollen headed to the kitchen, greeting Sean as he entered. When Munro followed a few steps behind, Sean gave him a harsh glare.

“What the hell is this?” Sean’s humor from earlier had drained to nothing. “Did you almost drain the poor guy dry?” asked Sean, abandoning his bread to go to Hollen’s side. “You look terrible. Can I get you a drink, something to eat? An iron supplement?”

Hollen chuckled, shaking his head. He weaved a bit when he did, grasping the nearest counter and leaning into it. “I’m fine, really.” He smiled as he looked at Munro, a flush spreading over his cheeks. “I guess Munro filled you in.”

“Un-huh.” Sean didn’t seem to be listening, instead grasping Hollen by the shoulders and leading him to the stool on the side of the kitchen.

Hollen let out a harsh sigh as he took a seat, his eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “The boss was a genuine gentleman and only took a little sip. I just had a bit of a reaction to it.”

A reaction?Munro kneeled next to the chair, grasping Hollen’s wrist. The bites were still there and looked completely normal for being so fresh, the small pink dots shiny with healing skin. There was no swelling or redness that would spell anything worse.

“A bit?” Sean grabbed a glass from above the cupboards—one of the few that had never seen tea. He filled it, handing it to Hollen while giving Munro another dark look. “Does Benadryl help with something like that?”

Munro’s gut sank, guilt seeping into every pore that had been filled with elation.Hehad caused this. Maybe it was the reason Hollen had snuck away—too drained to say anything but too afraid to stay.

“George said I’ll be fine,” said Hollen before taking a long swig out of the glass. The water trembled within as he shook, a quivering breath passing through his lips.

Pure rage flared under Munro’s skin, and he had to drop Hollen’s wrist before he squeezed too tight. Hollen could ask him anything—anything in the world—but he still had no idea who George was or why he had such a closeness with Hollen. He could be waiting in the reeds to snatch him away the moment Munro’s heart opened. There was a chance he could already be working toward it.

If he heard that name one more time, he was going to snap. Was it Hollen’s lover? A family member? Or perhaps someone who he’d met online. Whatever claim he had on Hollen, Munro was going to strip him of it.

“Oh.” Sean nodded, gaze flickering over Munro, his scowl softening. “I guess you can trust him?”

Hollen nodded before setting the glass on the counter. He heaved himself up, offering Munro a hand. There was a touch of color to his cheeks now, but the darkness still remained. “With my life.”

That’s it.“I want to meet him.” Munro struggled to keep the growl from his voice as he cupped Hollen’s wrist, stroking the vulnerable underside.So I can kill him.

“Oh.” Hollen looked from Sean and back to him. “I think you already did? Kind of. He’s not like someone I can call oncommand. He does his own thing for the most part. Sometimes he just tags along.”

Sean chuckled, turning back to his bread that he was quickly assembling into the night’s dish. “You make him sound like a dog.”

“Oh, don’t tell him that,” said Hollen, his eyes going wide. “He would kill me.”

All the more reason to kill him first.Munro licked his lips. George’s blood would be sweet, but not nearly as sweet as Hollen’s. The satisfaction of draining him would be next to none.

“I should get to work.” Hollen grabbed for a few kettles and filling them with water. “What tea are we doing tonight, Chef?”

“For you—blue tea. Everyone else is getting the green tea blend.”

“’Kay.” Hollen started bustling about, as if he’d been in the kitchen for months. “Is the lady coming tonight?” He glanced to the vacant spot where one of Munro’s workers had stood the night before. She’d done her job well, barely resisting any of his influence.

Seconds on the clock ticked by, getting close enough to opening that she should have started her trek here.

Munro closed his eyes, reaching for her. She should have been on her first bus by now. He’d written it into her very brain when he’d gazed into her eyes during the interview. A few months here and she would be able to finally move out of the city and start a new life with her young son in a small villa she’d found in the country. The only thing she’d be missing by that time was the memory of tea. She would have gained a few scars on her wrists and neck in exchange for the extra Munro made sure to tip.

The place where she’d occupied in the small uninteresting portion of his mind was utterly blank. She wasn’t lost or missing—just gone. He stretched further, putting a hand over his eyes toblock the light from the kitchen. He found her apartment with ease, the walls blank and the linens missing.

“She won’t be coming in,” said Munro, opening his eyes. “I’ll see if we can get any extra help for this evening.” It would probably only take a few trips down back alleys to find a candidate who needed a decent paycheck, and he kept extra uniforms for a reason.

“We can handle it,” said Hollen, his hand trembling as he stacked the first few teacups onto the expensive trays. “As long as you greet everyone, then I’ll focus on the tea and getting the trays ready. As long as we have wait staff, we should be good.”

Munro nodded, his gaze lingering on Hollen, even as he reached for the others. One was pushing through the door now, their uniform already crisp as they washed their hands and started straightening the place settings Munro had set out. The others weren’t far behind, filling the teahouse with their silence.

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