He kisses the side of my neck reverently and releases his hold around my waist. I take a step away from him just to prove that my legs are still working, then spin to face him. He’s watching me, and he looks just as affected as I feel.
Evan enters the room, and I take a few more hasty steps back from Griffin. There’s no real reason I should have been so close to him, we’re supposed to be looking around, not flirting. “Anything?” Evan asks, looking at Griffin.
“She’s hiding something.” Griffin tilts his head toward the door, indicating the woman.
“Clearly, anything in here?”
“It’s hard to say without viewing the log and inventory. I don’t even know how much should be here, let alone if something is missing,” Griffin tells him.
“Who knows if they’re even keeping track of shit properly.” Evan looks around the sparse room.
“Are all the donations received here, or do you get inventory sent in too?” I slide open one of the doors Griffin didn’t get to. The racks are nearly empty, and the shelf is black instead of silver metal like the others. Griffin grabs my hand when I start to let the door glide closed.
“Wait.” He picks up one of the bags and flips it over. “This is mine.” He lifts his eyes off the bag to focus on mine.
“Is all of this section yours?” It doesn’t seem like much. I wonder how much it takes to get a newly blooded vampire through the transition.
“Yeah, but I just gave several pints, there should be more.” There are only four or five bags on the shelf, and they’re much smaller than the pint size I donated myself through the Red Cross.
“Several pints, is that healthy?” I question.
“It’s fine, I only do it a few times a year,” Griffin replies, dismissing my concern.
“Wouldn’t you know if someone was walking around filled with your blood?” Evan asks.
“Not if it was a drop or two at a time.” Griffin’s brows rise.
Evan lets his head fall back as he releases a disgusted sound. “You think they’re sippin’ your blood?”
“Wait.” I grab Griffin’s arm. “Ally told me Millie was still drinking from the bag.” I debate if I should say the next part, I might sound like a jealous new girlfriend. Evan and Griffin both wait for me to continue, as if they know I have more to say. “What if it’s her? Ally pretty much said she was in love with you, and it’s pretty clear she is. I’m just saying it might not be the sippin’ thing you’re thinking about.” I drop my hand.
Griffin tosses the bag back on the shelf and lets the door snap shut. The glass is even cloudier than before, so I can’t make out anything on the inside.
“That would be fucked up,” Evan comments.
“Would it be worse than thinking a bunch of kids are using it?”
“It’s fucking creepier,” Griffin admits. “At least the kids would have a reason. They would get a shitload of power from even a few drops, but if she’s just…” He doesn’t finish his statement.
“Let’s get out of here. We still need to find the kids, and I have some other places I want to look.” Evan heads toward the door.
Once we’re out of the clinic and back in the halls of the manor, I ask, “Would you be able to tell, like Evan said, if Millie was, you know?” I keep my voice down, cautious of anyone who may overhear me.
Griffin doesn’t answer me right away, seeming to really think about his reply. “Maybe not, she had my blood for her transition. I never really thought about it again.”
“He can be rather oblivious,” Evan teases while heading to another door.
“Just him?” I give Evan a wry grin.
“What do you mean?” He jogs to catch up after holding the door for Griffin and me.
“I mean he’s not the only one who has a fan club.”
“I don’t have some vampire pining for me so hard, she’s drinking my blood just so she’ll feel closer to me.” Evan snorts.
“How do you know? You make donations too,” Griffin chimes in. Evan makes a face that says he doesn’t like the sound of that.
“So, is that all supernatural blood in there?” I query, wondering if their blood is preferred over human blood.
“No, we outsource the human blood from an outside blood bank,” Griffin answers.
“Why do you get human blood when you have access to supernatural blood? Is one better than the other?” I wince, wondering if that came out okay and not too intrusive.
“Everyone has their own preferences,” Griffin replies easily.
