Page 64 of Hot Blooded
“For blood?” she asks, although I’m sure she knows the answer.
We walk on slowly through the hall, our footsteps clicking. “Yes, for blood. And he’ll need to feed quite a bit at first. Which is why I’ll need to keep you out of his sight. He won’t know how to be careful around you. You’re too delicious and sweet and I… I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
Tressa’s body goes rigid in my arms. “I’ll stay out of sight. I promise, Reign. Just don’t send me away. I’ll stay in our bedroom if necessary.”
I shake my head. “I can’t take that risk with you, sweetheart. He’s young and strong and I may not even be able to restrain him if necessary.”
It’s a terrible thought, but it’s for her own good.
Well, that, and the awful reality that what I’ve done is highly illegal. I don’t want to scare her, but things could turn out dicey.But what was I to do? Let him die while Tressa begged for me to save him?
Chapter 33
Reign
Even though Tressa protested profusely, eventually she gives in and lets Alastair take her to a hotel for a few nights for safety. With my sunshine so far away, I give into the guilt raking through me for taking Henrick’s life.
Although it’s made it easier to do so by the way the police crawl all over my estate, combing every inch of it forclues.Apparently, the surveillance footage of Henrick clearly falling in on his own accord is not enough to impress upon them that this was a complete accident.
My attorney, a young but promising shark in our region, sits across from me now, sliding me documents.
“They think you should have called this in sooner. That’s looking suspicious. They also maintain you should have called an ambulance. The video leaves open the uncertainty that CPR by a professional could have saved him,” Wilson informs me.
I scrape a hand over my face. “They’d rather he die?” I groan.
Wilson sighs. “This would all be made much better if Henrick’s family could be found. In that case, they might be on your side. That sort of support can mean a lot in an investigation like this. Then again…” he trails off.
“Tell me,” I growl.
“There are some cases wherein the family sues the vampire for negligence. Some families don’t want their loved ones turned. They might prefer he was dead. And the reality is, youhave money. They may try to go after you in a civil suit, even if the police let you off.” Wilson uncrosses his legs and leans back in his chair.
“Fuck,” I hiss. “What should we do?” I ask.
“Well, had you not turned him, the insurance company might have paid out on your behalf, for the accidental death of your staff member. But obviously…”
“I’m not paying you a thousand dollars an hour to tell me solutions that don’t apply, Wilson.”
The man straightens and swallows. I can detect his pulse increasing.
My shoulders slump. “I’m sorry,” I say, tone softened. “Please, just do whatever you can to keep me out of jail. We can tackle the civil suit if it comes. In the meantime, hire a private investigator to find Henrick’s family. Surely it will look better if I’m the one that finds them?”
He nods. “Very good. Yes. They might look more kindly upon you if you reach out before the police. And I’ll get the paperwork in to try to keep this out of the media. It might hit, eventually, but with the open investigation, I will have more luck convincing the judge to put a gag order on this thing.”
“Thank you, Wilson. What a fucking mess.”
The man shuffles his papers together and starts filing them away in his giant leather briefcase. “Can I ask you one thing, though?” he says, tone obviously treading lightly.
“Shoot,” I say, knowing damn well what he’s going to ask me.
“Why’d you bother? People die every day. You know as well as I do the law prohibits saving a life at the cost of creating another vampire.”
“The woman on the tape… she and I… we’re… a thing. I care for her deeply and she begged me to do it.”
Wilson’s eyes pop wide. “She didn’t set you up, you think? Maybe trick you into saving him? Maybe she was working with Henrick…”
I raise my hand to cut off his words. “No. Nothing like that. I trust her completely.” I feel myself choking up at the thought.
Wilson seems to accept it and nods. “Sorry, Mr. Tryst. You know it’s my job to think aboutall the options. I’ve seen shadier things in my short tenure.”
