Then I spotted the unicorn sippy cup that Alayna had bought me as a gag gift. It was the fool proof way to make sure my vamp pal didn’t spill anything. I’d never entertained the thought of pouring my own blood into a sippy cup for a vampire before, yet here we were.
Reg injected the blood into the cup as Carolyn drooled and I held the top with a shaky hand. My best friend handed me the full cup and I screwed the lid with a mouthpiece on top. Carolyn greedily ripped the cup from my hands and put it in her mouth. She looked just like a little kid until I heard the crunching noise.
Carolyn had bitten the mouthpiece, shattering the hard plastic. She spat the broken fragments on the floor and went back to her meal. She ended up spilling some out the corners of her lips, rendering the unicorn sippy cup useless.
I commented, “You ever wonder why vampires have the stereotype of being insatiable, blood thirsty creatures?”
“Nope. Don’t care,” she replied, with a big smile on her face. She used her thumb to try to push the blood on the sides of her mouth onto her tongue. “Sorry about your cup. You can probably get a new one after I pay you. And if you need any for expenses to protect me, we can talk about that.”
“I can’t even get a ten percent advance?” I grinned, and noticed her gym bag was nowhere to be seen. “Did something happen to your bag?”
“Yeah, I hid it. Bet you can’t find it inside your own house. How much?” She knocked back another big gulp of her Jameson. “Not a bad chaser.”
What a day! Two vampires throwing money at me worried me. That meant grave danger had to be involved.
I was on my third glass of the good stuff before I realized how big of a bind I had just got myself into. Playing both sides of a vampire controversy didn’t seem wise. I just hoped I was playing the correct side.
The stone man must have been the man who escaped the graveyard last night, right? Why would he come after me, or my car to be more precise?
I stared at Carolyn, the runaway vampire, trying to get a read on her. A young woman’s innocence disappeared once you’ve witnessed her drinking blood and slicing through a maniacal supernatural, but there was no denying that she had saved my life.
She wouldn’t have done it unless she needed me. Carolyn could have let the stone man smash my face if this was a set up. Or was this some elaborate plan from the vampires? I could just walk away from this thing now. It’s still not too late.
Thinking about my mother and the kind of man I wanted to be, I had to protect the young lady. I could only hope I wasn’t starting a vampire bloodbath in Pittsburgh. I would now have to lie to Jonathan, the elder vampire, which didn’t seem like a good idea.
I took another gulp of whiskey and that was one of the last things I remembered that night.
My phone buzzed on the coffee table and tried to run away like it was being carried by a pissed-off centipede. I sprang up from my couch, swiped the cellular off the table and checked out the number. Text from Gretchen.
Carolyn and Reg were gone. I might not be the world-class bodyguard Carolyn thought I was after all. Colossus ran alongside me as I ascended the steps and opened the door to my room.
My new vampire bestie looked quite cozy in my bed. I went over and shook her gently. She yawned, exposing her fangs and I stepped back. She blinked several times, her glossy eyes trying to process the new day.
I whispered, “I have to go with my friend on the Pittsburgh Police for a little while. You can stay here if you want.”
She sat up and stretched her arms out. “No. I go with you wherever you go.”
“Yeah, that’s not happening. There’s been another case of people rising from the dead at a local cemetery. I’m going to inspect the scene that will be all cops and I have a feeling one of your friends from the vampire community will probably be there too.”
“Maybe I will stay here, but everything else we stay together.” She collapsed back into my bed.
“I understand that. I’ll be back in a little while. Sleep well.”
I got ready, crushed an energy bar, fed my dog, and went for the front door. Colossus, hot on my heels, started whining. I stopped and he ran into the back of my legs. Feeling guilty, I turned around and looked down at his wet nose and sympathetic face.
How much did I trust a vampire with one of the most important creatures I knew?
I reached down and scooped up Colossus. I put some of his food into a smaller bowl and we walked across the street to Gretchen’s Jeep Cherokee.
Chapter 7
I OPENED THE PASSENGER door and she barked (sorry, couldn’t resist), “You’re not bringing that dog with us. This is serious business.”
I popped my head into the vehicle. “I heard reports about drugs in the caskets. So I brought my K-9 associate with me.”
Gretchen shook her head in disgust. “Take him back inside so we can leave already.”
“I can’t leave him here so it’s either both of us, or none of us. Your choice.” It wasn’t exactly Sophie’s Choice, but it put the pressure on.
I could tell she was biting her upper lip as it disappeared into her mouth. “Get in, you jerk.”
I got in and set Colossus on my lap as he attacked his food.
I could feel Gretchen’s look. “You have a dog eating in my car on the way to a crime scene. And you wonder why people don’t take you seriously?”
A sixty thousand dollar offer for protection seemed rather serious. I didn’t throw that in her face though. “So what’s the story with these ones? Were they all at the same graveyard?”
“Yes. All men in different areas of the cemetery. Look, there’s something I need to talk to you about before we discuss the case. I’m not exactly sure how to phrase this.”
My interest had been piqued.
