“But it wasn’t always her?”
Roman pressed his lips together, and his frown deepened. “No. Just for the past twenty years.”
“And before that?”
“The vampire who pulled me into the fold died a long time ago,” he said softly.
“So what do I have to do to get on Blood Vice?” I asked, steering the conversation back on course and away from the sensitive subject of his sire track record.
Roman sat up taller and heaved a sigh. “You don’t have a living sire, nor a dead one you can safely claim, and if that weren’t enough, you are an unregistered vampling.”
“You keep saying these things as if you think I know what they mean.” I held up my hands. “I’m not stupid, but I spent my human life learning a different set of rules for a different playing field.”
Roman ground his teeth. “Sorry. I’m not used to introducing others to this world. Let me try again. If House Lilith were aware of you, they would have taken pity and put you out of your misery. Vamplings rarely survive their first year without the guidance of a sire. They consider it cruel and inhumane to let them blunder their way through the world alone until they self-destruct. It’s also a waste of resources, sending Blood Vice to babysit when they should be heading off more sinister threats.”
I twisted in my seat and raised an eyebrow at him. “Babysitting? Is that what you’re doing here?” I waved a hand between us.
His mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin. “You’ve required significantly less babysitting, which is possibly another reason why I’ve gone soft and decided to spare you.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.” He gave me a pointed look. “I mean that. I could lose my job.”
“So how do I get around the sire problem?” I asked. When his expression went stony again, I added, “Come on! There has to be a way, a loophole of some kind. I have a law enforcement background. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Your background is with a different set of rules. You said so yourself.”
“Don’t tell me there’s no crossover usefulness here.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Who’s wasting resources now?”
Roman shook his head. “I knew I would live to regret this. I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.” He shot me a resentful glare, but it lacked fire, so I took the opportunity to pout my bottom lip at him. “There might be a chance I could find a final death record for a nearby vampire you could claim as your sire.”
“Really?” I perked instantly.
“Don’t get your hopes up. It’s a long shot,” Roman said. “And if I do find a good candidate, you’re not to ever mention I know anything about them. This lie will be yours alone to bear.”
“Deal,” I answered too eagerly, earning a frown from Roman.
“I don’t think you understand how badly this could go—for both of us—if you screw this up.”
I folded my hands over my heart and tried to rein in the smile threatening to break my face. “I need this. I won’t screw it up. Whatever it takes, I’ll do it.”
Roman didn’t look entirely convinced. He sighed and took another drink from his glass before pushing it across the countertop. “I’ll be back here tonight with my partner so we can go over the operation details beforehand.”
“Tonight?” The Bankses were coming over for dinner, and I really wanted to see them, even if for only a short spell afterward.
“Is that a problem?” Roman asked, his shoulders pulling back as he stood up taller. “I thought you just said whatever it takes.”
“Tonight is perfect. What time?”
“Ten.”
That was more than enough time to visit with the Bankses. I practiced that poker face Roman didn’t think I had and refrained from sighing my relief. Instead, I stood and walked him to the front door.
“I’ll be ready with bells on,” I said.
Roman gave me a dry smile. “Don’t fuss over the bells too much. Vanessa will be dressing you for the assignment.”
Assignment.
This was really happening. I was going to do a job with people who knew what I was, and I didn’t have to hide it or hold back. Adrenaline tinged my blood, and I had to bite down on my bottom lip to keep from cracking another dopey smile as Roman left.
It wasn’t my mom’s department, but maybe that made it even better. I was still trying to do good in the world. I liked to think that she would have approved of my effort. And I could have guessed what Dr. Townsend would have to say about the switch.
It was time to make my own mark, and I had sharp new fangs just for the occasion.
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t until Roman left that I remembered he hadn’t told me about the pay for this single assignment. With the lingering possibility of a full-time position, I’d completely forgotten to ask again. I had enough set aside in savings to hold me over for a while, but it wouldn’t last forever. I’d be sure to ask again tonight.
