by D McEntire
David's assault on Sonya made his blood boil. The bastard was as good as dead.
"I guess it's back to the sanatorium," he growled. Out of anger, his fangs elongated, but he ignored the raised eyebrows by his Cell-mates at his reaction. His rage couldn't be contained, and he wasn't going to bother trying. There was retribution to be had. He would avenge Sonya. Even if it killed him.
"Okay," Trigg drawled, and out of the corner of his eye, Tank noticed Kern elbow the warrior in the side, which seemed to sober the Watcher. The next time Trigg spoke, Tank noticed his tone was more matter-of-fact. "I heard you and Sonya talking about retrieving items from her place."
Just the mention of Sonya's name seemed to ease his anger. Tank couldn't believe how it affected him, and the why of it held no rational explanation, that is if he could think of one.
Standing, he nodded. "Yeah. She wants to go along. Although I'm not fond of the idea, I can understand her wanting to gather her own things."
It was Trigg who let out a snort this time. Evidentially, Kern's elbow to the side had quickly been forgotten, Tank thought with another glare. He seriously wanted to wipe the amused looks off both their faces.
"Well, take it from us, getting a woman to do what you say isn't easy. In fact, it's virtually impossible."
Tank blew out a breath and walked to the office where he inserted the missive from Headquarters into the shredder. As the hum of the machine echoed in the small room, his mind continued to revolve around Sonya. He was taking her home and hoped like hell she wasn't going to fight him by wanting to stay there. She needed to be here, with him. By his side. Only for her protection, he tried telling himself, though he sensed his mind and heart didn't believe it for a minute.
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Chapter Eleven
"We've got coffee if you'd like a cup. It's good stuff. Rosa's pretty anal about her coffee," Robyn said.
Sonya heard the scrape of a mug.
"I heard that," Rosa denied as she entered the room.
"Well, it's true."
Sonya recognized Marie's voice as she also stepped into the kitchen. Once again, she found herself amazed at how quickly she'd learned everyone's names and was able to determine who spoke and where they stood in the room.
"Bite me, Marie."
The room suddenly quieted, until Rosa spoke again.
"Sorry, Sonya."
The last thing Sonya wanted was for any of them to feel as though they walked on eggshells around her. Nor did she want them to be afraid she'd break down at any moment. "Don't worry about it. I can't change what's happened to me. I've got to deal with it. I have to believe everything will work out."
"Sugar or cream, Sonya?"
The sound of coffee pouring into a mug was so clear, it surprised her. She turned her face in the direction of Robyn's voice. "Both, please. One spoon of sugar and lots of cream."
"Sure, coming right up."
The microwave hummed, and minutes later the timer dinged. A thud on the kitchen table followed, accompanied by the aroma of chocolate chip pancakes.
"Mmm. Smells wonderful." Sonya's stomach growled loudly.
Lifting the plate she'd heard one of the girls plunk down in front of her, she pushed it forward until it clinked against the plate of pancakes. Using her fork, she carefully slid over two pieces and returned her plate to rest before her.
None of the girls had interfered in any way while she'd plated her pancakes. Not even when she grabbed the syrup and held it close to her plate to make sure she didn't pour it all over the table. They seemed to understand her need for independence and didn't wait on her like a child. For that, she was thankful.
Pouring syrup on an empty spot on the plate, opting to dip her pancakes instead of attempting to cover them, she prayed she didn't make a mess by sloshing it over the side of the plate.
"These are delicious." Sonya dabbed at the syrup on her lips with a napkin.
"Thanks. Would you like butter for your pancakes?" Robyn asked.
Sonya shook her head, dipped another forkful into her syrup and took a bite.
"Rosa, are you and Vane all packed?"
Robyn's question piqued Sonya's curiosity. "You going on a trip?" she asked, trying to join in the conversation and learn more about those around her.
"Well, sort of. My folks live in Tennessee, so we're heading down there. We didn't get a chance see them at Christmas, so this will be a belated holiday gathering."