“We got word that someone escaped from prison today. They escaped last night, actually.” She spoke in a relaxed, motherly tone.
Like an idiot, I asked, “Who?”
“Your father.”
I don’t know how something that obvious had escaped me, but it had. Everything that had happened yesterday, made it seem like I’d never even visited my father. I’d mentally pushed it aside. “How?”
“That is still a mystery. There’s no tunnel or any signs of a breakout. The guards said it was like magic, as if he had just disappeared.”
My body went numb. I’m usually never short on words with people I’m comfortable with, but I sat there with my tongue hanging out, trying to process the news. I remembered the death threat my father had given me right before I left and wondered if he would be coming after me. I wasn’t scared, per se, but it gave me something else to worry about.
I asked with a lump in my throat, “Was he the only one?”
“Yes. I know this is a lot to take in so if you want me to take you home, I can. I didn’t think this was something you wanted to hear over the phone. I hate being the bearer of bad news.”
“No, it’s fine. He was basically dead to me as of yesterday, so this isn’t going to revive him. Sorry for the similar parallel.” I babbled, not knowing what I was saying.
“I feel just awful about this and I know you probably won’t take me up on this, but if you need someone to talk to, I’ll be there for you.”
“I appreciate that.” I probably wouldn’t take her up on it, but it was a heartfelt offer that I genuinely appreciated.
She said, “I’ve never told you, but I might understand more than you know. My father was much like yours, I hate to think. He was abusive to my mother, my brother and me. I think he was the reason I couldn’t trust men enough to date them and why I went into this line of work. I felt much safer with a woman and I became a cop to stop guys like my dad.”
“I understand. I remember the fear painted onto my mother’s face. I remember it more than her smiling. She was a prisoner in her own home. I can imagine what it wa
s like for you and I’m sorry.”
She cleared her throat. “Well, it made me into the person I am today. You too. We rose above, Mike. We didn’t sink to their level or we wouldn’t be where we are right now. There’s a lot to be said for just that.”
We inspected the cemetery and all four uprisings looked exactly the same as the one from yesterday. I spaced out. After all these years, my father still got to me. I barely heard a single word Gretchen said on the way back to my house.
I stumbled out of the car and rushed up to my porch. I shoved the key, cracked the door, and heard giggling. Colossus blew any cover we had by barking, so I opened the door and barged in. Carolyn was sitting on Reg’s lap in the middle of the room. Her purple lipstick was plastered around his mouth.
Carolyn flashed a guilty smile, and said, “Sorry. We were just talking, and you know how it goes.”
“I do.” I hoped it wasn’t going that way with Satoku and Felix. “Nothing to be sorry about too.”
Reg didn’t say a word. He rubbed Carolyn’s back with a goofy smile plastered to his face. I didn’t want to spoil the mood, but I couldn’t hold it in, I blurted out, “My father escaped from prison last night.”
Reg’s goofy smile vanished. “Holy shit.”
“Holy shit is right. He doesn’t deserve to get out of there. And to top it all off, nobody knows how he busted out. No signs of anything normal.” I turned to Carolyn. “Just to catch you up, my dad is a piece of shit drug dealer who’s been in jail for most of my life. And for the brief periods when he wasn’t, he made my mother’s and my life a living hell. I just found out today that he busted out of jail. I hope you get to drink his blood, that’s for sure.”
She agreed. “That makes two of us.”
My mind tried to refocus on the situation at hand. “Speaking of which, I guess you are going to need to eat sometime soon?”
“Reg already fed me.” She shifted around on his lap.
I cocked my head to the side. “In a cup, right? You didn’t take it straight from the tap, did you?”
Carolyn laughed, which made me even more uneasy. I knew Reg could be a bit of a sucker for a nice smile. He said, “Of course I used a needle, young blood. Oh, better not call you that when this lovely lady is around. Ha ha.”
“Good one. I’ve got to head out to Indianola later on to check out another ghost sighting. I assume you’re coming with me.” I pointed at Carolyn and she nodded in agreement. I turned to my best friend. “What are you doing, Reg?”
“I’ve got a doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”
I asked, “Is your son taking you?”
Reg locked fingers with Carolyn and held their hands against his chest. “Yep, he’s got me covered. Thanks, anyway. You better get payment up front this time before it turns out to be nothing. I told you, you should still charge them for chasing away the ghosts. Ghostbusters charged for their services.”
I could be too generous sometimes. “True. Several have paid a little something, but most people want to see an exorcism or an effort on my part to chase the ghosts away. When I show up, don’t find anything, but the paranormal activity stops, it’s hard to ask someone for money.”
“It’s a business. You should set up standard consultation rates before you even show up to someone’s house. You’re running a pretty loose business, buddy,” Carolyn said.
She sounded exactly like Alayna. I knew I needed to tighten up my business model, but I was making decent money, mostly from my consulting for the Pittsburgh Police, so I ignored the deficiencies for now.
“I’m going to head over to the office for a little bit. I’ll be back in plenty of time for us to go check out this story. Actually, I’m not sure if I should leave you two alone.” I picked up Colossus, emerged into the winter day, and walked about fifty steps to the front door of my office building.