“So if it’s just a matter of taste, then why do they need your blood for the transition?” A phone rings before Griffin can answer. Evan pats his hip, but there’s no phone. Griffin ends up pulling his from his inner jacket pocket.
“Yes?” he answers, and his eyes go to Evan.
“I still don’t have a fucking phone,” Evan mutters under his breath, as if he can’t believe he’s forgotten again.
“Where?” A small shift of Griffin’s features makes me think he’s surprised by the response he gets. “Keep them there, we’ll be down.” He ends the call without a goodbye.
“Did they find them?” I ask.
“Letty did,” Evan says, proving he must have been able to hear Griffin’s call.
“Didn’t you send her and those other two to check the student housing?” Griffin pockets his phone again.
“Yes, the first floor,” I answer before Evan does.
Evan crosses his arms over his chest. “So how the hell did she happen to find the kids in the hangar?”
Chapter 9
Evan
Letty’s standing outside the entrance when we pull up in an SUV. Griff outright refused to ride in the side-by-side. I cut the engine off and climb out of the driver’s seat. Quinn opens the rear door and exits just after I do, joining me. She probably shouldn’t be here for this, but there was no way I was leaving her alone at the school while Griffin and I tried to figure out this clusterfuck.
Letty’s eyes pop wide for just a fraction of a second when she sees Quinn. As we approach, Letty shakes her head and gives me a tight smile. “Looks like they came out here to party and lost track of time.” She glances over her shoulder, and I see seven kids all looking worse for wear and lined up just inside the building.
After sparing them a quick glance and noting none of them will even lift their heads to look in our direction, I turn my attention back to Letty. “Partying, huh?” Just like I told Quinn weeks ago, it happens. Kids do sneak out, whether it’s to party or hook up, it’s reality. Half of these kids came from rogue clans or packs, the others came from places like Griff and me, where the rules had to be followed or you were literally risking your life. We try not to be too hard on them, especially the older ones, but the rules are in place for a reason. We need to make sure they’re being safe, that no one gets taken advantage of. We can’t have them turning this school into one of the places we saved them from. But something about this feels off. We’ve never had a group risk expulsion for something this stupid.
“I guess.” Letty half rolls her eyes at my question about partying, then shows her disappointment by adding, “I suppose they don’t know how good they’ve got it here.” One of the girls steps a little closer to the boy on her left.
“How’d you manage to get out of the building after lockdown?” It’s clear I’m asking the kids, but Letty pipes up.
“I asked that too. I guess one of the back doors in the student wing doesn’t lock. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
Griff is a silent presence at my side along with Quinn. I doubt he’s buying this shit Letty is feeding us either, but I’m not ready to let her know she’s firmly on my fucking radar. “Good job finding them, Letty.” I give her shoulder a hard pat as I walk past her to approach the kids.
“Just doing my job,” she utters and hustles to follow me over to the kids.
“Eyes up,” I bark, and every head lifts. I take my time scanning them, letting them sweat.
Anticipation of what’s to come can be more frightening than living through the punishment. Even if I think Letty has something to do with where these kids were and what they were up to, none of them are off the hook with me. I need information from one or all of them, I’m just trying to gauge who will crack first.
“I can get them all back to the school,” Letty offers, breaking the silence.
“Back to the school? Who said they would be going back?” I hear a sniffle. Another one lets out a shaky breath. I cross my arms over my chest and glare down at them. The scent of their fear is heavy in the air, but I know something, or should I say someone, who these baby vamps would really fear. I glance over my shoulder and send Griff a look.
He lifts Quinn’s fingers to his lips and delivers a kiss to her knuckles as if she’s the royalty here. Truth is, she pretty much is, considering she’s blood sung to Griff, but it speaks more to the way he sees her than it does about his own lineage.
