To be sure, the situation was still absurd. She’d just decided to stop dissecting it so closely, or even thinking about it so much, and simply accept that, for the time being anyway, she was Lucy Booth, Vampire Hunter.
Chapter Fourteen
In the donut shop, Kiefer and Nathan closed the window blinds and stacked all the chairs and tables out of the way, clearing the floor. Kiefer, who’d brought the requisite supplies from his apartment, set up everything he needed to perform his magic. Reading from a tattered spell book, he recited the incantation and completed the ritual in only a few minutes.
“Now we just have to wait for the scumbag to show up,” he said, brushing his hands together. He stationed himself near a window, periodically peeking around the blinds to see if anyone was coming.
Lucy and Aaron, meanwhile, retreated to the long counter running along the back of the room. “Um, I guess you can’t eat anything,” she said ruefully, rummaging in one of her grocery sacks, “but there’s some water in here if you want it. Nathan said vampires need to stay hydrated.”
Aaron waved away her offer. “I’m okay right now, thanks.”
Lucy hauled herself up onto the counter. She twisted open a water bottle and ripped open a granola bar. “So, um, how are you feeling?” she asked him.
He tucked his hands into his jeans pockets and smiled up at her, his gorgeous hazel eyes crinkling at the corners. “Oh, you know. Like a vampire bit me. But otherwise I’m fine.”
She grinned. “I actually have no idea what that’s like, but okay.”
His smile faded as he studied her. “I’m really glad you don’t. Take my word for it, it’s no picnic.”
“I’m sure it isn’t, Aaron, but you’re going to be okay.”
Doubt was evident in his expression, but he said, “Well, if I am, it’ll be all thanks to you.” He glanced over his shoulder at Nathan and Kiefer, who were conferring next to the shop window. When he turned back to Lucy, his eyes were filled with sincerity. “Thanks again, Lucy, for taking care of me the past few days. For finding these guys to help me.”
“Jessica found them,” she reminded him. “But yeah, of course. I told you I’d help you. That’s my job, isn’t it? To assist?”
His mouth tugged up on one side. “Even when the vampires start attacking? I don’t know. Something tells me most people would’ve either called the men in white coats to come get me, or they would’ve just run away shrieking. And I wouldn’t have blamed them for it, either. This goes way above and beyond the call of duty—for anybody.”
Lucy took a bite of granola bar and chewed thoughtfully. It had never occurred to her to do either of the things Aaron had just mentioned. She could no sooner have abandoned him than if it had been Jessica she’d found injured and huddled in the dark. It wasn’t only because she was attracted to Aaron, either. He was her friend. She cared about him. And no matter what happened—or didn’t happen—between them in the future, she needed to know he was going to be alright after all this.
“You know, I’m seeing a whole different side of you tonight,” he said.
Lucy looked over to find him still watching her, a pondering expression in his eyes. “You are? Different how?”
“Tougher,” he said. “Brave.”
Brave? Lucy thought. Me? She wasn’t so sure. If she were brave, she would bring up what was on her mind right now. She would ask Aaron if he’d meant everything he’d said in his voicemail, or if he even remembered leaving it. Instead, she only smiled noncommittally, nibbling another piece of granola bar.
“Hey, tell me something,” he said, and laid a hand on her knee.
Lucy felt her leg tense up, all her senses suddenly going on high alert. “S-sure. What is it?”
Mischief sparkled in his eyes. “While I was over at your place, did you get into bed with me and cuddle, or did I just dream that?”
She laughed. “You must’ve dreamed it. I slept on the couch, like I’d said I would. Or at least I tried to. I didn’t get a lot of rest.”
“Too worried?” he guessed.
She nodded.
“That I’d wake up and bite you in the night?”
“Mm…maybe a little. Mostly I was worried you wouldn’t wake up at all. Or that I wouldn’t find some way to help you.”
“Ah,” he said, “okay.” He ran his finger over a frayed spot on the knee of her jeans, making her entire body tingle.
