Love Conquers All Evil

by Mary Abshire

  I looked at Drake. "Could he have fucked with her mind and done something to her?"

  "What?" Mark questioned.

  "Hold on, Mark." I lowered the phone from my mouth.

  "Ramon wouldn't hurt her. None of them would. They want information, and the best way to get it is through searching in her head, watching her, and listening to her talk to other people," Drake said.

  "What's he telling you?" Mark asked.

  I lifted the phone. "He said they would probe for information, but that's it. They would not harm her."

  "Yeah, well, something is wrong. She blew up at our boss last month and got fired."

  "She got fired?" The news startled me. Something was definitely wrong. Dani had a solid work ethic. The girl had missed no more than two days from work in the three years we lived together. And she was not the type of person to go postal.

  "She really needs to hear from you," Mark said. "If I can get her to come over, can we set up a time for you to call again?"

  Drake rose from his chair. "No. Any communication with her she can relay back to Ramon. She has no way of guarding her thoughts."

  I frowned at him. "Is there any way?" My friend needed help. I couldn't just forget about her. If I'd been there, she wouldn't have lost her job.

  Drake shook his head.

  "Do you want to call back tomorrow night at this time?" Mark asked.

  "Tell him he can't let Dani know you spoke to him. Tell him not to say a word," Drake said.

  My mood was on a roller coaster ride, shooting down fast at the moment. There had to be a way to help Dani.

  Drake stood over me. "Tell him you will call him at four in the morning his time."

  "Mark, I'll call you tomorrow at five A.M. Indiana time, but you can't say a word to Dani. Don't let her know that you have spoken to me. Drake and I need to work out something." At least, I hoped we could.

  Mark sighed. "I won't say a word." His voice sounded dreary. "I know she's been staying home and looking for a job. I check in on her every couple of days."

  "Ask him if he thinks he has been followed," Drake said, crossing his arms.

  "Have you noticed anyone following you?"

  "When you didn't come back after a week, I casted an extra shield to warn me if anyone was following me. Only twice did I sense someone tracking my movements."

  "That's good. They don't suspect he knows anything," Drake said.

  "Are you sure you are doing well?" Mark asked.

  "I'm homesick and I miss you guys every day. Other than that, Drake treats me like a queen."

  Mark chuckled. "I take it you worked out all the bugs in the relationship."

  I glanced up at Drake.

  "Bugs?" He arched his brow.

  I smiled. "Yeah, we're doing fine, more than fine, actually."

  A wave of guilt swept through me and I lowered my head. While Drake pampered me, Dani was struggling. I felt guilty with a capital G for the way her life had turned out the last five months.

  "So, you'll call me back?" Mark asked.

  "Count on it, Indy Warlock."

  "Take care of yourself," Mark said, sounding very much like a big brother.

  "You do the same."

  A second later, I heard only silence.

  My heart and mind felt heavy with worry and guilt. Dani was only human. She couldn't fight vampires or guard herself from them. She needed help. Drake didn't believe the VETOV would harm her, but I had my doubts. One of the VETOV members had a dancer stab me. Renaud murdered my warlock guardian, Sean, and Dimitry wanted me to be a sex slave for him. To say I'd lost trust in the organization that claimed to be ethical was a major understatement.

  Yet, we had good news. I destroyed Renaud, and Drake got rid of Dimitry. With two gone, that left seven members of the VETOV and a couple hundred investigators that were potentially looking for us.

  Drake sat beside me and rested his hand over mine. "You're concerned."

  "She was like a sister to me. I can't help but feel responsible for what's happening to her. She didn't deserve to lose her job."

  "You did not force her to do anything," Drake said, his tone elevated slightly.

  "No, but if I'd been there—"

  "She knew when you left you might not return."

  I shook my head and looked away from him. Clearly, he didn't understand the relationship I had with Dani. He didn't comprehend our friendship. "I refuse to give up on her. I can't stop thinking about her or caring about her. If she were in my position, I know she would come back for me."

