by I. T. Lucas
The thing was, her conviction that they were indeed killers wasn’t absolute, especially since Grud did everything he could to sow seeds of doubt in her mind, claiming that he would have sealed the female’s wounds a moment later.
And now, with the new murders, her doubts were growing.
As someone who had never had sex with an immortal, or a human for that matter, Wonder didn’t have enough information about the process, and Grud could have told her anything he wanted. She had no way of verifying it.
But even if she was sure of their guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt, Wonder could not have acted differently. Cruelty was not in her nature.
What was she going to do with them?
Was she forever stuck taking care of the three?
The sad truth was that Wonder was starting to think of them as hers. Not like pets, but like distant family members that she disliked and yet felt responsible for.
After all, as far as she knew, her tribe consisted of only four members.
Four immortals among billions of humans.
10
Anandur
“Who is going to ask the questions?” Magnus asked as Anandur parked the car next to the civilian’s home.
“I am. You’re a rookie.”
“I beg your pardon?”
Anandur killed the engine. “You’ve been out of commission for so long, and things have changed so much, that even after the retraining you’re not ready to go solo. You might know how to handle a gun and a semi-automatic now, but you still don’t know how to talk to a civilian. People have gotten incredibly touchy. If you want to get any answers, you need to handle them with care. Follow my lead, listen and learn.”
Magnus shook his head and opened the passenger door. “I think I can still handle basic interrogation.”
“Maybe of a Doomer, but not a civilian.”
“Suit yourself.” Magnus slammed the door shut. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to.”
Magnus had a bit of temper problem. Nothing severe enough to disqualify him from the force, but definitely something he needed to work on. The ability to keep a cool head was a prerequisite for a Guardian.
The slamming must’ve alerted the civilian. He opened the door a crack but left the chain on. As if a paltry security measure like that could keep a Guardian out, or any immortal for that matter.
“Anandur, right?” he asked.
“Hello, Vincent.” Anandur smiled to reassure the guy. “Thank you for agreeing to see us. I’m Anandur, and this is my partner Magnus.”
Vincent eyed Magnus suspiciously. “I don’t remember seeing him at Eva’s wedding. I would’ve remembered him. He looks like that actor.”
“I was on duty at the keep.” Magnus climbed the two steps up to the guy’s front door. "And this is new." He smoothed his hand over the goatee. "You might have recognized me without it. I remember seeing you at the other weddings. I’m one of the new Guardians, or old ones. Depends on how you want to look at it.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s awesome. You have the clan’s gratitude. Or at least mine. I have a lot of respect for Guardians.” Vincent released the chain and opened the door. “Come in. Forgive me for being overly cautious, but I’m still quite shaken after that encounter with the Doomers.”
They followed him inside.
Vincent pointed to the couch. “Take a seat. Can I offer you something to drink?”
“Scotch?” Magnus asked.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything alcoholic. I meant coffee or tea or water.”
Magnus eyed the guy as if he’d sprouted horns on his head. “What’s wrong with you, mate?”
Vincent shrugged. “I like to keep sharp.”
“Of course.” Anandur lifted a hand to stop Magnus from continuing that line of conversation and inadvertently offending the guy. “You’re a programmer, right?”
“Yes.”
“Your mind is your work tool. Naturally, you can’t allow yourself to compromise it.”
Vincent’s shoulders relaxed. “Exactly. Can I bring you some water?”
“No, thank you. Please sit down with us for a few minutes. This won’t take long.”
“Okay.” Vincent took the armchair, sitting on its very edge.
His eyes darting nervously from side to side; the guy was definitely twitchy. Perhaps he was indeed paranoid like Yamanu had suggested? Or maybe he was just scared?
Civilians were terrified of Doomers, as they should be.
“Tell me about the incident.”
“I already put everything in the email. You have the name of the club, the date I visited it, and the exact time I encountered the Doomers. What else is there? I didn’t stay to chat with them.”
“How can you be so sure they were indeed Doomers?”
Vincent crossed his legs, his foot going from side to side like the tail on an agitated cat. “I’m very sensitive to the presence of other immortal males. Like right now with the two of you, my neck is all tingly, and I have an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. That’s why I live alone and have no plans to move into the village.”
That was an unusual reaction. Anandur had never heard of a male with a problem like that.
All immortal males had a built in alarm system, alerting them to the presence of another immortal male. But it was very subtle and easy to miss if one did not pay attention. Usually, once it was ascertained that an immortal or immortals were nonthreatening, the sensation dissipated completely.
“Doesn’t it go away after a few moments of exposure?” Magnus asked.
“Not for me. My alarm system is broken. It doesn’t have an off switch. It is also stronger than normal. I felt you the moment you parked the car in front of my house.”
“I was sure it was the noise of the door slamming that alerted you,” Anandur said.
“No.” Vincent shook his head. “I was in the kitchen when I felt you, and I was heading for the door when I heard the door slam.”
Anandur and Magnus exchanged glances.
