Page 16 of Surging Reef
“Yeah, sure. You still have two wishes left to fulfill.”
“Are you sure? I assumed saving your life yesterday would make us even.”
The look Kazimir gave him did a good job of conveying how unimpressed he was. “I saved your life, several times over, I think. I fed you when you were a skeleton—” He shuddered, and Ashby wished he could take the memory away. Sadly, vampires weren’t blessed with any mind-altering abilities like in fairy tales. “Then I got you out of the chain, out of the lighthouse, and away from the beach when they came for you.”
“I got us away from the beach.” Ashby crossed his arms over his chest. He didn’t exactly sound like a superhero when Kazimir relayed the chain of events.
“Using my car, and you never would’ve gotten to the beach in the first place if it wasn’t for me.”
“Fine, you still have two wishes.” Absurd, since he wasn’t magical and couldn’t fulfill wishes.
When Kazimir smiled at him, he didn’t care. He felt pretty magical.
“I need to swing by my apartment.”
“What? No! Are you insane?”
“Eh…” He gestured at his bare chest. “I need some clothes. Anne took my phone, but my wallet is in my apartment. And my laptop.”
Kazimir stared at him. “No.”
“I need—”
“They’ll be guarding your apartment. If they went out tothe lighthouse yesterday, they know you’re gone. Someone will be watching.”
Ashby didn’t reply. Would someone be watching? Yes. Anne would be looking for him everywhere. “I can’t disappear without money, and I need my driver’s license. I have nothing to put on.” He once again gestured at his bare chest.
“Then you’ll have to be naked. We’re not going to your apartment.” Kazimir typed something, then took a bite of the sandwich and moaned. “Fuck, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
“Kazimir.”
He sighed. “Let me think. We can’t walk in there without a plan.” He was quiet for a moment. “Aren’t there moving companies that go into people’s homes, pack everything, and drive it somewhere?”
Ashby shrugged. “Anne would follow them.”
“Right.” He took another bite and chewed slowly. “I’ll break in, but not while people are awake.”
Ashby stared at him. “What? No. Vampires are guarding the apartment.”
“You have your key?”
Ashby shook his head. “Anne took it.”
“So, I have to pick the lock. It’s cool. Pharos and I are getting good at it. Now, let me finish this, and we’ll come up with a good plan, after.”
Ashby left the office with a growl. He did not want Kazimir breaking into his apartment when Anne’s goons would be guarding it. There might be someone waiting inside of it since she had the key.
Chapter 8
Kazimir’s heart was beating hard as he dressed in his ninja clothes—the same black cargo pants as yesterday, but a clean and dry black long-sleeved T-shirt. He grabbed his break-and-enter backpack, walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where Ashby and Pharos were waiting.
It was good to have a second person in the house when you had an injured dog. Then he could stay on the bottom floor, and Kazimir didn’t have to carry him up the stairs all the time.
Ashby whistled. “You’re looking handsome.”
A blush threatened to paint his cheeks. “Eh…”
His flustered reaction made Ashby laugh, and Kazimir gave him the finger. He was surprised when Ashby walked closer and took him in his arms. They might have escaped vampires and planned a break-in, but were they at a hugging stage?