After releasing her hand, he strolls over to my side. These kids are used to supernaturals moving fast and they probably equate that to a threat, but his slow, methodical movements can be even more frightening. It shows his patience, his confidence in his abilities, and his willingness to allow you a chance, even though everyone knows it wouldn’t matter either way. If Griffin Stone wants you dead, you’re dead. There’s no escaping him. He proved that when he killed his father and cemented his place in the vampire hierarchy.
“Would anyone care to explain why you abused my hospitality?” Most of these kids have probably never even heard him speak. He rarely ventures to the second and third floors where classes are held, and the only time I’ve seen him in the student housing wing was when we collected Michelle to question her about what happened to Quinn. The gym would most likely be the only time they’ve interacted with him, if you can even call it that. Mostly, they just watch us spar.
None of the kids speak up for themselves, which doesn’t really surprise me. I’m standing far enough back that I’m able to observe Letty’s reactions as well as the kids’. She relaxes her shoulders just enough to show the infinitesimal loss of tension.
“No one has anything to say?” Griffin turns his watchful gaze so he’s focused solely on Letty, putting his back to the children and proving what little threat they pose to him. She blinks several times, caught off guard by his attention.
“This shouldn’t have been able to happen,” she placates. “Ultimately, it’s security’s fault they were even able to get out of the school and cause such a disruption. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing like this can occur again.” She quickly darts her eyes in my direction. I wonder if she’s including me in that assessment. “Sorry I let you down,” she adds, seemingly regretful.
I can’t tell if she’s trying to deflect Griff’s attention from the kids or just kissing his ass and saying what she thinks he wants to hear.
“Is that true? Do you think it’s security’s fault you came out here after curfew?” I ask the kids.
“She—” a boy starts but then cuts his gaze to Letty. “No, we knew we were breaking the rules,” he finishes, and I know that wasn’t what he was going to say.
Quinn slowly walks over, stopping when she’s between Griff and me. “It got pretty chilly last night. Did you guys stay here all night?” Coming from her, the question seems more like she’s showing concern than probing about their whereabouts.
“We were right near the school mostly,” a boy tells her.
“Hey, Caleb,” Quinn addresses the kid who answered her. I never thought to ask her if any of the names on the list were familiar to her. I can’t even remember if she saw it.
“Hi, Qui—Ms. Shaw,” he amends, keeping his eyes on the ground.
Griff reaches for Quinn’s hand, it’s like it’s become second nature to him, which is funny considering I’d be willing to bet he’s never held another woman’s hand before. Hell, he’d probably carry her around in his pocket if he could manage it.
“What do you want me to do with them?” Letty interjects, bringing herself back into the forefront of the tableau.
I look over at Griff, but he’s eyeing the kid Quinn addressed by name. “I still haven’t decided.” I watch his arm jerk a little as Quinn tugs on it.
“How about we put them in the containment rooms until we decide?” I suggest. I’ll ensure no one will let them out until we allow it. Griff’s arm pulls again, I think Quinn is trying to ask him to permit it.
“Go retrieve a vehicle to transport these children back to the manor,” Griff orders without looking at Letty, but it’s clear who he’s talking to. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, preparing to make a call.
“I said go.” Griffin doesn’t raise his voice, but his tone is hard, and so is the glare he sends in Letty’s direction. She looks at the kids, then at Griff, before jogging out of the hangar.
Quinn
If I had to guess, I would say Letty was reluctant to leave us here with the kids. I glance over the group again. I’ve had meetings with two of them—Caleb, who seemed like a good kid, and Angela. She didn’t seem happy that I scheduled a meeting with her, but she appeared to warm up once she realized I only wanted to talk and help if I could.
“I bet you guys are pretty hungry, you missed breakfast.” None of them respond. “I’m glad you’re all okay. Everyone was really worried.” Caleb looks up, but he only meets my eyes for a second before he glances at the other kids, as if he’s checking to see if they are watching him.
“The first person who tells me what really happened gets the least punishment.” Evan’s arms are crossed over his chest. He looks like a fricking mountain compared to the kids. His jaw is tight, and his lips are turned down in a heavy scowl. His statement gets a few more of the kids’ attention.
