Page 35 of Dark Reasons

"He what?" I laugh as I exit the car. "Everyone has to leave their place sometimes."

"Not Rory." Jamison locks his door behind him, adjusting his jacket as he scans the parking structure. "He's... well, you'll see. This way."

Together we approach a small steel door off to the side. Jamison slips a key into the lock, cracking it open, waving me inside. I crane my neck to see the dimly lit staircase covered in maroon of graffiti. The splatters are uneven where they soak into the pitted concrete. "This is very horror movie coded," I note.

Jamison shuts the door softly, but the noise echoes, jump-starting my nerves. "I didn't take you for the easily scared type."

"I'm not," I cut back. His half grin annoys me deeply. "Shut up and just lead the way."

"You go first, I'll be right behind you."

I lift my eyebrows but the last thing I want to do is admit I'm nervous. Shifting my shoulders, I climb the stairs gingerly.Relax, it's okay, it's just a dumb building. But why does it have to be so damn dark? Where are all the windows?"Your friend Rory," I say quietly, "is he a vampire?"

"He's not my friend. And no. I hope you don't believe in that junk."

"Of course I don't." Swallowing, I wipe at the sweat on the back of my neck. Each step brings me closer to each new stairwell. "How many flights up are we going?"

"Just two more," he whispers, and his breath stirs the hairs on my scalp. It reminds me of how close we were in my bed last night... how his teeth scraped my ear. How my whole body clenched with need.

I peek back to find Jamison is standing right behind me. Thanks to my position on the steps his mouth is level with mine. We're at the perfect height to kiss.

He stares hard at me—I stumble backwards, slipping, throwing up my hands in surprise. One of his long arms scoops around my shoulders, stabilizing me. "Oh!" I squeak.

"Careful," he says, "you don't want to twist your ankle."

"Yeah, right." My entire body is glowing hot as a red poker. I slip out of his grip and essentially jog up the steps. My heart is bouncing around, my chest burning, and it isn't from how fast I'm moving.Stop getting so flustered when he touches you!

But, oh man, he has touched mea lot.More than any other man ever has in... years? No wonder I'm acting like an idiot. I'm rusty. In time, I'll get used to Jamison and I won't—wait.

Get used to him?

I stop short on the next stairwell.I have no reason to get used to that guy!I remind myself sharply. He's a murderer for hire. I shouldn't want to normalize being around him... his touch should upset me. If I grow comfortable with it, if my hairs don't stand on end, then I'm in real trouble.

"This is it," Jamison says beside me. He gestures at the dented door with its shiny, new looking knob. "Stand there and say nothing."

"What, why?"

He hesitates, his frown growing longer by the second. "Rory doesn't like strangers."

"Alright."

"Justalright?"he asks in disbelief. "No arguing about it?"

My shoulders shrug up. "I don't like strangers, either." Jamison starts to smile, the two of us watching each other in silence. "Aren't you going to knock?" I ask.

"No need. He knows we're here." Jamison waves overhead, indicating the small camera I didn't spot in the top corner of the ceiling.

I hear the metallic clack of the door's mechanism before it swings inward. This is no hesitant door crack, no set of eyes peering at us distrustfully, which is what I expected after all this build up. Rory—or I assume it must be him—stands in the doorway with his feet spread wide, his other hand on the wooden frame. He resembles a starfish in that pose... and his tight-cropped neon orange hair, yellow tinted glasses, and over-sized tangerine sweater add to the impression.

He shoots a look at Jamison, then points at me. "Who's she?"

"Selena," I reply.

"Relax, Rory," Jamison says. He moves to get between us. I don't understand where this protective side is coming from, but I'm grateful, because Rory storms into the hallway straight at me. "I said relax," Jamison growls, putting his hand on the man's chest.

Rory glares at me around Jamison. "I didn't ask what her name was, I askedwhoshe was. You know not to bring anyone here."

"This is a complicated situation," Jamison says patiently. "Let's go inside. I'll tell you what's going on."

---