by Mallory, H P
Bram laughed. “No wonder you are of such slight figure. If I did not know better I would think you must be vampire as I do not believe I have ever seen you eat.”
“You saw me eat the last time we were here, remember? On our first…date.”
Bram relaxed into his chair and eyed me with an expression that was difficult to categorize—a studious gaze, as piercing as it was appreciative. “And now we are on our second date.” He was quiet for a moment. “Does this mean we are…dating?”
I was quick to answer “no.”
He didn’t lose that bizarre expression. If anything it was now deeper, more exacting. “Then what would you call this, Sweet?”
“I would call it what it is—you want to get into my pants, and I won’t let you so you figure the more dates we go on, the more I’ll drop my defenses and eventually, my panties.”
Bram was silent for exactly two seconds and then threw his head back and exploded into a raucous chuckle. “Do you think so little of me?”
“I don’t know that I think little of you,” I started. “I just know you for who and what you are.”
Bram nodded, a smile still highlighting his full and sensual lips. “Perhaps we should give this theory of yours a try?”
I returned the smile and before he got too excited, shook my head. “Thanks but no thanks. I prefer our friendship.”
He didn’t look disappointed. “I will not give up, you do realize that, Sweet?”
“Bram, I would never accuse you of being anything other than…persistent.”
“Ah, you do know me well.”
“I like to think I do.” I paused, and he leaned back into his chair, his arms crossed over his chest. “So, as long as you don’t jump me like you did earlier,” I continued. “We can continue our friendship.”
“I did already apologize for that, Sweet.”
“You did but I’m not convinced it was sincere.”
Bram held up two fingers like he thought he was a boy scout or something. “I do honestly and truthfully regret it,” he pledged, then dropped his hand. “I should have known I could not force my will upon you and furthermore, had I succeeded, I would not have enjoyed the conquest. I prefer you in your natural cantankerous state.”
I laughed. That had been a pretty good one.
#
After Bram and his limo dropped me off later that evening, and Bram attempted to steal a kiss which I rebutted, I entered my apartment, greeted Blue and threw my purse against the couch with a heartfelt sigh. My sigh spoke volumes as my mind swam with images of Knight and Angela that I couldn’t dispel. Why was I so concerned? Why was I so bothered by it, by them? I was completely and totally un-okay with the possibility that maybe I was developing feelings for Knight, maybe I’d already developed them. And, furthermore, maybe they’d been developing all along—ever since I’d first met Knight outside my apartment building when I’d tried to take him down with magic and he’d just laughed at me. Knight and I had been through a lot together—hunting down a Kragengen shifter who’d been eating some of our less than law abiding citizens. Knight had also been there when I’d discovered Quillan was not whom I’d supposed him to be and had been lying to me for Hades only knew how long. And then there was the time when Knight had actually saved my life…
The piercing ring of the phone interrupted my soliloquy, and I answered it, noting my best friend’s name and number on the caller ID.
“Hi, Sam,” I said and collapsed into my sofa as Blue jumped up beside me, nudging his big head into my lap.
“How was your date?” Sam asked with a laugh. She’d known I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this evening.
“It sucked,” I began. “Hey, did you know Knight was going to be there?”
“How would I have known that?”
I shrugged and then remembered she couldn’t see me. “Just thought he might have brought it up at work.” Sam was not only my best friend, but she was also a gifted witch and just happened to be working for Knight.
“Nope. So, what was he doing there? He and Bram aren’t exactly BFFs.”
I laughed. “Nope, they aren’t. He was there with…Angela.” My whole body seemed to deflate on itself at the mention of Angela. How bad did I have it?
Sam was quiet for a second or two. “And by the sound of it, you weren’t happy to see them together?”
I sighed, long and hard. “Sam, I’m afraid I’m…into Knight.”
More silence on the other end and if that wasn’t telling, I didn’t know what was. “Hmm,” she started and was quiet again. “I don’t know that that’s a good idea. I mean, I like Knight but there’s just something about him. I can’t put my finger on it.”
