Now this man stood staring at her with a huge smile on his face as if he knew a secret and wasn’t going to share. That more than anything terrified her, but she’d be damned if she projected that. She had to get him the hell out of her house.
“What’s under the tarp in the garage?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as if to intimidate. His voice was deep, with a roughness that not only set her nerves on edge but had her heart pounding with anticipation. He was definitely handsome, hands down she’d give him that. But she had seen handsome before, had been used by handsome before, and she would pass on handsome now.
“You a cop?” she countered. Her expression remained the same, giving nothing away. Two could play at this game.
“Fuck no” was his response.
“Then you obviously don’t have a warrant, which is what you would need to enter this house or my garage.” She kept her voice calm and matter-of-fact. “I don’t know who you are looking for, but she is not here, and neither is the car.”
The man said nothing as he continued to stand in her doorway, his foot preventing Darin from closing the door. It was an old-fashioned showdown. She didn’t know who he was, what he was about and honestly, she was just a little bit curious. And she was also well aware that curiosity killed the cat; she was no cat.
“You ever been to Maloney’s?” his questions continued.
He had balls, that was for sure. “Again, none of your business.”
“And you, Ruby’s Drag Queen Bonanza, correct?” His gaze left hers and went to Darin’s.
“So.” Darin’s response fell flat as if he were afraid to utter a word. “You got a problem with that?” He finally found his balls and spoke up with the attitude Sophia knew he had.
“No judgment at all.” The guy actually gave him a wink. “I just remembered seeing someone there who looks just like you. Darlene the Darling, I believe. Very talented singer.”
Okay, Darin just sucked his balls into his throat with a loud gasp. Sophia hurried up, nudging Darin away from the door and taking his place.
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, who you’re looking for, but you have the wrong house. Wrong people.” Sophia went to shut the door, but his booted foot remained like an unmovable doorstop.
He leaned down toward her, his eyes searching her face as if memorizing her features. “Maybe, maybe not.” His tone softened, but the hard edge remained. “But I will leave you with this little bit of information.”
He had leaned so close Sophia felt his breath against her skin. Surprisingly it wasn’t unpleasant. She felt a weird pull toward him and actually caught herself angling his way as if hanging on every word he spoke until the words that came out of his mouth turned her blood to ice.
“The woman I was following is in danger.” His dark eyes glared into hers as if he could see her soul. “There’s a contract on her head. The guy who has the job is a bad motherfucker who will collect his payday. So if you know anything at all, you need to warn her that the Slayer of Vampires is being hunted. If this one fails, which I doubt, others will come.”
“And are you the guy?” She cocked her eyebrow as if in challenge.
“Now that, pretty lady, is none of your business,” he replied, slowly moving his foot as he stared down at her. Then he turned and disappeared into the night. After closing the door, Sophia pressed her head against the cool wood as she heard a loud thump.
She turned, only to see Darin laying sprawled out on his back in a dead faint.
Chapter 4
Sophia walked down the fiction aisles putting away library books. The old three-tier cart squeaked with each roll of the wheel. Her nerves were frayed. Every noise made her jump, and every person who walked through the library door had her paranoia on full blast.
It had been a week since the stranger showed up at her home after following her from Maloney’s. How she and Darin had pulled that off was a miracle for sure. Since that night, after having to smack Darin a few times to wake him from his faint, she had been having nightmares. Okay, to be honest, a few of them starring the stranger at her door hadn’t been nightmares at all, but erotic play-by-play dreams that had her waking up screaming not in terror, but pure ecstasy.
Her cheeks heated even thinking about them. Sophia had no idea if the stranger was a good guy or a bad guy. She assumed if he were a bad guy she and Darin would be dead right now, probably rotting in her basement. Seriously, if he were bad, he wouldn’t have warned her, would he? Or was he playing a game? And that right there was why she was on edge. That was too close for comfort.
So close, in fact, she had distanced herself from Darin. Yeah, he was amazing with wigs and makeup, but she learned enough from him to get by. He didn’t need to be associated with her and this mess she found herself in.
Sophia returned a book on a shelf in its place, then counted down six more, touching each book as she passed until she pulled out the seventh. It had been her sister’s favorite. Romeo and Juliet, a classic just like her sister. With a sigh, she moved along, replacing her sadness with undeniable rage.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A past text from Darin from earlier popped up that she had left unread, and a new one. One of her inquiries had been answered. Her hands shook as she opened it up. Her eyes narrowed as she read the single word… Accept! with an exclamation point.
Shutting her phone off, she put it back in her pocket and hurriedly put the rest of the books away. Glancing at the wall clock, she frowned. She needed to hurry.
“Ms. Riddle.” Sophia put the cart against the wall then walked behind the desk. “Do you mind if I leave a little early? All the books have been returned, the bathrooms cleaned, and I skipped lunch.”
“Sure, Sophia.” Ms. Riddle gave her a motherly smile. “You work too hard as it is.”
Sophia touched the elderly woman’s shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything else?”
“No, honey.” She shook her head. “You get on out of here. We only have a half an hour, and it’s been slow.”
