CHAPTER FORTY

B y three o’clock Sage was beside herself with nerves. She’d sat through two meetings. One of them Sandy had commented on how tired she looked and asked if she wanted to swap out her duties with Murray.

“Nope, I’ll be fine. Just a migraine hangover. I’ll bounce back by lunchtime, so will do it later in the day,” Sage had said, proud of herself for coming up with the idea to explain her reason for doing it so late.

Now she was on her way.

Sage scanned into Callan’s area and nodded to all the staff and security, hoping her nerves simply looked like first week jitters and not like she was about to help a vampire escape.

She let out a snort.

As if anyone would believe this was her life.

The vial was tucked inside her bra. It burned against her skin as if it was a packet of heroin she was smuggling. In fact, Sage was sure this was a lot more serious.

Ari had texted her three times today, and each message had sent a million butterflies dancing around her stomach. Her feelings for him were off the charts.

How was that possible in such a short amount of time? Sure, he was the most spectacular lover a girl could ever dream of. God, the things he did to her body. His tongue, his...

“Hello, Sage,” Brian said, interrupting her thoughts.

Crap.

“Hello, Brian.” She smiled, nervously. “First day samples,” she said, holding up the test kit.

He nodded. “The team will be close by, so no need to be nervous. Do you want me to come in with you?”

No.

Hell, no.

“Oh no, that’s okay. I watched Murray do it yesterday, so it's fine,” Sage said, “Just another day at the office, but on a vampire, right?”

They had been briefed on the vampire body and how similar to humans it was in regard to their work. Little did they know she had close-up experience with a vampire’s body. In fact, two of them, if she included Oliver.

Brian nodded, gave her an empty smile, then left.

She let out a breath and continued. Sage turned the corner and walked to the door which led into Callan’s room. Pressing her thumb against the panel, it clicked open. The room was also climate-controlled and was cool. Very cool.

“ Callan, if you can hear me ,” Sage whispered as quietly as she could, while putting the kit on the table next to his bed. “ My name is Sage. I am here to get you out. ”

Callan didn’t move.

“ I am going to give you vampire blood, which will revive you. Quickly, I’m told ,” she whispered again.

His eyelashes flickered slightly.

The speakers blared to life. “Dr. Roberts, can you please move slightly to the left?”

Fuck.

Her heart nearly leapt out of her skin. She looked up and nodded. “Sure, sorry.”

That was interesting. Clearly, their cameras were being blocked by the angle of her body. She could use that to her advantage.

“ Here .” She tucked the note into Callan’s hand and felt him slightly tighten.

Oh, my God. This might work.

“ Read it. As soon as you open your eyes.”

Sage wished she could say more but couldn’t stall any longer. She opened the kit and began to prepare to take the samples. She lay everything out, then faked a sneeze.

Sage had thought about this moment for hours last night as she lay there working out how she would do this. In the end, she had decided to wear a low-cut top to allow access to the vial inside her bra. As she sneezed, she reached inside and grabbed the powerful blood. Keeping it tucked inside the palm of her hand, she took a couple of swabs from inside Callan’s mouth as he lay prone and unmoving.

“ I’m going to give you the blood now. Please get ready. I will pack up as normal and then open the door. When I cough, move .”

His eyelids flickered once more, and Sage’s heart pounded.

“ You need to take me with you to the next exit or you won’t get out . Please read the note.”

If he didn’t, she’d just run and get into the stairwell. Darren and his team had shown her multiple exits, many of which she was familiar with.

Sage put all her samples back in her kit and acted as if she were closing it up. Leaning as she stood, she flipped her thumb against the vial and it opened, then she quickly pressed it against his lips. Callan’s lips parted, and she poured it in.

Then she moved fast. Click, clack . She snuck the empty vial into the pack and closed it. Silently, she stood and walked to the door. Her thumb pressed against the panel, and it opened.

She coughed.

Even though they’d planned it, when Callan’s body swooped up off the bed, Sage startled. He scooped her up and growled in her ear. “Which way?”

She pointed in a direction, and he moved them incredibly fast toward another door. Alarms sounded around them, and red lights began to flash. Screams and cries surrounded them, and a whirring noise began.

“Fuck,” Callan yelled, his voice dry and gravelly.

Sage pressed her thumb against the panel, and it opened. Callan moved them through the door, out into the offices near hers. He glanced around and they saw security flying toward them.

“I will protect you as much as I can, but I cannot go back in there.” He growled. “Which way?”

Sage nodded, understanding completely. No sentient being deserved to be experimented on. “Down there.”

Again, Callan sped them toward another exit knocking past four security guards with complete ease and power.

Then found themselves in the stairwell.

“It’s daylight right now. You need to get to the basement to a black van. Go down to the ground floor. At the door, push the red button and it will let you out.”

He stared at her a quick moment, touched her cheek, and then disappeared.

Sage slumped to the floor just as the door burst open behind her and she was pulled to her feet by two security guards. Douglas Phillips came running toward them, looking furious.

“What have you done, you stupid fucking girl?” he yelled and slapped her across the face.

“No, I—”

She felt a sting in her neck and the world went black.