“That went better than I expected,” Mandy said. She stood in the mouth of the hallway leading to her and Laura’s shared room. Her messy, ash brown hair was knotted in a bun on top of her head. She still wore the wrinkled shorts, but she’d pulled on a cropped hoodie. Laura liked to keep the AC at a nippy sixty-five degrees. Duncan poked his head out of the pouch of the hoodie. Mandy blushed and shrugged at my surprised confusion.
“Laura’s taking him with her in two weeks,” she said as if that explained her sudden need to befriend the pooch. The drastic changes underway were getting to her, too, I realized. Why else would she be coddling a Chihuahua she’d threatened to eat at least twice a day for the past few months?
“Roman’s going to find a way for me to join Blood Vice,” I said, barely containing a squee of joy.
“Yeah, maybe.” Mandy tilted her head to one side and gave me a hopeful smile.
“As soon as I’m in, I’ll pave the way for you, too. If that’s still what you want.”
Mandy shrugged. “I don’t know. They probably run background checks, and I am just eighteen. It would probably be best if I headed to Spero Heights. I’ve been mooching off you long enough.”
“What?” I balked. “Mooching? That’s not what you’re doing. Who said that?”
“Me. I said that.” She snorted and headed around the corner into the kitchen. I followed her, waving my hands in protest.
“You’re not a mooch. A mooch is someone who doesn’t do anything to contribute. You come to work with me every day,” I said.
“And it’s been great—mostly—but what am I going to do if you can’t get me on Blood Vice?” Mandy opened the refrigerator and dug out a plastic punch bowl of pasta salad. She set it on the counter before turning around and using the heels of her hands to pull herself up on the ledge, too.
Duncan squirmed inside the pouch of her hoodie, twisting around until he was on his back, looking up at Mandy as she peeled back the plastic wrap over the pasta. He whimpered until she dropped a saucy noodle into his mouth.
I slumped on a barstool and chewed at my nails. “I was serious about mowing the lawn,” I said. “There are plenty of things you could do around here, around the neighborhood, to earn some extra cash.”
Mandy shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, I guess. I’m just going to miss feeling like I’m doing something important, you know?” She reached over the edge of the counter to dig around in the silverware drawer, coming away with a fork. Duncan yipped again, and she fed him another noodle before stuffing her own face with pasta.
“I don’t want you to go,” I confessed. “I know I’m not your mother, and you can do whatever you want, but I like having you around. I like working with you.”
“I know. I am pretty fantastic, aren’t I?” Mandy gave me an ornery grin. “I like working with you, too.”
The alarm on my watch buzzed. Sunrise was fast approaching, and I wasn’t ready for it at all. I was still wearing my uniform—which would have to be returned with everything else the
police department owned.
“Go turn into a pumpkin,” Mandy said, shooting a knowing glance at my watch.
I grimaced. “Would you mind helping Laura load up all of the equipment and return it at some point today?” She rolled her eyes but nodded, her mouth too full of pasta to summon a reply. “Thanks.”
I slipped out of the kitchen and down the hall to my room, unbuttoning my shirt along the way. After I gathered the rest of my uniforms and looped their hangers over my closet door, I had just enough time to pull on some PJs, brush my teeth, and tuck myself into bed.
My cell phone rang a few minutes shy of sunrise. I could feel the coming day like a weight on my eyelids, but when I saw Vin’s number, I had to answer.
“I am so sorry,” I blurted before he could say a word. “Ricker called in sick, and I had to cover his shift.”
“Oh, of course,” Vin said. There was a note of hurt in his voice, even under the relief. “I just wanted to check in before you crashed for the day. Were you able to help Agent Knight with his case?”
“Yeah. Well, I think so. I hope so.” I wasn’t sure how much I should be sharing about the investigation, and I didn’t really have enough time to get into it right now. “Are you excited for dinner with the Bankses tonight?”
