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www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2018 Annie Harland Creek
ISBN: 978-1-77339-603-3
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To my family, friends and readers. Your belief in me is empowering. I am blessed to have you in my life. Thank you, once again, to Kerry for being the best beta reader on the planet.
There are no words to describe the gratitude I have for the team at Evernight publishing for continuing to support me in my writing journey. Last year, when Evernight accepted my first book, Kiss of Death, it was a dream come true. Now, with book three in print and book four almost finished, I can hardly believe I’ve come so far in such a short time. A big thank you to Stacey for her faith in me, Audrey for editing my work and for her helpful advice on how to swear in American LOL and, of course, Jay for her wonderful covers.
Evernight isn’t just a publishing house. Once they accept you as an author, you become part of a family. The talented group of authors are a constant source of encouragement, support, and friendship. I hope that, one day, I can be as talented and successful as them.
TAKE BACK THE NIGHT
Blood Brothers, 3
Annie Harland Creek
Copyright © 2018
Chapter One
Thunder rattled the windows of the room, waking the young woman from her fitful sleep. Her eyes flew open and widened in fear. She scanned the room as her heart thumped against the wall of her chest, robbing her of breath. Where am I? She drew her knees up under her chin, the soles of her feet brushing soft linen sheets. Her body sank into soft mattress and she leaned back against fluffy pillows as the realization hit her. Not in a basement, that’s for sure. She let out an audible sigh but her heart refused to change its erratic pace. Her fingers brushed the scars along her neck. Scars not quite healed but faded none-the-less. No longer angry-looking red welts, the silvery white marks could easily be covered by makeup, if she chose to wear any. That wasn’t going to happen any time soon.
A flash of lightning illuminated the room and her memory returned. No, not a basement, but not her home either. She would never return to her home. Never. Evil knew where she lived. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and shuddered as an image filtered through a crack in her carefully erected mental blocks. A hideous monster with long, yellowing nails and fangs. His skin drawn tight over his bony features, attracting attention to flaming red eyes that burned into her memory despite the hours of therapy. Laughing eyes that danced with delight at every scream he tore from her throat. Trembling, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees. Yes, Torke was evil but it was in his nature … he was a monster. A real-life monster. It was the other man who taught her a valuable lesson. A lesson she would remind herself every day. Evil came in all shapes and forms. The ugly and the beautiful. Even handsome men with sparkling green eyes and disarming smiles had secrets. Some could hide a nature too despicable to fathom. And if you have any sense, Susie Lister, you’ll remember that!
****
Terry Palmer gazed out of his office window, admiring the harbor. Nice view. Definitely a step up from his old, stuffy, windowless office. He opened the window, breathed in the fresh ocean air, and shuddered. Well, almost fresh. He crinkled his nose at the pungent smell of fish wafting up from the fishing boats as they unloaded their catch. Closing the window, he surveyed the room. Not too shabby.
Before leaving for her honeymoon, Meaghan had equipped his office with more computer equipment than he would ever need. Hell, he hardly knew what most of it was for. Despite being the commanding officer, his old office at the precinct had the bare minimum and he had managed just fine. Humph. Probably Corel’s influence. He shook his head. Goddamned David, sweeping in with his superpowers and sophistication. What chance did a poor shmuck like him have to win Meaghan’s affections when compared to Corel’s charm? What’s done is done. Better make the best of a bad situation. He’d accepted their job offer and he’d be damned if he didn’t prove his worth.
An hour passed while he sat at his desk, staring through his open door at the reception area. Come on, people. Where the hell are the clients? If he wasn’t being paid a salary, he’d be questioning his decision to leave law enforcement for private investigation. When the door buzzer sounded, he almost jumped out of his seat with enthusiasm. Stay calm, Palmer. Don’t look too anxious. He kept his butt firmly planted in his seat and remained at his desk until the door had fully opened and the client had, hesitantly, made her way toward his office. Only then did he rise and move to offer his hand.
“Good morning Miss…?”
“Mrs. Whittaker. Janice Whittaker.”
She accepted his hand but her eyes remained trained on the floor and Terry could feel the tremble in her clammy grasp as clearly as he could hear it in her voice. Battered wife, maybe?
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Whittaker. I’m Terry Palmer.” He motioned for her to sit on the upholstered chair beside his desk and offered her a coffee, which she declined. “What can we do for you?”
Janice Whittaker took a deep breath, then another before bursting into tears. Terry passed her a box of tissues but refrained from pressing her for an explanation. Years of experience taught him that it was better to allow the victim time to compose themselves and, at the moment, he had plenty to spare.
“I’m sorry.” She sobbed into the tissue. “I just didn’t know where to turn.”
“You came to the right place,” he told her. “Now, take your time and tell me who has upset you.”
