Blood Trial Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #1) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,21

they? Hypnotists? A hypnotist mafia? It would explain their bright eyes and the wariness I felt.

But so many of them? And all working in realty?

That didn’t add up.

Unless that was how Live Right became the largest and most profitable realtor in Bluff City. And how Angelica became so successful at such a young age. Those bastards hypnotised people to make a sale.

The legal implications of that were huge.

I made it to my office, blood returning to my limbs, and the ease of my movement coming back. By then, I knew that I’d stumbled on something illegal.

Big time illegal.

I’d gone from one cage to another. And I had to get out now.

Returning to my office door, I peeked down the hallway. People were leaving the staff room. Damn. In normal circumstances, I’d take my stuff and leave without explanation. That wasn’t possible if they suspected that I’d guessed something about their illegal activities.

Ding!

The elevator sang out, announcing someone’s arrival.

I could see the reception from here, but the lift was tucked around the corner.

“Kyros,” Angelica greeted.

Wait. The high-rise was called Kyros Sky. Was this the Kyros?

Hopefully he’d keep Angelica busy. She was the most likely person to prevent me from leaving.

A man approached the front desk, and I squinted at his frame.

Tall. Wearing a three-piece suit. Baby-making hormones, he had the sexiest ass I’d ever seen on a man. It wasn’t a body part I tended to catalogue on males, but on him? I could suddenly understand the urge to fondle the globes of his ass like in Fernando’s Eighth Ab.

Broad shoulders tapered to his hips. I’d always been a sucker for the upside-down triangle on men. And boy-oh-boy did he wear that suit.

In fact, it looked like he’d be adept at sliding right out—

I pulled up abruptly. The man turned at the same moment, talking to someone behind him.

Fucking fucker!

It was Black Tie.

“The new trainee was just introduced to the staff, sir, per your instructions.”

My jaw dropped.

“Will she be a good fit?” he asked, deep voice reaching my ears with ease.

Angelica didn’t hesitate to answer, beaming. “Absolutely.”

Squeaking, I retreated into my office in an arm-waving mess. My limbs were still funky from the staff meeting and I fell on my ass.

Sir.

Per your instructions.

This wasn’t happening. That man out there was Kyros—for whom the building was named. Which wasn’t important in the slightest. But he was the boss of this business? I’d assumed Angelica was top dog.

This was really bad.

This wasn’t happening.

I crawled across the carpet for my desk, certain my legs couldn’t bear me. After a day from hell, crazed instinct was finally in the driver’s seat. It wanted me to get under the desk so the earthquake called life could collapse this high-rise on my dumb head. Instinct also didn’t want me to crawl around to the other side.

A shortcut was best.

The space at the front of the desk was narrow, but I could make it under.

I slid my arms in, turning my head sideways to get it through.

“Basi?”

I froze, ass in the air. Could she see my lacy black G-banger through the slit in the back of my pencil skirt?

Please don’t be here.

“I was hoping to introduce you to the CEO of Live Right…”

Black Tie was with her now? Or standing in reception? My mind latched onto hope—

A masculine voice rumbled through the office. “It appears we came at a bad time.”

That. Mother. Fucker.

He already knew who I was! There was no missing the gloating tone.

I didn’t respond to Angelica, consumed with sudden rage. An entire day’s worth of fear turned into a furious missile. Target: Kyros. He’d set this up somehow. I was part of a prank. They’d all worn contacts to freak me out.

My fingers shook with the urge to wrap around his neck and squeeze. However, my immediate predicament was how to extract myself from beneath the desk. To slither forward or to shuffle backward? I opted for forward to gain a second to collect myself under the desk.

Sliding onto my stomach, I pulled myself through the small gap.

Footsteps rounded the table, and, flat on my stomach, I eyed the black leather business shoes as Kyros came to stand in front of me.

Freens.

Of course he’d wear the most expensive shoe in existence.

I pulled my legs through and crouched under the desk, waiting for him to move away so I could crawl out and try to get through the next painful conversation.

The bastard sat.

In my spinning leather chair! Right in front of where I crouched. Was he