Chapter Two- Mia

"You didn't have to book me into the poshest hotel you could find," I said into the phone later that evening. "The tiles on the bathroom floor are heated, for goodness' sake! There's an actual rainforest setting on the lighting pad I can switch on so I can hear rainforest sounds when I shower. Who does that?"

He laughed. "I disagree that I didn't have to. Is the location disagreeable?" His voice had that wicked sound of playful amusement again. I was so glad that I could keep my potential boss amused by my antics and provincial views of life and money.

"You know it's not," I grumbled.

"How's the view?"

I sighed as I opened the sliding glass door. "It's clear today. I can see the Statue of Liberty from my balcony. The balcony that is ridiculously large, by the way."

It was funny. I hadn't stopped to think about reaching out to him when I got to the hotel and settled in. I somehow knew he'd want to hear from me and know I was safe.

And if that wasn't bizarre enough, this was the second and only time in my life that I could recall feeling such peace when I was interacting with another person, and both times had been with him.

As I spent the afternoon boxing up the things from my apartment that I wanted to keep—mainly clothing and the few personal things I'd acquired over the years—I'd reflected on our phone call. People who weren't…supernaturals felt chaotic to me, but Draven Leto, a self-proclaimed vampire, made my soul feel like it was submerged in warm, lavender-scented water. He felt incredibly peaceful to me, and I was trying to figure out if it was just him, or if it was supernaturals in general.

"Have you had dinner yet?"

I shut the slider, shivering at the cool air that had entered in just the few moments I'd had it open. "No, I haven't." I wasn't planning on it either. To say I was in an affluent area of town would be a vast understatement. There was nothing near me that I felt justified in spending the money he'd wired me on. Besides, I had to save most of it for essentials. I was out of just about everything: shaving cream, razor cartridges, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, and I needed to replace them all before I left in two weeks.

Mr. Leto was quiet, and I marveled again that I'd reached out to him. I'd actually reached out to another person. I had no idea if this was a breakthrough for me, or if my desire to talk stemmed from the fact that Mr. Leto was so thoroughly likable.

The fact that he was potentially a vampire did not go unnoticed by me. I found it ironic. Vampires had such a bad rap in the fictional world. They were written as bloodthirsty savages who had no moral compass and viewed human life, really any life, as so beneath them that they felt like they were sullying themselves by being around anything other than their own kind.

Draven didn't give off those vibes at all. From the little I'd interacted with him, I found him to be kind, thoughtful, intelligent, and prone to bouts of what most might consider excessive generosity. His laugh did strange things to my chest, and I felt like I could be around him, day in and day out, without difficulty.

In fact, I was getting the impression from him that he was as lonely as I was. Maybe not to the point that he would welcome a feral cat, like I'd been getting perilously close to doing, but there was a loneliness in his voice that I could hear. I was careful not to indicate that I knew this through any of my actions or conversation. It was a tidbit about him that I kept close to my chest and pondered.

There was a knock at the door, and I wasn't really surprised to find room service on the other side with a rolling tray of covered dishes. They wheeled the rolling tray in and arranged everything on the table in the dining area. I tried to tip them, but was rebuffed. "Mr. Leto has taken care of all gratuities for your stay, Miss," I was again kindly reminded.

Of course he had. I felt a little like a sheep that was being herded by a sheepdog.

"You realize I can choose my own food, yes?" I said into the phone, still connected with Draven.

"You wouldn't have eaten."

It frustrated me that he knew that about me so quickly. Was I that transparent? I sighed in defeat and tried not to grumble at the nice man that just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to starve to death while waiting for my interview with him. I swallowed my pride.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Miss Durran. Have a good evening."

"You, too."

We clicked off, and I took the lids off the platters of food on the table, my stomach snarling in anticipation of having yummy food again. Draven seemed to have an uncanny idea of my tastes, or at least what most people liked. I thought this was amusing considering what he potentially was and what vampires ate.

