actually reaching for a tag wrapped around the vase. He pulls it out just enough to open it.
I had a lot of fun the other day. I hope you did too.
Claude
“Is he talking about the date?” Finn asks, but the look on his face tells me that he knows Claude’s talking about the date. The date I got conned into going on with Claude all because he saved Finn from a vampire who was trying to kill him. Why saving Finn became a good reason to force me on a date, I’ll never know.
I stuff the flowers under my desk where my legs go. “I will personally take them out to the dumpster on break,” I announce.
Finn wraps an arm around me, hugging me to him. “You’re so cute.”
I grab his hair and try to pry him off me with it. “Will you stop!”
Suddenly the area around me becomes suppressing as I feel a dark shadow looming over me. When I look up, I see Marcus glaring down at me, tips of his fangs showing like he’s pissed at me because Finn’s hugging me!
“What are you doing with my man?” Marcus asks.
“I don’t want him!” I say as I continue to try and pry him off me. “Dammit, Finn, you’re going to make Marcus murder me!”
Finn beams at Marcus and I can’t help but be amazed that Marcus lets this little human rule his life. The Marcus I met when I joined the VRC was callous, short-tempered, and annoying. Even so, I didn’t mind working with him because he didn’t insist on idle chat and gossip. He really didn’t like any chatting, so we could silently work with each other and communicate by glares and snips. It was my favorite type of communication. But then this human came along filled with joy and happiness and suddenly everyone around me started to fall head over heels for him one by one. Even though we should have been disgusted by him, seeing as he was a human joining a vampire unit, he used his annoyingness to sucker everyone into liking him.
And for some reason… he’s now my closest friend.
“Marcus is just jealous,” Finn explains. “And when Marcus is jealous he—”
“Slams people against walls, breaks bones, and tears out eyes,” I cut in. “I would like none of that to happen to me so please, if you care about my wellbeing, fuck off.”
Finn laughs as he pulls back but doesn’t wheel away yet. “Marcus, why’d you scare Claude off? He was in the process of wooing Alexei.”
“Because Claude does not work here. Let’s just be happy that he’s getting his own house and we’ll finally be free of him,” Marcus says.
“Claude’s moving?” I ask before remembering that I couldn’t give a shit if Claude was moving to the moon. I’d actually be relieved. That’s definitely it.
“He is. I don’t know where to yet, but he’s coming over tonight to take us to his new house,” Finn explains. “Why don’t you come with us? You were wanting to grab that book from my house anyway.”
So it must be in the area, which means he can still annoy me, which isn’t good.
DeGray swings by before pointing at the door. “We just got a call about a dead vampire. Can you guys head out?”
DeGray is a fellow detective who was one of the nicest ones to me when I started here. I think he’s nice to everyone, though, since that seems to be where he excels. Things have been a bit… strained between us lately since our last one-on-one talk. But he still gives me a small smile before turning to the others.
I wonder what they’d do if they knew.
But DeGray shouldn’t worry, I’m the master of keeping secrets. My whole life is built on lies and secrets.
“Ready?” Finn asks.
I glance up at him since he’s now standing. It’d be the only time I’d have to glance up at the human, even if I’m not as tall as the other vampires in our unit, besides Briar. “Yeah.”
“Good because you got this far-off look in your eyes like you couldn’t remember if you left the stove on or not.”
“What would I need a stove for?” I ask as I stand to gather my things and slide in my chair, careful not to smash the vase and flowers.
“Blood things. Maybe it’s where you boil your victims.”
“Maybe you’re not funny?” I say.
He beams at me like he knows it’s a lie. I glance back at Marcus who has his