by Tina Folsom
40
Zoltan followed the man as he turned toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of the elegant condo.
“The view from here is the best in the city.”
“Indeed,” Zoltan said and stopped next to his host. “And you’re willing to give this up, Mr. Vaughn?”
“Only for a few months.” Vaughn cast him a sideways glance. “Like I said in the advertisement, it’s only a short-term rental. I’m going hiking in the Himalayas, and the rent will help me finance my lifelong dream.”
“Ah, I understand. So, four months only then?” Zoltan asked.
Vaughn nodded. “Is that a problem?”
Quickly, Zoltan said, “No, no. Not a problem at all. It’s just what I need. And the furniture remains?” He glanced around. The man had good taste. Most of the pieces looked new and barely used, and the color scheme of dark tones interspersed with colorful accents made the entire place look elegant. So very different from his abode in the Underworld.
“Yes, everything stays. I’ll of course have to take a damage deposit, just in case anything is stained or broken during your stay.”
“Of course. I expected as much.” He glanced around again. “And while you’re hiking, is there anybody I should contact in case of an emergency like an overflowing toilet, a relative maybe? Or a close friend?”
“I’m afraid you’ll be on your own. I have no relatives in the area. As for friends, I moved here only recently.”
Perfect. “So I should contact the condo board then? You’ll let them know that I’ll be staying in your absence?”
A concerned look passed over Vaughn’s face. “Uh, well.” He hesitated. “Thing is, the board doesn’t allow short term rentals. I only found out after I bought the place. So, I’d rather you not tell them that you’re renting from me. They’ll just give me trouble.”
Zoltan knew that already. After all, that was why he’d picked this building. Anybody renting out a condo on a short-term lease would have to do so without the association’s approval, and therefore there would be no record of Zoltan being a tenant. “I see.”
“If there are any issues that concern the condo association such as a water leak or something similar, just tell them you’re me.”
“Oh? Isn’t that a bit high risk?”
“This building has such a high turnover, nobody knows anybody here. I’m sure you won’t have any issues.”
Zoltan didn’t think so either. In fact, this place was perfect, for so many reasons.
“One more thing,” Zoltan said.
“Yes?”
“Are you scared?”
“Excuse me?”
Zoltan snatched the man by the throat and pinned him against the wall. “I asked: are you scared?”
Panic rolled off the man, and he struggled, trying to punch Zoltan. But the human was weak.
Zoltan laughed. “Time to succumb to your fear, human.”
He slammed the man to the ground and pinned him there, then brought his face close to his victim’s.
“Come to me,” Zoltan urged. “Give me your fear and make me strong.”
Mist started to escape from his victim’s nostrils and mouth. Greedily, Zoltan sucked it in and swallowed it. And again. He took it all, took the fear, the pain, the anguish.
Zoltan rose and looked out through the windows to admire the view from his new abode. This would be his hideout. And not just for the next four months, because Vaughn would never return from his hiking trip to demand his condo back. He looked over his shoulder at the man whose empty shell lay motionless on the pristine wooden floor. Vaughn had already left the building, never to return.
~ ~ ~
More in this Series:
Lover Uncloaked (Stealth Guardians #1): Click here to purchase.
Master Unchained (Stealth Guardians #2): Click here to purchase
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Other Books by Tina
Samson’s Lovely Mortal (Scanguards Vampires #1): Click here to purchase.
Amaury’s Hellion (Scanguards Vampires #2): Click here to purchase.
Gabriel’s Mate (Scanguards Vampires #3): Click here to purchase.
Yvette’s Haven (Scanguards Vampires #4): Click here to purchase.
Zane’s Redemption (Scanguards Vampires #5): Click here to purchase.
Quinn’s Undying Rose (Scanguards Vampires #6): Click here to purchase.
Oliver’s Hunger (Scanguards Vampires #7): Click here to purchase.
Thomas’s Choice (Scanguards Vampires #8) Click here to purchase.
Silent Bite (A Scanguards Wedding) (Scanguards Vampires #8 1/2): Click here to purchase
Cain’s Identity (Scanguards Vampires #9): Click here to purchase
Luther’s Return (Scanguards Vampires #10): Click here to purchase
Mortal Wish (A Scanguards Vampires Novella): Click here to purchase
Blake’s Pursuit (Scanguards Vampires #11): Click here to purchase
Fateful Reunion (Scanguards Vampires #11 1/2): Click here to purchase
John’s Yearning (Scanguards Vampires #12): Click here to purchase
A Touch of Greek (Out of Olympus #1): Click here to purchase.
A Scent of Greek (Out of Olympus #2): Click here to purchase.
A Taste of Greek (Out of Olympus #3) Click here to purchase
A Hush of Greek (Out of Olympus #4): Click here to purchase
Venice Vampyr #1: Click here to purchase.
Venice Vampyr #2 Final Affair: Click here to purchase.
Venice Vampyr #3 Sinful Treasure: Click here to purchase.
Venice Vampyr #4 Sensual Danger: Click here to purchase.
Venice Vampyr #5 Wicked Seduction (by Michele Hauf): Click here to purchase.
Lawful Escort (Eternal Bachelors Club #1) Click here to purchase.
Lawful Lover (Eternal Bachelors Club #2) – Click here to purchase.
Lawful Wife (Eternal Bachelors Club #3) – Click here to purchase.
One Foolish Night (Eternal Bachelors Club #4) – Click here to purchase
One Long Embrace (Eternal Bachelors Club #5) – Click here to purchase
One Sizzling Touch (Eternal Bachelors Club #6) – Click here to purchase
In collaboration with Lara Adrian
Cut and Run (Phoenix Code 1 & 2) Click here to purchase
Hide and Seek (Phoenix Code 3 & 4) – Click here to purchase
Short Stories
Steal Me: Click here to purchase
The Wrong Suitor: Click here to purchase
Audio Books
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About the Author
Tina Folsom was born in Germany and has been living in English speaking countries for over 25 years, since 2001 in San Francisco, where she’s married to an American.
Tina has always been a bit of a globe trotter: after living in Lausanne, Switzerland, she briefly worked on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean, then lived a year in Munich, before moving to London. There, she became an accountant. But after 8 years she decided to move overseas.
In New York she studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, then moved to Los Angeles a year later to pursue studies in screenwriting. This is also where she met her husband, who she followed to San Francisco three months after first meeting him.
In San Francisco, Tina worked as a tax accountant and even opened her own firm, then went into real estate, however, she missed writing. In 2008 she wrote her first romance and never looked back.
She’s always loved vampires and decided that vampire and paranormal romance was her calling. She now has 35 novels in English and over three dozens in other languages (Spanish, German, and French).
For more about Tina Folsom:
http://www.tinawritesromance.com
http://www.twitter.com/Tina_Folsom
http://www.facebook.com/TinaFolsomFans
You can also email her at tina@ti
nawritesromance.com
Copyright
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
License Notes
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