One plate contained pan roasted filet mignon and braised short-rib ravioli with natural jus. I wouldn't have known what it was, but the hotel kindly put a menu card on each silver tray. The other plate contained an assortment of desserts.

My eyes widened. I'd never had filet mignon before, and the braised short-rib ravioli sounded delish too. I grabbed a plate off the warmer and loaded it up with a bit of everything, including the side-salad with house dressing they'd provided. A bevy of drinks was lined up behind the silver platters. I chose a Dr. Pepper and sat down on the couch, turning on some mindless TV so I didn't have to listen to the silence in the room.

I went to bed early that night, and for the first time that I could remember, I felt anticipation at the thought of waking up and doing this all over again the next day. The wonderful hotel room, the yummy food, and the fact that I had nothing more stressful on my to-do list than taking a walk and later getting some essentials for my trip, filled me with such a contented feeling that I laughed out loud.

I hadn't realized the sheer weight of worry and stress I'd been carrying until it had been lifted. I marveled that I was graduating with my business degree in a week, and that I already had a job interview that sounded incredibly promising. And I marveled yet again at the emergence of supernaturals into my life, and the fact that I was so blasé about it. It was like…I'd somehow known all along.

I fell asleep to that thought with a smile on my face.

Two weeks later, I arrived at the Portland, Oregon airport around two-thirty a.m., bleary-eyed and drooping. All caffeinated beverages had failed their one and only job, and my jaw kept cracking open in wide yawns that probably showed the other weary travelers around me all of my teeth fillings and my entire esophagus.

Mr. Leto had called the moment the courier arrived and handed over my tickets, somehow knowing I'd just signed for them, and explained that he'd gotten me a red-eye flight into Oregon because he wanted to be able to meet me the moment I arrived at his estate. And as he slept primarily during the daylight hours, a red-eye flight was best. I'd figured he'd at least have one or two cliché vampire habits, so I'd just thanked him for the tickets, and said I looked forward to the interview.

We hadn't talked much more during my stay, but he'd called about a week ago to let me know that he'd have a driver at the airport waiting for me, and to apologize once again for the flight time. It hadn't really bothered me. It had been a quiet flight, with most of the passengers asleep. But, because I'd been getting regular sleep for the past two weeks, and getting to bed early at that, the change to my schedule and the long flight had made me so dang tired that I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I hadn't been able to sleep on the flight in, despite the extra room that those seated in first class were given.

A tall, muscular man with alarming grayish skin held up a sign in front of me that read Mia Durran. I looked around me bleary-eyed. No one else was looking at him in alarm. Of course, it was the middle of the night, but still.

"That's me," I said, as I shuffled for my license. He nodded and didn't laugh at my terrible license picture. I thought that took considerable restraint. He showed me his license to verify that he was who Draven had said would meet me, then he held a finger up, asking me to wait for just a moment while he dialed a number, and held his phone out to me.

I took it just as Draven's voice said, "Is she with you?"

"Umm, yes. I'm here in Oregon. I'm assuming he handed me the phone so I could double verify that he's the right person, and not an axe murderer?"

Draven chuckled. "Yes. Mesmer is big on safety."

My tired brain appreciated that Mesmer had thought to reach out to Draven. "I have your word that he's safe?" I cupped my hand around the phone and spoke in a low voice. "He's gray, you realize?" I knew I was being rude, but my curiosity was roused. I couldn't think of what a gray supernatural might be. I looked at him, taking in his immense size, thick thighs and calves, gigantic arms and chest, and oversized head. He had gray eyes, and thick, black, buzz-cut hair.

I knew tiredness might affect my sense of him, but he wasn't really giving off any vibes. He just felt like a quiet, larger-than-life presence to me. Somehow, that was comforting.

"He's safe. And he's gray because he's a gargoyle. Gargoyles are excellent bodyguards, and Mesmer is one of the best. He's also one of the most loyal beings I've ever met." He changed the subject. "You sound tired."