“Thank you.” Sophia grabbed her stuff from the back room behind the desk they used as an office and lunchroom. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. I have the kids’ story time at seven.”
Sophia loved working in the library. No, it didn’t pay much, but she loved books. Loved getting lost in worlds that were far from her reality. One day she hoped to take over the library, but first she needed to finish college. She had so many plans, but for now, she didn’t have time. College and anything else would have to wait.
“Oh, that’s right.” Ms. Riddle clapped her hands. “We have quite a few coming too.”
Sophia gave her a wave as she headed out the door. Pulling her phone out, she glanced at the time. Crap, this was going to be a rush. She made damn sure to pick a spot away from her home this time. And if this wasn’t the Savior, she was going to put a definite hurting on whoever showed up.
Getting into her car, she tossed her bag in the front passenger seat, started it up, but continued to sit as she slowly took out her phone pulling up the last text she ever received from her sister.
Sophia, I just wanted to let you know that I love you. Please don’t hate me for the decision I’m making. I’m not ready to die. Not yet. I have so many things left that I want to do. I’m scared, but now I have a chance to live. It may not be the right decision, but it’s my decision. I have found a way to beat this cancer, and I’m taking it. This I know makes no sense to you right now, but soon it will. I will contact you as soon as I’m able, but please don’t worry. I’m going to be fine, sister. We’re going to be able to do everything we planned. I love you and will talk to you soon!
Rereading the text, a single tear escaped her eye, trailing down her cheek. She had seen the text too late. Had been preoccupied with a date and had left her phone in her purse on silent. It wasn’t until later the next morning she’d seen it. She had tried to call Anna repeatedly, but it kept going to voice mail. It wasn’t until the next day, while gettin
g ready to go to the police, that they beat her to it by showing up on her doorstep.
Two detectives appeared on her front porch to inform her that her sister, Anna, had been murdered and left in a bar bathroom wedged between a stall wall and toilet. It was pretty much that matter-of-fact, no consoling, just facts. They had wanted to know if she had any enemies, owed anyone money, ran with vampires… and that was what drew her out of her shock. She then had questioned the detectives, who actually didn’t know jack shit, but was hoping she could give them details that would crack a case that was hot, not cold.
Darin had shown up during that time and was very helpful, a true friend. He answered some of the questions while she tried to grasp what was going on, but her sister’s text and “vampire” kept coming back to her. She finally mentioned the fact that Anna had a rare form of breast cancer, stage 3. After seeing the detectives giving each other knowing looks, she knew what her sister’s decision had been in the text. She was going to be turned, which was against the law and carried a high penalty.
The detectives left after, promising to keep her informed. What a bunch of shit that was. She had to practically beg for information. She called daily for updates but got very few. Darin had a friend whose brother worked on the force. And that’s when she heard about Savior.
Looking up and out the window of her car, she frowned. Knowing she had one more thing to do, she dialed her sister’s number. After the police were finished with Anna’s things, they were returned to Sophia. She had kept her sister’s phone active just to hear her sister’s voice. When she had lost Anna, she’d lost a part of herself. Anna was not only her twin, but her best friend.
Hey, it’s Anna! I can’t come to the phone right now because I’m probably doing something crazy. Leave a message, and I’ll call ya back… or not!
Anna’s bubbly laugh at the end of the message and before the beep got her every single time. Jesus, how she missed her. And just like every single time she called this number before possibly coming face-to-face with her killer she said, “I love you, Anna, and you will have your revenge, as will I, Karma.”
Axel walked out from between aisles holding a book as the woman, he now knew was Sophia Deluce, walked out the door of the library. He had learned her name after looking at her mail. Yes, he had his ways. He had also learned after following her since that night that she ate out a lot, worked at the local library, and pretty much stayed inside.
Glancing down at the book in his hand, he headed for the desk where the old lady sat at a computer. She looked up as he approached, looking startled. He often had that effect on people. From what he could tell, Sophia’s only friend was the man who had been there the night before. He hadn’t been able to focus so much on him during his investigation because his main focus had been only her.
“Oh, you scared me.” She put her wrinkled, bony hand on her chest. “I didn’t know anyone was left.”
“I’m sorry.” He gave her his most innocent warm smile. “I was going to ask the young lady about this book, but she seems to have disappeared.”
“Oh, Sophia.” The woman smiled, indicating his smile did the trick—it usually did. “Yes, she had to leave early today. Let me see what you have.”
He handed her the book, his eyes going back to the door Sophia had disappeared from.
“Oh, this is a good one.” She handed it back to him. “Would you like to check it out?”
He looked down at her with a loud sigh, then pretended to look sheepish. “Actually, I wasn’t really interested in the book.”
The woman stared at him for a moment before understanding lit her face and she chuckled. “Men seem to be more interested in Sophia than the books in this old library.” She stood and took the book from him. “She’s a sweet girl.”
“She really seems to be,” he agreed, leaning against the desk. He’d planned on doing some more research on her, but maybe this sweet little old lady could give him the best information. “I’ve always been a little shy, and she seems quiet herself. Maybe I’ll just have to come back and try to talk to her again sometime.”