Janice nodded, blew her nose, and stared at him with bloodshot eyes. “It’s my husband.”
Terry nodded. “He beats you?”
“No, never. At least I used to believe that. Now…” She shook her head. “He’s changed, Mr. Palmer. He ignores me and our children. He barely eats or sleeps. He stopped turning up for work at the factory and they sacked him, but he disappears for hours at a time and I have no idea where he’s going.”
“He may just be looking for work,” Terry offered. “It’s tough coming to terms with unemployment. Maybe—”
“He gets phone calls, all hours of the day and night. If I answer, the caller hangs up.”
“So, you believe he’s having an affair?”
“I don’t know what to think.” Janice leaned forward, covering her face with her palms. “Whoever calls him couldn’t be making him happy. He gets agitated on the phone and then, he … I don’t know … zones out.”
Terry leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers behind his head. “Zones out?”
As she removed her hands from her face, Terry noticed the woman’s pale complexion and the dark circles that lined her otherwise pretty eyes. Eyes filled with pain. He adjusted his position and leaned forward. “I’m sorry, Janice. I didn’t mean to sound disrespectful. Could you please elaborate? It might give me more of an idea of how to help you.”
Janice nodded but her shoulders dropped and she lowered her chin as she took another deep breath. “It’s hard to explain.” Her eyebrows knit and her mouth twisted into a grimace as she blurted, “It’s like the other person is giving him instructions and he doesn’t want to follow them. T
hen he just walks out of the house and doesn’t come back for hours, sometimes days.” She leaned forward and grabbed Terry’s hands. “Please help me, Mr. Palmer. He isn’t himself. I don’t know where else to turn.”
Terry removed his hands from the woman’s grasp with as much sensitivity as a tough cop could muster. He wasn’t comfortable with the physical contact. Not from a client. It didn’t feel professional. There was an unwritten law in the force. Stay objective. Don’t get personally involved. He saw no reason for private investigation to be any different, but he felt the sudden need to make her feel more comfortable, more at ease. He gave one of her hands a quick pat as he told her, “Please call me Terry. Now, I don’t wish to offend you, but I must ask you some standard questions.” He grabbed a pen from the desk and began scribbling on his notepad, ignoring the company-supplied laptop.
“Have you or your husband spoken to a doctor or counselor about this problem?”
“Six months ago, after his parents died in a car accident, Allan joined a support group at his doctor’s suggestion. It seemed to helping, for a while.”
Terry kept writing as he asked, “And this was before he started acting strangely?”
“Yes. He was depressed but he tried his best to cope. Life at home was a little strained but we managed.”
“When did his behavior change?”
Janice tilted her head to one side, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. “About one month ago … no, six weeks, I think. He came home from a support meeting with a vague expression on his face and went straight to bed. The calls started the next day and every day since.”
“Did you speak with his doctor?”
“She said she isn’t allowed to discuss his condition but assured me that he turns up to every meeting.”
“Does he have any friends or family who he may confide in? A mutual friend?”
She shook her head. “He was an only child and his recent behavior has chased away all our friends. Even the neighbors give us the cold shoulder now.”
Terry frowned. “Is he confrontational?”
Janice’s eyes widened and she chewed on her bottom lip. “He just stares at them, at me and the kids. He either looks right through us as if we weren’t there or else he glares like a madman. The neighbors won’t even make eye contact with him anymore.” She half-chuckled, half-cried. “Confrontational? He doesn’t say a word. Not to me, not to anyone.”
Terry tried to suppress a grin. “He speaks to someone, Janice. How else could he answer the mysterious caller?”
Janice crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed at the goosebumps that suddenly dotted her skin. “That’s the creepiest part, Terry. He grunts … like an animal. He nods and grunts. It’s like living in a horror movie with a madman. The kids are scared out of their wits.”
“Could he be taking drugs?”
She shook her head. “If he is, I haven’t seen any evidence and he hasn’t taken any money out of our joint account. Do you think you can help us?”
Terry smiled as he handed her a standard client information form. “I’ll do what I can. If you can give me his car registration number and a recent photo, I’ll follow him for a few days and see where he goes, who he sees. Maybe that will give us some insight into his strange behavior. The address where he attends his meetings would be helpful too.”
Janice looked up from the form. Color rose to her cheeks and Terry anticipated her next question before she asked.
“Please don’t tell my employer, Janice, but I forgot to tell you about the special promotion. As this is our first week, I was supposed to announce when you first walked in that, as our first customer, we will be waiving our fees.”
Her hand went to her mouth and she sobbed. “Oh, my God. Thank you. Thank you so much. I wasn’t sure how I was going to … oh, Terry, this means so much to me and the kids.”
Terry felt the now-familiar tug as David intruded on his thoughts, the side effects of allowing the vampire to save his life.
“Promotion? Funny, I don’t remember any promotion.”