While Draven spoke, Mesmer had grabbed my three huge suitcases like he was merely picking up a fluffy pillow and led me out of the airport and into an idling gray limo.

"I got spoiled at the hotel. The change to my sleep schedule's just thrown me off. I'll be fine tomorrow."

He hummed in thought, and I had the sense that he wanted to apologize again for the lateness of the hour, but refrained. "I'll let you get some sleep then. It's a three-hour drive. That should give you time to get a good nap in."

His thoughtfulness touched me. "Thanks. See you soon."

We hung up, and my phone dinged with a text as I slung my purse onto the bar in front of me and grabbed a bottle of water

A message from a number I was unfamiliar with said:

Mesmer: It's nice to meet you, Mia. Drinks are in the fridge. On-demand movies are available on the TV. We should arrive at our destination in 3 hours.

Mia: Thanks, Mesmer. It's nice to meet you too.

Mesmer: You're welcome.

Mesmer must have handed me his company phone inside the airport, and was now using his personal one to text me with. I put it safely in my purse, took a sip of water, let my body melt into the decadent, cushy seats, and had no more thoughts for the rest of the drive.

Next I was aware, big, gentle hands were persistently shaking my shoulders. I pushed them away, still mostly asleep, and heard a quiet chuckle, and then the gigantic hands were back, nudging my shoulders a little harder.

I suddenly remembered where I was and bolted upright, probably looking like an owl with large, startled eyes and my hair flying all over the place. My glance darted around until I looked up into Mesmer's face.

I slumped in relief.

"Oh, hello again. I must have fallen asleep. Thank you for waking me."

His smile was warm and soft as he patted my hand and went to grab the bags out of the trunk.

I rubbed my face, trying to wake up, digging deep grooves into the sockets of my eyes before I got out of the car to look around. My eyes widened as I took in my surroundings. Had I accidentally flown to Italy?

"That's an Italian villa."

Mesmer nodded, not at all bothered or surprised by my astonishment, and motioned for me to follow. I looked around in befuddled interest. "Well, I always wanted to visit Italy."

Rounded, double entryway steps led to a mahogany door with a huge copper knocker in the shape of a lion. As I stumbled up the steps, my legs refusing to work properly because of weariness, I looked around at the surrounding area. A forest surrounded us, and beyond the villa, white, sandy beach and glistening, deep-blue water shone in the full moonlight.

"Holy shmoley."

Mesmer chuckled.

The door opened and a thin man in an honest-to-goodness tuxedo answered the door. He had thick, gray eyebrows and hair, pale skin, and a hawkish nose. But it was his eyes that were the most arresting. They were aqua blue.

My jaw wanted to sag open at the impossible color, but I refused to let it. I would not gawk at everyone and everything. From the corner of my eye, though, I tried to take in as much as I could. Mesmer took off in a different direction after giving me a pat on my shoulder. And for someone so big, he moved like a panther, silently and gracefully. I wondered if he studied martial arts.

"This way, miss," the butler said, trying to wrest my attention from the lemon trees that sat at either end of the entry hall. They made it smell so bright and yummy right when you walked in, and I wanted to take a picture of the beautiful, glazed pots they were housed in.

The butler moved swiftly, and I tried to take in as much of my surroundings as I could as we passed through an entry hall, a formal dining room, a parlor, a living room, and a billiard room, until finally the servant knocked on a door, then let me into an office of mammoth proportions.

"Mia Durran for you, Master Leto."

"Thank you, Aiwin."

Aiwin bowed me in, and I stiffened my spine for courage before I walked in.

The room was enormous, but felt cozy. A fire blazed merrily in the rock fireplace, various overstuffed couches and chairs sat interspersed throughout the room, and an enormous mahogany desk stood at the far end. Murals covered the walls. Nature scenes, mostly. One wall had green vines and leaves stenciled all over a creamy background with a pale sun and a robin's egg-blue sky. Another had a wall of tinted windows that looked out over the ocean.