"Oh, yeah. That's right. I totally forgot you guys are goin'. When you leavin'?"
The sound of Marie's voice traveled. Sonya loved the country twang in her speech and could tell the woman moved about the kitchen.
"In a little bit. Vane wanted to sit in on the guys' nightly meeting first, just to see what's going on. You know, it's a Watcher thing."
Sonya frowned. "What's a Watcher?"
When the room grew suddenly quiet, Sonya thought she'd asked a taboo question or if they were part of some sort of secret society or under the radar sort of operation.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Sonya. I guess Tank hasn't told you about them--about who and what they are."
Sonya shook her head.
"Did he tell you about the Rogues?"
Sonya frowned again and thought a moment about the many things Tank did tell her. "I don't believe so."
"Well," Robyn started, "unbeknownst to humans, vampires are everywhere. We live normal lives just like everyone else. We have jobs, raise families, you know, regular stuff. Though our bodies need blood because of our special chemical makeup, we don't drink human blood. We don't need to. Rare meat does the trick."
"Then there are the Rogues," Marie added. Sonya turned her head in the direction of her voice.
"They are vamps who've fallen under the thrall of bloodlust. That's an extreme craving for blood. To sate that craving, they prey upon humans and even other vamps."
"It's not just blood that gets them off." Rosa spoke this time. Sonya would've almost thought it funny each had something to say about the subject, but as it was, the conversation itself was not only interesting, it was scary.
"They go for the thrill of the hunt and their victim's fear. It's like a drug to them. They get their kicks from the act of killing."
Sonya felt her heart stop at the implications. Had she been that close to being killed? Had that been David's intentions? "The man who did this to me, do you think he's a Rogue?" Her heart and head knew the answer, but she felt the need to hear it spoken aloud as affirmation. She'd spent months around David and had never known how truly disturbed and evil the man was. She'd never dreamed he'd do such a thing.
"No normal, sane vampire would've taken you from your home and attacked you in an abandoned, rundown building. He also killed Si and Mya's adopted parents. Rogues are sick, twisted bloodsuckers," Robyn answered. "That's where Tank and the guys come in. They're Watchers. Watchers are a society of trained vampire warriors whose job is to hunt and kill Rogues. Dr. Stephanus Olivia created the society and established a headquarters in Houston, Texas. Two trainees just left."
"They're called WITs for Watchers in Training," Marie said as she rejoined the conversation. "Dr. Olivia was here at the Cell during the holidays. He's a really nice man. Kern told me the story of how the Watchers got started, if you want to hear it."
Sonya nodded. "Yes, I do." She forked up another bite of pancake and listened intently to the story, momentarily forgetting about David now that Tank was once again on her mind.
"A group of Rogues attacked Dr. Olivia's village. Well, he wasn't a doctor back then, of course. We're talking the early seventeen hundreds. They killed everyone, including his wife and kids."
Sonya gasped. "Oh, that's horrible."
"They almost killed him as well, but a vampire named Damiano Polatori came out of nowhere and fought the Rogues. Dr. Olivia was close to death from his injuries. Damiano offered to save him if he joined in the fight against the Rogues. As you can guess, since we're here talking abo
ut this now, Dr. Olivia agreed, and Damiano converted him."
"Where is Damiano now? Is he in Texas too?" Sonya found herself riveted on the story.
"No, a group of Rogues managed to kill him. That was when Dr. Olivia began recruiting vampire warriors and put together the society of Watchers. They're all over the world."
Sonya didn't miss the proud tone in Marie's voice. She couldn't blame her. At that moment she felt proud of Tank, which didn't make sense since she had no real association with him. Not like these women and their men.
"Tank is a Commander in this society of Watchers?" Sonya asked.
"Yep. Tank, Trigg, Vane and Kern all operate out of this Cell, which looks after the downtown Louisville area." Robyn explained.
