Page 2 of Eleazar

Andrew looked Mr. Bancroft straight in the eye, feeling the weight of his words. He knew what this could mean. He could be signing up for something dangerous or freaky, and yet, the allure of working for a man like Mr. Bancroft was too strong to resist.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

“I can assure you, Mr. Bancroft, that I am that person. You have my word,” he replied, hoping that he sounded confident enough, because he desperately needed this job. It hadn’t been easy finding work straight out of college, and Andrew had a lot of debt. Working here would enable him to pay that debt down in no time.

Hell, he might throw his friend Zach some money for telling him about this job if he got it.

Mr. Bancroft’s sensual lips curved into a slight smile, and Andrew felt an inexplicable thrill at having pleased him. “Excellent,” he said, leaning back in his chair once more. “I’m looking forward to us working together, Mr. Wendell.”

So was Andrew. It wasn’t professional to lust after your boss, but damn, Mr. Bancroft was stunning. The man’s features were chiseled and perfect, his hair so black it almost looked blue under the lighting. His eyes were dark and mysterious, and the way he studied Andrew made him feel a bit flustered.

Andrew felt drawn to him, like the man had some kind of power over him. He found himself wanting to please Mr. Bancroft in every way possible.

It didn’t hurt that he would be looking at the guy’s gorgeous face all the time. Bonus for him.

No, not a bonus. Stop acting like this. Remain professional, you moron. No one wanted to hire someone who was willing to follow them around like a puppy, so Andrew buried his lust and squared his shoulders, adamant about not sabotaging his own career by begging Mr. Bancroft to lay him out over his polished desk and rock his world.

As the meeting came to an end, Mr. Bancroft stood up to show Andrew out. Shayde followed close behind, and Andrew noticed the way Mr. Bancroft’s gaze never left him. His gaze was almost predatory, like a wild animal eyeing its prey.

“Thank you, Mr. Bancroft, for giving me this opportunity,” Andrew said, hoping he sounded more composed than he felt. His insides were a jumbled mess.

“It was my pleasure, Mr. Wendell,” Mr. Bancroft replied. “You will start tomorrow evening, nine o’clock sharp.”

“Yes, sir.” He couldn’t wait to start working for Mr. Bancroft, but he felt like he was walking into a dark and twisted world of secrets and danger. Even so, Andrew was determined to make it work. He had just landed his dream job, and he wasn’t about to screw that up.

* * * *

“He’s cute,” Shayde said as they watched Andrew drive away. “Do you think he can handle being your servant?”

Eleazar hoped so. Ever since his previous servant left, Eleazar hadn’t considered replacing him. It had been too painful after Felix had mated a wolf shifter, and even though it had been a full year, Eleazar still mourned the loss of his brother.

A brother he’d had to kill because Zakrem had been killing innocent humans. But it was time he moved forward and replaced Felix, and Andrew, so far, seemed the perfect candidate.

As they walked back into the office, Eleazar admitted to himself that he was drawn to the human. Andrew had a certain sparkle in his gray eyes that was both beguiling and innocent. Eleazar had a feeling that Andrew would be a challenge he could not resist.

“Have the car pulled around. I have a meeting with Lazarus.” He wasn’t Eleazar’s first choice in taking over Nelo’s coven, but Eleazar was running out of time. There were two covens in Ridgeway, and Eleazar led one of them. Nelo had taken over the other coven, but he’d been more interested in his own needs, so Eleazar had had him killed.

No one knew that, and no one ever would. If vampires found out that Eleazar had had the two previous coven leaders assassinated, there would be an uproar, and he couldn’t have that. Order had to be maintained.

Eleazar slipped into the back of his Mercedes, and his driver, Sirius, drove him to Club Lure. Why Lazarus would choose such a place was beyond Eleazar, but he needed to find out if Lazarus had succeeded in becoming the coven leader.

Nelo’s coven would resist. They would challenge Lazarus’s claim and authority. Some vampires would die in the process, but hopefully Lazarus would be successful.

When he arrived, Eleazar’s most elite vampires were already there, and they escorted him inside. Eleazar was the most powerful vampire in Ridgeway, and there were some who wouldn’t hesitate in trying to kill him.

He spotted Lazarus in a booth toward the back. His men cleared the way as Eleazar walked toward Lazarus. The vampire had one arm thrown over the back of the booth, a glass filled with red liquid in front of him.

No doubt blood.

Eleazar slipped into the booth across from him. “How has the transition gone so far?”

Lazarus shrugged. “Some resisted. They met the sun. I think my coven is getting the idea that I’m not fucking around.”

“Have you leashed them?” Even before Nelo was killed, his coven was running amok. They were out of control, barely hiding the fact that they were feeding. They’d come too close to exposing the preternatural world, and Eleazar couldn’t allow that to happen.

He himself had killed a few who’d fed in the open.

Lazarus smiled. “I have. And my second-in-command, Gabriel, is a force to be reckoned with. He’s callous, but he knows how to control the others. They’re starting to fall in line.”

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