This was a very useful talent. The question was how it could be best utilized. The guy seemed too anxious and stressed to accompany them on club tours.
Then again, it never hurt to ask. “We could use someone like you on the force. From what you are telling me, it seems you can detect Doomers from afar. It’s a huge advantage.”
Vincent chuckled. “I hope you’re not suggesting I join the Guardian force. You could not have picked a worse candidate. I’m like a Chihuahua—I can bark when I sense danger, but only when I’m at a safe distance.”
The guy’s self-deprecating comment made Anandur uncomfortable. Men in general and immortal males in particular tried to at least appear brave. Anandur didn’t know how to respond to someone who had no problem admitting cowardice.
“That’s an interesting idea.” Magnus smoothed his hand over his goatee. “Maybe we can train dogs to sniff out immortals. I read somewhere that dogs can detect illness and even differentiate between the various types of cancer. If they can do that, they should be able to tell the difference between humans and immortals.”
Anandur turned to his partner. “Magnus, you’re a genius. How come no one has thought of that before?”
“You can’t bring dogs into clubs,” Vincent said.
Anandur scratched his curly mop. The idea was too good to pass up because of a technicality. “What about those tiny dogs girls carry in their purses?”
Magnus shook his head. “Those are so inbred that they can’t be trained. But you can bring a seeing dog everywhere. A Guardian could pretend to be blind and walk in with a dog.”
Right, as if that was going to fly. Anandur had been to plenty of clubs, and he hadn’t seen even one blind person in any of them.
“I need to think it through. First, we need to check if dogs can indeed be trained to detect immortals. Once that is established, we can figure out how to utilize them best.”
11
Nick
“Good morn
ing, beautiful.” Nick kissed Ruthie’s cheek. “Is the breakfast rush over?”
The café wasn’t packed, but that didn't mean a thing.
From experience, he knew that it worked in waves. He’d read an article claiming that all minds were connected on a subconscious level, which could explain that otherwise inexplicable behavior.
“It looks like it. But in case this is just a lull, grab a barstool before the next wave hits, and there is no place to sit.”
“You're so wise, baby.” He kissed her cheek again then pulled out a stool at the counter.
Ruth was starting to gain confidence at running the place. She had even made some changes with Jackson’s blessing. The cash register had been moved to the corner, and the pastries went into baskets and onto a shelf he’d helped Jackson mount on the wall. All of that maneuvering cleared room for more seating at the counter.
Her next project was to get rid of the booths and get more tables and chairs. The only problem with the idea was that the city required another bathroom when occupancy went above a specific number.
It meant either remodeling the downstairs, or freeing the second floor bathroom for customer use.
The problem with that was that Jackson still lived in the upstairs apartment. The guy had mentioned something about moving to a new place once some obstacle was overcome, but he hadn’t elaborated. Whatever that was, Nick hoped it would get resolved soon, so Ruthie could implement her plan.
He loved seeing her gain confidence in her managerial skills, and with people in general. She was much less timid now than when he’d first met her. In three short months, his girl had gone from someone who’d never worked before to a manager with a good head for business.
Jackson was talking about leaving her in charge and opening a new place, but every time Nick had asked him about it, the guy wiggled out of giving him a straight answer.
As if Nick had any interest in stealing Jackson’s idea for a new location.
Running a bakery café was the last thing he wanted to do. Talk about boring. Not to mention dealing with customers and having to smile all day.
No thank you.
“Your usual?” she asked.
“Yep, you know me. I’m a loyal kind of guy. Once I find something I love, I stick to it.” He winked.
Ruth blushed and looked away, pretending to get busy with typing in his order on her tablet. It was another innovation she’d incorporated. There was also a tablet in the kitchen, displaying the orders for the girl she’d hired to prepare the sandwiches.
“Like glue,” he added. “So you better get used to the idea of having me around. Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Ruth waved a hand. “Stop it,” she whispered. “You’re embarrassing me in front of the customers.”
“I don’t care.”
She was so shy, getting all flustered every time he complimented her or told her that he loved her. But instead of discouraging him, her blushes and protests only spurred him on.
Maybe if he kept it up for long enough, she would finally believe him. And maybe when she believed him, she would finally be ready to take their relationship to the next step.
Everyone thought they were being ridiculous, and that their courtship period was taking way to long. But Nick didn’t give a damn what everyone else thought.
He loved Ruth, and if she needed to take things slow, he was fine with that. Well, as fine as any guy his age could be with getting no further than kissing.
Nick had a feeling that Ruthie was a virgin like him, but unlike him, she was intimidated by the idea of having sex.
To be frank, though, he was a little intimidated too.
Watching as much porn as he did, he knew all there was to know, but only in theory. After all, porn wasn’t real sex, not even those clips that were supposedly of real couples. He wasn’t fooled. It was all staged.
The thing was, pressing the issue might get him dumped. It was better to wait until Ruthie was ready and not risk losing her. He would be devastated if that happened.
