Nightwalker

by Rhonda L. Print

  “Shut the hell up you fucking monster! You can only bring her pain and you know it.” Joaquín spoke each word slowly through gritted teeth.

  I stepped around Ian and walked to Mouse and Bear, they turned to look at Ian, who nodded once.

  “Don’t look at Ian for permission.” I squeezed my eyes shut tight. “I can take care of myself! I don’t need any of you to play protector for me, no matter what Zarendia says. Now, get the hell out of my way!” I stalked up to Joaquín.

  Ian’s eyes flew wide. “What did you say…?”

  “Do you know what he is, Leah?” Joaquín interrupted.

  “How did you know where I was, Joaquín?” I hadn’t told anyone that I’d be here. A little paranoid, but then again, I’d had better weeks.

  “What did Zarendia say?” Ian’s question went ignored.

  Joaquín raked his hands through his hair. He spoke quietly. “You do, don’t you. You know what he is and you’re here anyway.”

  “Answer the fucking question, Joaquín. Have. You. Been. Fucking. Following. Me?” I said each word separately.

  Ian stepped forward. “What did Zarendia…”

  “Stay out of this, Ian.” I held my hand out to push Ian away, not letting my gaze fall from Joaquín’s now searching-for-a-lie face.

  “Joaquín? Answer me.” My normally tiny well of patience was long past dry. I stepped closer to him, quaking with anger.

  Joaquín straightened up, his face a mask of arrogance. “You haven’t been making good decisions, Leah.”

  “Un-fucking-believable!”

  “Eloquently put, my love.” Ian sounded slightly amused.

  “Stay out of this, Ian!” I warned.

  Joaquín flashed a less than friendly look at Ian. “I thought you went to Wilson and Alli’s. When you weren’t there I went back to your place.”

  “Stay the hell away from me, Joaquín.”

  “It’s been trashed, Leah.”

  I felt the color drain from my face. I wrapped my arms around myself, holding tight to what little sanity I had left.

  “Everything’s been trashed,” Joaquín continued, sounding satisfied that he had shaken me. “If you hadn’t been so busy playing with the fucking monsters you might have known that!” he snarled.

  I wanted to knock the smug look off his face but right now, I had bigger problems than his ego.

  I turned to look at Ian. “I have to go.”

  “No,” Ian shouted.

  I turned to him, my narrowed gaze showing the anger bubbling from me. Scratch that. I was way past anger and had moved on to downright pissed off. The last thing I needed was another man in my life hell bent on making the rules. “I’m going.”

  “I’ll drive.” Joaquín motioned toward the door.

  “The hell you will,” Ian countered. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”

  “So you make the rules for Leah now?” He raised his eyebrows in his most cocky look. “Are you her master?”

  “Master? Did you just say master?” I spoke through my teeth as anger consumed me. I knew if I started yelling now I wouldn’t be able to stop. I had had more than enough shit from everyone.

  Joaquín stared at Ian with animosity that I’d never seen on him before. “He’s a vampire, Leah. He fucked with your mind. It’s what they do. He played with your mind and you did just what he wanted you to do.” He never took his eyes off Ian as he spoke.

  I clenched my fist and struggled not to punch the smug look off Joaquín’s face. Shit, shit, shit.

  Is that what this was all about? Ian jumbled my brain, made me … what? Made me want him, kiss him? Shit. Was Joaquín right and all of these feelings for Ian were forced on me?

  I stared at Ian, every ounce of anger flaring across my face. “You son of a bitch. You mind-fucked me. This whole thing is a lie.” I could barely speak; my breath came in short bursts.

  “No Leah, I didn’t…”

  I shook my head. “Don’t, Ian. I don’t want to hear it.”

  “Leah!” The tone in Ian’s voice was more commanding than I could stand.

  “Get a grave, Ian!”

  He winced as I shouted the words at him, as if my words had caused him actual physical pain.

  “Let’s go, Leah. I’ll take you home now.” Joaquín held his hand out to me.

