Out of the Night (Harlequin Nocturne)

by Trish Milburn

  She pointed the makeshift stake at him. “I know you saved Olivia, but I still don’t trust you.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “You need to leave and never come back.”

  “Mindy,” Olivia said from behind him, part scolding and part embarrassment.

  He held up his hand. “No, it’s okay.” Campbell made the mistake of meeting Olivia’s bright eyes. In them he saw a yearning that matched his own, her unspoken plea for him to stay. But he couldn’t. Refusing to allow himself to speak any words that would even touch how he was feeling, he gripped the knob on the back door.

  “Goodbye, Livvi” was all he managed before he fled into the coming night. Fled before his willpower abandoned him totally and he gave in to temptation and did more than simply kiss her.

  * * *

  One moment Campbell stood in front of Olivia and the next he was gone, literally in the blink of an eye. He’d pulled the door closed behind him, and she knew as she approached the door it was no use looking into the alley behind the building for him. He wouldn’t be there. That damned protective trait she so admired about him was now standing in the way of them seeing where they could go following that kiss. That and the knowledge she had to give him up for good. She bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

  Remembering the kisses they’d shared, she lifted her fingers to her lips and thought she could still feel his coolness there. It should have freaked her out to kiss someone who was technically dead, but it hadn’t. He had felt very far from dead as he’d allowed himself a moment of indulgence. If nothing else, she could hold on to the fact that she was certain he wanted her for something other than her blood.

  “Olivia?”

  It took a moment for Mindy’s voice to penetrate the haze of memory, but when it did, Olivia locked the door before turning toward her friend.

  “You didn’t have to stay,” Olivia said.

  “I wasn’t going to leave you alone with him.”

  “If he’d wanted to hurt me, he would have done it the moment I took his cuffs off. He could have killed me and you before we even had time to say a word. But he didn’t.”

  Olivia glanced toward the back door as if Campbell would magically appear there again. After her staring did nothing to bring him back, she shifted her attention back to Mindy. “Looks as if you’re stuck staying here again tonight. I’m sorry.”

  She knew Mindy wouldn’t get a wink of sleep knowing she was in a building that was no longer vampire-proof. Granted, Campbell was the only one who could enter, but that was one too many.

  “Come on.” Olivia led the way up the stairs, flicking the lights off in the diner as she went and trying not to think about how much she wished Campbell was the one following her.

  Once they were in the apartment, Olivia closed and locked the door at the top of the stairs. She glanced at the balcony but found it empty.

  “If I hadn’t been here, you would have invited him up, wouldn’t you?” Mindy asked.

  Olivia couldn’t lie to her best friend, but she didn’t want to hurt her either. So she said nothing. But she didn’t have to.

  The momentary flash of disgust on Mindy’s face was enough to tell Olivia that Mindy knew more had happened between Olivia and Campbell than Olivia had admitted. Only days ago she would have felt the same way at the thought of a vamp’s lips on hers.

  “We had this dog, a black lab named Renfro, when I was a kid,” Mindy said. “Best dog you’d ever want, until he wasn’t. He’d never shown any hint of viciousness, but one day he lost it and attacked Mom, bit her badly. Nobody knew why he turned like that, other than the fact he was an animal. We had to put him down. I cried and cried, but Mom wouldn’t risk him hurting Jess or me.”

  “Campbell isn’t a dog.”

  “No, but he is an animal who can turn with no warning.”

  “You don’t have to worry about it anymore, okay?” She knew she sounded curt, but it had been a hell of a day.

  Mindy didn’t look convinced, and Olivia didn’t have the energy to try to convince her. She wasn’t sure she’d find enough to convince herself.

  * * *

  When Campbell returned to the cave to change into clothes that didn’t smell like burned flesh, Sophia met him at the entrance. The strained look on her face put him on high alert.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “There are Imperium representatives here to see you.”

  “Really? I figured it’d take them longer to get back to me.”

  “They’re not here because of your inquiry about contacting the NYPD.”

  It took him a moment, but the truth sank in. They were here because he’d killed two humans. His heart sank at the knowledge he might very well never see Olivia again. Probably wouldn’t live to see another day. Damn, damn and double damn. He hated the idea of having to give up his life because of two lowlife pieces of scum like the men who’d attacked Olivia.

  But he hadn’t drained them. Maybe that little technicality would be enough to save him.

  “What happened?” Sophia asked. “We called Olivia’s diner today, but she wasn’t there and we didn’t dare ask for you. We were afraid you were dead.”

