The Night Watch: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blood Red Series Book 2)

by W. J. May

  “…What kind of a journalist would you be if you gave up the first time someone said no to you? Don’t take no for an answer… go get our guy.” He beamed a smile.

  Kallie could see his crooked, yellow teeth. She’d missed half of what he had said, but definitely caught the last part. Don’t take no for an answer? Isn’t that what happened with Liam? How many times had she said no last night? The thought of being under the threat of his fangs made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She shrugged. “Sometimes no, means no.” Before he could respond, Kallie stormed out of the classroom. She was through being jerked around.

  A girl’s day was exactly what the doctor ordered. Kallie caught up with them and it took less than half a sentence to talk them into cutting classes. The three of them laughed over lunch, went for manicures and pedicures, then headed to the mall feeling refreshed and fabulous. Kallie didn’t talk much, but she listened and pretended everything was normal. It felt good to act nineteen again, and even though Liam’s texts had faded from every fifteen minutes to every hour, she didn’t respond. Her father was usually immobile during the day, she wondered how Liam was managing to send texts. He had to be exhausted. She pushed the thought out of her mind. His problems weren’t hers to worry about.

  Jeanna grabbed Kallie’s phone out of her hand. “Girl, that constant buzzing is driving me batty. Who needs to chat with you so badly, and don’t you dare say no one.”

  Kallie swiped the phone back and shoved it in her pocket.

  “You’ve been distant all day. What’s going on?” Lisa asked.

  Kallie sighed, exhausted and tired of hiding things. How much could she tell? Would saying anything risk endangering her friends? “Maybe we should find a place to talk.”

  “Oh crap! You’re pregnant!” Jeanna covered her mouth in shock, showing off her acrylic French manicure. “How did I not see it? You only drank water with lunch, you needed to relax at the spa and now you’re shopping for new clothes. Who’s the father?”

  Kallie just blinked at Jeanna. Was she really that insane? That hungry for gossip? “I’m not pregnant. Not even close to being pregnant.”

  “Are you sure?” Jeanna waved the girls in the direction of the food court that had a new fancy coffee place all the way at the end. “I had a cousin swear she never had sex and she got pregnant. She was an idiot though. Her boyfriend told her they weren’t really having sex because he was pulling out. She believed him.”

  Kallie stared at Jeanna.

  Lisa started laughing. “How did you get accepted into college?”

  Jeanna shrugged and rolled her eyes. “I applied, dummy.”

  Kallie bit her lip to hold back the laughter. She was suddenly glad she’d chosen to hang out with them. They ordered cappuccinos and sat on one of the cozy leather couches.

  “All right, girl. Spill it!” Jeanna demanded. “Does this have anything to do with your dad, again?”

  “No,” Kallie answered quickly. “He’s fine— the same, but fine. In fact, he was just saying how much he missed seeing you guys. No, it’s something else.”

  “It’s okay, Kallie.” Lisa placed a hand on her knee. “You can trust us.”

  Kallie took a deep breath. “I know I can. Remember the night I met Caleb with you guys, but I had a date with Liam so I left?”

  “Liam the hot detective, yeah, I clearly remember,” Jeanna joked.

  “Yeah well, their worlds sort of collided last night.”

  “Oh no! What happened?” Lisa’s eyes widened. “Were you on a date with one and ran into the other one?”

  “No, not at all. See, I…” Kallie knew she would have to tweak the truth. There was no way the girls would believe Liam had scaled her house to climb into her bedroom window. It was super sexy, but completely unbelievable. “I had a ‘date’ with Liam on Wednesday night. Nothing fancy. We just hung out, but it was nice. Really nice. The next day at school, Caleb showed up out of the blue and we spent the afternoon together.”

  “This doesn’t sound like a problem to me, does this sound like a problem to you, Lisa?” Jeanna interrupted. Lisa rolled her eyes.

  “Go on, Kallie,” Lisa urged.

  “Well, I had made plans to see Liam again, last night, but after spending the day with Caleb, I felt we had more in common.”

