Page 74 of Burn Falls
“Would you mind if I do it?”
Draven grinned. “You want to see me off?”
“I won’t see you for at least a week before I make it to Burn Falls.”
“That reminds me, did Martin pass the test?”
“To be my bodyguard?”
“Yeah.”
“He did, but I’d rather you do it. I mean, we can drive at night or something now that I know you’re a vampire.”
“Let me see if I can get my shifts covered. If so, I’ll fly back Friday night, and we can leave then.”
“Really?” I perked up, lifting my head off the pillow.
Draven leaned up and kissed me. “Really.”
After only a few hours of sleep, I made it to work that morning and sent a text to Valencia since I hadn’t heard from her.
Are you alive?
I had no idea what Athan had done or said to her, but I believed Draven when he told me that Athan wouldn’t hurt her. Plus, he’d had plenty of opportunities to do just that. But then again, we didn’t know they were hiding the fact they were vampires, and since I was only the third person to know, I figured it was a big deal. A part of me wished that Draven could have trusted me enough with the secret, but we’d only known each other a month and he probably hadn’t wanted to tell me in fear that I’d think he was the one who’d attacked my father—which I had.
Yes, but I have a hangover from Hell.
Last night was crazy.
Was it? I don’t remember much after darts.
She doesn’t remember much after darts? How was that possible?
You don’t remember the guys fighting with those assholes?
What? They got in a fight?
I stared at her last text. How did she not remember them getting into a fight? How did she not remember me passing out? What did Athan tell her to explain what was happening? Then I remembered how she didn’t remember all of the sex with Athan. Had Athan somehow made Valencia forget what she saw? Why didn’t Draven do that to me? Had he made me forget things in the past? I wanted to call Draven and ask him, but the sun was out, and I knew he’d be sleeping—because my boyfriend was a vampire.
Yeah, they fought. Maybe you shouldn’t drink so much?
I swear I didn’t. Maybe Athan roofied me?
I knew she was making a joke, and normally I would laugh at her. Not this time.
Why would he need to drug you? Aren’t you giving it up?
Nightly.
On my lunch break, I called and spoke to my mother. I’d been checking in with her since leaving Burn Falls, but after learning there was a vampire behind my father’s attack, I wanted to make sure she was okay.
“Hi, Mom. It’s Calla.”
“Hey, sunshine. How are you?”
I took a deep breath. She’d used the nickname my father used to call me. She never did because she was always mad at me for some unknown reason. Then Draven …
Holy crap! Draven had used his vampire powers to make her be nice to me.