“She is very sweet,” she replied, then glanced around. Axel knew they were alone, but obviously, she wanted to make sure no one heard what she was about to say. “But she’s had a devastating tragedy, so she’s been a little more to herself recently.”
That piqued his interest. All the research he had done nothing close to a tragedy associated with her showed up, and he had connections on the Internet to find out a lot of shit. “That’s terrible,” he said, not sure what else to say and not wanting to say anything that would stop the woman talking.
“It really was,” she whispered, her sad eyes looking up at him. “Her sister was murdered. I found Sophia crying one day in that aisle right over there.”
He glanced at where she pointed, noticing the last aisle he had seen Sophia in. “Why?” He was surprised that his voice was truly concerned.
“I made her take a break and had Jessie take over the desk,” the woman continued with a shake of her head. “She told me that her sister had been killed by a… vampire.” The older woman whispered the word as if one would come from the shadows.
Holy fuck! Axel’s heart started to pump like a freight train racing down the track. Sophia was the motherfuckin’ Slayer of Vampires. He fucking knew it. Deep down, he had known that night but fought against it because how in the hell did someone who looked so innocent and sweet get that title? How in the fuck did she single-handedly kill a fucking vampire? His instincts were always right on. He kept asking himself why he was following her. Was it because he wanted her or because he knew she was his target? “Fuck!”
“Excuse me?” The woman frowned, leaning closer to him.
“I said, terrible.” He shook his head, trying to keep himself calm. “Listen, maybe dating isn’t what she needs right now. I mean, how long has it been?”
“Oh, not even a year.” She sniffed. “It’s still very fresh.”
Son of a bitch! “Well, please don’t tell her about our conversation. I think maybe she needs more time. The last thing she’ll want is someone coming at her for a date.” He gave the librarian a friendly smile he didn’t feel. “Why don’t you let me put that book up for you, and I’ll be on my way.”
“That would be sweet, young man.” She handed him back the book. “Thank you, and I think Sophia would be lucky to have someone like you, so don’t you dare give up. It is very nice that you’re willing to give her time.”
If she only knew, he thought, but smiled again. He glanced at the aisle the woman had pointed at and headed that way. He entered slowly, his eyes searching for what, he didn’t know, but then he saw it. One book not even with the others, sticking out slightly. His observations in the past few days showed that she was very competent in what she did. No other book was out of place, but that one.
He walked that way and pulled it out. Romeo and Juliet. He glanced at it and knew right then and there he was fucked because it became a burning need to know why this book caused her pain.
After putting both books back, he headed out, giving the friendly old lady a wave. Then he put his finger to his lips as if they shared a secret. She nodded with a chuckle, then glanced down at her computer. He walked out the doors and stopped at the other side, looking out. A red sedan pulled out with Sophia in the driver seat, the only car he had spotted in her driveway other than the man’s car that was there that night which was an older model Mustang. The black Nissan was still a mystery he was going to solve. He wondered why she was only just leaving, but was glad she was. Not that he couldn’t find her anyway.
Stepping around the building where he parked his bike, he climbed on then pulled out his phone. He hit buttons, then sent an e-mail.
Money wired back. Not accepting the job.
Chapter 5
Sophia walked into the smoky nightclub, praying she didn’t lose her wig. It was long, straight, and shimmered like black silk. She had cut the bangs herself tryin
g to hide some of her face. Damn, she really could have used Darin tonight, but no way was she taking a chance with his life. Not anymore.
The stranger’s face flashed across her mind, and she shook it away. She needed to focus. His warning was heard, but she couldn’t give up. The day she buried her sister she swore, as Anna lay in the casket, that revenge would be theirs. She was not going back on that promise.
Anna did not deserve to die. Anna did not deserve to leave the world the way she did—in a nasty bathroom wedged next to a toilet. Darin’s friend had gotten copies of her file from the police station, and she had seen everything, the pictures that had broken her, the half-assed way the case was being handled and from what Officer Paul Brighton told her, something was off with this case. Bad cops were what he eluded to without actually saying those words.
She knew the more she killed, the more likely she would be discovered. The other night proved that. “Dammit!” she cursed aloud as she walked down the long hallway to the main bar area. She needed to stop thinking about him. So what that he had a mysterious air about him or that he was handsome in a badass kind of way. Big deal. She’d seen handsome men, and she never remembered any of them after walking away. The trench coat made him look…. “Dammit!” She cursed again, this time gaining a few stares even over the loud music.
This bar was a little classier than Maloney’s. Sophia seriously doubted she could tempt the vampire, hopefully the real Savior, into the bathroom for a quick fuck so she could stab his black non-beating heart, but that’s exactly where she wanted to do it, and had been lucky so far. Savior would die and be placed just like her sister if at all possible.
“Follow me,” a woman in a cute cocktail dress said to her as she passed.
Not sure she was talking to her, Sophia slowed with a frown until the woman looked over her shoulder and motioned with her finger.
Karma's Revenge (A Bad Girls Novel) Page 3