I didn’t work on the business. I sat in my chair and stared aimlessly out the window, thinking about my father. Memories flooded in of how poorly my father had treated my mother and me. My mindset shifted to wanting to see him again so I could beat the living hell out of him.
I hadn’t realized both of my hands were tightened into fists and I was sweating profusely. I loosened my locked jaw and tried to calm down. Words can’t properly express how much I hated that man. Every inner evil that I fought against was because of him.
Everything bad about me came from my dad, and everything good about me came from my mother. It’s a constant internal battle, and I’m not sure who is winning. I know this jealousy about Satoku that I can’t seem to control is from him. He had constantly berated my mother about cheating on him, accusing her of the most despicable things.
What I feared most in the world was turning into my father. I knew it was lurking inside, just waiting to bust out.
Three hours passed, and we finally went home. I had to wake Carolyn up again and wait for her to get ready. I’d forgotten that she was more of a night creature as she loudly descended my staircase, creating a head-splitting staccato melody. For a light woman, she stomped like an elephant.
“Alright, let’s do this,” she said void of emotion.
“You sure you don’t want to do a little pigment alteration or something to disguise yourself?”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot in my sleepy haze.” She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her hair started to darken first this time and then her skin followed, settling on a deep brown.
I said goodbye to Colossus and patted his head before walking out the door. Carolyn put on the thickest pair of sunglasses I’ve ever seen. We jumped into my car and got out on the road. Suddenly, the weight of protecting a wanted vampire came down on me. My neck jerked around, checking the sidewalks and cars behind me, completely forgetting to watch the road.
My hands were sweating onto the frayed steering wheel, probably adding more damage to the stitched leather. My heart rate jumped and breathing became strained as I cruised down Freeport Road. “We just have to hit 910, and this farm should be right off that road. Do you want to maybe, slouch down in that seat, so you can’t be seen at all? It’s just, I normally roll solo, so anyone in my passenger seat, could set off some alarm bells.”
“I could just do this,” she said, as we approached the Hulton Bridge.
I merged into the left lane and peeked over at the passenger seat. My eyes were met by an enormous raven with purple eyes. “That is really impressive, but your head is still high enough to be seen by passersby. What happened to your clothes and sunglasses?”
“Anything attached to my body during a shift will return when I shift back. It’s all considered part of my body.”
“That’s pretty convenient.” I’d been trying my hand in the shifting game lately with mixed results. I needed a lot more practice. “Does your clan know about your raven shift?”
“Yes,” she said, and I turned to her again, but this time, she was in human form with dark skin. She slid down in the seat to avoid detection as I hooked a left onto Route 910.
I apologized, “I hate to have you do this, but the alternative is an all-out brawl with your clan.”
“You worry too much, but that’s good. My clan isn’t looking for you, they’re looking for me. They would never expect me to latch on to you. I hope.” She giggled.
“That makes two of us. How did you find out about me, anyway?”
“Are you kidding? You’re like a legend in supernatural circles around Pittsburgh. I’m surprised Jonathan didn’t try to recruit you to the clan.”
He had, I thought. “Not quite a legend, yet. Why would vampires want to recruit me?”
“Because you know magic. You’re young right now, but Jonathan sees the power you could have in just a few years. And if you became an immortal, after a couple hundred years, you would be unstoppable.”
Not necessarily. I remembered what had happened to George, the two-hundred-year-old warlock. “What are the perks of becoming a vampire? Because it doesn’t really seem all tha
t appealing to me right now.”
“It’s got to be inside you. The beast, that is. I’ve always known it was inside me and just needed brought out by a real vampire. Lucky for me, they often recruit young women that like to party at night and if you pass all the tests, you’re in.”
“Have you ever seen a vampire turn into a mist or gas before?”
She laughed. “You’ve been watching too many movies. Magic is why Jonathan wants you. He wants to absorb your magic. Did he shake your hand when you met or put his hands on you?”
“Yes he did. He put his hand on my back when we were looking at his paintings.”
She closed her eyes and nodded rapidly. “Then he was already trying to absorb some of your magic. You need to be very careful around him. He’s got psychic abilities. Telekinesis.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he’s told me what I was thinking before. Too bad his rage blinded him from seeing that I didn’t murder Andre. I think he did it and waited for someone to blame. He hated Andre and everyone knew it. Blaming me was all too easy. Nobody would believe me over Jonathan and even if they did, no one would stand up to him. He’s the elder.”
I asked, “Where are you going to go?”
“I’m not telling anyone. Sorry. You will still be paid in full to just get me to the airport, but nobody needs to know where I am going. It’s probably safest for everyone involved.”
We pulled into a long, dirt driveway to get to the house, and Carolyn sat up in the passenger’s seat. The winding driveway went on forever until a red barn-style house came into view with several outbuildings and storage sheds behind it.
I turned to Carolyn. “What do you want your name to be? I assume you wouldn’t want to use your real name.”
“Good assumption. How about Sarah Smith?”
Bloodline Awakened Supernatural Thriller Series: Books 1-3 Page 26
