by Alice Brown
As he strolled back over to turn Erica for another shot, he quickly glanced down at her arms to get a better look. Yes, those were definitely vampire fang puncture marks going up and down both of her inside arms. When I get my hands on you, Shawn Harper, you are going to wish you were dead-dead, not undead!
If nothing more than to help punch back his anger, Kevin quickly reminded himself to be thankful that she was under his protection now. She was alive, the physical injuries would heal, and he hoped like hell her emotional ones would also.
“These will take about ten minutes to develop,” he stated as he began gathering the cases the films where in. “Go ahead and take a seat and get comfortable while you wait.”
“Can I get dressed?” Erica inquired quietly.
Normally, Kevin would have answered that question with a “no,” informing his patient that in the case of a retake, it would be a waste of time. But one look into her eyes, and then another quick scan over her battered body, he knew she was uncomfortable sitting with next to no clothing on.
Smiling slightly, he nodded. “Go ahead.”
Erica flashed him a small smile in return, and he quickly turned on his heel and walked out the door. He felt confident if the woman were to discover how much her smile turned him on she would bolt in a heartbeat. He dropped the films off in the darkroom and immediately walked out to the front office to find Marshall.
“Erica is in the medical room. Can you see to it she is left alone while I am in the darkroom?” he requested of his second-in-command.
“Sure, Tim and Alec are the only ones here right now. I have Joshua and Victor scouting around her house as we speak. We are just waiting for him to come back home,” Marshall replied quietly.
“Good, just let me get her back out of here before anything else is said. You know if it goes down, I want a call. That demon isn’t going to live when I get finished with him.” Kevin walked over to Marshall’s desk and lowered his voice so only Marshall would hear. “I think things have been worse than even I suspected. Judging by the scars on her arms, he has been using her for his supply for quite some time now. I never came across that one in her memory banks, but the scars speak for themselves. She also has bruises on both of the insides of her thighs. I managed to get a few pictures without her knowing it. She just thought I was shooting X-rays.” Kevin pulled out a small stack of Polaroid pictures and handed them to Marshall. “Add these to her file. We may need them for evidence.”
Marshall took a quick look at the photos with a frown on his face. “I’ll take care of it.” He glanced up to his boss for just a second, and then added, “You know we will get him, one way or the other. It is just a matter of catching up with him.”
Kevin nodded and started heading towards the darkroom. He slowed halfway and called over his shoulder, “By the way, I’ve got my bike at the house.”
“What, you didn’t offer her a romantic drive on the Harley? I’m shocked!” Marshall snickered.
“Yeah, a ride on a bike is just what someone with broken ribs would want.” Kevin snickered in return.
One of the reasons Kevin was so close to his second-in-command is that both men felt strongly against their kind preying on human women. Not only was it against their law, but both men were in total agreement that women were to be cherished, be they human or vampire, although it was a well-known fact that female vampires could take care of themselves most of the time. Even in light of this, in their little vampire community, males outnumbered females almost three to one. When Charles and the founding fathers originally drew up the bylaws for their community, it was clearly stated that the females were to be protected at all costs.
Marshall had helped Kevin with part of the surveillance work months ago when Kevin first started noticing the bruises on Erica. This was about the same time she had first started confiding in Kevin as a friend. Marshall was just as anxious to see justice prevail as Kevin was.
Shawn’s behavior was not only unnecessary and totally against the law, it also put each of them in danger of being discovered. One of the top laws in their society was not to harm humans. Their community consisted of a large population of vampires, most intermingled with mortals on an everyday basis. The police force that Kevin headed up was the VCTF aka, Vampire Crime Task Force. For subterfuge, the human population knew them as the “Victim Crime Task Force.”
The VCTF was responsible for quietly taking care of any situation that involved vampires. Their society had been set up to have its own judicial system as well as punishment system. They had vampires in all necessary professions, from doctors to attorneys, plumbers to accountants, so that in the event the need arose, it could be taken care of quietly without drawing undue attention to their kind. To have one of their own routinely beat and abuse their human mate, just because they were stronger, put the entire vampire society at risk.
As Kevin started developing the films, he reflected on his earlier conversation with Charles and Rosetta. Yes, sooner or later he was going to have to break down and tell Erica that both his family and he were vampires. He was also going to have to tell her that she was his mate. He could only pray that when the time came, Erica would give him enough time to explain, and that he would have the chance to win her trust before that situation had to be dealt with.
After the films were developed, Kevin stepped back into the X-ray room. He strolled over to where Erica sat and knelt down in front of her. Taking one of her hands into his, he looked directly into her eyes as he gently inquired, “How are you feeling?”
“Okay” she replied, trying to force a smile on her lips. Her ribs were screaming in agony, and she felt a migraine coming on, but could see no use in complaining. Kevin had been kind and attentive to her all afternoon. Why repay his acts of kindness with complaint?
“Okay,” Kevin repeated in a drawl as his eyebrows knitted together and a frown formed on his lips. The woman had two cracked ribs on the right side, and one on the left, for crying out loud. Not to mention all the other contusions and discolorations she was sporting. And she had the nerve to state she is feeling “okay”? He would hate to see what kind of shape she would be in before she admitted she was hurt!