  "Jessie, you cannot go back there." The sternness of his deep voice sent a chill down my spine. "I will not let you risk your life for another human's."

  I gazed deeply into his dark eyes. "Then find a way to help her. Please. For me."

  I disliked asking him to do things for me, but I was desperate. Drake had money and resources. He could plan a way to get her out of Indianapolis and into a secure place.

  Drake squeezed my hand. "I will send another message to my contact in Toronto and tell him I urgently seek his assistance."

  "But what if he doesn't reply? What if you can't reach him in time?"

  Drake placed his palm on the side of my face. "He will respond."

  Yes, I trusted Drake and his reasons for doing things the way he did, but Dani needed help now, not a week from now. Months had already passed and matters had clearly grown worse. The only people who could help her were me and Drake.

  After letting the phone slip from my hands onto my lap, I took Drake's face into my hands. "You could get her out and bring her here. She knows you. She would trust you. I can stay here and you know I will be fine. Please, Drake. I don't want anything to happen to her."

  Drake leaned his forehead against mine. Our noses gently brushed against each other. His soft pink lips were so close to mine. I wanted to kiss them and melt in his arms.

  "Please, Drake."

  "I do not want to leave you alone."

  "I'm safe here. You know I am."

  "If Ramon is still watching her…"

  "Maybe Mark can help you, since neither you nor Ramon can go out during the day. Mark could arrange for Dani to meet you. Then when night came, the two of you could leave."

  Drake pressed his lips to mine. His gentle energy tickled, yet calmed me.

  "Please," I said after our lips parted. Then I gave him a soft, stimulating kiss.

  He slid his hands around my waist, then pulled me closer to his body. The kiss blossomed as our tongues mingled. Each gentle stroke teased me and made me wet with desire. Heat rolled off me in waves as my temperature rose. I longed for more of him.

  Drake broke his lips free from mine. "I do not take pleasure in the idea of leaving you alone for a few days."

  I totally agreed with him. Sure, I wanted freedom from him every now and then, but I so enjoyed every minute we shared. A few days apart seemed too long, but we could survive. We'd spent weeks apart before. It was torture, but we got through it.

  "Then hurry back and be careful," I said.

  For a brief moment, we simply locked gazes. "I will make the arrangements and bring her back here."

  Chapter Seven

  Tiny flakes fell from the sky and danced across the front window. In one swipe from the windshield wiper blades, the snow was gone. The black roads were clean and clear for the most part. From their shine, I wondered if a layer of ice coated the asphalt. Drake sat in the driver's seat, black cap over his head, gloved hands on the wheel, stone face pointed straight ahead. The smell of his leather jacket filled the car, a pleasant scent I always enjoyed.

  "Did you book your flight to Indy yet?" I asked.

  "Yes. I made all the arrangements while you were in the shower. My plane will leave tomorrow evening. It's about a six-hour flight, which will take me to Chicago in the early morning. From there, it is only an hour."

  "Did you find a hotel, too?"

  "Yes, I booked two rooms at the Marriott in Fishers. I wanted to
make sure we stayed somewhere outside the city."

  "Good idea." While I doubted Drake would run into problems, I still worried about him. Heaven forbid, if something would happen to him, I would lose my control. No one would be able to stop me from seeking out the person or persons, vampire or other, responsible.

  "Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it," I said in a warm tone.

  Drake glanced over at me. "I should be fine. With your friend's help, I'm confident we can get on a plane later that evening and be back by the following morning. I already booked the flight."

  "Whatever you do, be careful."

  "Unless the city is full of vampires, I will be able to slip in and out undetected."

  Relief coursed through me as I inhaled a deep breath. My snatch-and-go plan seemed simple. Mark had to get Dani to the hotel, where she'd wait until evening. Then Drake and Dani could catch the plane back to Anchorage. The plan seemed straightforward.