“I can’t wait,” he said flatly as if suppressing a groan.
I knew he was eager to be involved in the intimate dinner with people I considered family. The Bankses had nothing to do with Vin’s discomfort. It was the idea of playing pretend with Laura that made him cringe. She wasn’t thrilled about it either, so that made three of us. But it was necessary to pull off the event, since asking the Bankses to come over after eight, and then not actually eating dinner with them, would just be too rude.
The sun grazed the horizon, and I felt myself slipping.
“Jenna?” Vin whispered through the phone. “Are you still there?”
“Hmmm?”
“It’s almost time. We should hang up.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t hold my eyes open anymore.
“Jenna?”
My mouth wouldn’t cooperate. There was so much more I wanted to tell him, but I could barely hum a reply. A gentle whisper of a laugh trickled through the line.
“Sweet dreams, Jenna,” Vin said. Then he ended the call, and I died with the dawn.
Chapter Nine
I woke Monday night with all the panic of a kid who had overslept on the first day of school. I’d expected this, though. Laura and I had planned and prepared for it. For weeks now.
I threw on a pair of jean shorts and a light gray blouse just before Laura burst into my room. Red wine stained the front of the shirt and shorts we’d decided to sacrifice for the occasion. She pulled out the feather earrings she wore and handed them to me.
“You’re up,” she said. “Alicia was just talking about joining a gym and a church choir to help keep her busy while Serena’s off at school. I haven’t said anything about you quitting your job—or anything about your work in general. Oh! Agent Sexy Pants sent someone from the FBI to collect your work crap and squad car and return them to the department, so I didn’t have to. Also,” she added with a furrowed brow, “Mandy is acting squirrely tonight. Even worse than Vin.”
“Huh. Anything else?” I hooked the earrings through my lobes and turned for the door.
“Yeah. I ate pie for you,” she said, crinkling her nose. “It was amazing, and I think I’m going to die.”
“Ugh.” I dragged my hands down my face. “That’s so unfair. I think I’m going to die, too.”
Laura stripped off the wine-stained shirt and dropped it into the hamper by the bathroom door. She wore one of my old sports bras underneath, unwilling to ruin one of her designer brands with our little stunt.
“I’ll just be in here, doing crunches until I pass out,” she said.
“Have fun.” I slipped out of the bedroom and hurried down the hall.
Through the sliding glass door in the dining room, I spotted Vin sitting at the table on the patio. Alicia sat across from him with her back to me. Her shoulders trembled with laughter at something Mandy said, and Serena’s musical chuckle made my breath catch. It was so good to see them in higher spirits.
White string lights hung from the pergola overhead, spiraling down the posts. They reflected off Vin’s glasses as his head turned and he spotted me waiting inside. His eyes lit, and he stood up from the table, grabbing a few empty plates.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, pulling open the glass door. He set the empty plates on the counter and joined me on the opposite side of the dark room. His hands reached for my arms, but then he hesitated. The feather earrings had caught his attention.
“Is it really you? Tell me something Laura wouldn’t know,” he said.
“Long division.”
Vin blinked stiffly but then nodded. “True enough.”
“Did everything go okay?” I whispered, glancing over his shoulder and through the sliding glass door again.
“Everything is going great.” He rubbed his hands down the backs of my arms and leaned in for a chaste kiss. The smell of pecan pie was on his breath. I hummed against his lips and frowned as he pulled away.
“I’m going to have something to drink, and then I’ll be right out,” I said.
Vin nodded and headed back outside. I left the kitchen lights off as I snuck around the counter and cracked open the refrigerator door.
As per my and Laura’s plan, she’d removed the bags of blood. If she’d stuck to that plan, they were in an iced down cooler in the garage—all except for two that she’d emptied into a pair of rinsed out tomato juice bottles.