Hell, Nick was afraid he would never recover.
And it wasn’t as if he was paranoid or anything. She wasn’t as invested in their relationship as he was. Something was holding her back. Hopefully it wasn’t about him not being good enough, or lacking something she needed or wanted.
If she would only open up and talk to him about it, he would’ve done his damnedest to become whoever she wanted him to be.
“Here you are, Nicki, your favorite sandwich. Double-decker roast beef.” She put the plate in front of him. “Enjoy.”
12
Ruth
“Hi, Ruth.” Tying her apron, Sylvia gave her a quick hug. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was bad. Do you want me to take over the cappuccino machine?”
“Let me finish with these cups and then it’s all yours.” Ruth frothed the milk for the four cups of cappuccino she had lined up.
Being called Ruth instead of Mom was taking some getting used to. For years, it was just the two of them, and they had either been alone in the house or around other immortals. There had been no need to hide the fact that Sylvia was her daughter.
Now they told everyone they were sisters.
When the cappuccinos were ready, Ruth put them on a tray and handed it to Lori, one of her new hires. “Here is your order.”
“Thanks.” The girl took the tray and headed for the last booth on the right. It was the same one Nick had used to sit in until he’d gathered enough courage to ask her out.
He was such a sweet boy, so patient and so gentle. But even an angel like him would eventually get tired of waiting.
Unless he was as terrified of intimacy as she was.
Jackson had hinted Nick was still a virgin.
“I’m going to try and make a leaf again.” Sylvia started frothing more milk. “It drives me crazy that I haven’t mastered it yet. Every Starbucks barista can do it, and I can’t? It’s unacceptable.”
Her girl had always been competitive.
Ruth was so proud of Sylvia’s achievements, and so disappointed that her daughter insisted on helping out in the café. This wasn’t a job for a highly educated woman like her.
“You’re wasting your time here, Sylvia. I told you that. A woman with two undergrad degrees and a master’s on the way, shouldn’t be making coffee and waiting tables. There are better jobs out there.”
Sylvia waved a hand. “I study for the sake of studying, not because I want to get a job at some fancy office. I couldn’t even if I wanted to because places like that require a full-time commitment. Besides, I like it here, and I like helping you out.”
That was the problem.
Sylvia didn’t need the money, her share in the clan’s profits was enough to cover all of her expenses, and the clan was also paying for the tuition. The only reason she was spending three hours a day helping during the lunch rush, was to help her mother.
Her daughter was afraid for her.
“You can help out your boyfriend, like you did before.” At least that had required some skill.
“Roni doesn’t need me for anything other than holding his hand, and he needs that hand to keep hacking away on the keyboard. And anyway, spending too much time together is unhealthy for a relationship, not to mention Roni’s output at work.”
From experience, Ruth knew that there was no point in arguing with Sylvia. The girl was stubborn and would just keep going until Ruth folded.
“Two more cappuccinos,” Lori said. “One with skim milk, and the other one with soy.”
“Got it.” Sylvia reached under the counter and pulled out a new carton of soymilk.
“It’s impossible to make shapes with soy. Don’t even try.”
“I’ve seen it done. But until I can do it with whole milk, there is no point in trying it with anything else. Even skim milk.”
Ruth leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “All that matters is that the coffee tastes good, and ours is the best in t
he area.”
“It’s the best in the entire freaking city.” Sylvia finished frothing the soymilk and poured it into the cup.
“How are things going with Nick?”
It was a question her daughter had been asking every day and receiving the same answer.
“Great.”
“Great as in things going on as usual, or great as in things moving forward?”
Ruth felt her ears heat up. “You shouldn’t be asking me that, Sylvia. It’s not your place.”
Her daughter puffed out a breath and turned around, mimicking Ruth’s arms across the chest pose.
“The thing is, you don’t get those questions from every freaking family member because people are afraid to hurt your feelings. But I do.”
“You can tell them that’s none of their business. What a bunch of relentless busybodies. I’m now convinced more than ever that I don’t want to move into the new development.”
The clan was already behaving like a hive. It had been bad enough when their population had been divided between the keep and private residences. Now, with everyone moving into the village, it would be intolerable.
Ruth was a private person, and she put too high of a value on her privacy to become another worker bee.
“It’s a shame. I’m sure Nick would’ve loved to move in with you into a brand new house. Living and working with Eva has its advantages, but it also has its disadvantages. And if you ask me, it’s a weird arrangement. She thinks of her employees as her children, but they are not hers, and they are not children. He should be living with you. It doesn’t even need to be in the new place. He would love it if you invited him to live with you in your house.”
He sure would.
But Ruth wouldn’t.
The idea terrified her, not because she didn’t love him, but because she did. She loved his quirky sense of humor, and his inappropriate jokes and his big heart. That was why she didn’t want to ruin the good thing they had going on by moving on to the next step. The attraction was there as well, but there was a big difference between that and actual sex. In her experience, things fell apart at that stage.
