Sounds of a car horn and a plane flying overhead drowned the low voices from the television. Katie had left it on, hoping the sounds would distract her overworking brain and encourage her to sleep. Her idea worked for a while until she’d heard a door slam.
Sighing, she curled her toes and rolled to her other side. A hint of a cramp quickly led to a full-blown one in the arch of one of her feet. The pain lasted a good half-minute while she worked out the stiffness by massaging the underbelly of her foot with the other one. Although the cramp was minor, it signaled her body craved more vampire blood. Slight aches and pains could last twelve to fifteen hours. After that, she wouldn’t be able to function normally.
Katie gazed at Jules, lying on the other bed. Her best friend had slept soundly ever since they came back to the suite. She made soft whimpers and deep sighs every so often. Katie hoped the whimpers were from good dreams.
Katie closed her eyes and tried to bring forth her own set of good dreams from the memories she had with Kyle. It didn’t take long before her mind drifted and his loving face appeared. He had a broad forehead and dark wavy locks. She’d always enjoyed running her hands through his soft hair. His eyes captivated her, twinkling with a hint of green. They were naked, cuddling with their bodies pressed together, a sleeping bag underneath them and a fleece blanket barely covering their lower parts. Stars gazed upon them from the clear midnight sky.
He brushed a strand of hair from the side of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Do you know how much I love you, Katie?” he asked with a flirty grin.
She bit her lip, trying to stop the smile. She couldn’t. “I like to hear you say it.”
He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly with gentle strokes of his tongue. When he ended the kiss, her body screamed for more.
“I am in total love with you. I would do anything to keep you in my arms forever.”
Forever. She loved to hear him say he would love her forever. He would hold her forever. He would protect her forever.
The memory faded into darkness and he disappeared. A tear rolled across Katie’s nose. Kyle’s love was gone and forever no longer existed.
A soft tap on the door in the main room jolted her eyes open.
“Housekeeping,” said a woman outside their suite.
Katie jerked upright upon hearing the keycard device beep. Seconds later, she heard a clicking sound from the door.
Panic hastened her movements as she tossed the covers away from her and hurried out of bed. She’d completely forgotten to leave the “do not disturb” sign on the handle and berated herself. Dressed in her t-shirt and underwear, she ran toward the open doorway leading to the main room. A Hispanic woman and a young Caucasian female with coppery hair stopped upon seeing Katie.
“I’m sorry,” the Hispanic woman said. “Should we come back?”
The uniformed housekeeper with orange hair twitched her eyes in a curious manner as she stared at Katie.
“Actually, there’s no need to. We’re fine. We’ll probably be checking out later.” Katie headed to the door. She grabbed the handle and tugged it, widening the gap in an encouraging “get out” message while she stood behind the door. “Thanks anyway.”
The Hispanic woman smiled with kindness. “Would you like more towels?”
“No, we’re fine. Thank you.”
“Come on, Louise.” The white female grabbed Louise’s arm and tugged her out of the room.
Katie pushed the door shut as soon as the two housekeepers reached the hall. She’d hoped her action hadn’t come off as too rude, but the way copper head regarded her gave Katie a bad vibe. She placed her palm on the door and listened for sounds in the hall. Seconds of silence passed, then one of them knocked on a door across the hall. Louise’s familiar call and a security beep signaled the two had moved on.
With a deep breath, Katie backed away from the door. The two women seemed to go about their chores as normal, but instinct warned her to get out. Though Katie had never met the Caucasian female before, the woman eyed Katie as if she’d seen her from somewhere. In a sudden revelation, Katie figured out copper head might have recognized Katie from the photos on the news.
“Shit!” Katie blurted out.
She raced back to the bedroom. Andy’s phone and her purse lay on the dresser. She snatched the cell and rushed through the menu options in search of his number. Finding it, she pressed a button to call him.
While the phone rang, Katie headed to Jules’s side of the bed. She hated to wake her, but they couldn’t stay in the hotel any longer. Katie had a hunch the female with orange hair wanted the ten thousand dollar reward.
“Yes?” Asked a groggy Andy.
Katie peered past Jules at the digital clock on the nightstand between the two beds. The time showed 11:52 a.m.
“I have a problem.”
He sighed. “What’s wrong now?”
“I failed to place the no housekeeping sign on the door. Two women came in and I think one of them identified me.”
He groaned, then cleared his throat. “All right. What’s the plan?”
Katie scanned the room, similar to the way her mind searched for a solution to her new dilemma. She’d hoped the ex-marine might have something to offer, but apparently, his silence indicated he was waiting for her to come up with an answer.
“I don’t know,” she finally said. “But we can’t stay here. The police could be on their way.”
“Okay. I’m on my way.” He sounded more alert.
“Thank you, Andy. I owe you.”
He chuckled. “Careful, I might hold you to those words.”
“Get her pronto, Lone Ranger.”
Katie ended the call, then bent over Jules. She placed her hand on Jules’s arm and gently nudged her. “Jules…Jules.”
“Huh?” she answered softly.
“Jules, wake up.” Katie shook her arm a bit more.
Jules rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. “It’s too…early.”