Another thought struck her. "Did you say the early seventeen hundreds? Vampires live that long?"
She heard the women chuckle before Robyn answered. "Yes, and then some for many of us. We're not immortal, though. We can be killed just like any human."
Sonya was dizzy with all the information. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly. "No offense, but I still can't believe I'm sitting here talking to a group of vampires. It's even harder to believe I'm one."
"We totally understand, Sonya," Robyn said, and Sonya felt the woman's hand rest on her shoulder.
"I was once human and so was Marie, but we chose to convert to be with our mates. Well, we didn't actually choose, but we would have if we'd been conscious."
Another round of chuckles sounded before Robyn continued, "Rosa was born a vampire."
The last part of what Robyn said surprised her. "So, you mean all vampires aren't former humans?"
Rosa laughed, "Yep, vampires can have children. Even the converted ones. Si and Mya are natural vampires like me. Born vampires are called trueborns, but if you ask me, that's just a word. I don't feel we're any different than converted humans."
"Is Tank a trueborn or convert?"
Sonya was dying to know more about Tank, but she didn't dare ask him. He'd surely tell her it was none of her business. Actually, it was none of her business, she told herself. It didn't stop her from listening and praying the girls didn't tell her to ask him instead.
"He's a convert. He was converted by Dr. Olivia when the doctor asked him to join the Watchers back in the mid 1760s, I believe. I should probably let him tell you his own story. Just ask him, I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing it with you."
Just what she was afraid they'd say. At least she did get some sense of Tank's age, she thought. A convert.
Sonya didn't know why she'd been secretly hoping Tank was a convert and not a trueborn. Perhaps because it meant they had something in common.
While taking a sip of coffee with one hand, Sonya pushed her plate forward with the other. She did her best to hide her disappointment they hadn't revealed more about Tank. Standing, she tried to recall the direction of the sink. The mental image she'd erected when Tank had walked her around the kitchen earlier formed in her head.
Counting her steps, she walked unerringly to the sink, turned the faucet handle and rinsed the plate.
"I'll put that in the dishwasher," Robyn said.
Sonya felt the plate being gently tugged from her hands.
Rosa laughed. "Let me tell you something about Robyn. I may be anal about my coffee, but Robyn's anal about the kitchen. This is especially true for the placement of dishes in the dishwasher."
Laughing herself, Sonya gave up the plate and fork without hesitation. "I understand," she said as she returned to her chair.
"I can't help it, you guys. I keep telling you if the dishes aren't placed correctly they won't get clean."
"Well, I guess Vane and I better hit the road. We haven't decided how long we're staying."
Sonya heard the girls give Rosa a hug. To her surprise, Rosa hugged her as well. The feeling of being a part of something, of this group, was almost overwhelming. Sonya quickly told herself not to go there. She had to return home and to her job. She had to return to her life. What else could she do? She had no cause to stay here. If she was going to be lonely, she'd rather dwell in her loneliness at home.
David drove the downtown streets, keeping his senses open for signs of Sonya. He'd heard through the Rogue grapevine Watchers patrolled this area and most likely resided here as well. If the Watchers had taken her, of which he had no doubt, she was probably still with them.
After navigating the heavily populated streets and not capturing even the slightest indication she was near, he began to branch out, taking streets further away from the main downtown hot spots.
David turned onto Broadway, then hooked a left on Barrett Avenue, passing a large warehouse with the name of a storage company in fading paint on its brick walls. He recalled reading an article in the newspaper where a drug runner from Texas had been using it as a distribution point. The police had raided the building last April and had shut down the operation.
The building was now vacant. An idea struck him as he glanced at its reflection in his rearview mirror. He'd been thinking about selling his home and finding a place where he wouldn't have to deal with neighbors. He needed a building where sunlight wouldn't be an issue. Since this one had very few windows, it was perfect, he told himself. Besides, he needed a good home for his wife and children.
