by Judith Post
He pictured her in his mind, as he had far too often, and turned in a slow semi-circle, trying to encompass the area in which she usually hunted. He willed her come to him, then left the patio door open a crack—her invitation to come inside. To pass the time, he grabbed a book. With only one lamp lit beside his leather chair and a throw pulled over him, he ate his solitary meal and was a good one hundred pages into the novel when she came.
“It’s a little chilly to keep your door open, isn’t it?”
“I’m half frozen, but I was hoping you’d drop by.” He studied her in the shadows. Her long silver hair had lost some of its luster. Her yellow eyes had dark smudges under them. But she was still the sexiest woman he'd ever seen. “You look tired.”
“You picked a good night to open your hearth to me. Some teenage boys broke into the building where I stay. Woke me up.”
“During the day?” She'd be vulnerable then. She'd have to fight to defend herself. She couldn't leave and flee into the sunlight.
“No, a few hours ago. They came armed with bottles of whiskey and six-packs of beer, ready to party. When they found me, it scared the crap out of them and they took off, but they’ll be back. Teenage boys don’t have the brains of a flea. They won’t be able to stand it. They’ll sharpen rake handles and buy garlic and come to do mischief.”
“So you’ve lost your home.”
“I can only resist temptation so much. Better to move somewhere new.” She motioned to the luxury that surrounded him. “You have plenty of room.”
“You’re welcome to stay a few nights, but you know the saying—fish and vampires start to stink in three days.” And three days could prove too long. He could only resist temptation so much too.
She narrowed her eyes. Golden and almond-shaped…fascinating. He found himself focusing on them instead of her words.
“Let’s try this again,” she said. “Do I finally have your attention? Why would you want a vampire for a guest?”
“I have a favor to ask you.”
She put up a hand to silence him. “If you want me to bite you so that you can be immortal, I won’t do it.”
“I’m already immortal.”
“Aren’t we all? I’ve heard it before. The soul is eternal.”
“All of my parts are eternal--body, soul, the works.”
She glanced at his crotch. "All of your parts?"
Her boldness caught him by surprise. "All of them."
She took a step forward, narrowing her eyes and studying him closely. “That still doesn’t tell me what you actually are.”
“I’m a vampire hunter.”
She gave a short laugh. “And that’s supposed to make me feel comfortable?”
“If I could have killed the vamp who turned you before he bit you, you wouldn’t be here now.”
“But you didn’t, did you? And I am. So what are you going to do, hunt me?”
He'd love to, but not to destroy her. “You don’t practice. That’s why I let you go the first time we met.” Wrong choice of words. Her eyes flashed fire.
“Let me go?” She put her hands on her hips. “I’d like to see you try to go up against me.”
Now that made for a lovely vision—bodies slamming against one another, leg holds, body presses—but he was being stupid. He had important matters to concentrate on. “I don’t want to fight you. I was hoping that we could work together.”
“How?”
He forced his mind back to his vision. He told her about the killer who dressed women as clowns, about Danny saving Katy, and about the vision that he’d seen her in.
Her voice went frigid. "The man who attacked Marie is the man who killed Liza?"
"You knew her?"
"I passed her on the streets. She was always trying to help me, offering food or a place to stay."
"I'm sorry."
"I'm not. I know who to look for now. That bastard is toast."
"Danny's doing everything he can to find him. That's why I called you. You were in my vision. And you saw me too, so you were aware of me. I was wondering if you remembered the woman you saved and the shop where she worked, if you remembered anything that might help us.”
"I can deal with this myself."
"No, let Danny do this. It's his job. He won't understand if you drain Liza's killer."
Voronika took a step closer. If he reached out an arm, he could touch her. He'd love to touch her, but she might run. “Let me get this straight," she was saying. "You want me to join with you and Danny to save the world, to be part of the three musketeers.”
Not the way he'd put it, but he ignored her sarcasm. “Yes.”
“And if I do, you won’t hunt me.”
“I wouldn’t hunt you anyway, unless you turned bad.”
“We can even have a sleepover so that I don't eat teenage boys. In your bed?”
“I have a spare room. You’d be more comfortable there.”
She laughed. “Such a genial host. And you’d trust me not to bite you in your sleep? Have a little nightcap when I needed a snack?”
“About that…”
She turned her back to him. “I told you. I won’t turn you. I’m not into that.”
“You can’t, but I can change you.”
She whipped around to glare at him. “You can’t trick me with your lies. I’ve heard piles of them before.”
What beautiful woman hadn't, but he suspected she'd been hurt more than most. “No lie. I can help you. I can’t take away your curse, turn you back into a human, but I can satisfy your hunger. Take away the constant craving.”
“If I bite you?”
Enoch sighed. “You could feed on me whenever you need to, and you’ll never drain me, and you’ll never change me.”
“And why is that?” She stopped, cocked her head, listened. “You’re not one of us. I hear a heartbeat.”
For the second time in two days, he picked up a sharp object—a letter opener that was nearby—and stabbed himself in the hand.