  “I knew it!” Jeanna squealed. “Okay, still listening, go on.”

  “Anyway, I texted Liam and told him not to come, but he showed up at my house really late. We were all sleeping.”

  “Did he ring your bell?” Lisa asked, knowing how upset her parents would be if a guy wanted to see her late at night.

  “No, he threw pebbles at my window.”

  The girls squealed.

  “That’s so romantic.” Jeanna sighed.

  “I went downstairs to let him in,” Kallie said the lie so smoothly she almost believed it, “and, I took him up to my bedroom.”

  Jeanna started fanning herself. “Detective Steel in your room, at night… why, whatever did you do?” She had a naughty grin on her face.

  Lisa smacked her arm, but looked at Kallie, curious to see just how far they had gone.

  “Well, I was honest with him. I told him I had seen Caleb that day and I simply felt more connected to Caleb.”

  “And what did he say?”

  “He didn’t say anything—he kissed me.”

  “Hot! So hot! Then what?” Jeanna was on the edge of her seat.

  “Not gonna lie, things got really intense, really fast.” Kallie licked her bottom lip, recalling just how good it felt when Liam had done it. “I’ve never been kissed like that. He picked me up— it was…amazing.” She played with her scarf.

  “I can imagine, he’s beautiful…” Jeanna trailed off, lost to her own Liam Steel fantasy.

  “I sense a but coming.” Lisa crossed her arms and raised a defiant brow at Kallie.

  She nodded and swallowed hard before finishing. “He set me down on the bed. It was nice. We were just making out, nothing more, but I felt so…so… connected to him. Does that make sense?”

  Both girls nodded, that dreamy smile curled across their faces. “But then, he…” How could she tell them, without telling them? She closed her eyes and took a breath. “He got aggressive.”

  Jeanna’s smile shattered. “Kallie did he—”

  “No! No! Not at all. He just held me down too tight, he’s so much stronger than I am, and I was pinned in place, I couldn’t move. His kisses stopped being gentle. He was getting…” Kallie searched for the right word. She didn’t want to say that he bit her, they would ask to see the mark. “Rough,” she decided.

  “You must have been so scared.” Lisa’s eyes were filled with empathy.

  “I was. I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen. It wasn’t until I started shouting and pretty much woke up my parents that he let me go. He ran out of the house before my dad could get to him.”

  “What a slimy bastard!” Jeanna shrieked.

  Lisa shook her head in disbelief. “And to think, he’s supposed to protect people in our town.”

  “Well, if it makes you feel better, I don’t think Caleb would ever do that to you. You made the right choice. You should press charges against Liam. Wouldn’t that be funny? Imagine them storming into the precinct to arrest him.”

  “It’s not a bad idea,” Lisa agreed.

  “No… I’m fine, I shouldn’t have invited him in. It’s my fault.”

  “It is not your fault! Don’t you dare be a victim!”

  “I’m not. I actually feel empowered. Liam Steel will never get to me again. I’m confident of that.”

  “You know we’ve got your back,” Lisa said.

  “I know, for now I just want to forget about last night.”

  “You should press charges. A guy like that is going to do it to someone else.” Lisa banged the table.

  “No.” Kallie shook her head. The fault had been hers, not Liam’s. It was too hard to explain to the girls. “He won’t. It w
as a mistake on both our parts.”

  “When are you seeing Caleb again?” Jeanna asked, already moving on.

  “I’m not sure. I sort of need a break from men. After last night, I’m content with just being here with you gals.”

  “I don’t know,” Jeanna said. “I sort of feel like what you need is a real date with Caleb. I think that’s the only way to truly move on from last night. Out with the old and in with the new!”

  Kallie didn’t argue. It was so much more than what she had told them, but by not telling them the full story, they would never really understand how close she had come last night to being drained. It was amazing how fast everything was turning into a nightmare. Nothing would ever be the same again.