  “I very nearly was, as you can probably tell from smelling me. But you might as well hear the story with everyone else. I only want to tell it once.”

  After hesitating for a few seconds, Sophia turned and headed down into the main room. There Campbell spotted a trio of familiar faces, the Lex Legis of New York. If V Force was the law enforcement arm of the Imperium, the Lex Legis was judge and jury. He’d had dealings with Annabelle Light, Henry Fowler and Chin Lee Wan before, but he’d never been the one on trial.

  “Legisters,” he said respectfully. “Sorry to appear before you in such a state.”

  “It seems you had a run-in with the sun as well as the two dead humans,” Fowler said without preamble.

  Campbell forced his expression to stay neutral. He’d never liked Fowler, and that was why of the three, Fowler was the only one Campbell didn’t think of by first name. The guy just seemed to glory in his job a little too much. “Unfortunately,” he said simply in response to the guy’s comment.

  “You know why we’re here?” Annabelle asked.

  “I’m assuming because of the dead humans.”

  Annabelle looked genuinely saddened. That sent a surge of concern through him. Would they really execute him? If they did, they’d be stretching the law beyond what it said.

  “You know the punishment for killing humans,” Fowler said.

  “Yes, I do. It says that vampires are to be executed when they kill a human by draining him. I didn’t even fang them. I broke their necks.”

  Fowler started to speak again, but Chin stopped him by simply holding up his hand. Chin was the head Legister and so always had the right to speak before the others.

  “Why did you kill them?” Chin asked.

  “They were kidnapping humans for the blood-slave trade, we believe at the instruction of the Nefari. I caught them in the middle of trying to kidnap a woman with AB-negative blood.” He did his best to keep any inflection or facial expression that might give away his relationship to Olivia out of his response. There was no law against vampire-human relationships, but he didn’t want to give them any reason to ask the Imperium to implement one.

  “You have identified these men?” Chin asked.

  Travis took a step forward. “The human authorities have.”

  Chin redirected his attention to Travis. “You can track them back to the source, to whoever is responsible for their actions?”

  “Yes, sir,” Travis said, betting the farm and quite possibly Campbell’s life on their ability to solve this case.

  “Good. We are done here.” Chin headed for the door.

  “But, Legister Chin, he killed two humans,” Fowler said.

  “He has broken no law. The men were not drained, and he was performing his sworn duty at great personal risk.” Chin looked at Campbell.
“Thank you.”

  Campbell gave him a respectful nod. “Thank you, Legister.”

  Fowler gave him an ugly look as the Legisters filed out of the room. Campbell didn’t know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn’t really give a damn.

  Neither Campbell nor any of the other members of the team moved or said a word until they heard the exterior door close behind the Legisters.

  “That dude sucked on too many lemons when he was alive,” Billy said.

  “Where the hell were you today?” Len asked. “Colin said you raced away with dawn on the horizon.”

  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  “Try me.”

  “Olivia DaCosta’s walk-in freezer.”

  There was a suspended moment; then Colin had the balls to laugh.

  Campbell punched him in the shoulder. “You try burning to a crisp and see if you don’t think a freezer is paradise afterward.”

  Sophia made a sound of distress.

  “I’m okay now. Chloe and Olivia got me some blood so I’d heal.”

  “Damn, man,” Len said. “You really do like this gal to go through that. I don’t mind pain, but growing skin. Hell.”

  Campbell filled them in on the rest of what had happened then looked at Travis. “How close is NYPD to knowing who those guys were working for?”

  “Not very.”

  Campbell cursed.

  “I, however, am a wizard with connections and have a pretty good lead.”

  “And you didn’t tell the Legisters?” Kaja asked.

  “They didn’t ask if I had tracked them, only if I could. I answered them truthfully.”

  Len laughed. “That Wall Street sneakiness does come in handy once in a while.”

  That it did. “Who is it?” Campbell asked.

  “I got a couple of hits on them having been in contact with Nicky Salmeri.”

  Len whistled at the same time Sophia shivered, both with reason. Nicky was really bad news, feared even among the ranks of the Soulless. The Nefari kingpin had the reputation of punishing by baseball bat just so he could watch the vamp in agony as his bones grew back together. Well, he could try tonight, but he would be in for a surprise. If Campbell found out the guy was behind the kidnappings, behind the attempt to take Olivia, he’d be hard-pressed not to use Nicky’s bat on him.

