Page 20 of Bite Me
His lips pressed into a thin line, and I knew what he was about to say next. “Julia Perkins is your mother.”
I could only nod in acknowledgment.
“I’ve read about the case,” he added.
He and the rest of the damn country. But I couldn’t let my irritation show. Did Russel have any idea how much I owed Anthony Fowles? When my mom was sentenced to seven years in prison and the government had seized my family’s assets, I had been sleeping on couches, relying on my dwindling circle of friends. Sheri was the only one who’d never let me down. Then Anthony saw something in me and gave me a chance despite the train wreck my life had become.
Russel’s expression didn’t show much as he stared at me, but when he finally spoke, his tone was kind.
“Eddie, I won’t put you in a difficult position. We can forget we’ve ever met before today.”
Was that sadness in his changeable eyes? It couldn’t be. We shared a fumble in the dark, nothing more.
“Thank you for your understanding.” The formal sentence sounded awful, but what else was I supposed to say?
Russel exhaled and shifted in his chair. I could tell the smile he offered was fake.
“Well, then. You must be hungry.”
He moved a paper box my way, and I opened it. A fresh California roll with all the trimmings, a cup of miso soup, and a wakame salad. This wasn’t from the cheap hole-in-the-wall around the corner. Pushing through my nervousness, I ate while we talked.
For the next half hour, we discussed cases and approaches. Russel remained professional, and it would have been incredibly stupid of me to be even the least bit disappointed about that.
* * *
After work, I went to the gym and spent half an hour on the treadmill and twenty minutes in the sauna, first trying to run off my nervous energy and then cooking it. I made it home at nine, still feeling like a breakdown was just a breath away. Knowing I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else, I joined Aaron in the living room for a bit of mindless destruction, playing Goat Simulator. Except it left me hyped and jittery.
When I lay in bed, my heart thumped and I felt too warm. In another attempt to distract myself, I reached for the book that Anthony had once recommended to us before he hired Russel. It had been lying unopened on my nightstand since I’d brought it home.
Common Vampire Myths and the Truth Behind Them. I opened the book on a random page and read.
The idea that a vampire can be incinerated by direct sunlight appears already in Egyptian hieroglyphic writings from 2700 BC and probably existed in oral legends even earlier.
Like in most ancient civilizations, with the notable exceptions of Greece and Rome, the Egyptian vampiric community stayed hidden and fed as nocturnal predators. Written legal proceedings preserved on papyrus document cases where a vampire was accused of killing and sentenced to death in the sun. The unfortunate soul was thrown into a cage and left in direct sunlight until they perished. Historians agree it’s highly unlikely that actual vampires were captured and punished this way. Most probably, the prisoners were humans who died of heatstroke and dehydration after a few days.
Since vampires almost only fed at night, it’s plausible their human victims assumed vampires could be hurt by light. Jewels depicting the sun were used as charms against a vampire attack. In contrast, those who experienced the effect of vampire venom might have sought a repeat of the experience by visiting certain places at night. A part of the port in Alexandria called the Bed of Sekhmet was rumored to be such a place. While there were likely many nightlife establishments and brothels in the area, it is unknown whether actual vampires frequented them.
Even though they live openly and feed consensually, most vampires report they avoid daylight when they can. The vampiric eye can distinguish millions of colors, with the spectrum stretching to infrared wavelengths. Due to their extreme sensitivity to light, most vampires experience impaired vision in direct sunlight. Long exposure to sunlight can cause migraine-like symptoms.
I kept thinking about Russel, the blinds in his office, and how hard it must be for him to have a day job and only sleep at night. How would I fare if I had to work nights and barely ever see daylight?
Hell, if I kept reading, I’d only fixate on him more. Annoyed, I put the book away and turned off the lamp.
It was past eleven. I should sleep if I was to function at work tomorrow. Jerking off could help, but then I would inevitably fantasize about Russel Greenwood,who was my boss.
I tossed and turned, going in circles in my head.
I thought of Cat, Anthony, and Frank—people who trusted me and vouched for me, who stood up for me with clients whenever someone doubted me. I felt like a liar and a fraud, and I hadn’t even done anything wrong.
Yet.
When Russel had leaned closer, his breath fanning my face…I spent the weekend looking for you.
He did look sad.
And I was too. I had been toying with the idea of going back to the club this Friday, hoping to meet him again. I could vividly remember the sensation of his lips on my throat, his hand on my ass…
I rolled on the bed, kicking at the blanket to spread it out better.