“She’s desperate, Corel. Desperate and broke. I—”
“You did the right thing, Palmer. We’re not in the business to make money from the needy. Give her all the assistance she needs.”
“How’s the honeymoon?”
“We’re cutting it short. No, the romance isn’t over. There’s been a development.”
“Damn you, Corel. Stop reading my mind. What’s this development?”
“We’ll discuss it when Meaghan and I return home.”
“And that was all she wrote.” Terry cursed under his breath. It infuriated him the way that Corel accessed his thoughts at will but cut the connection the moment things got interesting.
“Excuse me?”
He turned his attention back to Janice. “Sorry, I was just considering my next step.” He took the completed form from her and, as she rose from her chair, shook her extended hand. “I’ll give you a call the moment I have any information. Try and act as normal as possible around your husband but”—he handed her a business card—“if you ever feel threatened, call me immediately. Day or night.”
She cupped her other hand, pressing her palms around his. “Thank you, Terry. I feel much safer knowing we have you looking after us.”
Terry watched her leave and knew his thoughts should be focused on Janice and her children, but something else had his attention. What was so important that David would cut short his honeymoon?
Chapter Two
The forty-something psychologist looked up from her notes, her round, mocha-toned face expressionless as she asked, “So, Susie. How have you been sleeping lately? Is the medication helping?”
Susie removed her fingers from her mouth and hid her hands in her lap, hoping the doctor wouldn’t see that her once manicured nails had been chewed to the quick. She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “I guess they’re helping. I only wake up once or twice a night lately.”
“Are you back at work yet?” Dr. Dubois asked as she typed notes on her laptop.
Back to work? Susie broke out in a cold sweat. How could she go back to work at the gym? So many people … strangers. So many men with charming smiles hiding evil intent. Besides Anna and Dr. Dubois, she could barely speak to anyone, even Derrick, Anna’s husband. Poor Derrick. He’d saved her life and given her the protection of a room in his house and she’d barely said two words to him since she’d taken up residence in his home. If only she could forget what he was, what Anna had also become.
“Susie?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. What was the question?”
“Have you gone back to work at the gym?”
“No. Not yet. I’m not…” She paused to catch her breath as her heart rate increased. “I’m not ready yet.”
“Mmm.” Dr. Dubois made another note. “I think it’s time you joined my group counseling sessions. You need to interact with others, people who share your concerns. You’d be surprised how many have the same problem as you.”
Susie almost laughed out loud. The same problem? How many of the patients in this group had been attacked by a coven of vampires? Who else had been kidnapped and chained to a wall for weeks while monsters fed on their blood? How many had blind dates turn out to be power-hungry maniacs who were willing to sacrifice innocent lives to get what they wanted?
“I know what you’re thinking,” the doctor told her.
“I seriously doubt that.”
“This is a big step, but I truly believe that mixing with others and sharing your feelings will speed up your recovery process. Will you at least give it a try?”
Subconsciously, her fingers dove back into her mouth as she fought back the threatening tears. Not ready. Don’t want to. Her thoughts turned to Anna and Derrick. She lived in their home, ate their food while she repaid them by forcing them to put up with her hysterical night terrors. She owed it to them to at least try. Nodding her head, she agreed.
“Okay, I’ll try.”
During the drive home, Susie sensed Anna’s apprehension. Her best friend sat quietly behind the wheel of the BMW but Susie could tell that there were burning questions she needed answers to. If only she could find the words to ease her friend’s pain.
“Doc Dubois wants me to join a group session,” she finally shared.
“That’s great,” Anna replied with a smile in her voice that matched the one on her face. “How do you feel about that?”
“You sound like my shrink.” Susie giggled for the first time since the incident.
“I’ve missed hearing that giggle,” Anna told her as she reached out to pat her friend’s hand.
Instinctively, Susie reacted to Anna’s freezing body temperature with a shudder as she pulled away. It broke her heart to see the sting of rejection on her friend’s face.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. It’s just—”
“I understand. Really, I do.” Anna stared ahead at the road but her shoulders slumped and her eyes lost a little of their sparkle. “So, are you going to join the sessions?”
“I told the doctor that I would, but now I’m not so sure. I don’t think I can face other people, not yet, and they’re held during the day so you wouldn’t be able to drive me. I’m nervous to drive while on the anti-depressant medication the doctor gave me.”
“I’ll arrange a driver to take you to and from your sessions. A female driver.”
“You and Derrick have done enough for me already. I can’t keep imposing like this.”
“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have been in harm’s way.”
“You tried to convince me to cancel the blind date. I should have listened.”
“We both know that you were a pawn. Torke used my ex to kidnap you so he could get to me. If I had just left town after Dad’s funeral, you wouldn’t have been caught up in all this.”
Take Back the Night Page 1