– It's so great! Don't forget the sunscreen! And don't eat too many unfamiliar fruits, in case you're allergic to them! But I won't say too much, they charge you a lot of money for calls to the Czech Republic. Bye, sweetie! Say hello to Cedric for us, and tell him we're waiting for your call.
– I'll call you when I have time. Bye, Mum. And give Dad a kiss for me.
– Kisses! – Mum's switched off.
– Good girl," I heard Grayson's satisfied voice, and he stroked my hair. – Now your parents have peace of mind: you're going on holiday in Brazil, in the best hotel, with Cedric. And in the evening, you'll go to the ocean, holding hands to watch the sunset.
It suddenly dawned on me that he'd just given me the name of my lover. What if his servant Eric knew who we were talking about?
But luckily, as if he'd realised my fears, Grayson shook his head in denial.
I leaned back in my seat and stared out the window, but my thoughts were gone, and all I wanted to do was sleep. My eyelids felt so heavy that I had to work hard to keep my eyes open.
That was it: I had said goodbye to Cedric and my parents, and now I could die in peace, even if my death was long and painful-Grayson had made it clear that I would "pay for all my sins."
Glancing down at my hands, I found that they were covered in small but vivid bruises from the vampire's fingers. Then I remembered the slap he'd given me, and my cheek ached again.
Luckily, Grayson stopped paying attention to me; he pulled his phone out of his pocket and started fiddling with it with his finger. Then, dialing a number, he started chatting with a friend.
– No, Siegfried, I'm going to be busy this month, and I don't need any guests," Grayson said into the phone.
Busy. By torturing me. What an interesting business!
– Yeah, I've got some things to sort out, and besides, I won't be alone. Damn things have kept me away from Markus's wedding, and he's my best friend.
When I heard him say that, I was thrilled: He and Markus are best friends? That's great! I knew that Grayson and Brother Cedric had a friendship, but I didn't know it was so great! But I had to hide the fact that I knew Markus, because he would probably do the same thing if Grayson called him to warn him about Cedric's connection to me. So I didn't look at Grayson, but listened intently to every word he said.
From what he said, it was clear that he was determined to torture me for a month. A whole month of torture and suffering before he would deign to kill me!
The vampire talked on the phone for another ten minutes, about all sorts of things, and then he switched the phone off, put it in his pocket, and we could finally enjoy complete silence.
We drove for a long time, each in our own thoughts, but suddenly the car stopped.
– Here we are, sir," the vampire driver said.
– All right! From now on, you and Mitchell are on paid holiday. I'll let you know when I need you," Grayson said, putting on his gloves.
I thought about how uncomfortable it must be for them to wear gloves all the time in the summer, though… Cedric had told me that vampires didn't leave their houses until sunset in the summer, but Grayson didn't seem to care about the sun at all-he wasn't afraid of compromising himself.
Eric opened the door, opened his wide umbrella, and stepped out of the car.
– Get in the front," my tormentor ordered me. His tone was calm, but I knew it was an order.
