Not What She Seems (25 page)

“He was originally saving himself for his fiancée, but she was killed unexpectedly and he hasn’t had a relationship since then. Does
Elora know about Mason?”

“No, I don’t think so. I certainly didn’t tell her, and she doesn’t strike me as one who reads the paper too often.” Sylvia couldn’t he
lp but smile slightly at her offhand remark about Elora. “Have you made any progress with Mason?”

“Some, but we’re not there yet,” she admitted. “Can we please not talk about this in front of Keith? I know he’s in a coma, but it just feels weird.”
Just because her big news was finally out in the open didn’t mean that they had to discuss it in depth at that moment.

Lilith nodded and checked her watch as she rose from her chair to leave. “I have to run back to the office
anyway. Have your visit, but I would suggest you don’t stay here long. For all we know the Hunter’s watching to see if you’ll come. You’re already here, but it would be unwise to come again in the future,” she advised as she left the room.

Sylvia
sank into the chair Lilith had been using. She grasped one of Keith’s hands in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m here for you, Keith, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry you ever got dragged into this mess, and I’m sorry we couldn’t make it work.” She didn’t know if what some said was true, that patients in a coma could still ‘hear’ those around them, but she hoped so. It was important to her that he knew her regrets. She might not get the chance to tell him again. “I love you, still, but we just can’t make it right. I want you to be happy, and I want to be happy too. We’re not happy together, we’re both miserable. It’s not right for either of us. I just wanted to let you know that despite all of that, I do love you. I always will, nothing could ever change that. You get better now, before we know it you’ll be chasing the ladies again, okay?” She kissed his hand softly and fell quiet, listening to the rhythms of the various machines working to keep him alive.

Lilith was right, it was
n’t the best idea to visit him in case the Hunter was staking the place out, watching for her, but Sylvia was still glad to have done it. She text Mason to let him know she was finishing up her visit and gave Keith a gentle kiss on the forehead before leaving. “Remember, I love you, always, even if we’re not together,” she told him softly.

She was extra vigilant as she made her way through the hospital, just to be on the safe side.
Various succubi and Tucker were now dead, and Keith was lucky to be alive. Her fear of the Hunter was swiftly transforming into hatred. If the police couldn’t stop him, perhaps she could figure out a way to get the job done. Enough of her kind had fallen at his hands.

Chapter 24

Mason was waiting for her right where she expected him to be.
He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips as she climbed into the SUV.

“How is he?”

“As well as can be expected, I guess. They’ve got him in a medically induced coma for the next few days. He had heart surgery to repair the damage from the stabbing.”

“And how are you doing?”

“Okay. Kind of overwhelmed at the moment.”

“Try not to worry. He’s in one of the best cardiac units in the
nation, they’ll take good care of him.” He patted her hand gently as he pulled away from the hospital.

“So, I was thinking. I can’t imagine you’re in a rush to go back to your apartment to gather your things, given what’s just happened.”

She shook her head. Her apartment was the last place in the world she wanted to go. “I have my stuff from our trip to Marjory’s. That will last me a few days at least, and I can always do laundry.”

“I was thinking the same thing, but it’s not enough. Tomorrow, if you’re up for it, I’d like to send you out with my drive
r to get some new things to get you through until you’re ready to retrieve your things from your apartment. I’ll call my credit card company and clear you to use my card, so you can go get whatever you need.”

“Mason, that’s too ge
nerous. I can’t do that,” she protested. Shopping was the last thing on her mind at the moment, even though any other day the offer would have been tempting. But it was enough that she was already using Mason to try to win the Challenge; she wouldn’t allow herself to use him for his money too. He didn’t deserve that.

“I insist. Come on,
you’re not a dumb woman. I’m guessing you’ve noticed I live very well, beyond comfortably. I can well afford it, and you need it, and I hope it might cheer you up a little bit. What good does all my money do me if you won’t let me help you?” he implored insistently.

“It’s too much
,” she told him firmly.

“That’s up to me, not you, and we don’t have to decide it right this minute. Just think about it, okay? I would skip my classes tomorrow if I could, but I’m expected to do a presentation, so
it’s out of the question. I worry about you, sitting home alone all day with all the stress you’re under right now. Please consider it. It would make me very happy if you’d take me up on my offer.”

“I’ll think about it,” she conceded
. “So where do you live, anyway?”

“Beacon Hill.”

“Sounds nice.”

“I think you’ll like it, I sure do. It’s a lovely neighborhood, very safe,” he added to try to put her at ease.

Mason was correct; Sylvia really
did
like his large brownstone in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city. He parked the SUV in his private two car garage and showed her inside. She was unable to gather much comfort from the fancy alarm system he had to protect his home as hers had done little to safeguard Tucker, but she did find comfort in the fact that the Hunter wasn’t likely to be searching for her in Beacon Hill.

“Make yourself at home. This is your place too
, while you’re here,” he announced grandly as he led her from room to room, giving her the tour. The brownstone was equipped with the best of everything, from Macassar ebony hardwood floors to enameled lava stone countertops. Each room had a different feel to it in terms of style, but everything was posh and expensive.

“It’s so beautiful!”

Mason shrugged. “I wish I could take the credit for it, but in reality all I did is luck out and hire an exquisite interior designer. He picked out what’s what, I paid the bills for it. I must admit though, I’m happy with the results.”

“You did a great job picking o
ut such a talented designer, everything’s lovely.”