I fell in love on the spot.

I knew right there and then that this room would be one of my happy places. I still had an interview to get through, though, and I needed to meet my boss and everyone in the villa to see if I'd be comfortable working here. So far, through my tour with Aiwin, and spotting the scurrying employees in the villa, I'd felt great about being here. All the chaotic feelings that I had become used to weren't present.

I puzzled over this as my eyes finally found the male sitting behind the desk, and my feet instantly turned into useless blocks of concrete. I squeezed my purse in a death-grip and tried in vain not to gape at the beautiful person across from me.

Glorious, chocolate curls adorned a face that looked like it belonged either to a runway model or a Michelangelo statue. Sculpted cheeks, beautifully formed nose and lips, expressive, arched eyebrows, and smooth, café au lait skin all short- circuited my brain from my mouth. I gaped at him. I'd heard the stories, that vampires were beautiful so they could lure their prey in, but it wasn't until right then, standing in that sweet-smelling office, that I came to believe in those stories.

I marveled at my maybe future boss for what must have been a full minute before I pulled myself together and could form sentences that weren't gibberish. Did vampires have a lure?

Draven laughed, that deep sensuous sound, and I felt those effervescent bubbles popping again in my chest. "To answer your unasked question, Miss Durran, all vampires have a slight lure. It's autonomous. We can't control the base level of the lure. We can, however, turn up the heat, so to speak. What you're feeling is the autonomous lure that I can't control. I would never use the other on you. You're safe here."

"Yeah, that might be a problem," I could finally say. It felt like I literally had to unstick my tongue from the roof of my mouth to say it. "If I can't function, I can't do the job you want me for."

He smiled, and my brain went a little blank. Like the cartoons where they hung up a sign behind their vacant eyes that said Out to lunch. I shook my head to clear it and closed my eyes, breathing deeply and reaching for my sense of inner balance.

Mr. Leto let me; the room descended into quiet. When I opened my eyes, I felt more centered, and more able to tackle Mr. Leto's unearthly beauty and the lure that he couldn't control.

Draven smiled and clasped my hand as he waved me toward a seat on one of the couches.

"Please sit. You needn't worry about the lure. The longer you're in my presence, the weaker the lure will get, until eventually, you won't even notice it anymore."

I nodded as I sank into the decadent couch. If I never moved again, I would consider myself lucky. The couch sucked me in like it had been made of fluffy, supportive clouds. "That's good to know. On the outside looking in, this is a very bizarre job interview, at least for me." I paused, searching my feelings. I didn't feel the same peace I'd felt on the phone with him, but I felt calm and at ease. That was better than ninety percent of my past jobs, so I was pretty happy with it.

"Thank you for coming. I know this is all new to you."

"Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you." I was proud of myself for my poise. I'd only slept the three hours in the car. My brain felt like someone had stuffed it with fuzzy cotton, and even though I was intrigued by the fact that Mr. Leto was a vampire and Moonhaven Cove was full of supernaturals, I tried to let my curiosity and expectations go so I could focus.

Aiwin came in with some peppermint tea. I sipped it and studied him. He looked to be in his mid-to-late eighties. He wore a gray suit, but the white shirt underneath had a lace collar, and an apricot-colored ascot in place of a tie. He felt mischievous to me, though I couldn't see it from my observations of him. My guess was that he was an elf or fae of some kind. His ears were tipped at the ends, and though he had a willowy build, he looked strong and fit.

"Will there be anything else, Master?"

"No, Aiwin, thank you."

Aiwin bowed himself out, and Mr. Leto asked if I wanted chocolate cake.

I peered at him, wondering if this was a trick question.

He shook his head and chuckled, then served me a thick slice of the chocolate cake, along with a linen napkin, a heavy silver fork, and a beautiful plate with red and pink roses around the gilded edges.

