Page 48 of Loved to Death

Shen looked up to meet Thomas’ eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.”

They searched each other’s eyes for a few seconds before Shen noticed the tension in Thomas’ shoulder release.

Thomas’ gently cupped his face. “Ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” Shen bowed his head again and stayed on his knees naked while Thomas washed up and got dressed. It was a token punishment, but it helped Shen get past his guilt.

Roughly ten minutes later, Thomas stood in front of him again, ran his fingers through Shen’s hair, and said, “Good boy.”

It didn’t matter how many times Shen had received those words in the past, they always brought a smile to his face and a lightness to his heart.

“Stand up.”

Once he was standing, Thomas pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, too. I know how important it is for you to follow up on every possible lead to knowing how we came to be. I don’t mean to make light of it, I just…”

“Want me to stay safe while I do it,” Shen supplied for him when Thomas couldn’t find the words.

“Yes.” Thomas gripped him tighter for a few seconds before letting go. He trailed his fingers over the mark he’d left on Shen’s chest once more. “Okay. Get dressed and get out of here before I change my mind and tell the captain I’m going with you.”

Shen gave him a quick kiss and started getting dressed while Thomas left, presumably to find the captain and discuss their smuggling plans for the night.

Once Shen was ready to go, he went out onto the deck to find the first mate.

“Mr. Johansen?”

“Good evening, Mr. Zhang. Heading out?”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’ll see you in three days’ time.”

Shen gave him a small bow and made his way off the ship, happy to be having a little adventure of his own.

Down on the dock, two of the newer crew members were loading supplies into a crate. They nodded politely to Shen as he passed by. Thanks to his enhanced vampire hearing, Shen was able to overhear their private conversation when he was halfway down the dock.

“I can’t believe the captain allows Thomas keep his servant in his quarters.”

“The Chinaman’s not so bad. Have you seen him on deck when he’s working? He’s strong as an ox, and he does more than his share of the heavy lifting.”

“Doesn’t matter. He should sleep below deck with the rest of us.”

“I suppose it’s because he’s more like a pet than a servant.”

“A pet?”

“Aye. If Thomas had a dog, he wouldn’t send him off to sleep below deck. I hear tell that Thomas is the one who made him a vampire, so Shen is bound to him forever.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Don’t let Thomas hear you say that, or you might end up being the pet’s next meal.”

Shen found it difficult not to let their fading conversation ruin his good mood. He’d certainly been called worse over the years, but it did seem as if the comments were more frequent than they had been when the original crew members were aboard. Or maybe he’d just grown more sensitive to the disparaging remarks over time. But either way, he’d started fantasizing about the future. A future where he and Thomas could live somewhere with a bit more privacy than a ship full of men living in close quarters.

***

1903, Havana, Cuba

Thomas could hear music mixed with the din of multiple voices two blocks away from Captain Martinez’s palatial new home. He glanced at Shen and they shared a smile as they walked. They’d just left the boardwalk near the docks where they’d filled up on horse blood with a dash of human blood from the old man they’d found passed out behind a bar.

---