With those happy thoughts, David turned left onto Main Street and proceeded at a casual pace down the one-way street.
A tingle began along his skin, faint at first, then grew stronger the further he drove. Sonya. She was near. Swinging his head in one direction, then the other, he scanned the buildings which resembled old warehouses.
When the sensation grew stronger, David pulled his car to the curb and sat a moment. After taking several deep breaths to clear his mind, he readied himself to reach out with his senses to get a better fix on her. Just starting to close his eyes, movement caught his attention.
A large garage door he hadn't even noticed on the old warehouse across the street opened, revealing a black Mercedes. The car idled as a tall, dark skinned and extremely muscular man strode to the driver's side window and spoke to the driver. Moments later, the car pulled onto the road and drove away. The garage door slowly closed, blending once again into the building's facade.
David couldn't believe his luck. When the garage door had opened, Sonya's presence had flooded him like a tidal wave. Now he knew exactly where she was, and the tall, dark man he figured to be one of the Watchers.
Watchers. This was their lair, but there was no telling how many were inside.
The closing of a door and the fading sound of footsteps told Sonya that Rosa and Vane had left. She continued to sit at the kitchen table and nurse her cup of coffee while her mind sifted through all the things the three women had told her. Even though her world had been turned upside down--forever--she couldn't help but feel honored to be in the presence of these particular vampires. She had no idea people like her, or at least her in the sense of her former life, were in danger of attacks by rogue vampires.
This felt like a dream, and she wondered if she pinched herself hard enough, she'd wake. Then again, it would mean Tank was a dream as well. No. She definitely didn't want Tank to be only a dream or figment of her imagination.
She didn't know much about Tank besides his role in the Watcher society, but she did know how kind and gentle he was, not to mention how delicious he smelled. There were also the bulging muscles she'd felt under her fingertips and against her cheek when he'd held her as if she was precious to him.
Okay, back up, she admonished herself. Where was she going with that thought?
"Sonya? Sonya?"
A voice sounding far away cut into her thoughts. Suddenly, she realized it wasn't far away. Her mind was. She jerked and turned to the sound.
"Ready to collect a few things from your house?"
The familiar, low rumbling voice washed over her like silk. "Yes, I'm ready. Just point me in the right direction."
Tank took the elevator
so Sonya didn't have to navigate the narrow stairs to the lower level. Once in the garage, he escorted her to his SUV, opened the door and waited while she settled in the seat, then visually ensured her seatbelt was clicked into place.
He turned to find Kern and Trigg standing behind him. "I'm driving Sonya to her house to get whatever she needs for her stay here. We'll go on patrol after I take care of this."
"No go, bro."
Trigg's tone was as solid as the expression on his face. Tank knew the man was serious and wasn't going to back down on whatever he had on his mind.
"Kern and I will tag along as backup."
If David appeared on Sonya's doorstep with a group of Rogues--of which Tank had no doubt the maniac was one himself--could he protect her on his own? Although he hated to admit it, his Second in Command was right. There should always be backup, especially when the safety of a female was involved. Damn it, he mentally cursed. He wanted to spend time alone with Sonya.
Kern's Nissan 350Z caught his attention, and he silently thanked Dr. Olivia for giving it to the Watcher. It had been somewhat of a welcome home gift after the warrior, who'd been MIA for eight months, had returned. And though Tank was overjoyed to have Kern as part of his Cell, right now he wished both he and Trigg would find something else to occupy them for awhile.
"Take your own ride," he barked, jerking his head in the direction of Kern's car. Without another word, he opened the driver's side door and slid inside. Not bothering to wait for Kern to start his car, he punched the remote clipped to his visor. After the garage door opened, he pulled onto the street.
David slumped in the seat of his car when the garage door of the building he'd been staring at for the past half hour slowly opened once more. A large, and uber-expensive looking SUV pulled onto the street and headed toward the highway. Though the extra dark tinted windows blocked his view of the interior, his senses screamed Sonya was inside.