Page 17 of His Eternal Temptation

Maybe Lane was safe in his hands. As safe as he could be when death was only a few steps away.

He splashed water on his face and brushed his teeth with the new toothbrush he’d found in a drawer the night before. Rowan had agreed it was fair for Lane to trust his word when he trusted Lane’s. Did that mean Rowan was open to trusting him, or was he agreeing they’d never trust each other?

Could Lane convince Rowan to give him a chance?

He had to try. Proving himself could change everything. He could clear up Rowan’s misconceptions about him—about their past—and when he got out of here, he could prove himself to his father as planned.

He had no interest in letting the Blackburns stumble into another conflict with the Valeros. Neither Rowan nor Marshall wanted that. The two covens might never be friendly, but they didn’t have to be at odds.

What if Lane could bring the whole feud to an end? Clear the bad blood?

There was a polite knock on the door. “I have clothes.”

Lane opened it, finding Rowan blank-faced and holding a few folded garments. “That was fast.”

“We have items on hand. In case things get messy.” Rowan didn’t look like a man who enjoyed mess. He’d changed his suit while Lane slept, this one as fine as the last.

Lane took the neatly folded pile, thankful it wasn’t a suit. “I didn’t think the Valeros were big on bloodshed.”

“We aren’t, but not everyone in the city shares our views.”

“Too bad. It would make life easier.”

Rowan’s brow quirked. After a brief pause, he closed the door.

That wasn’t so bad. No shouting. No accusations.

Lane dressed in clean underwear, dark jeans, and a shirt that was a little on the tight side. After taking another few moments to steady himself, he emerged.

Rowan leaned against the wall, ankles crossed and phone in hand. “Hunter texted. Your bloodwork came back normal.”

Lane paused in the doorway. “Already?”

“Perks of having your own lab. He’s headed over to check you out again.”

“Oh.” Lane wasn’t sure why. He felt fine, physically, and human tests wouldn’t help Nicole. “Is he a real doctor?”

“Hunter is licensed to practice human medicine, if that’s what you mean.”

It’d be interesting to know how old Hunter was. Same went for Rowan, who appeared close to Lane’s age of thirty-five. How long he’d been that age, Lane would probably never find out. You weren’t supposed to ask how old a vampire was or ask about a vampire’s life before their transformation.

There was a knock at the door, and Rowan went to answer, Lane following behind. Trailing along would get old fast, but Lane had no desire to test the limits of their link.

What if it shrank as Rowan’s blood slowly worked out of his system?

The bouncer Lane vaguely recognized—Kai, Rowan had called him last night—was at the door. “Hope you like bagels.” He flashed Lane a smile, handing him a bag and a to-go coffee cup.

“Um. Thanks, Kai.”

He nodded and left like a man who had a busy schedule to attend to.

Rowan’s head cocked. “You remembered his name?”

“From last night. Not…before.”

“Ah. He didn’t recognize you either. You may recall Felix, who was in the clinic last night, from the last time you were around? Jack, the other bouncer, and Hunter are new.”

“Yeah, Felix is hard to forget.” Not wanting to dwell on last time and start another fight, Lane added, “Should we head to your office now that I’m decent?”