“So, ah, I’m hoping you’ll sleep with me, in my room, but
it’s okay if you’d prefer to stay in a guest room. It’s completely up to you. I’ll understand if you’d prefer a space of your own, for privacy’s sake.” She could sense how nervous he was even broaching the subject.

“I’d like to stay with you, if you really don’t mind.”

Mason broke into a huge grin. “No, I wouldn’t mind at all. I was hoping you’d say that. Come on, I’ll show you the upstairs.”

The master bedroom was huge, with its own bathroom and dressing area. Three of the four walls were wallpapered in a dark, muted paisley with gold accents, and the fourth wall was covered in cork wallpaper to offset it. Antique oriental rugs
covered the rich hardwood floors and the space was lavishly decorated. Mason showed her a walk-in closet that rivaled her one back home.

“I don’t even really use it, so there’s plenty of room for your stuff.
And that, I never use that, so it’s all yours.” He gestured to an antique gold-scrolled dressing table in the dressing area. “And to think,” he joked, “I didn’t believe the designer when he said I’d one day have a use for it.”

He
led her down the hall to show her the guest bath and the two guest bedrooms. Each one was as richly done as the rest of the house with its own mood. Sylvia loved it all, but her mood was significantly dampened by the events of the day.

“A cleaning service comes on Tuesdays and Fridays, and the grocery service delivers the same day, so let me know the night before if there’s anything in particular you’d like
so I can order it for you.”

“Thanks, I
… thanks for everything, Mason. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to not have to go home right now.”

“I know. Let’s see how it goes, maybe this can be a permanent move? I know, I know, it’s too early to tell, but I hope it works out that way,”
he said softly as he pulled her into his arms and smoothed her hair away from her face.

Sylvia tried not to squirm beneath his grasp and
forced a smile. “Let’s just see where this goes, okay?” Inside she was filled with self-loathing, an emotion that wasn’t familiar to her. He had been so good to her, treated her so well, even opened up his home to her, and she was just using him for his Innocent status. She didn’t deserve him, and she knew he deserved better. She wasn’t accustomed to worrying about the men she used, but Mason was different. In growing to care for him she had opened herself up to feel empathy, which she never had before. Succubi were selfish and uncaring towards humans by nature; to feel for one as she did was unheard of.

“I assume you’
re not going to work tomorrow?”

Sylvia recalled she had told him her usual
story, that she worked for a PR firm. “I have a lot of time off accrued, I’m sure I can use some of it.”

“Good. I think some time off would be good for you right now. Or maybe I’m just being greedy, wanting to see you as much as I can. My schedule varies from day to day, between classes and my business, but I’ll be around as much as I can.”

“I’d like that.” She leaned against him and closed her eyes. For just one moment, she wished she were human. Things would be so much easier if she were.

~~~

Mason ordered Chinese take out for dinner, and they sat on the plush leather couch in front of the big screen TV, eating dinner and watching a movie together. Sylvia was glad for the company. He was a good distraction from her troubles, and she felt at ease in his home.

“So have you thought about tomorrow?”

“What about it?”

“Would you like to go shopping, get the things you need, since you’ll be here for a bit?”

“It’s a very kind offer, but I can’t do that.” She shook her head.

“I told you, it’s no big deal. I know you won’t go run
ning off and max out all my credit cards. Please? It would make me happy if you’d do it.”

“Mason, I can’t. I just can’t, it wouldn’t be right.”

“All right. But if you change your mind, you call me, okay?”

“Okay.” As much as she hated to give
up a free shopping spree, she felt good about turning his offer down. She was taking enough from him already. She wouldn’t take his money, too.

Mason let her shower first in the master bath. When she was
done, she saw he had laid out a soft cotton shirt of his for her to wear to bed. She smiled to herself as she put it on, touched by his kindness.

As she climbed into bed next to him that night Sylvia briefly wondered if she should try to seduce him again. She decided it would be best to skip it, at least for that night. It was too soon, and she was exhausted. If Mason insisted
on waiting for the perfect time, she knew this wouldn’t be it. Despite the snippet of energy she took from him during their good night kiss, Sylvia fell fast asleep not long after her head hit the pillow.

~~~

Mason was already gone for the day when she woke up the next morning. He left a note for her on the kitchen counter to remind her about the shopping offer and urging her to call him if she needed anything. He also left the contact number for his driver in case she wanted to go anywhere, even if she wouldn’t go shopping as he suggested.

She
didn’t want to go shopping, or anywhere else for that matter. It would have been good to check in on Keith again, but Lilith was right, it wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. She spent the day wandering around Mason’s brownstone, examining all of the beautiful things it contained, and when that no longer amused her, she ate some leftover Chinese food and watched bad daytime talk shows.

The doorbell rang shortly after three
o’clock. Sylvia found herself frozen in terror, unsure of what to do, so she decided the best thing to do was pretend no one was home. If she stayed quiet, maybe they would go away. Unless it was the Hunter.

But it wasn’t the
Hunter. Sylvia ignored the persistent visitor, who rang the bell and banged on it manually for a long time, until Mason sent her a text:

Go ahead, open the door. It’s safe, promise.
See you tonight!

She
was bewildered but did as he instructed. She trusted him completely, and if he said it was safe to answer the door than she believed it to be so.

A small stout woman, laden with packages from various stores a
round the city, bustled in as soon as she opened the door. She dropped her load of packages inside of the door and stepped back out to bring in another armful.

“My heavens!
I thought you’d never answer! Heather Levangie, personal shopper, at your service.” She extended her hand and Sylvia shook it reluctantly.