  ****

  Kallie strolled in the door armed with shopping bags of new clothes and a new attitude to match. Emptying the new treasures onto her bed, Kallie admired her new colorful wardrobe. She was doing her best to focus on herself, something she hadn’t done in a while, when her phone rang. With a shaky hand, she looked at the screen.

  Caleb.

  He hadn’t tried to contact her since yesterday when they parted ways. She had to remind herself that Caleb wasn’t Liam. She cleared her throat. “Hello?”

  “You know I’m going to kill him, right?”

  Kallie took a deep breath and sat on the bed. “You say the sweetest things to me.”

  “I chased him down last night. I was about to burst into your room when the bastard jumped out. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

  “I’m fine… I swear.”

  “I’ll have to see it to believe it.”

  “And here I thought you were my guardian. You mean you didn’t watch me all day?” Am I flirting with him?

  “Of course I did. But I need to see you closer, preferably in my arms. Nice pink dress by the way, wear it tonight when I take you out.” Kallie turned and looked at the bubblegum dress she had bought. “I prefer a vampire-free weekend, thank you very much.”

  “Look, if you don’t want to go out with me, I completely understand why. In fact, based on what Liam did last night, I get if you never trusted any of us again. But I can assure you, he’s just one idiot out there. Don’t base all vampires on that Blue’s behavior. Unlike him, I have absolute control.”

  “I don’t know…” Hadn’t Liam said Red Bloods were the vicious ones? Maybe he’d lied about that too.

  “Kallie, I haven’t even kissed you, yet. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

  She pressed the phone closer to her ear.

  “I told you, I have absolute control.”

  Carefully, she unwrapped the scarf and felt the spot where Liam had bit her. “How can I know if you’re telling the truth?” She had said no more vampires and now she was considering seeing him?

  “Because I have no reason to lie to you. I was honest when I told you I was at your accident that night. I was honest when I revealed myself in the light of day. I never want you to fear me. I see your trust as something sacred, something I would never jeopardize.”

  “Those are just words.”

  “I know… just come with me. Let me give you one night. Just one and if you aren’t completely trusting of me, then I’ll go back to watching you from afar. But Kallie, I will never leave your side. I’m here to protect you. I’ll always be there, should anything happen.”

  She couldn’t just tell Caleb to get lost the way she had with Liam. He believed he was her protector. That vampy witch had given him the ability to walk in the sun just to further enable his mission. Did her father know about this witch? She needed to ask him later tonight. If she stayed in her room all night, Caleb would be outside her window standing guard. “Where are you right now?”

  “I’m close.”

  “How close is close?”

  Caleb laughed. “Close enough. Look, if you’re worried I won’t behave I can meet you instead of pick you up.” He sucked in a breath. “But, I’d rather pick you up.”

  Kallie chewed on her bottom lip. Then shook her head in disbelief that she had even considered it for a moment. “No. I’m staying in.”

  “Oh Kallie, you’re going to make me work for you, huh?”

  She heard the teasing in his voice, but also the determination. “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s okay, I’m up for the challenge. See ya later, beautiful.”

  “I told you, I’m not going.” Did these vamps ever listen?

  “Now, you’re not. We’ll see how you feel in a few hours.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “Crazy about you. Catch ya later, Kallie.”

  She heard the phone call end, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. “What the hell was that?”

  She found out at dinner when the doorbell rang. “I got it!” she called out. Her mom had ordered pizza before heading out to work, she had a night shift tonight. Determined to stay in, Kallie was in sweats and a ponytail when she answered the door. It wasn’t the pizza man. It was a delivery man from the local florist. He had a bouquet of red roses that he gave to Kallie. She wasn’t impressed. Anyone can send flowers, this is not going to sway me. But when the doorbell continued to ring every twenty minutes, Kallie wondered how long it would go on for. The house was covered with every type of flower imaginable. From roses to daisies, some idiot vamp had bought them all.

  “Someone is trying to say sorry,” her father said when he came up the stairs. He looked around the house in disgust.

  “It’s not Liam. It’s Caleb.” There hadn’t been any cards with the flowers, but she knew they were from him. At least, she was pretty sure they were from Caleb.

