Chapter 2

“No. Thanks for offering, but, no.” Craig said goodbye to her and Dave, then walked quickly to his car.

* * * *

At the same time, in a mansion well outside the city, a dark figure looked down at the naked man lying on a bed in one of the upstairs rooms.

“Soon, you’ll belong to me for all eternity, if it’s what you desire,” the figure said softly as he checked the restraints binding the man’s hands and feet to the bedposts. Then he bent, turning the man’s head to one side, and bit into his throat, taking a deep drink. When he’d sated his need, he bit into his own wrist before pressing it to the man’s lips, gripping his jaw to force his mouth open, then stroking the man’s throat until he swallowed the blood offering.

With that accomplished, the figure sat on the edge of the bed—waiting.

* * * *

Craig’s trip to Scott’s apartment told him nothing. Scott’s car was still in the parking lot behind the building, since Craig had been the one to drive them to the club. Using the keys Scott had given him several months previously, he entered the building, and then Scott’s apartment. As far as he could tell, everything was as it should be. And I should know, as often as I’ve been here. He did check Scott’s closet, on the off chance his boyfriend had come home and changed clothes for some reason. There was no sign of the jeans and shirt he’d been wearing at the club.

Frustrated, worried, and he had to admit just a bit angry, Craig headed home. He hoped he’d find Scott there, with some excuse, no matter how lame, for sneaking out of the club. He wasn’t.

“God damn it, where the hellare you!” He paced the living room, trying to think of any reason Scott would have taken off without telling him why—and came up blank. That they cared for each other was a given at this point in their lives. Was it love? Neither of them had said the word, so maybe it wasn’t—yet. But it’s damned close. He wouldn’t have left the club of his own volition. But if someone tried to force him to go with them, wouldn’t people have noticed? Felix would have, for sure, since he was manning the door.

Craig tried calling Scott again, with the same result as before. The call went to Scott’s voicemail. He left a message. “Call me. I’m worried sick. Where areyou?”

Knowing it was the best he could do for the time being, he got ready for bed. As soon as he was out of the shower, he checked his phone. There hadn’t been any calls. With a deep sigh, he crawled into bed then lay there, staring up at the ceiling as he envisioned every possible scenario, from someone at the club attacking Scott then hiding his body somewhere, to them drugging him then, somehow, getting him outside by convincing Felix their ‘friend’ had had too much to drink. Or waiting until Felix was too busy carding people entering the club to notice them leaving. He figured that was unlikely, given the late hour. But not impossible. Of course someone who works at the club could have disarmed the alarm on the back door then spirited Scott away. They have to be able to turn it off for deliveries or…whatever.

Eventually, Craig fell asleep, vowing to go back to Scott’s apartment as soon as he got up Saturday morning, to see if he’d come home, yet.

* * * *

Craig was doomed to disappointment. As far as he could tell, no one, including Scott, had been in Scott’s place between when Craig had, in the early hours of Saturday morning, and when he went there again, at around eight A.M. And Scott’s car was still parked behind the building.

As soon as he got home, Craig began calling the friends who had been at the party, to see if any of them had heard from Scott. None of them had. Dave suggested, if Scott didn’t show up by Sunday morning, Craig might want to go to the police to file a missing person’s report. Craig said he’d consider it, but deep down the idea of doing so scared himIt makes it seem so…so final that something bad has happened to him.

His last call was to Scott’s father. He was very certain it would gain him nothing, as the likelihood of Scott getting in touch with him was nil. Scott and his family had drifted apart when Scott had moved to New Orleans, right after graduating college. While they accepted that he was gay, they were happy to see the back of him, according to Scott. They exchanged cards on birthdays and Christmas, and the rare email, but that was the sum of it.