Lucy gulped. “Are you disappointed it was just a dream?” she asked, surprised at how coquettish she sounded all of a sudden.
“No. I’m actually really glad it wasn’t real.”
“Oh,” she blinked. “Why’s that?” She hoped he wouldn’t say Because the idea of sharing a bed with you grosses me out, Lucy, duh.
He didn’t. Instead, he drew his fingers over her knee again and said, “Because I wouldn’t want to miss something like that while I was conked out. If you were in bed with me, I’d definitely want to be awake for it.” He slid his hand up her thigh a few inches and gave it a squeeze.
Lucy froze, nearly crushing the granola bar in her grip. She stared at Aaron’s large hand, with its square nails and strong wrist, resting so far up on her leg. She watched, disbelieving, as his fingers moved again, this time tantalizing the outside of her thigh with a light, spiraling caress. Whoa, she thought with a quiet gulp. What was that all about? Aside from his voicemail, this marked the first occasion Aaron had ever done anything that could be construed as blatantly flirting with her. And, as far as Lucy was concerned, this counted way more than the phone message—considering he was actually in the room with her. And touching her. And sober.
He locked gazes with her and gave her a slow, lopsided smile that made her pulse gallop, but before Lucy could react, he’d moved his hand away. He boosted himself up to sit beside her. “Hey,” he nudged her with his elbow. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Did you ever think Professor Nosferus would wind up being so horrifyingly close to the truth? I mean, this is some straight-up Year Six-type nonsense, don’t you think?”
Lucy broke into a laugh. “I know, right? This reminds me so much of issues sixty-three and sixty-four.”
“Where’s Ace Van Helsing when you need him, huh?” Aaron chuckled, and, just like that, the tension had disappeared. The next moment, they were off and running like usual, discussing the unexpected twists and turns in the current Professor Nosferus storyline, which, while introducing a slew of brand-new characters, had also seemed to have made a welcome double-back to the simplicity of the comic’s earliest runs…
◆◆◆
Jessica had withdrawn to one side of the room by herself. Sliding her hands into her back pockets, she glanced around Endless Donuts, assessing the unlikely crew assembled here with her tonight. Lucy and Aaron seemed chummy, she thought, seated together in the back, talking animatedly about something that had them both smiling ear to ear. Probably comic books, Jessica decided with a private grin. She’d always known Lucy had more backbone than she knew, but she was still impressed with just how well her young friend was holding up under the crazy circumstances she’d suddenly found herself in. Dara, too, for that matter.
Jessica’s gaze went to where the Donovans stood together in a corner, holding one another and whispering softly. As she watched, Jason stroked his wife’s hair and kissed her on the forehead. Dara blushed a little and curled her lips in an adoring smile. They certainly looked as if they belonged together, Jessica had to admit to herself with a silent sigh, two halves of one tall, very good-looking whole.
Jessica had been surprised over the past few days, and particularly the past few hours, to realize that the pretty, popular girl from school she’d resented for so long didn’t actually have a stick up her butt; she was just…kinda reserved. But her shy exterior hid something of an iron will, and Jessica had to admit she admired that about her. She’d been equally impressed with Aaron and Jason, both of whom seemed to have rebounded from th
eir vampire bites with unanticipated aplomb. Cautiously optimistic from the start, Jessica now had no trouble believing that, between all of them, they just might be able to pull off destroying a master vampire before the night was through.
And if we can do it once…she thought, but didn’t let herself finish. Catching and killing Nathan’s master, Marta, and turning him back into a human, too, would, of course, be marvelous, but even Jessica recognized it was a long shot. Which was really too bad, because…well, because Nathan was amazing. His physical beauty notwithstanding, he’d already proven himself brave, kind, loyal, and possessed of a solid moral code. Even Wilhelmina, usually so persnickety, had approved of him. He’s perfect for me, Jessica sighed inwardly. Why did all the good ones have to be undead—and staunchly opposed to dating the living? She crossed her arms over her waist and almost laughed at herself, thinking of how she’d ribbed Lucy for falling in love with her boss, but now Jessica was developing a major crush on a vampire. Now who’s living out a trope?