Voronika’s eyes went wide when no blood welled, then the wound closed and appeared to heal itself. “How did you do that? If you’re not one of us, what are you? And what will I turn into if I drink your blood?”
He spread out his hands, shrugged. “More like me.”
“Which is?”
“A vampire hunter.”
“I am a vampire.”
“You’ll become less of one.”
Her long fingers curled into fists. Her words were like bullets. “I’ll give you this. You’re more cunning than most. You’re offering up exactly what you know I want. Don’t you think that’s a little cruel?”
“It was meant as a gift.” And gifts had no strings attached, so he had to keep his distance.
“Don’t say that!”
Her anger surprised him. "What?"
She flew to stand over him. “That’s what HE called it when he bit me.”
“I’m sorry.” His hands itched to hold her, to caress her, to make her feel safe, but if he reached for her now, she'd leave in a second.
She started for the balcony. “I have to go.”
“Can you tell me about the vision and the woman you rescued?”
She turned back, stared at him. “What does she matter to you?”
“If I can find her first, maybe we can save her.”
“Is that part of your job as a vampire hunter?”
“No, but I can’t turn my back if I can help her.”
“Why not? She's not your problem.”
He met her yellow gaze. “Why couldn’t you? In the vision, you rushed to help her.”
She hesitated, unsure of how much to tell him. “Marie’s a part-time instructor at the Senior Center, not far from here. In your vision, she’d just finished teaching a class. All of her students had gone.”
“You know her?” That surprised him. He'd have sworn Voronika didn't interact with anyone she didn't have to.
“She thinks I’m homeless…"
&n
bsp; "You are homeless."
She ignored him. "…and brings me blankets and food sometimes. This coat.” She motioned to the sleek, black leather jacket she wore.
The leather hugged her in all the right places. “That jacket’s perfect for you.”
“Don’t start. Compliments bomb as fast as lies.”
“Couldn't help it. It slipped out.”
She returned to the woman in the vision. “Office workers take up collections for me, and Marie buys me things.”
“And that's why you tried to help her?”
Her expression softened a little. "She's a good person. She has a big heart."
"You like her."
"I can't afford to like anyone."
Enoch could relate to that, but people crept into your life anyway. Marie had touched Voronika. He'd passed the Senior Center many times on his walks up and down Main Street, but it sat back from the street and was difficult to see into, or else he might have recognized its lobby. “Do you know the day, the time that the man attacked her?”
“No clue.” She paused, decided to throw him a bone. “I tried to think of something—a calendar on the wall or desk—that would help me get there before he did.”
Enoch looked past her, out the French doors to the city’s skyline. “I’m not sure she’ll be his next victim. He might choose someone else before he decides on her.”
“How did you see her? Is that another one of your gifts?”
The word was meant to mock him. Enoch explained about his special talent anyway. “I wish I could see more.”
She came to sit on the arm of his chair and scrutinized his face. “Something just doesn’t add up about you. I don’t trust you.”
“You don’t trust anyone.” She was too close. Too tempting. He pushed himself to his feet and went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of wine.
A slow smile curved her lips. "What's the matter, hunter? Do I bother you?"
She was good at this game, and that's all it was. She'd been hurt before, he could tell, and learned to use her feminine wiles to survive. He looked her slowly up and down. "You'd bother any man, and you know it."
She stood, stretching to show off her curves. "But you don't want me?"
"I didn't say that." His voice was hoarse. "But it's not good idea. I don't want to go there."
His answer surprised her. She crossed the room and ran a finger down his throat, letting her nail dig into the skin at the base of his neck. "But you'd feed me anyway?"
She was teasing him. He swallowed hard. "I feel sorry for you. You've had a tough time. You could use a break."
She leaned into him, pressing her body against his. "Such a good soul. All you feel is pity?"
His breath stopped. His muscles tensed. This was a power play she knew she could win. "Are you serious or playing? Because pretty soon, I'm going to lose control."
She immediately retreated, but once she was out of reach, she stopped to stare at him. "You're stronger than I am. You could take me."
"Is that what you want?"
"I don't know."
He stared at her, at her silver beauty. "I don't know either. Is that what usually happens?"
"Vampires like power." Her expression turned bleak. "They don't wait for a yes or a no."
"I do. Power's a tool. It can help or harm."
She shook her head. "I don't understand you."
"You're not used to kindness. You probably haven't experienced it for a long time."
She looked shaken. She turned her back to him and started toward the door. “Don't worry about Marie. Stay out of this. If your killer so much as bothers her, I'll drain him. He won't hurt anyone ever again.”
"Not a good idea. The cops are after him. Let us handle this."
"You have your ways. I have mine."
There was no point in arguing. Enoch changed the subject. “My offer’s still there if you change your mind.”
“A sleepover, or your blood?”
“Both.”
"Will you be able to behave if I'm nesting in your house and sucking blood from your neck?"
"I'll go out a lot."
She laughed. “I don't know what to think about you, so don’t hold your breath.”
“At least I have one.”
She raised a brow. “So you do have a dark side. There’s hope.” And she whooshed out the doors.