  “Well, I don’t like him either, even if he is a Red.”

  “I have to get out of here.”

  Her father caught her arm. “It’s dark out. I don’t want you going outside.”

  “I’m going to Jeanna’s. She’s a few blocks away. I won’t walk, I’ll drive. I’ll even text you when I get there so you know I’m all right.”

  Her father looked into her eyes to see if she was lying.

  “You can even walk me to the car. Or follow me.”

  He finally conceded when the doorbell rang again with more flowers.

  Kallie ran up to her room and stared at the new pink dress hanging on her closet door. “I’m losing my mind.” She stuffed the dress into her purse and grabbed her makeup bag.

  Her dad walked her outside. A long, painful breath escaped his lips as he stared up at the night sky. The moon was three quarter’s full.

  Kallie tried to pretend she didn’t know what his sigh meant. He was hiding in the house, waiting each month to be fed on by beasts like Liam. They might have red eyes or blue, Kallie had never asked. “Dad?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you know a vampy witch?”

  “A what?”

  “A vampire who’s also a witch?”

  He stared at her for a long moment. “Who told you there was one?”

  She hugged him, the pain in his voice beyond her understanding. “It doesn’t matter. No one told me. I was just hoping there was some kind of supernatural being who could help you.”

  She released him and got into her car, forcing a smile on her face as she drove away. Why had she asked him? To make him feel worse? To give hope when there was none?

  When she got to Jeanna’s house she was shaking. She quickly texted her father that she had arrived.

  He responded with:

  Two more bouquets arrived. I paid the delivery guy $20 to stop ringing the bell. Don’t be surprised if our front porch looks like the botanical gardens. The neighbors are going to think someone died. lol

  The door opened and Jeanna filled the archway. “Hey! What’re you doing here?”

  Kallie was surprised to see her in pajamas. Jeanna usually had a date every Friday night.

  “Caleb asked me out tonight. I was so shook up over Liam that I said no. He responded by sending flowers to my house every twenty minutes for
three hours. That’s nine bouquets! Nine! That’s like one hundred and eight flowers! I don’t think I’ve gotten one hundred and eight flowers in my entire life!” Kallie looked at Jeanna’s expression and knew she looked like she had completely lost it. “There’re still more flowers coming!”

  “What did the cards say?”

  “Cards?”

  “The little ones on each of the flowers.”

  “I didn’t even look.”

  “Then how do you know they are from Caleb, not Liam?”

  “I just know.”

  “Okay…” Jeanna stepped aside to let Kallie in. “How is a romantic guy a bad thing?”

  “I’m scared.” She couldn’t tell her friend why.

  “I thought you said you felt empowered now.”

  Kallie straightened. She was done with men. She didn’t want romance, she wanted her father safe. That’s what she needed to do. Focus on that. Caleb was going to help her. She’d make him take her to the vampire witch and force her to help her father. And find out why the hell she needed protection. It was time to get answers.

  Her phone vibrated.

  “Who is it?” Jeanna asked.

  “Caleb. He wants me to meet him at the Red Dragon.”

  Jeanna shrieked. “Do you have any idea how exclusive that club is? Like you need a key or something to get in. Oh, Kallie… you have to go!”

  “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

  “You have to go! I’m dying to know how Caleb got in! Maybe he’s got loads of money. Or he’s royalty of some kind. Like a prince charming!” Jeanna grabbed Kallie’s hand and dragged her up to her room.

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Finding something for you to wear.”

  “I brought my new pink dress.”

  Jeanna whirled around on the stairs. “And you said you didn’t want to go! I knew it!”

  “I didn’t pack any shoes.”

  “You have the worst shoes. Geez, Kallie, way to play like you’re not interested in Caleb.”

  “You’re supposed to talk me out of this.”

  “No! You’ve had a shitty few years. The accident, your dad’s illness, Liam being a complete prick. You deserve this! I’m determined tonight you get your happily ever after.”