Four

“YOU’RE LATE,” Layton scorned as Gia entered his office.

Her face was flushed and her breathing irregular. “I’m sorry. Someone was late for their shift and I had to cover until they showed up,” she explained.

“Didn’t I mention punctuality last night?”

“You did.”

“Then I can’t understand why you would be late when that was one of the rules.”

Gia shook her head. “Forget this whole deal. I’ll find my brother on my own.” She turned to exit the office but Layton blocked the door.

“You will stay,” he said with a commanding voice and presence.

“You are nothing but a bully.” She accused.

“Maybe I will change your mind,” he crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground at the door.

“I guess miracles can happen,” she took a seat in the extra chair while he returned to his own seat.

 Layton stared at her for a few moments before opening his top desk drawer. Pulling out the contract he’d drafted, he pushed it across the desk. “I will need you to sign this,” he instructed.

“What is it?” she grabbed the papers and scanned over them.

“It’s a contract. It will dictate you belong to me. For now.”

“How long are you planning on owning me?” he watched her swallow, the artery in her neck pulsing with what he assumed was fear.

“As long as it takes.”

“That’s not an accurate form of measurement. I need dates or I’m not signing anything,” she said and pushed the papers back to him. 

Layton was becoming frustrated with the sassy human across from his desk. She challenged everything he said, and that was something he fucking hated. The shitty part was, he was at the point he would offer her the moon if she would just sign the damn contract. “I will amend the contract to state that if I don’t find your brother before the month is over, the agreement will be terminated.”

“A month?” She glanced at the papers once more. “Okay.” She grabbed the corner of the small stack and looked at him. “I need a pen.”

Layton opened the side desk drawer and pulled out a small dagger. “You will sign it with your blood and I will do the same.”

“You want me to stab myself?”

“I prefer to use the word prick, rather than stab.”

“Funny, when I think about you, I like the word prick, too.” She took ahold of the knife he offered. “Is this thing sanitary?”

“Yes.” He watched her survey the dagger. She was an inquisitive human which fascinated him and grated on his nerves. Indecision passed across her delicate features before she sucked in a breath and poked the end of her finger with the sharp object. When she pulled back the cover on the document and scribbled her name in blood, Layton breathed a sigh of relief.

“There,” she said right before she brought her finger to her mouth and sucked on it. Such a simple gesture shouldn’t have made him giddy, but it did. As soon as he put his name on the paper, it would be final.  

“Congratulations, Miss Pendleton, you now belong to me.”

“Now what?” she looked at him.

 “Now, I do anything I want,” his voice took on a gravelly tone.

“What if you do something I don’t like?” she stood from her chair with a fearful look in her eyes. He loved seeing that look on her face. It meant that his game would be more fun than he’d intended.

“I’m hungry,” Astrid boomed as she flung the office door open, hitting Gia in the back, knocking her to the floor.

Layton rushed to Gia’s side and helped her stand. “Watch what you’re doing, Astrid,” he thundered.

“What is she doing here?” Astrid braced a hand on her hip.

 “She’s mine,” Layton sat Gia in the chair.

“Are you kidding me? Have you lost your fucking mind?”

 Before he could respond, Gia stood from the chair and extended her hand to his sister. “I’m Gia,” the curvy blonde smiled.

Without warning, Astrid reared her arm back, brought it forward and slapped Gia across the cheek. Her sharp nails causing a scratch to form on the human’s silky skin.

“You will not touch her,” Layton boomed. He placed his body in between the women.

“For 105 years you have kept away from humans, what’s so special about her?” Astrid yelled.

“What I do with my eternity is none of your concern.” He defended.

“She will get you killed, I hope you know that.” Astrid pushed her way past him and left the office.

“I don’t think your sister likes me,” Gia said from behind him.

“It doesn’t matter what Astrid thinks. My decisions are my own.” He turned to see a deep scratch on her face. “There’s a ladies room at the end of the hallway. Please, go clean the blood from your face.” She did as he said. When she left the room, Layton shook his head. The urge to protect Gia was ferocious and feral. It was something he couldn’t comprehend just yet.

***

“This is ridiculous,” Gia whispered to her reflection in the ladies room mirror. She’d moistened a paper towel and was dabbing the blood away from the cut on her cheek. Layton’s sister had an anger issue she needed to rein in, and the scratch was proof of that. It was a good thing it would heal in just a few minutes.

 “So, my brother protects you now,” Gia spun around to see Astrid leaning against the wall of the small room.

“Seems that way.”

“You think you’re adorable, don’t you? You stand there with your perfect skin and warm blood. I have news for you, sweetie. When my brother tires of you, he will toss you away like the piece of garbage you are.”

“Why are you being like this? I’ve done nothing to you,” Gia threw her hands in the air.

“Because I can,” Astrid then left the room. Gia finished with her face and tossed the bloody objects into the trash can. As usual, the cut had healed and disappeared from her skin, causing panic to overtake her.  Just as she opened the door to head back to Layton’s office, her phone rang. A number she didn’t recognize scrolled across the screen. “Hello?” she said.

“Hi, I need to speak to Gia Pendleton,” the woman on the other end said.

“This is Gia.”

“Gia, I’m a nurse at Vegas Memorial, we have your father here.”

Alarm threaded through Gia’s body. “Is he okay?”

“Yes, he’s stabilized. His glucose numbers were dangerously low. A neighbor of his brought him in.”

“Okay, I’ll be there soon.” Gia hung up and hurried to the back door of the club. Sneaking out was her best bet because she knew Layton wouldn’t let her leave early. She thanked her lucky stars she had replaced her broken phone earlier in the day.

“Care to tell me where you’re going?” Layton’s voice startled her.

“My dad is in the hospital,” she tried to hold her tears back.

“Nice try. Back in my office, now.”

 “Do you think I would make something like that up? My dad is sick and I’m going to be by his side.”

“You belong to me. I decide what you do.”

“You can’t order me around. I’m a human being.”

“I’m aware of that fact.” Gia shook her head at the insensitive vamp in front of her.

“Fuck you,” she pushed the door open and left. A waterfall of tears paraded down her cheeks as she walked. She swiped with vigor but they wouldn’t stop falling. Her dad and Zach were the only family members she had left in the world. With Zach missing, she leaned on her father for support. If something unthinkable happened to him, Gia wasn’t sure how she would survive it.