Even as she had the thought, she realized her supernatural neighbor had somehow soundlessly appeared at her elbow and was staring down at her with his intense blue eyes. “How are you, Jessica?” he asked in that deep rumble of a voice that made her insides quiver. “Are you holding up alright?”
A smile curved her mouth, and she shrugged. “Yeah, sure, about as well as can be expected. How about you?”
“The same, I suppose.”
He kept his solicitous gaze on her, and Jessica felt a pleasant warmth chase through her veins. She cast about for something to anchor him here, to keep him standing so close and talking to her. “Hey, can I ask you something?” He gave her a quizzical look, and she glanced behind him, at a row of framed donut posters decorating the wall. “Why a donut shop, of all things?”
Nathan glanced at the posters, too, and smiled. “Why not? Keeping a surreptitious eye on the citizens of Houston and ensuring they are not devoured by vampires does not exactly pay well. In fact, it does not pay at all. So Kiefer and I needed a money-making venture to sustain us. Kiefer had prior experience in the donut business, so I agreed to partner with him on this shop.”
“Oh,” Jessica said, “cool.” Then, with an impish grin, “You know, I always kind of wanted to own a donut shop.”
One of Nathan’s eyebrows quirked up. “Truly?”
Jessica nodded. “I wanted to call it Dollars to Donuts.”
He chuckled. “Kiefer suggested calling this place Immortal Donuts in my honor, but I thought that was a bit much. Hence, we went with Endless.”
“Cute,” Jessica said, chuckling too. “But if we’re sticking with vampire puns, I personally would have gone with ‘The Sweetest Bite.’ Or maybe…‘A Bite of Glaze.’”
Nathan looked impressed. “You are good at this.”
“Thanks. Wordplay’s kind of a hobby of mine. Anyway…a money-making venture? You mean to tell me you’re not filthy rich? I thought all vampires were billionaires.”
Nathan actually grinned at that. “I am sorry to disappoint you, but no. I am, at best, solidly middle-class.”
She tilted her head. “Dude, you’ve had at least forty years to play the stock market.”
He feigned a frown. “And where were you when I needed such sound financial advice? Like most Americans, I was rather clueless about investments. I received a late start on my retirement plan. And the housing crash of 2008 was rough on everyone, living and undead alike…”
Jessica laughed and mentally added a dry sense of humor to his growing list of attractive qualities. “So, does that mean you have a job or something? You can’t work here, obviously, unless it’s usually open twenty-four hours.”
“I do web-design from home,” the vampire said. “The hours are flexible, and I do not have to interact with clients in person very often.”
Jessica nodded in understanding, but she was fascinated. Unable to stop asking questions, she persisted, “Why do you live in my apartment building, of all places? Why the suburbs?”
A shadow descended over his expression at that, and she worried she’d pressed too hard. “My family,” he said in a low tone. “Several of them live in the area, although not so near that I might run into them unexpectedly. I only wanted to be as close as possible, in the event that they ever needed anything from me.”
Jessica swallowed. She wanted to apologize for being pushy—and to sympathize with him over the fact that, although he could watch over his family from a distance, he could never actually spend any time with them—but then Kiefer let out a whistle to catch everyone’s attention.
“There’s a car coming,” he announced, and everyone surged toward the windows, crowding together to peek outside. Jessica, finding herself with her back pressed not-uncomfortably against Nathan’s chest, saw a dark car glide up to the curb and stop. A guy in jeans, a black t-shirt, and a lightweight jacket got out and started making his way toward the donut shop. His posture was stiff, and his steps were halting, almost as though he were being jerked along by puppet strings.
“That’s him,” Kiefer said. “That’s the S.O.B. I planted the token on.”
Nathan backed away from the window, kicked a chair into the center of the room, and then reached into Kiefer’s duffel bag. “The duct tape,” he muttered, rummaging around. “Where is the duct tape?”