Chapter 17
When Enoch passed Voronika’s information onto Danny, Danny got right on it. In half an hour, he knew the night and times Marie Lemmon volunteered at the center—Tuesday nights, six to eight. After that, he called Enoch back and filled him in. "I'm thinking she's safe the rest of the time. She's married. I don't think our guy will go after a woman with her husband sleeping next to her."
"He's only chosen single women before."
"Yeah, but we don't know how he picks them. Maybe that doesn't have anything to do with it." What the hell was this guy's trigger? If there was a pattern, Danny didn't see it. He'd picked two young women back to back and then Katy. And now a grandma with a happy husband? What was the deal?
"That means we'll only have to stand watch on Tuesdays," Enoch said.
"Unless he's changing his pattern and he's planning on taking out her husband too." Danny and Derek could take turns watching the peoples' house.
"No, in the vision, he attacked her at the Senior Center, remember? That's where he'll strike. That's the only night we have to worry about."
Danny let out a sigh of relief. That would narrow things down, give them a better chance. "Right. Thanks, that'll make it a lot easier. Oh, and by the way, did you have a happy Thanksgiving, pal? Do anything special?"
"I heated a chicken Kiev. You?"
"Derek and I brought turkey sandwiches to work with cranberry sauce on them."
"You both pulled duty on Thanksgiving?" Enoch asked.
"If we worked yesterday, we get Christmas off. Derek's heading for Colorado to go skiing and meet girls. My whole family gets together on the farm. My sisters fly in and stay at my folks’ for a week.”
“Fly in from where?”
The question caught Danny by surprise. Enoch was being awfully chatty today. Not like him. He must have been as bored as they were over the holiday. Not much to do but paperwork. If Danny kept up a steady pace today, he'd be caught up, but he was in no particular hurry. “Meredith married a professor and lives in Florida. She has two boys, five and two. Rough and tumble, little hooligans." Danny was crazy about them. "Coreen’s divorced and lives in California. No kids. She’s a bit of a rebel.” She always gave Danny a hard time. Had since they were little. He loved getting and giving her shit. Obviously, her husband hadn't felt the same.
“And your brothers?”
“Arthur stayed on to work the farm and Jay’s an electrician. He lives in Ossian.”
Enoch's voice sounded genuinely surprised. “That close? You never talk about him.”
"What is this? The third degree? Are you drawing my family tree or what?" What had gotten into Enoch? Had he decided to get chummy all of a sudden?
Derek got on the other line and answered for Danny. “Don't pay any attention to him. He's grouchy today. Jay’s wife's an odd one. Doesn’t like anyone, not even me, and we all know how charming I am."
Danny snickered. Derek had too high an opinion of himself, but then Danny had been a little cocky at that age too. A light blinked on the phone on his desk. "Something's up, pal. Gotta go. Have to get back to work."
"Get back with me later. Let me know about Marie."
"Will do." Danny picked up the other line and listened. "We're on our way," he told the caller. Derek looked at him expectantly. "Pizza place on Goshen Road. Robbery."
"Same m.o.?" Derek shrugged into his jacket and followed Danny to his car.
"Same guys."
There'd been a string of break-ins lately. Annoying. The guys knew their stuff and cut security wires. They got caught on tape one time before they disabled the camera. T
hey were ready for that, though. Wore ski masks and hoodies, heavy jackets and gloves, so even with pictures, Danny didn't know much more than he had before. He couldn't figure out why they even bothered. With three of them, at least that's how many were on that job, they couldn't end up with much money after they divided it.
When he and Derek got to the site, it was the same, old deal.
"We don't keep very much cash in the safe overnight," the manager told them. "Just enough to fill the cash drawers and make change for the lunch crowd."
"How'd they get in?" Danny asked.
The manager showed him the back door.
"Looks like they used a crowbar," Derek said.
"And the safe?"
"We're not a chain," the manager said. "We're a family business. They probably used the crowbar on it too."
That's the way it had been for weeks. Quick, in and out jobs. Not much taken—whatever cash they could find, stuff they could carry out to sell or pawn. Nothing to go on. Danny and Derek left when the techs finished up. They drove back to the station, as usual, with no clues to work with.
"They've got to slip up sometime," Derek said.
"Or get better and move on to bigger jobs." Danny grimaced. He sounded like an old grump, but who the hell would rob a pizza joint that was closed for Thanksgiving?
Chapter 18
When Danny called, Enoch volunteered to stand guard over Marie Lemmon on Tuesday nights. He might as well. He planned to be out and about every night, from sundown until sunrise, anyway.
He left his apartment at five and headed down Lafayette, turned left toward Lawton Park, and searched the river banks in the dim light. Lately, he'd found lots of dead animals along the shores—geese, muskrats, opossums, and raccoons. Nothing with enough blood to keep the rogue satisfied for long. Enoch turned again when he reached Clinton Street and took the winding paths that went through Headwaters Park. He almost tripped over the carcass of a black Labrador, it blended so well with the shadows. The big dog had a red, leather collar around its neck. A tag jangled from the thick strap. The vamp must have taken it from someone's yard.