Katie held back the chuckle. Her dear friend had no concept of time. She’d slept over eight hours so far. It was lunchtime, not breakfast.
“Get up sweetie. We have to leave in five minutes.”
While sleepyhead continued rubbing her eyes, Katie walked around the bed and headed for the dresser where she’d left her jeans folded neatly. She berated herself silently. Her plan of staying out of sight in the hotel room for the day went up in a flash fire all because she’d forgot to hang a sign on the doorknob. For the first time in a long time, she felt incredibly stupid.
Jules pushed herself into a sitting position. “What’s going on?” Her voice sounded weak and scratchy.
Katie hurried to dress. “I’ll explain once we get going. Andy’s coming to pick us up.”
“Why can’t we stay here?”
“Because the police are looking for us.” She zipped her jeans.
Jules pushed the covers off her legs. “I need a bath and to brush my teeth.”
Katie picked up her shoes and sat on the edge of Jules’s bed. “There’s no time, Jules. Maybe for a quick brush. I don’t want to smell your breath. Hurry.”
Jules stomped her feet on the carpet as she headed to the bathroom. She still wore her clothes from the previous day, which were undoubtedly in need of deep cleansing. Maybe she did have time to change since Andy wouldn’t arrive for a few more minutes.
Katie finished tying her shoes, then headed for the bathroom. She stopped at the closed door and waited for flush of the toilet to end. Then, she knocked.
“Jules, you have time to change your clothes if you hurry. I need to tell Riker what’s going on.”
The door swung open fast, sucking air into the bathroom. “I’ll hurry,” Jules said.
Katie left the bedroom and headed for Riker’s suite. The vampire couldn’t help them, but needed to know of the situation. If he kept his phone with him, which she suspected he did, she’d call him when they settled into a secure place, wherever that was
.
She passed the sitting area between their suites and paused outside his room.
“Riker?” She said, announcing her presence as she turned the knob. If the vamp was sleeping, she didn’t want to startle him. Vampires severely disliked being jolted from their sleep.
Katie strolled into the room and found the beds untouched. The drawn curtains darkened the room, but light trickled in from around the top and sides of the window. His leather coat lay neatly on the bed. Hearing a soft click from the bathroom door, Katie turned her head.
“Riker, I think one of the housekeepers recognized me from the photos on the television.”
He stood in the open doorway, rubbing his temple. “Why was there a housekeeper in your room? Didn’t you–”
“No. I fucked up and forgot.”
“Fucked up?” He glowered at her with a heated look of hostility.
“Hold the argument for another time, vampire.” She shot back with her own menacing glare. “I called Andy and he’s on his way.”
“Where will you go? Any one who sees you or her–”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe Andy knows of a place.”
She turned and stepped toward the door. Riker grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going any farther.
“I can’t go with you,” he said through his clenched teeth.
“I know. You should be safe.”
“I can’t protect you.” His eyes sparkled.
“I’ll be fine.”
He tightened his grasp on her wrist. “Stay here with me. I can control their minds.”
Katie stared into his green eyes. Instead of sensing anger, she picked up traces of fear. For someone who continuously showed his disapproval of her, it shocked Katie to see he actually cared for her well-being.
“Be reasonable. You can’t control more than one at a time. If ten cops rush in here, then you’re going to end up as burnt toast.”
He shook his head. “I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I, but unless you want to fry in the sun, then I have to go.”
Although she didn’t care for the vampire’s attitude, she couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to him. Thus far, he’d seemed willing to help her and had obeyed her requests to leave the minds of her friends alone. They weren’t the best of friends, but they were far from the worst.
He slid his fingers down to her hand and grasped her fingers. “I know you don’t believe the prophecy, but I do. Don’t do anything rash. Wait for me. Please.”
His calm tone and soul-searching gaze sent a chill down her spine. The vampire feared for her, wanted to protect her with his immortal existence, but understood he couldn’t. Instead of using strong words and a deep tone to hold her attention to the matter, he chose a gentler approach. His plea frightened her. This was real. Her life and Jules’s were on the line. Katie’s decisions could possibly lead them to the grave. She needed his help to ensure they lived, and he did a fantastic job of reminding Katie of the fact.
“All right. Whatever happens, I’ll do my best to wait.”
A knock at the door from her suite jerked their attentions. “It’s Andy.”
Katie stepped back and slid her fingers free from his touch. “Keep your phone nearby. I’ll contact you. If something happens, I’ll have Andy call you.”
“If you’re caught, don’t resist.” He stepped forward. “You’ll burn more energy. You will need your strength for tonight.”
The stress of the current matter was consuming her strength now, but she bit her tongue from commenting. No need to add any more fear.
“I’m well aware.” She headed for the door. When she reached it, she paused to face him.
He stood in the doorway of the bathroom, watching her with grave concern. Since they’d met, they’d spent most of their time disagreeing, leading her to believe they’d never get along. They didn’t see eye to eye, but they certainly understood the world they lived in and how to survive. She turned her gaze and left.
“I’m coming,” Katie said, shutting Riker’s door behind her.
She rushed to the entrance of the suite. Upon reaching the door, she tugged on the handle.