  Drake turned on his signal and slowed the vehicle. A large sign with the words "Alaska Star" glowed in the darkness above a large, single-story building. My eyes widened at the parking lot overflowing with cars.

  "Are you going to be able to park here?"

  He rounded the corner, drove up to the front doors, and then stopped. "If I can't find a place, I will park in the lot across the street, at the coffee house."

  "I'll call you when I find out where we're going for drinks." I leaned over the seat divider and gave him a kiss.

  "If you want to leave, just call me. I will come get you."

  "I'm sure I'll be fine." I was about to walk into a meeting with a bunch of demons. What could go wrong?

  I pushed the door wide open, then slid out of the seat. My feet hit the ground, crunching the salt pellets and ice under my boots. After I shut the door, I headed for the front doors.

  The thick scent of burnt rubber flooded my nose as I strode into the building. I wriggled my nose at the demon perfume. Thankfully, my natural aroma smelled floral. Cool air shot out from the vents above and I half grinned, realizing the air conditioning was on. Get a room crowded with demons and cool air would be a necessity, regardless of below freezing temperatures outside. Loud voices mixed in a low hum, drowning the clacking of my boots on the vinyl floor. Near the end of the hall, a middle-aged woman and man sat behind a table. I headed straight for them.

  The woman saw me approaching and smiled. "Hello, you're new here, aren't you?" Gray mixed in with her long brown hair. Multiple creases branched out from the corners of her eyes.

  "Yes, I moved here a few nights ago."

  "Welcome to Eagle River. I think you will like our little town," the man said. "I'm Carl, and this is Tess. We organize these meetings every month."

  "Nice to meet both of you. My name is Jessie."

  Tess tugged a piece of paper from under the clipboard. "If you would fill this out for us,"—she picked up a pen, then handed both items to me–"this helps us keep track of everyone in the community."

  I scooted out of the way as more people strolled in. Bending over, I filled in my current name, address, cell number on the form. I listed Chicago as my last home. On the line for employment, I wrote looking for work. After the people next to me checked in, I handed the paper to Carl.

  "Thank you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us," Carl said as he handed the document to Tess without even glancing at it.

  A few steps past the table, I reached the end of the hall and stopped. The large room resembled a high school gym with metal chairs set up in assembly rows all facing the same direction. Front and center, two men and two women sat behind a table close to a podium. Demons packed the room and filled most of the seats. Finding my new friends would be a challenging task.

  As I walked around the back of the room, I scanned faces, searching for Donnie and Gail. Men and women sat in groups, chatting and laughing. Not a single young kid was in the audience I assumed the gathering was for adults only. I reached the center aisle and ambled my way up.

  "Jessie," Gail said.

  I looked in the direction of her voice. She was standing up near the wall in the back, dressed in a short-sleeved red t-shirt and waving her arm in the air. I backpedaled fast, heading for her.

  "Glad you made it. We saved a seat for you," she said.

  Donnie and Gail scooted to the next chair, leaving the empty seat at the end available for me.

  "Thanks for holding it for me." I planted my rear on the beige metal chair. "This place is packed."

  "It's not always like this. Every winter, more people come out. During the summer, it's not as crowded," Gail said.

  Donnie leaned forward. "It's hockey season. Once the finals are over in May, people don't have as much to gossip about." Like many in attendance, Donnie had dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, only his was black with The Cure labeled on the front.

  "Do a lot of demons play hockey here?" I asked.

  Gail pressed her lips together and gave me an "are you crazy" type of look. "It's the number one sport. They love it. Aren't there a lot of demons who play hockey in Chicago?"

  I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I didn't pay much attention." All the talk of hockey reminded me of Jeremy. He played for the Chicago Blackhawks. Since I didn't follow the sport, I had no idea if he had returned to playing with the team or not.

  "Can I have your attention please?" the man standing behind the podium said loudly.

  The audience lowered their voices and directed their attention to the front.

  Gail bumped my shoulder with hers. "I'm still buying you a drink after this."

  "Why do you think I showed up?"