I tried to control my ravenous appetite, but the smell of the decadent chocolate threatened to undo me. "Pixie ponies, this cake is amazing. I'd love to take your chef home with me if this doesn't work out." Well, there was nowhere to go if this didn't work out, but I was pointedly ignoring that train of thought at the moment.

"I'm sure his wife would miss him."

I nodded my head, trying in vain to daintily eat the cake instead of shoveling it in my face. Not only was I starving, but I'd never had cake this good. I was tempted to sneak in after the interview and snag the rest of it. "I would miss him too." After sipping a scalding gulp of peppermint tea, all conversation halted as I devoured the cake.

Devoured.

I ate it so fast that if I were watching as an innocent bystander, I think I would have been terrified.

I could feel Draven's eyes on me the whole time. I felt as though he got a lot of satisfaction out of seeing me eat that cake, but I didn't know why, and I was a little too occupied to ask right then. After the cake was gone, I looked at the plate and wondered how impolite it would be if I licked up all the crumbs.

"By all means," Draven said. "Lick it clean. Or you could just have another slice." His humor made me remember our phone conversations the last two weeks. How I'd reached out to him. His humor and kindness on the phone. It made me feel as though I knew him already, which I realized was a dangerous trap. I didn't know him. And I needed to remember that.

"I just might," I mumbled. Sighing, I set the plate on the nice table and sat back.

"You seem comfortable in my presence, Miss Durran." Draven's right eyebrow winged upward. "Can I assume you aren't afraid of me?"

I squinted at him, my tired brain taking in his presence. I really wanted to see his teeth.

In horror, I realized I'd said the knee-jerk thought out loud when he spluttered and laughed.

"I am not a horse."

I went red in embarrassment. I really needed to get some more sleep!

"Of course not!"

Draven studied me, probably trying to see if I'd bolt if he showed me. When I showed no fear, he lifted one corner of his top lip with his index finger. The incisor there lengthened as I watched it. I wanted to get closer and observe it in fascination. By sheer force of will, I forced myself to remain seated.

I canted my head to the side as he released his lip. My fingers tapped on my bottom lip as I stared at him. I wasn't sure what I was feeling at the moment. Definitely calm and ease, but also… curiosity. I was no dummy. Fictional vampires tended to be stabby with their teeth, and sort of murdery. But I was curious because that was not at all what Draven Leto projected. And not at all what I felt around him.

My instincts dismissed his top-of-the-line suit and his thousand-dollar watch, reminding me that pretty packages sometimes held killers. My feelings quietly whispered that he was a genuinely good person, and for the moment, he looked totally at ease and not at all murdery or stabby.

Would it be rude of me to assume that he'd already eaten for the evening?

Probably.

After a long silence, I finally answered him. "I'm not afraid, but keep in mind my head is full of cotton at the moment. I reserve the right to be afraid or change my mind in the future. This is not exactly a typical interview for me, no matter how typical it is for you or the people of this town."

He nodded.

I'd missed seeing the town I'd come into, being asleep and all, but I knew from a conversation with Draven that it was a hidden town of supernaturals that mortals couldn't find and couldn't enter.

I refocused and handed him my resume, which I dug out of my handbag.

"Here's my updated resume with my degree listed. I have a generalized degree in business, but I can handle any secretarial or administrative assistant job. I don't have experience, but I graduated at the top of my class."

Draven poured some of my tea into another floral teacup, and sat back with it, sipping it. He looked at the cup a little in surprise, and I could tell he was trying to figure out if he liked it or not.

I could tell that he was picking up on my puzzlement over him making such a fuss over bringing me in for an interview. Not that I was complaining. It would be lovely to work here, but I still didn't understand what made me a good candidate.

"Have you been able to figure out what kind of supernatural you are yet?"

"No, I haven't."

And it hadn't been for lack of trying. I looked fully human when I looked in the mirror. No gray skin or tipped ears. I didn't seem to have any extra strength, and I for sure didn't have wings. I would have noticed those bad boys long before now.