Okay if Sam didn’t think crushing on Knight was a good idea, then it really wasn’t because Sam was about as smart as they came. “I know it’s not a good idea and I’m not happy about it.”
“What about Bram?” Sam quickly asked and there was a note of veiled curiosity to her voice. “Were you able to keep your mind off Knight with Bram?”
I was quiet as I considered the facts before me. Sam and Bram had had a fling about a year ago and Sam had been pretty hot for Bram but he hadn’t exactly returned the interest. Sam had said she’d gotten over it and while I believed her, it seemed maybe there was something residual still there? “Um, no…Bram and I are just friends, you know that.”
“You keep saying that but you know he wants more from you.”
“It’s easy to keep him at arm’s length.” I was quiet for a few seconds. “Sam, do you still have the hots for him?”
It was her turn to sigh. “No.”
“Are you sure?”
“There will always be a part of me that will be attracted to him but I would never date him again, not after I know what he’s like. And I’m not looking for another one night stand.”
A flush of relief washed through me. If Sam was worried about my attraction to Knight, I’d definitely be worried if she was still hot for Bram. As far as I was concerned, neither one was a good choice. “Okay, good.”
“So, back to you and Knight.”
“There’s nothing to say about Knight and me. He and Angela are probably enjoying themselves together as we speak, and that’s what I need to focus on. I’ve already had about the crappiest breakup ever with Jack, I really don’t want to go through that again.”
“I actually agree with you, Dulce,” Sam said with a sadness to her voice. “I really wanted you to get out there and date and get over Jack but I have a feeling Knight might mess you up even worse than Jack did. None of us really knows him.”
“And what we do know of him just screams player.”
“I can see that too.”
Somehow this conversation made me feel better. It cemented the fact that Knight wasn’t a good choice, not that I’d been going full steam ahead previously but it still helped strengthen my will not to get involved.
“Are you going to be okay?” Sam asked.
Yes, I’d be fine. It was merely a small and inconsequential crush that had sort of come out of nowhere. Maybe it was just the fact that I hadn’t seen Knight in such a long time and then he’d dropped back into my life like a bomb. I hadn’t been able to prepare myself, to talk myself out of the fact that he was incredibly hot and the fact that even though his sexy, flirty and playful nature drove me nuts, it was also pretty…attractive. “Yep, I’m steadfast when it comes to these things—if I have to get over something, I will.”
“That’s one of the things I really admire about you, Dulce, you’re strong.”
I laughed as I considered it. I was strong. I’d always been strong. And it was one of my character traits I loved the most. “You and I make a pretty good team, don’t we?”
She returned the laugh. “We sure do.”
After I hung up, I started for my bedroom to change out of my clothes when the phone rang again. Thinking Sam must have forgotten to tell me something, I grabbed it without checking caller ID.
“Hello?”
“Dulce.” It was Knight. My stomach dropped for the nth time this evening.
“What?”
“Just wanted to make sure you made it home okay.”
I was taken aback and didn’t know how to respond. Was Angela still with him? If so, was she pissed he was calling me? Was I pissed he was calling me? I didn’t feel angry or annoyed. “I’m fine…thanks.”
He was quiet for a few seconds. “I was thinking about what you said.”
“I’ve said a lot of things to you.”
He laughed. “About meaning what I say and saying what I mean. I think it’s good advice.”
I couldn’t help my surprise. He’d actually listened to me? It hadn’t gone in one ear and out the other? “Good, you can pay me whatever it’s worth to you.”
He chuckled heartily, a sexy sound if I had to judge. “Can I come by tomorrow afternoon to go over the details of the Dreamstalker case with you?”
“Yeah, sure,” I started, pleased we could focus on the case. That I could handle. “Okay, well goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Dulce. Until tomorrow.”
I hung up the phone and didn’t know what to think so I didn’t think anything at all.