“Are you really going to kick us out?” a girl asks hesitantly.
“We don’t want to. The whole fucking reason this school exists is to help kids, not turn them out on the streets, but there are plenty of other kids who want to be here. Who won’t take this opportunity for granted.” Evan doesn’t outright say they will kick them out, but he doesn’t say he won’t either.
“I’ll tell you,” Caleb blurts with his eyes locked on me, which I find a little surprising. I’m not the one asking the questions.
“Caleb!” a boy snaps.
“Look, man, I can’t go back to where I came from.”
“Start talking, Caleb.” Evan eyes the boy who spoke against Caleb, warning him to keep his mouth shut with just a look.
“It was a trap.” Caleb licks his lips nervously.
“A trap?” Evan repeats disbelievingly. “You think someone wanted you to get caught outside?” I tug his arm down from over his chest so he doesn’t look quite so intimidating.
“I don’t think he’s talking about that kind of trap,” I offer, looking over at Caleb to make sure I’m not misunderstanding him. He gives me a slight dip of his chin to confirm I’m right.
“They were looking to score,” I clarify.
“Score what?” Evan inquires, his frustration mounting with every second.
“You guys really are old,” I mutter under my breath. “Drugs?” I add a little louder, but I’m not convinced it’s drugs we’re talking about here. It might be the blood Griffin and Evan suspect someone is giving the unblooded vampires.
“We didn’t get anything,” Caleb says in a rush. “They never showed up, and when we tried to get back into the building, the door was locked. We were hoping to sneak back into the dorms before school started.”
“How did you end up way out here?” I look around the hangar.
“Letty. She said if we admitted we came out here to hang out and said we lost track of time, everything would be okay.”
“Why? How did she find you? Where?” Evan questions briskly.
“She caught us trying to get back into the dorms,” Caleb replies, ignoring the other questions.
“Who’s your dealer and what wer
e you buying?” Griffin inquires, breaking his silence.
“I don’t know, we just have a number.” Caleb looks at the other kids as if he wants them to confirm this.
“You’re sippin’,” Evan states, looking downright disgusted.
“Not straight, no. It’s just weed that’s been soaked in a little blood. It’s not enough to even notice,” Caleb defends.
“You’re as anemic as that excuse,” Griffin snarls.
“How were you able to avoid all the people searching the grounds looking for you?” Evan demands after Griffin’s insult.
“We didn’t really have to. They went straight for the woods,” one of the girls answers defeatedly. A white van pulls up near the entrance of the hangar just as she finishes speaking.
Evan leans in close and speaks in a low, menacing voice. “Don’t say shit to anyone else but us, you hear me?” Letty hops out of the driver’s seat of the van. Her eyes are trained on us as she approaches.
“No one is to speak to these children but me or him.” Evan hooks his thumb in Griffin’s direction. “No one. That means you too,” he tells Letty, then shouts, “Get in the fucking van.” The kids scatter and run toward the van like it might save them from certain death.
Softer, Evan tells me, “I’m going to make sure they’re secured. I’ll meet you in a little while.” He’s looking down at me like he wants something but doesn’t want to ask for it. I open my arms and wrap them around him in a hug. I must take him by surprise, because his arms are trapped at his sides while my head is nestled against his massive chest.
“Okay, see you soon,” I reply when I step back. Evan doesn’t let it go at that though. He reaches for my shoulder and tugs me forward so I collide with his chest again, but this time, he’s ready and he hugs me back. Evan gives good hugs. He’s big and warm and smells like the best campfire on a cold day. I bask in his heat for a moment, then step back, and when I do, I catch sight of Letty. She’s staring at me like I’m gum on the bottom of her new shoe and she wants to rub me against the concrete.
Havenfall Harbor Book Two: Paranormal Ménage Romance MFM Page 9
