“Asks the male who just consumed his pet in an elevator like a man starved for a good meal,” Damien returned. “I never heard her consent.”
“It was implied when she came.” I brushed my knuckles across her cheek. “Besides, you’re the one who suggested I work on her sexual reactions. I feel she’s coming along quite nicely, don’t you?”
“Hmm,” he hummed, not sounding all that confident in my reply. “Well, as entertaining as this conversation is, I didn’t call to discuss your lack of a sex life or the status of your harem. I have the situation handled, but another has arisen that requires your attention.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Lilith called here for you. She wants you to phone her back immediately.”
My lips curled. “Does she?”
“Yes. So shall I detail the murder scene for you next while you stall? Or did our side conversation provide a sufficient waiting time for you?”
“This is why I keep you around,” I informed him. “You know exactly how I’ll handle each and every situation.”
“Not every situation,” he replied. I didn’t need to ask to know what he meant—he was referring to Willow.
I’d caught the surprise in his gaze when I tucked her gently into the bed. It rivaled his expression when I advised him to stop feeding in the elevator before lifting her into my arms to carry her to my new suite.
Willow served as an anomaly.
A different kind of experience.
A challenge I didn’t fully understand.
I had never treated females poorly in the past, but I also never provided care in the way I had with Willow. He hadn’t asked me why, which was good because I didn’t have a ready response for him.
“I suppose I should return Lilith’s call. Care to place wagers on what she wants?”
“My guess is she found out about your culling from earlier this evening,” Damien replied.
“Likely.” I frowned. “But that would mean someone fed her the information.”
“You’re surprised?”
“No, I’m curious. It would be in our best interest to determine who spoke to her. Then we can use the communication channel to our advantage.” It would allow us to ensure the information flowing to Lilith was the information we wanted her to receive.
“True. I’ll look into it.”
“Good.” I stared at the panel on the wall. “How do I hang up?”
Damien laughed. “I’ll provide you with a tutorial later. After I disconnect, tell the AI you want to call Lilith. Her number is already programmed.”
“You’re a good friend,” I told him.
“Which is why you’re giving me exclusive access to your harem,” he replied.
“Call disconnected,” the AI chimed in.
Apparently, Damien had hung up before I could say another word. Not that I had one for him. If he wanted to play with the brainwashed members of society, I wasn’t going to stop him. The only one off-limits to him was Willow.
Blowing out my breath, I focused on the screen above the nightstand. “Call Lilith,” I said.
I waited for a response.
Nothing happened.
“Yeah, just tell the AI to call Lilith,” I muttered, rolling off the bed to more closely study the panel. “Activate,” I said, reading the button at the top right. “Sure, let’s go with that.” I pressed it and half expected something to explode, but no, that sultry voice just started talking again.
“Hello. How can I help you?”
“You could reprogram yourself for me and save me a lot of time,” I suggested.
“I’m sorry. You could reprogram yourself for me and save me a lot of time is not a command I recognized.”
“Calling Lilith,” she replied immediately, sounding quite pleased with her ability.
I was in the middle of rolling my eyes when Lilith answered, “What took you so long? I phoned your progeny over an hour ago, and why the hell don’t you have your own phone?”
“Which question would you like me to address first?” I asked her, my lips twitching in amusement. Not only had Damien waited to get to the point, but he’d also stalled a bit before calling me.
Good man, I thought. Not that he could hear me. My immortality gave him eternal life, not telepathy.
“I want you to start by explaining what happened tonight. I’ve received a report of more than a dozen unsanctioned vampire deaths.”
“Unsanctioned?” I repeated, scratching my jaw. “That can’t be right, as I’m pretty sure I sanctioned them all.”
“Ryder.”
“Yes? Am I cutting out?” I asked, looking at the screen. “This AI isn’t working for me. Perhaps I