  I took a deep calming breath. I didn’t want this perceived as anger. I wanted him to know that I meant it.

  “Get out, Joaquín. Get out of my way and get the hell out of my life. It’s over between us.”

  He grabbed my arm and spun me around as I walked past him toward the door. Ian lunged at him. He was a blur of movement and standing over Joaquín faster than my eyes could register it. I took several steps back and stared at the men as they began to fight. I stood there and could not will myself to move as they fought in front of me.

  More vampire tricks? I just didn’t know what was real and what was being forced into my head.

  I know vampires have inhuman strength but Joaquín seemed to hold his own. I still had questions, too many of them, but I’d ask the next vampire I met because I sure as hell wasn’t spending any more time with the one in front of me. He’d raped my mind, altered my thoughts and feelings and I hadn’t even known it, I hadn’t even sensed it. If every vamp could do this to me I was screwed.

  I shook as if awakening from a dream. I got to the door before anyone noticed.

  “Leah…” He kept his hand on Joaquín’s chest, holding him to the floor. Blood dripped from Ian’s nose and mouth.

  Hmm, I didn’t know vamps could bleed.

  “I don’t have time to watch you two spray testosterone all over the room. I’m leaving.” I turned and left both men staring after me. I didn’t get any answers to the lengthening list of questions I had. I damn sure would later.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Trashed was putting it mildly. The sofa was ripped apart. Every shelf, cabinet and drawer had been turned upside down. The few dishes I had were nothing but shards of glass now.

  I carefully walked through the broken glass toward my office. My desk was in ruins, my computer gone. Shit.

  My bedroom wasn’t in any better condition. The mattress had been ripped apart, much the same as the sofa. There was so much white fluff on the floor it looked like it had snowed. My clothes were strewn about the room and my bathroom shelves had been emptied onto the floor. I didn’t know if someone was looking for something or if they did it just to be a prick, but the walls had several holes in them. It looked like someone had put his hands through the drywall and peeled it away. I went to my nightstand and found its contents on the floor, minus my 9mm Baretta. Double shit. This day just kept getting better and better.

  First rule of a good thief is to take the weapons. I would have to look for it in the rubble later but I didn’t expect to find it. I didn’t want to disturb any possible evidence so the search for my missing gun would have to wait.

  The canvas painting that hung above my bed was now lying shredded on top of the remnants of my mattress. Damn. That was going to be hard to replace.

  I went back into the kitchen.

  Aaron stood near the front door, his feet spread shoulder width apart and his hands clasped behind his back. It was a good military stance, but I knew Aaron was never in the military.

  “This isn’t your jurisdiction, Deputy Aaron, why are you on patrol?”

  “Joaquín ordered me to stand by until you arrived,” he stated. “The lab techs should be here soon. Damn, Leah, I’m really sorry about your place.”

  “I don’t suppose anyone saw or heard anything?”

  He relaxed his stance and leaned on the doorjamb. “Your place isn’t close enough to anyone else even to warrant a door to door. Maybe you should think about moving closer to town.”

  I numbly looked at the ruins of my house. “Lord knows I’ve seen worse than this dozens of times before but when it’s your own house, your own stuff, it just feels…”

 
“Personal,” Aaron supplied as dodged the clutter strewn about the floor and walked toward me.

  I nodded and brushed a stray piece of hair from my eyes. “Yeah, personal.”

  Aaron cleared his throat nervously. “Look, Leah, I know it isn’t any of my business but Joaquín hasn’t been the same since you two split up.”

  I held my hand up. “You’re right, Aaron. It isn’t any of your business.”

  “Just…” he hesitated and let out a long breath, “hear me out. If you remember, he was a pretty laid-back mellow kind of guy.”

  I shook my head. “It’s hard for me to remember any of his good qualities right now, Aaron.”

  “I know, I know.” He nodded.

  “I don’t know what to do, Aaron. He has to move on. Without me.”

  I turned toward the sound of footsteps crunching on the gravel. I placed my hand on the butt of my gun; then let out a breath when I heard Wilson.