I downed one, swallowing loudly in my haste. Then I reached for the second bottle. My hand froze on the cap. At this rate, I would be out of blood before the week was over. I’d been drinking more and more lately. It was getting harder to resist overindulging. Any little bit of exertion or irritation sent me running for the refrigerator.
Roman’s remark about requiring half as much if I drank from the source came back to me, and I harrumphed. He’d also mentioned that none of the vampires he worked with drank bagged blood. Would they think less of me if they found out I did?
Even if I did work up the nerve to bite Vin, Roman made it sound like one source wouldn’t be enough. If I tried to drink from Vin every night, he’d be anemic in no time. I would never ask Mandy—and she’d already made it perfectly clear that wasn’t an option anyway. Who else was I supposed to ask to do something as significant as open a vein for me?
The question roused my anxiety, and before I knew it, I’d drained the second bottle of blood. My stomach grumbled as if requesting more. Shit. That would have to wait. I’d taken long enough. I threw the bottles away and sucked in a deep breath before joining everyone on the back patio.
The table was littered with the remains of dinner and dessert. Vin had cleared away a few of the plates. The ones left behind held a scrap of salad or a pile of chicken bones. A sweaty pitcher of tea sat in the middle of the table, next to an empty bottle of wine.
Alicia glanced up as I claimed the seat beside her. Gray ringlets framed her face, contrasting with her rich complexion. Her high cheekbones were sharper than I remembered. She’d lost weight since the funeral.
“There you are,” she said with a warm smile. “I was about to finish off your wine.”
“Go ahead. I clearly don’t need any more.” I smoothed a hand down the front of my shirt and forced a smile despite the awkward blush heating my cheeks.
It felt all wrong lying to her, even if it was the right thing to do. Alicia had lost her husband. Exposing the dark truth behind his death wouldn’t bring him back. It would only put her and Serena in danger. Just being in my life probably put them in danger, but I didn’t have the heart to turn away from them. My life had been lonely enough.
Mandy gave me a strange smile. Then her eyes darted back to Serena. “So you want to be an architect? Don’t they build hous
es?” she asked, resuming the conversation I’d interrupted.
Serena fingered a braid lying over her shoulder and grinned. “Yeah, but they also build other things like the Gateway Arch and the Louvre. That’s what I want to do.”
Alicia squeezed my hand under the table. “Mandy is a doll. Your mom would be so proud of you,” she whispered.
“Thanks,” I whispered back. A lump worked its way up my throat.
“How cool would that be?” Mandy said to Serena. She propped an elbow on the table and cradled her chin in the palm of her hand as she listened to Serena talk about her favorite architects.
Laura had somehow convinced her to put on something more respectable than a ratty garage sale tee shirt. Instead, she wore a green off-the-shoulder blouse and a pair of khaki capris. She’d even curled her hair. Her eyes sparkled as she listened to Serena, and I couldn’t recall ever seeing her look so genuinely excited—even though I was pretty sure she didn’t have a clue what the Louvre was.
Vin finished off his glass of sweet tea and chomped on a piece of ice. “You know, Washington University, right here in St. Louis, is one of the top-rated schools for architecture.”
Alicia’s eyebrows rose up her forehead. “And don’t they know it. Their tuition is almost five times as high as Mizzou’s. Even with Serena’s scholarship, we can’t afford what they charge.”
“Oh.” Vin blushed, realizing too late that he’d touched on a sour subject.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Alicia continued. “I’d love for Serena to go to a closer school. In fact…” She paused and licked her lips. “I might be putting the house on the market soon and looking for an apartment in Columbia. It’s only an hour and a half away. This city has just gotten too violent for me.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded, not trusting my voice. My circle was getting smaller and smaller. Vin’s hand rested on top of mine, grounding me. I still had him. Before it was all said and done, he might be the only one I had left.
“I love road trips,” Mandy said, still cupping her chin and ogling Serena. “An hour and a half is nothing, especially if there’s more pie involved,” she added.
Blood and Thunder (Blood Vice Book 2) Page 8