  She smiled. "I like you already."

  "Folks, can I have your attention please?" the man repeated, and the whispers slowly silenced. "For those of you who are new, my name is Glenn, and welcome to Eagle River."

  "Hi, Glenn," several people shouted at once, then laughed.

  Glenn chuckled. "All right…"

  Gail leaned toward me and whispered. "They follow the same routine every meeting. He introduces himself, talks about the local hockey team, the school he teaches at, the community, blah, blah, blah, and then the others get up and introduce themselves and any upcoming events. We've heard the spiel at least a hundred times."

  I nodded as she sat back in her seat. An hour of sitting on my rear and listening to a bunch of speakers didn't sound exiting at all, but I needed to mingle and make friends. I could survive an hour of boring chatter.

  Sighing, I listened to Glenn's speech. Gail was right. He spoke about the school he taught at, his role as the gym teacher, and information about his wife and two kids. Then he ranted for nearly twenty minutes about the minor league hockey teams. I actually yawned.

  When the others made it to the podium, I did learn a few good things. Apparently, Eagle River had seen a steady increase in their population the last couple of years and more businesses had moved into town. Two new schools were set to open the following year and plans were under way for another. A major tech company had relocated in Anchorage two months ago and needed employees with a technical background. Lucky for me, I had one. I made a mental note to search online for the company.

  After the last female, Joan, gave her spiel about events coming up, Tess handed her a stack of papers. "Wow. This is nice. We have quite a few new people here tonight," Joan said.

  New people? Uh-oh. Brows scrunched, I turned to Gail.

  "It's standard." She shrugged. "They want you to introduce yourself."

  Perspiration thickened as my anxiety rose. I hated standing in front of groups to talk. And I definitely was not prepared to get up in front of a group of demons and introduce myself. Disguising my heavy sigh, I gripped the edges of my vest jacket and shook it gently. My clothes had already started to cling to my sweaty flesh. I suddenly wished I hadn't worn a long-sleeved shirt.

  Joan called out names. One by one, each individual rose. Fred, Jackie, Sullivan, and Tammy moved here from the southwest, seeking
a cooler climate. Two of the four were married. As the next person, Evelyn, spoke, I leaned back in my chair, feeling relieved that I wasn't the only newbie in town.

  "Julie Cummings," Joan said.

  A young woman one row in front of us rose. She had long dark hair with red streaks. The black tank top she wore revealed tattoos on her shoulders and arms. A bald man with a red tattoo of the devil sat in the seat next to hers. He had his arm stretched across the back of her chair. Julie told the audience she had moved to Eagle River with her boyfriend. They had lived in various places, most recently in Missouri.

  "Thank you, Julie," Joan said, and the audience clapped their hands. After Julie returned to her seat, the bald man kissed her, showing quite a bit of tongue.

  "Well, well, aren’t they the happiest couple," Gail mumbled.

  "Jessie Murphy," Joan called out.

  Donnie leaned around Gail. "Is that you?"

  I leaped out of my seat. "I'm here." My pulse sped. I really needed to remember my new last name.

  "Welcome, Jessie. Would you like to tell us a bit about yourself? Why you moved here, where you're from, are you married?" Joan stepped back from the podium.

  "Sure." I gazed around the room. All eyes pointed at me. "I'm from Chicago and I moved here with my boyfriend. We we're looking for a place to settle down and Alaska appealed to us." Smiling, I turned to Joan.

  "Okay, thank you," Joan said, then I sat back down.

  Gail nudged me with her elbow. "Ready for that drink?"

  "You know I am."

  Ten minutes later, the meeting ended. Everyone rose and headed to the door. Donnie, Gail, and I waited patiently, watching the herd of cattle. The newbie, Julie, and her large boyfriend left side-by-side, his arm wrapped around her waist. She was a thin gal dressed in a tight black skirt. The three-inch heels on her knee-high boots added to her lanky physique. Gail stared at the young girl, too.

  "Nice boots," I said softly.