  “Leah!” Wilson rushed toward me. “I was in a meeting with the chief when the call came through or I would have been here sooner. You okay?” He wrapped one arm around my shoulders.

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  Ramírez came in behind him and let out a low whistle. “Damn, Wolfe, you should consider hiring a maid.”

  Wilson glared at him while I flipped him off. “Nice of you join us, Ramírez. Are you on the clock or are you just here to tour the mansion?”

  “Relax, Wolfe, I’m on the clock. Any idea what they were after?”

  I stepped away from Wilson. “I don’t know what they were looking for, but I didn’t see my Baretta on the bedroom floor. I didn’t want to rifle through the crap until the lab techs had a go at it.”

  “Shit.” Wilson looked to Ramírez. “Get a report sent through on the missing gun. I don’t want anything coming back to Leah if it’s used in a crime.”

  “On it.” Ramírez walked away without a single snide comment.

  The crime lab showed up, took photos, peppered the house with fingerprint powder and came up with nothing, including my gun. There was no sign of forced entry and the only three keys to the house belonged to Wilson, Alli and me. All of the keys were accounted for. After they left, Ramírez pulled out a notepad and pencil, licked the tip of his pencil and followed Wilson and I around the house while I took inventory of everything destroyed.

  “As far as I can tell, the only things missing are the gun and my computer.”

  “Ramírez,” Wilson boomed, “get that report filed. I want a copy of it on my desk by first light.”

  Ramírez flipped the notepad closed and put it in an inside jacket pocket. “Yes, sir.” He turned then paused at the door. “Sorry about your place, Wolfe.” He looked genuinely concerned.

  Wilson and I exchanged a look. “Thanks, Ramírez. Don’t worry.” I cast him a sinister smile. “I won’t let anyone know you’re a good guy and ruin your reputation.”

  “That’s the last time I try and be nice to you,” he grumbled as he left.

  Wilson stood shaking his head. “You really love to bust his balls, don’t you?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a gift.”

  “Well kid, get what you can, you’re coming home with me.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and shook my head. “Thanks, Wilson, but no can do. I’ll be damned if I’ll be chased out of my own house.”

  “Be reasonable, Leah.” He used his serious tone with me.

  I shook my head and stood my ground.

  He scratched his chin in thought. “Alli is gonna have my ass for this.” He sighed.

  I uncrossed my arms and wrapped them around him. “Tell her not to worry. I’ll be fine.”

  “You know she’ll be here first thing in the morning to help you clean up.”

  “Tell her to sleep, Wilson. She’s on nightshift and doesn’t need this crap added to her list.”

  “Yeah, like she’ll listen.” He laughed as he closed the door behind him.

  I twisted the lock until it clicked into place. Like that stopped them the first time.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  I sat on my patio and watched the sun set. The mountains shadowed the skyline. Red and orange streaks cast across the sky above them. The first stars were starting to wink out of the midnight blue of the sky.

  My muscles ached with the effort of hard work as I continued to put my house back together. It was a good ache, one that let me know things were moving along, as they should.

  Since this was a rental, I’d contacted the rental management office and assured them that I would finance the repairs. They only requested before and after photos and I wanted to get them sent by the end of the week. Maybe they wouldn’t evict my ass.

  Yeah, right.

  I lay my head back and closed my eyes. A slight breeze rustled through the brush along the desert floor. Only I didn’t feel it, I only heard it. I opened my eyes and scanned the landscape. There was no wind, only stillness. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary but something trickled along the back of my neck. I stood and walked a few paces off the patio. I lived in a rural area and there were more things creeping along the ground here than in the city. I didn’t walk far. Everything seemed quiet, eerily so. Maybe the stress was getting the better of me. I rubbed my hands over my face, looked around one last time; then went in the house and locked the door firmly behind me.

  Once again I awoke to the smell of drywall dust. I glanced at the clock. A row of ones was lit across the plastic faceplate. It was cracked but it still seemed to be keeping time. It was a little after one in the morning. Oh goody, another early start to my day.