“Oh, I have some!” Lucy rushed back to the counter and snatched up her purse. She tossed the roll at Nathan and looked at Jessica with triumph. “I knew it would come in handy.”
Kiefer went to the door and ripped it open. He grabbed the man now standing right outside by the front of his jacket and yanked him in, throwing him to the floor. He locked the door again. Nathan seized the guy and flung him into the chair, using the duct tape to secure him to it. All along, to Jessica’s amazement, the guy remained perfectly silent, meek, and blank-faced. He didn’t lift a finger to act in his own defense, almost like he’d been rendered incapable of fighting back.
Nathan noticed it, too. “You added something to the spell,” he said to Kiefer with a tinge of accusation.
“Just a little something to keep him from attacking us as soon as he got here,” Kiefer said, sounding unperturbed. And unrepentant. “Something to keep him nice and docile, and to make sure he tells us the truth.” He looked into the captive’s face. “Confused, buddy?” he asked, clapping him on the shoulder. “Wondering why I’m not dead and don’t even have a scratch on my pretty mug after the way you and your buddy laid into me? Well, those are my little secrets to hold onto, but I will give you a word of advice. You might want to get into the habit of periodically checking your pockets. Never know when someone might plant an enchanted object on you and use it to control you.” He stood over the man with his arms folded, glaring down at him with an air of menace. Nathan lingered nearby, while everyone else kept further back, their eyes locked on the hostage. “So, what’s your name?” Kiefer asked him, almost pleasantly.
“Theo,” the captive said automatically, his voice as flat and emotionless as his expression. He was slightly older than his captors, maybe thirty-five, with short black hair and dark, beady eyes. He stared at Kiefer blankly, like his brain was fogged.
“Are you responsible for digging up the master vampire Celia, Theo?” Kiefer asked him.
Theo nodded. “It was me and a bunch of other guys—eight of us all together—but, yeah.”
“Your friend that was here with you earlier, roughing me up? Was he one of those guys, too?”
“Yeah. That’s Tom.”
“Where is he now? Where’s the rest of your gang?”
“Tom went out to get food. Everyone else is dead.”
Jessica startled at the news. The flat, affectless way Theo had announced the demise of his compatriots only made it more disconcerting. She exchanged an apprehensive glance with Lucy, standing beside her, and then they both returned their morbidly curious gazes to the man in the chair.
“Dead,” Kiefer repeated, exhibiting only a little
surprise. “What happened to them?”
“Celia killed them all.” A ripple passed across Theo’s face then. It wasn’t quite an emotion, but the first hint of one he’d displayed thus far.
“She bit them?”
“Yeah. We each had a charm on us. It was supposed to keep her from chomping on us as soon as she saw us, but it didn’t work. We’d brought her some stuff. Clothes to change into and a volunteer, some vampire groupie to drink from because she was bound to be hungry after all that time, but…I guess it wasn’t enough. She drained him in two seconds and then came after the rest of us. We all scattered, all ran, but she was fast. Tom and I are the only ones who escaped.”
Kiefer and Nathan exchanged a glance.
“How did you get her out of the ground?” Kiefer asked Theo. “Tools? Dynamite?”
“We had a spell to cut through any wards and break up the concrete. From the boss.”
“The boss? Who’s that?”
Theo attempted a shrug, but it was difficult with his arms bent behind him and strapped to the back of the chair. “Calls himself Dorian, but rumor has it that’s not his real name. I don’t know who he really is.”
“You’ve never met him?”
“Nope. He texts or emails us, calls us if it’s important. Pays by electronic transfer. It’s a lot of money.”
“He sent you to get Celia?”
“Yeah.”
“Why? What’s this Dorian want with her?”
“Don’t know.”
“Where is she now? Does he have her?”
Theo shook his head. “No, she’s gone.”
“Gone?”
“We were supposed to bring her to him, but she got away. Disappeared. We can’t find her now.”
The Sharpest Kiss Page 14