"You're an empath, Miss Durran, and my guess is that you're a strong one." He eyed me over the steam of his cup. "When I took control of your motor functions, you could still think clearly and move some of your body, yes?"

His question didn't sound like a question at all. It felt like he already knew the answer. "Yes. I could think clearly. I could also move small things on my body." There was no need to mention that the sense of peace I'd felt speaking with him had been so abnormal for me, and so strong that it'd almost snapped me out of his control.

He nodded, as if what I was saying was something he had expected. "Empaths get strength from a sense of equanimity inside of them. Everything in our lives is designed to test our inner balance, and for an empath, that can sometimes be an unsurmountable task. One that many empaths never find. I don't know if it's common for you to have that sense of harmony every day, but on the day of the test, I felt, through my control of your body, that you had an incredibly strong sense of inner balance. As a matter of fact, I felt my control over you slide off for a few brief moments, as though you'd blinked out of existence. There's really only one type of supernatural that can combat a vampire's control, and that's an empath. Empaths of significant strength are a rarity.

"I run a multi-billion-dollar company. A strong empath would be helpful to me in the day-to-day running of my corporation. You can give me insights that I wouldn't otherwise be able to have into the companies and the people I deal with on an everyday basis. From those who work for me at my firm, to the CEOs and staff of other companies that I'm interested in doing business with. That insight would help me know if the company and people are honorable and truthful. or if they're a den of vipers, intent on taking my money without intending to keep their end of the contract. I have my own senses, too, of course, but I would trust yours over my own in most cases. You would also help me with personnel issues at DL Industries. We work from home, but I'm often on video conference with my CFO and COO from our home office, and the hard truth is that in this large of a company, personalities, priorities, and experiences clash, creating a disharmonious workplace. I want to avoid that as much as possible. Part of your job duties will be to take video calls from the various department heads and help them manage our large team."

I blinked, my mind churning with the blast of too much information. An empath? I was an empath? A sudden and intense sense of peace descended upon me. It was so strong that I could only sit there in stillness and let it run its course through my body. An empath. That made…sense. It felt right. It actually explained so much! I wondered if the fact that I'd been raised around non-supernaturals and lived among them had been the reason I'd felt so chaotic. Maybe mortals always felt that chaotic? Because, thus far, I was feeling pretty serene, even considering that he'd just basically told me I'd be a babysitter for adults.

Some of what I was feeling, the awe over my being an empath, and the cringiness of having to mediate grown adults, must have shown on my face, because Mr. Leto laughed.

"So, if I'm hearing you correctly, I would need to sit in on your board meetings, and your meetings with other businesses you're auditioning to see if what they want and what you're offering is a good fit. I'd also need to help with whatever personnel problems the heads of departments are having at your main office."

He nodded. "As well as general secretarial things here. This is where we will work from." He indicated his desk.

I assumed I would get a desk too, and I was excited about that. I remembered being a little kid and getting excited when school would start again in the fall, because each kid in the group home got a new binder, pencils, pens, paper, etc. The thought of new erasers had made my nine-year-old self heady with delight. I felt the same delight over having a desk all to myself, and being able to stock it with a pin board, knickknacks, pens, etc.

I almost chortled. I eyed the space on the opposite end of Mr. Leto's desk and thought my desk would go there very nicely. When I glanced back to Draven, I could tell he'd noted my mental wanderings, and by the look on his face, had guessed at them.

Right. Vampire older than dinosaurs.

Draven set his teacup down. "Your face is very expressive. At least to me," he said. His lips twitched, and I grimaced. I usually kept my thoughts under better wraps than that.

"So, back to me being an empath. That actually makes sense, as I think back on my life. But what else does that make me? Does that make me a witch? A wizard?"