Three
When the doorbell rang at seven pm the following evening, I didn’t even need to look through the peephole to know it was Knight. But, I did, anyway—you can never be too careful. Course, Blue was like an alarm system in his own right—howling and pawing at the door as if determined to take down whoever happened to be on the other side. I eyed Knight through the peephole for a second or two as he leaned against the wall and watched a car drive by.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to kill every last one of the butterflies in my stomach—to smash them into oblivion, shredding their gossamer wings while discouraging my feelings for Knight. Just as he was about to knock again, I opened the door and offered him a quick smile in greeting, grabbing Blue’s collar as he attempted to break free. I pushed Blue back into the house and shut the door behind us with my foot. Glancing at Knight, I noticed his hands were full with what looked like a foil-covered casserole dish topped with three manila folders.
“Dulce,” he said upon entering my humble abode. He headed for the kitchen, placing the manila folders on the kitchen table before he uncovered whatever was beneath the foil.
“What is that?” I asked, sounding less than thrilled.
“Lasagna,” he answered without facing me. Instead, he opened the oven door and plopped the concoction into the oven, slapping his hands together with satisfaction and faced me. “I made it.”
I raised a brow in skepticism. “You made it?”
“Yep, I’m a good cook.” He sounded…proud.
The idea of Knight as a chef seemed totally alien to me for some reason—like it was too casual an occurrence, too everyday in its simplicity. But, unsettling or not, it had to mean he’d found a long-term place to live in Splendor. He’d been looking for somewhere more permanent than the Marriott Hotel due to the fact that he’d be continuing his stint as head of the ANC division here in Splendor until the Netherworld found his replacement.
“So, you found an apartment then?” I asked.
Knight nodded and pulled out one of my kitchen chairs, straddling it backwards and leaned his big arms over the chair back. “I did.”
“And?”
“It’s nice. Over on Shamrock Street.”
Shamrock Street was the Beverly Hills of Splendor. “Well, good to see they pay you well,” I grumbled, thinking about the fact that I was about to be late on my rent.
“I’m worth it, Dulce,” he said with a smile, a smile that said his comment wasn’t just limited to his position as head of the ANC. Before I had the chance to respond, Blue casually trotted over to Knight and sniffed his feet curiously.
The visual of what happened next will forever live in my head in infamy. Blue simply jumped up onto Knight’s leg and with unbridled abandon, began humping his knee, thrusting back and forth with the expression of extreme concentration on his canine face.
“Blue!” I squealed and lurched for him.
Knight’s laugh was deep as he pushed the dog away. “Really, Dog, we only met yesterday.”
Blue apparently had it bad for Knight and resumed his straddled position, bracing Knight’s knee between his paws as my mouth dropped open again. As if doubly determined to let Knight’s knee know just how much affection he held for it, Blue started gyrating again.
“You get down right now, bad boy!” I yelled and yanked on his collar but he didn’t budge. He just tightened his grip on Knight’s leg and glanced back at me with an expression that said “mind your own business. This is between me and the Loki’s knee.”
Finally able to separate my dog from Knight’s pant leg, I forced him outside and tried to keep the flush from my cheeks, still in disbelief that my dog had just mounted him. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
“Don’t be,” Knight said with a grin. “That’s the most action I’ve gotten in months.”
I settled my attention on the three manila folders, trying not to think about Knight getting action at all and searched for a change of subject. “You want to review those now or after dinner?”
“Now is good,” he said, eyeing my flustered face all the while as he handed me the first folder.
Opening it, I immediately noted two pictures paper-clipped to the interior of the folder, one of a smiling brunette with round, twinkling eyes. She looked to be about my age, in her mid-twenties. The other picture was of a woman asleep in a hospital bed, probably in a coma given the context. The still figure on the hospital cot was nothing like the happy woman in the other photo. Her hair had lost its luster and her skin was pale—as if the Dreamstalker had blanched away the color in her cheeks as easily as he’d taken control of her life.