Andy squeezed into the room. Dark shades hid his eyes. “The coast is clear.” He stopped in the middle of the sitting room, then slowly turned to face her. Blue jeans covered his legs. He wore a long sleeved button-down with a cotton shirt underneath, visible from the unfastened buttons at the top. The shirt needed a thorough round in the dryer to remove the plethora of wrinkles.
“Did you see the housekeepers on your way in?” She took several steps toward him. “And did you roll out of bed?” She directed her gaze at his shirt.
“No.” Andy removed his shades. “And yes.”
She grinned at his short answers. The ex-marine was turning out to be her best human ally, stocked with weapons, combat skills and nighttime hours that matched her own. She held zero regrets for sharing the truth with him, except maybe she should’ve informed him sooner.
“Ready to go?”
She nodded. “I just informed Riker of the situation.”
“How did he take it?”
“Not well.”
Her blond-haired boss chuckled. “Does he ever take kindly to bad news?”
Jules walked from the bedroom leaning her head sideways as she combed the tangles from her hair. “Is it time?” She wore gray jeans and a tight white shirt, different attire from the one she’d slept in.
“Yes. We need to go,” Katie said.
“Let me grab my purse.” Jules turned and headed back into the bedroom.
Speaking of purses, Katie needed to bring her bag with the vial of Kyle’s blood. She hoped they could find somewhere safe to stay for the rest of the day, but in case something happened, she wanted to be prepared.
She held up a finger to Andy. “I’ll be right back.”
Katie ran into the room, then rounded the corner. Her purse lay on the dresser where she’d left it. Before picking up her bag, she dug inside and carefully felt the contents. Her fingers touched her wallet, calendar, pens, a cloth containing the ring with the knife and finally the case with the vial. But she didn’t have her phone. She slid the strap over her shoulder and turned to the bed. Scanning quickly, she spotted the cell on Jules’s bed. She must have set it down when she’d tied her shoes. As she reached for the phone, loud thumps sounded from the main door. Jules froze, standing in the bathroom doorway.
“Katie Dillinger, open the door. It’s Mishawaka police,” said a male voice.
Her mind shouted profanity as she stiffened.
Andy rushed into the room. “What do you want me to do? I can’t stop them.”
“Katie?” Jules stepped closer with pure panic in her eyes.
“It will be all right. Just stay calm,” she told her, then faced Andy. “You can hide in Riker’s room until they leave. If they check in there, they will likely believe it’s your suite since they are unaware of your involvement and it’s registered under a man’s name.”
“What about you and Julie?”
She inhaled a deep breath. “We might be hanging out in the basement of the police station until sundown.” She prayed the cops had instructions to detain them instead of escorting them to the orchard.
“I’ll wait here until they’re gone, then check in at the station to see if you’re there,” Andy said.
More thuds sounded from the main room. Katie’s heart jumped.
“Open the door, or we will have management let us in.” The man sounded impatient.
Katie dug into her purse and searched for the vial of Kyle’s blood. From previous encounters with the police and watching enough shows, Katie knew the cops would confiscate her belongings. But she had to have quick access to the vial in the event they’d take her to the orchard. She disliked the idea of handing it to Andy, but at the moment, she couldn’t come up with an alternative to ensure she could get the vial if she needed it.
She withdrew the case an
d dropped her bag on the bed. “Hold out your hand, Andy.” She flipped the case open and took the clothed vial.
“What is that?” he asked.
“This is what will keep Jules and I alive and help me destroy the two vampires.” He placed it in the palm of his hand. “Riker knows what it is. I need you to hold it for me in case I need it. Whatever you do, keep it safe. Don’t break it. And carry it with you at all times.”
Shaking his head, he lifted his shirt and wedged the clothed vial into his front pocket. “I really don’t like the sound of this. Please tell me it’s not toxic.”
“Not really, but you wouldn’t want to find out.”
His brows rose.
She rested her hand on his arm. “I’ll explain later. You need to go.”
He ran from the room and headed for Riker’s suite.
Jules stepped closer. “What’s happening?” She held her hand across her stomach. “I feel sick.” Her eyes reflected fear.
Katie took the purse from Jules’s hand. “The police want to question us about Mr. and Mrs. Jennings. Apparently they are missing and the police suspect we are involved.” She set the bag on the bed, then took Jules’s hand.
“Why would they think we’re involved? That’s crazy.”
Katie led her friend into the sitting area of the suite. Andy was nowhere in sight. “Because the vampires have planted the thought in their heads.”
“You have to be kidding.”
Katie held a serious expression as she faced Jules.
“Fuck.”
They stopped several feet from the door.
“Jules, relax and let me handle this.”
The keycard device beeped.
“And whatever happens, do not mention anything about vampires,” Katie said strongly, yet softly.
Jules swallowed as the door clicked open. Two uniformed police officers strode into the room while others waited in the hall. One cop held a gun and pointed it at Katie.
“Don’t move,” the policeman said.
One thought raced through Katie’s mind as she stared at the barrel of the gun directed at her face. She couldn’t wait to fucking cut off the heads of Brandon and his partner.
Immortal Revenge Page 27