  The new mattress that I’d purchased to replace my old shredded one had blessedly been delivered yesterday so at least I awoke in the comfort of my own bed and not on a quickly deflating air mattress on the floor.

  Zarendia had come to me again during the night. The vision was the same. Zarendia warning me to stay with the nightwalker and the wolf chasing her off. If she could hear me speak to her, it didn’t show. Souls didn’t usually hang around this long after the body died. I began to think I was dreaming it.

  In the days since my house had been ransacked I’d replaced very few things. My mattress, the bedroom television, my coffeepot, which was the first thing I purchased, and all of my underwear. Pants and shirts could be washed but underwear and bras, once touched by someone rifling through my belongings went straight to the trash. That was just too much of an “ick” factor for me. I also bought a new coffee cup. Paper cups were fine on the road, but at home I preferred a real cup. The rest of the furniture and dishes would have to wait. I didn’t do much else except drink coffee, shower and sleep in my house anyway.

  The holes in the drywall had been repaired yesterday and I hoped to start painting today. I rubbed my hands over my face; then stepped out of bed. My feet protested against the cold floor so I threw on a pair of socks and padded into the bathroom. After a quick shower I stood in the kitchen assembling my paint roller and drinking my first coffee of the day.

  I pulled my ringing cell phone out of my pocket, glanced at the caller ID, pressed the ignore button and pocketed my phone. Ian again. He either sensed when I was awake or had my house watched. I’d have to try leaving all the lights off next time to see if he called. Ian called at night, Joaquín called during the day and I ignored them both. I only answered for Wilson, Alli, Jess or Mutual Fidelity.

  Dressed in a ripped-up pair of jeans and an old shirt, I pried the top off a can of paint and poured it into the roller pan. I’d decided to paint the whole place cappuccino white, a neutral blend of white and tan. I wasn’t much into decorating normally and sure as hell didn’t feel like it now, so one color throughout the house would do. I cursed as a long section of my hair fell into the paint pan. I set the can down and rinsed my painted section of hair in the kitchen sink. My phone rang again and I had to hurry to dry my hands before retrieving it from my pocket.

  “What?” I called into the phone.

  “Are y
ou well, my love?”

  Shit. I’d been in too much of a hurry to check the caller ID. I contemplated simply saying “wrong number” and hanging up the phone.

  “Leah?” I heard Ian plead. “Are you well?”

  “I’m just dandy, thanks. What the hell do you want?”

  “Young Joaquín is wrong. I never controlled your free will.”

  “Yeah,” I snorted, “right.”

  “Think about it. When you first came upon me in the desert and Joaquín and your associates lowered their guns immediately, what did you do?”

  I thought about the events of that night. I ended up out cold staring up into the midnight sky of Ian’s eyes. “I kept my damn gun on you.”

  “You did not yield to my control that night.”

  “So you admit that you tried to mind-fuck me?”

  “Tried, yes. I did not succeed. Your will is too strong for me. I do not know why, but I am unable to control your mind.”

  “Shit.”

  “Indeed. Do you think I would have let you keep your gun aimed at me if I could have willed you to put it away?”

  “It wouldn’t have killed you anyway.” Sarcasm laced my voice.

  “That is true. However, how would I have explained that after you put several bullets in me?”

  I sighed heavily and brushed my hair out of my face. “You couldn’t. I would have known that you weren’t human.”

  “So you see, everything that happened between us was real.”

  “I have never felt so compelled to be near anyone before, why you?”

  “Perhaps that is a question you should ask yourself. I have no answer for you. I can only say that I, too, find it difficult to stay away from you.”

  Resigned, I hopped up on the counter to sit, cradling the phone with my shoulder. “So what am I supposed to do about this?”

  His voice dropped an octave. “What would you like to do about this?” When I didn’t answer he continued. “You do not wish to leave yourself vulnerable again.” I could hear his steady breath through the phone.

  “No,” I reluctantly admitted.