He gave her an exasperated sigh before stating, “Let’s get you out of here. You do have some cracked ribs, and I’ll have Jennifer or Rosetta help get you taped up. That should help with the pain.” He held out his hand to assist her in standing up.
When they returned to the house, Kevin quickly rounded up Jennifer.
“I need for you to tape up Erica’s ribs.” He stated in a matter-of-fact way, as if this was something Jennifer did daily. “She has two on the right side and one on the left that are cracked.”
Jennifer gave her brother a quick nod and disappeared into Erica’s bedroom. Kevin knew his sister would take care of Erica. Everyone in his house had some form of medical knowledge. Considering the length of a vampire’s lifespan, it was a wise decision to look for something to do or learn. It helped to keep their minds occupied, which helped fill in the voids of life. If they didn’t, they would often fall into depression. Kevin wondered if Jennifer would notice all the other bruises and scars as well. He hoped that if she did she was smart enough to keep her temper in check. The one thing he didn’t need was for Erica to see Jennifer’s fangs drop down.
One look at his sister’s face when she walked out of Erica’s room ten minutes later, told Kevin she had seen everything. A look of black fury was across her otherwise beautiful face.
“Is Erica okay?” Kevin cautiously inquired. Jennifer walked out of the bedroom and headed straight for the kitchen. As she passed by Kevin, she pointed her index finger, instructing Kevin to follow her.
Jennifer waited until they were in the kitchen and out of earshot to reply. “Yes, she decided to lie down for a little while. I am going to speak with Rosetta and see if I can find her a painkiller.” It was easy to see she was fighting the fury that was threatening to boil over. Kevin watched her mouth, waitin
g for her fangs to drop down at any given second.
“I’m going to kill the pain for her.” Kevin grumbled as he watched his sister leave. “I’m going to kill that thing that gave her the pain to begin with!”
Jennifer returned to Kevin’s suite moments later and went straight to Erica’s room. When she exited five minutes later, it was Kevin’s turn to point to the kitchen for her to follow him.
“Would you mind staying here in my suite for a little while? I thought I would run down to the local grocery store and pick up some human food, since obviously my cabinets are empty. I also need to stash my blood supply in your refrigerator,” Kevin explained in a hushed voice.
“She doesn’t know about us?” Jennifer inquired with astonishment.
Kevin cocked his eyebrow up at his sister. “I am sure you can see why I am a little reluctant for that tidbit to come to light right now. I know eventually I am going to need to come clean. However, for the time being…”
Jennifer nodded her head, a small frown showing on her lips. “I understand, Kevin. Did Shawn do all of that damage himself, or is there more than one of our kind involved? And are you aware she has fang puncture marks running up and down both of her arms?” she inquired, a little wide-eyed. Jennifer wasn’t involved in the VCTF, so as far as Kevin knew, this was her first time witnessing just how much damage a vampire was capable of inflicting on a human.
“Yes,” he replied, shaking his head sadly. “It is easy to forget that there are those out there who can be so destructive and dangerous.” He looked over to her and stated quietly, “Please don’t mention anything about the scars to her. I doubt she would tell you the truth. And remember, she doesn’t know that we know that Shawn is one of us.”
“I understand, Kevin. She seems like she is really lost right now, in need of a good friend and a little TLC. I’ll be glad to stick around and keep an eye on her. Do yourself a favor and pick up some red meat and leafy greens when you go shopping,” Jennifer responded.
“Red meat and leafy greens?” he questioned. “What are you talking about?”
Jennifer gave her brother a look of exasperation as if she were speaking to a two year old. “Kevin, I can smell the blood on her from a mile away! Have you been a vampire for so long that your memory fails you regarding human females?” When she glanced over to him, he could easily read the mischief in her eyes. “Do I need to explain to my big brother the whole birds and bees concept?” Kevin shot her a look, and Jennifer decided she had teased her brother enough. “I’m sure what she has gone through hasn’t helped matters,” Jennifer stated quietly, while getting lost in thought. “Anyway, a good steak will help bring up her iron level. Liver is supposed to be the best, but most humans I know refuse to touch the stuff. And I think I remember reading somewhere that leafy green vegetables are high in iron also.” Kevin chuckled lightly as he watched his sister wrinkle her nose in disgust at the thought of eating such repulsive things.
He quickly reached over and embraced his sister. “Thanks, I shouldn’t be very long. However, I do need to return the bike back to the office and pick up my truck before stopping at the food market.”
“Take your time. She’ll probably just sleep until you get back. I’ll stay here in your suite, just in case she wakes up while you are gone, though,” Jennifer replied.
As Kevin walked into the local grocery store and clasped a basket, it hit him that he hadn’t been in one of these stores in close to forty-five years. In those days, they were about an eighth of the size these megastores were now. As far as he was concerned, a person could get lost in one of these places.
He started heading down the aisles, attempting to figure out what to buy. Thank goodness his family did some entertaining with humans, and he found some of the snack foods that he had watched Rosetta set out at parties: chips, pretzels, carrots, and cucumbers. While he was in the fresh produce, he picked up a few apples and oranges. A sudden old yearning hit him for fresh-squeezed orange juice. He walked past the bin full of potatoes and picked several good-sized potatoes, as he remembered watching a television program in which the meal of choice seemed to be a thick steak and baked potato.
