Page 8 of Sunshine and the Vamp

“Is that what’s causing the headache?”

I gnawed my bottom lip and nodded.

“That’s it.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket. “I am calling Liv and ordering you a CT scan right now.”

“No, Maya. Please. It’s fine. I’m fine. I think I’m just tired and worried and stressed over today.”

She eyed me warily.

“Look, let’s go out and if it’s still bothering me in the morning, I’ll call Liv myself. Okay?”

“Fine,” she snapped. “But if you die, you better come haunt me so I can say ‘I told you so’ to your face every day.”

I laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Now eat up, because then we are going toThe Cryptto get shitfaced.”

“You can’t get shitfaced,” I snorted. “You’re on shift tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll watch you get shitfaced whilst I have a few measly shots.”

I had a feeling she was fooling herself with her commitment to those few shots. Sober Maya made good, solid decisions. Alcohol laced Maya made impulsive, wild decisions that usually landed us in some trouble, and someone had the potential to lose an eye.

Tonight was going to be fun.

Chapter Four

Damyr

Ipinched the bridge of my nose and tried to focus on tuning out the noise that was currently invading my office atThe Crypt. I understood why Vlad and Aleksey were arguing. There was still no sign of Charlie or my ledgers and fuck knows whatever else the guy stole as leverage. He’d got cocky. Skimming off the top and Vlad had found out when he did a check on the accounts for me. Something had been bugging me the last couple of months. Maybe it was the new suits. I didn’t pay Charlie enough to afford a custom three piece. One I might have overlooked. But three…

I didn’t know how long Charlie had been skimming, and I think that was what pissed me off the most. That it was going on right under my nose and I had no fucking clue. Now the guy had somehow stolen my fucking ledger and was no doubt going to use it to blackmail me.

Maybe I should just leave. I had enough money put away to last me several lifetimes. Did I really want to spend the rest of my life dealing with problems like this?

Had the world finally lost its flavour?

“You’re the one who let him get away,” Aleksey growled. He was tall, lithe, with blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun, and chiselled features permanently pulled into a scowl. If he smiled, the guy looked like an angel and far too pretty, but he was always frowning or looking like he was chewing glass, which harshened that soft elfin face.

Vlad was built like a fucking tank. Broad shoulders and back, tapered waist and muscles always coiled and ready for action. “I wasn’t the one who was careless enough to get shot.”

No, that idiot was Byron. The other man in the room. As silent as a shadow, and just as dark.

“Dear Lord,” I muttered, running a hand down my face. I needed to get a handle on this, or there would be blood everywhere. These guys were loyal to the family, but they were hot-headed, violent, and prone to impulsiveness. We might not all be brothers born, but we were brothers in blood and that meant a hell of a lot more.

We were also all vampires. Except Byron. He was human and a complete psychopath. Probably why he fit in with us so well, to be honest. He’d come recommended by an old friend and I had yet to be disappointed by the guy. He was very good at taking out the trash, just not so good at interacting with people. Which was why he was sitting at the table watching Vlad and Aleksey fight with a wolfish grin on his face. The guy got off on violence.

“Don’t stop them, Boss,” he said softly and adjusted himself in his pants. “It’s about to get to the good bit.”

Vlad glared at Byron. “Oh, fuck off.”

Byron simply grinned wider. “Don’t forget to tell Damyr about the little bird.”

My ears perked up at that. “What’s he on about, Vlad?”

“Just some human that was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Vlad grunted.

My jaw involuntarily clenched. “A human?”

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