“Her name is Anna Murphy,” Knight said. “The next folder under hers is a woman named Heather Green.”
Anna Murphy…I rolled her name around on my tongue, thinking it sounded strangely familiar, though I wasn’t sure why. Course, it was a pretty common name so maybe it wasn’t anything at all. Heather Green didn’t ring any déjà-vu bells. “And the third person?”
“Jennifer Garrity…but she went by Jenny.”
Jennifer Garrity. A bolt of realization jolted through me. I did know that name. I knew that name well because Jenny Garrity had been my nanny when I was a child. I almost dropped Anna’s file onto the floor. “I knew…I know her,” I said in a small voice, my hands shaking.
“How?” Knight demanded, eyeing me with extreme interest.
“She was my nanny from the time I was born until I went to Kindergarten.” She’d been loving and wonderful.
Knight nodded and opened the third file, Jenny Garrity’s I presumed, and jotted down a note. “And Anna Murphy or Heather Green?” he asked.
“Anna Murphy sounds familiar but not Heather Green.”
“Well, they both should sound familiar,” he said and observing my dumbfounded expression, continued. “They were in your second grade class.”
I swallowed hard and felt like I needed to sit down. So, I did. I took the chair next to Knight and grabbed the file on top, opening it to see Heather’s name. What I presumed was her senior year photo smiled out at me, revealing a woman with platinum blond hair and full lips. There was no hospital photo. I gulped.
“Did she die?” I asked in a strained voice.
“Yes,” Knight responded.
I closed the file and reached for the third one, for Jenny’s. Relief washed through me when I deduced that Jenny was still alive. According to Knight, there had only been one death. I opened the folder and saw the same Jenny I remembered from my childhood, only she was older now—a few crow’s feet defined her eyes, and some laugh lines etched her mouth.
“What do you suppose this means?” I asked, glancing up at Knight who just stared at me. “Is it a coincidence that I know all three of
them?” I wanted nothing more than him to agree, and say, “Yes, it’s definitely coincidence”—that there was nothing to the fact that all three of them were somehow linked to me.
He shrugged. “Could mean something or could mean nothing at all.”
I frowned. “Thanks, that was incredibly insightful.”
He chuckled. “It could merely be coincidence, Dulcie. Don’t you know most of the people in Splendor?”
Yes, I did. I felt relief course through me as I thought about it. How many times had a crime been perpetrated against someone with whom I was personally acquainted? Well, it hadn’t been everyday, but it had definitely happened. Splendor was a small town. “Were all three in Splendor?” I asked.
It was his turn to nod. “Yep. That’s why I wasn’t jumping to any conclusions.”
“So, that means you’d already made the connection between them and me?”
“Of course,” he said as he stood up and headed to the oven, where he opened the door and pulled out his lasagna. Hmm, it actually looked good. “Fork?” he asked, over his shoulder.
“Top drawer on the right.”
He retrieved the fork, tested his lasagna and apparently not satisfied, pushed it back in the oven. Then he turned around to face me, leaning his incredibly shapely ass against the oven as he crossed his arms against his expansive chest. He was wearing dark jeans and a navy blue tee-shirt that made his blue eyes pop. “Did you doubt I’d do my homework regarding the victims?”
I shook my head. “No, just thought I’d double check.”
He cleared his throat and dropped his attention to the ground before bringing it back up to me. “There were two other victims, one in Estuary and one in Moon.”
“Names?” I asked, suddenly feeling a weight in my stomach again.
“Travis Decker from Estuary and…”
And the weight in my stomach suddenly made sense. Now it couldn’t really be described as a “weight” but more a boulder that had settled right in my gut. “Wait just a minute, Travis?”
Knight’s eyes narrowed. “You know him?”
“Yeah, I dated him,” I said and felt the air escape my lungs. I glanced back at Knight. “So much for coincidence?”