He sniffed the air, turned, and headed in the direction of the scent of raw meat. He chose several steaks and then stopped, considering if he needed to purchase anything else. He remembered Erica always enjoyed drinking a Coke while they sat in the garden at school. Now, where in this blasted store would you find Coke? He stopped and politely asked a middle-aged woman shopping with her children which aisle the soda was on, and she pointed him in the right direction. He slowly walked around the store for the next few minutes, adding more items to his cart as he went. Forty-five minutes and five grocery bags later, he walked out to his truck. As he placed everything in the back of the truck, he shook his head in wonder. There was nothing like stepping into a huge grocery store to belittle a vampire. Who would have thought? And how in the world did humans brave such a place on a weekly or bi-weekly basis? The choices alone were enough to give him a headache!
Kevin arrived home to find Jennifer camped out in front of the flat screen, watching a sappy love movie. He put the groceries away, and quickly transferred his blood supply over to Jennifer’s refrigerator. Thank goodness her suite was right next to his, so his meals were still easy to retrieve.
As he reentered his living room, he asked Jennifer if Erica had been up. “No, Rosetta had me give her a pretty strong painkiller. She will probably be out the remainder of the night.” Kevin walked over and sat down on the sofa next to Jennifer. She looked over at him, and placed her hand on his knee as she continued. “Don’t wake her, Kevin. She needs rest more than anything right now.”
Kevin glanced over at his sister and smiled. He and Jennifer had always enjoyed a close relationship, and he was happy to see that Jennifer seemed to be taking a liking to Erica.
Once he sent his sister on her way, he found himself wandering aimlessly around the apartment. Erica was safely tucked away in his extra bedroom, and protecting her was his top priority. He would have preferred her to be tucked in his bed, but knew that would take time.
He felt oddly at loose ends, and found himself poking his head into her room every few minutes to check on her. He walked into his kitchen and made a quick call to Marshall, checking for any updates. Marshall had no new information to report. He stole a quick peek out the window, and noticed the sun just beginning to set. It would be dark within the next hour, and that would mean patrol time.
When nine p.m. hit, he quietly checked on Erica again and found her still sleeping soundly. It seemed Jennifer had been correct, and she would probably sleep through the night. Kevin walked back out into the living room and changed forms in the middle of the room. A Doberman would be standing guard over his girl tonight, because nothing and no one was coming near her!
Chapter Three
Kevin stood in front of the stove in his kitchen. This was actually the first time the contraption had ever been turned on. He had run downstairs to the library looking for a cookbook, after tracking down his sister and begging for her help with his houseguest. Now, she was standing at the counter, giving him pointers on how to cook a medium well-done steak. Go figure! Who would have guessed his little sister spent her free time watching Rachael Ray?
When Erica first woke up, her stomach growled loudly. She settled for a slice of bread before taking a shower. Kevin promised her a big lunch as soon as she was finished. It had hit him that she had been under his care since the day before, but hadn’t eaten. He could have kicked himself for not taking care of her. He made a quick mental note to be certain she ate appropriately from now on. Besides, if he got to watch her each time, well, the damn woman was sexy as hell. And to make matters worse, as far as he could tell, she had no idea she held a rare and beautiful gift.
After he had fed her, he urged her back to bed so she could rest. Her body was still battered and bruised, and needed to time to heal. He waited until he knew she was back as
leep to head back out to the kitchen to call Marshall for an update.
“Hey, bud, I was just getting ready to call you,” Marshall stated in greeting. “We have intel that Shawn will be at Ol’ Moe’s tonight about nine.” Ol’ Moe’s was a bar on the outside fringes of town. It was a seedy joint, owned by a human, but the manager was a vamp. For this reason, it tended to be a popular hot spot for the unsavory characters of his kind.
“Okay, I’ll meet you there at 9:15. Let’s give him a chance to get inside and then we will ambush him,” Kevin responded. As he hung up the phone, he regretted his decision to return the motorcycle back to the office the day before and exchange it for his truck. A fast-paced motorcycle ride would have done wonders for clearing his head. At the time, his only concern was getting his truck back home in case he needed it for Erica. With broken ribs, riding on the back of a motorcycle would not have been very comfortable. Now, he would need to see if Jennifer could cover for him tonight. He slipped out his front door, and went down the hall to her suite.
When Erica awoke some time later, she guessed it to be late afternoon. She could hear noise coming from the living room that sounded like a television was on. Soon curiosity won out and she carefully slipped out of bed and donned the robe she found at the foot of the bed. It smelled like Kevin, and she found herself wrapping it around her as she brought the lapel up to her nose for a good sniff. Just having it around her made her feel safe and secure. She silently walked out into the living room on bare feet. Kevin was lounging on the couch, a book in one hand, and the television remote in the other.
Although she had been silent in coming into the room, Kevin turned to face her the second she stepped in. “Hey, did the television wake you?” He asked solicitously as he sat up and closed his book.