He shook his head. "For now, it just makes you a very strong empath. Empaths sometimes get secondary gifts of magic as well, especially if you had magic on both sides of your bloodline. But you don't know your biological parents, am I right?"

I nodded. He and I'd had that conversation the second time we'd talked. He'd been curious about my parents, and I'd had to tell him that they were no longer living.

"Well, that just means you're a wildcard right now," Draven continued. "One of your parents might have been an empath, and the other could have been human or another type of paranormal." He scrutinized me. "Any other things in your past that seem out of place or different?"

I mean, where should I start? All joking aside, I tried to remember anything extra odd about my past, and came up with nothing.

"No." I shook my head. "Not that I'm aware of."

He nodded. "Okay, we'll get back to that later. Getting back to the position, do you think you might be interested?"

I studied him. Where I was an open book, he was the king of inscrutable. I mean, yes! I was interested! But I also needed to take a look at some paperwork and ask about a million more questions. I yawned, covering my mouth so Mr. Leto wouldn't get the same penny show the other passengers of the plane had gotten.

He chuckled, and the fizzies popped in my chest again. That was getting aggravating. It wasn't painful, it just felt really odd. Was it something to do with vampire laughter? Was it normal?

I inconspicuously massaged my chest.

His chuckle cut off abruptly.

"Are you alright?" He looked…concerned wasn't the word. I guess he looked cautiously optimistic, but like he was fighting the optimism at the same time.

"Is that one of those things vampires can do, the whole champagne bubbles in my chest when you laugh thing?" My energy was starting to sputter and wane. Whatever energy I'd had marching into this office was draining quickly.

He looked down at his lap in thought for a few moments, and I dropped my hand from my chest. Something about my reaction bothered him. And I found myself bothered by his reaction to my reaction. I wanted to rub my head to soothe the sudden ache.

"No," he murmured. "It's not a vampire gift."

I nodded. Okay, I could get on board with that. Maybe it was because I found him attractive? Moving on, I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "I'm interested in the job, and I think I would be a good fit. Do you need to ask me any other questions?"

"I think that was supposed to be my line," he quipped, and I laughed. He got up to retrieve a manilla envelope and handed it to me, gesturing for me to open it.

I pulled a sheaf of papers out, neatly paper-clipped together, and started to read through everything. There was an NDA on top that outlined what I could and could not say about Draven, the business, the town, etc. On another page was a more complete list of what my duties would be, along with a full list of my benefits and salary.

I tried not to wheeze at the salary. "Holy cheese puffs!" I squeaked.

Deep breaths, Mia.

Reading through my basic duties again, I had the distinct thought that I'd earn every penny of my profuse salary. There was a page requiring my signature, giving Mr. Leto the right to have bodyguards outside my room, occasionally inside the room I was in, and at least one bodyguard would be with me whenever I left the villa. More would be added if necessary. I reflected on that for a moment. I wasn't looking forward to the loss of some of my privacy, but I was okay with the guards.

Lastly, I looked through a waiver that said there would be times when the job would be dangerous, and so I was being asked to sign away my and my family's rights to sue Draven Leto Inc. for any pain, suffering or death I might incur on the job.

Okay, that page brought me up short. Pain and suffering? Death?

I rubbed my lips with my fingertips, my eyes scanning those words again and again. From his beautiful home and what I knew of his bio, Draven was a person of abundant means. I understood that to mean that he was a prize to some, but a roadblock and hindrance to others. Also, I was sure his looks did not reflect his age accurately. He'd probably picked up some enemies along the path of his extended lifetime. Enemies that would want to hurt him and the people who worked with him. It made me remember that article in the paper of the boutique hotel in Italy that had burned down. Had someone burned down his hotel?

Carrion birds.

I knew them well.

I looked up at Draven. "May I have a pen, please?"

Wanted: Vampire's Assistant is only available on Kindle through Amazon. It's book one in a projected twelve book series featuring all kinds of paranormals and their happily ever afters. Books one through three are out now!