“Of course. I told you I would take care of you. And her.” I smile softly at him.
“Thank you, Lizzie.” He smiles gratefully back. He rises and kisses me. “I’m going to take a shower and then go to work. Well, ex-work, I guess it is now. I have things that need sorting before I can pack in completely.”
“Are you sure you want to? Pack in, I mean? You don’t have to just because I am.”
“No, I want to. I love my job, I love our company, but I love working with you. It won’t be the same if you aren’t there. Besides, I will still have my work cut out for me. Not only do I have yours and mine to deal with, seems now that I am available, everyone else has come to me with requests to handle their portfolios,” he says wryly. I laugh out loud before I put my hand over my mouth, not wanting to wake Jess.
I pull him into a tight embrace. “Because you are the best. Everyone knows that you have the golden touch.” As I say the words, an idea forms in my head. I pull back and stare at him. He looks back at me suspiciously and asks, “What? What are you thinking?”
“Golden touch,” I repeat. “Everything you touch comes up trumps,” I say excitedly.
“What are you saying?” he asks, confused.
I glance at Jess and pull him outside closing the door quietly. “Think about it, Dev. You never fail. When it comes to money, you never fail. Every investment, every card game, every spin of the Roulette wheel…It’s no fucking wonder we have more money than we know what to do with. You have a gift.” I slap him on the arm, but he looks at me blankly.
“I have no idea what you are saying right now.” He rubs his face with his hand and then through his hair causing it to stick up adorably.
“You have a gift. A real gift. Your knack for numbers is just a bonus.”
He frowns at me. “So, you are saying that I’m not as clever as I like to think I am?”
I laugh again at him, taking his face in my hands. “Oh no, my darling boy, you are every bit as clever as you think you are and more. You just have a bit of a power boost. Fuck me. I can’t believe I never saw it before.”
“So, I can make us even more money if I put my mind to it?” he asks with a cheeky wink.
“I have no doubt.”
He kisses me and says, “How you deduced this, I don’t know, and I don’t know if you are right, but now I have a mission to go and see if you are.” He kisses me again and goes into his bedroom, happy and relaxed, probably having forgotten all about Jess. I sigh as I haven’t, much as I would like to. I open the door again and she wakes up.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-FOUR
“Devon?” she asks sitting up.
“No, just me,” I say and her face falls.
“I’m hungry,” she grouses.
“I know. Here.” I pass her a handy glass of blood and she downs it in one gulp.
“Thanks,” she says gratefully. “Uh, where did… where did Devon go?”
“Out,” I say, knowing it will upset her that I don’t give her more. Not for me to tell her his business. If he wants to fill her in when he gets back about what he has been up to, then fair enough. “Get showered and changed. Esther got you some things. You will be unable to go outside but I will make sure that you are comfortable.”
She looks like she is about to cry again as she remembers that she can’t go out in daylight.
“One day at a time,” I tell her. “And make the most of your nights. It will get easier when we get to Europe. The nights are long in winter.” I almost feel sorry for her…almost. I will probably never forgive her for what she did, but she is here now, and we have to move on. “Let Esther know if you need or want anything.” I point to the phone on the bedside table. “Dial 9.” Kind of like a hotel, I grimace as I realize this.
“I just want Devon,” she says sadly.
“It will get easier as time goes on.” I sit on the edge of the bed and decide to impart some wisdom onto the next generation. “You need to readjust your priorities now. The things that you wanted to do with your life before, may be not suitable for you now. And look for outside interests, don’t focus your attentions entirely on Devon.”
“What do you mean?” she sniffles into a tissue.
What do I mean? All sorts of things. “Anything, Jess. Anything you want. Look at Cole. He didn’t want to give up acting after I turned him. He loved the work and he didn’t need to, as it was something that he could carry on doing. Your limitation will prove an issue at first, but the punishment won’t last forever. What did you used to do?” I ask.
At this point, I am aware I know nothing about her. How old she is, what her last name is. Hell, we haven’t even been properly introduced.
“I’m a senior in high school,” she says.