  “Wow, this just gets better every day,” Kaja said as she pulled back her hair into the tight braid she wore when they were about to do some serious ass-kicking.

  “What’s the plan?” Colin asked as he leaned back against the edge of his desk.

  “First I’m taking a shower and changing out of these reeking clothes so I don’t have every dog in Manhattan following me. Then I feel the need to go say hi to the Nefari.”

  Chapter 16

  An impressive line of very large vampires slid into a shoulder-to-shoulder barricade, cutting off Campbell’s view of Nicky Salmeri. He’d bet money not a one of them possessed a sense of humor. No matter, he wasn’t exactly in a joking mood.

  “Nicky, you’re going to want to have your goons step to the side or have them charged with obstructing justice,” Campbell said.

  A deep laugh came from the table in the back corner of the restaurant. “Obstructing justice? Sounds like such a human term.” He’d heard many a vampire use the same tone of disgust when uttering the word human before, but the way Nicky said it really grated on his last nerve.

  “You know we have laws, too.” Salmeri had certainly broken enough of them, even if he did manage to slither out of paying for his crimes.

  Nicky snapped his fingers, which must have been a signal, because the line of guards parted.

  “Now, what law have I supposedly broken this time?” Nicky said.

  Campbell took his time walking forward, closing the distance between himself and the Nefari boss. Len and Kaja backed him up while the rest of the team had positioned themselves around the restaurant to keep an eye on things and make sure they didn’t go sideways fast.

  “Hiring humans to do your dirty work during the day.”

  He sneered. “While a repulsive thought, I fail to see how that would be against our laws.”

  “It is when those humans are kidnapping other humans for the blood-slave trade.”

  Salmeri barked out a solitary laugh as he sat back in the corner of the booth, stretching his arms along its back. He wore a slick gray suit that no doubt cost more than Campbell made in a month. Evidently crime paid very well.

  “I have no need for blood slaves. I don’t lack for food or sources of pleasure.” He gave Kaja a long look. “Though I’ve always got room for another lovely at my side.”

  Len growled low in his throat, and Campbell had to agree with the sentiment. But Kaja wasn’t the type of girl to need guys to take up for her.

  Kaja said nothing, but Campbell had no doubt that she was giving Salmeri an “eat crap and die” look.

  “Quit trying to divert the conversation,” Campbell said.

  “Is that what we’re having, a conversation?” Nicky asked. “Because it sounds more like you coming in here and accusing me of crimes with no evidence. The Imperium must be dragging the bottom of the recruitment barrel if you are the best it can muster.”

  Like every other Soulless vampire, Salmeri was no fan of the Imperium. Campbell had his own issues with them, that they were perhaps a bit too much like human politicians, but he kept those thoughts to himself.

  Campbell pulled a photo out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, causing it to slide across the surface until it came to rest in front of Nicky. “So you’re saying you don’t know those guys?”

  Nicky barely gave a glance to the crime-scene photo of the two guys in Olivia’s alley, a photo that Travis had procured from the NYPD’s server.

  “I don’t associate with human alley trash. Seems someone did the world a favor by removing them from the population.”

  “I agree.”

  Nicky met his gaze and nodded. “Your work?”

  “Yes, and when I find the vampire who hired them, he’s going to wish he could die as quickly.”

  “It must be tiring caring so much for your prey.”

  The muscles in Campbell’s jaws tightened. He refused to respond because anything he said would likely be seen as a victory to Salmeri. Man, he hoped the guy was the one behind the kidnappings so he could take him out of play, knocking a big hole in the Nefari.

  “Be sure to spread the word that we’re looking for the vamp behind the kidnappings. I want him to know we’re coming for him.”

  “You can rest assured your visit and accusations here have already begun to spread. You can’t beat the vampire grapevine. I suspect you’ll hear something very soon.”

  Campbell detected a hint of threat in Salmeri’s words, but he didn’t acknowledge it. The vamp was used to scaring others to get his way. Well, Campbell didn’t scare easily.

  He nodded to Len and Kaja that it was time to go.

  “You’re forgetting your photo,” Salmeri said.

  Campbell looked back at Salmeri, wearing his surface cool with a practiced air. “You keep it. Maybe it’ll help jog your memory.”

  With that, Campbell and the rest of the team filed out of the restaurant, intently aware of all the eyes on them and the level of malevolence thick inside.

  Once they were out on the street, Kaja glanced back at the entrance. “Can I just rip that guy’s throat out and be done with it?”

  “Get in line,” Len said.

  “I wouldn’t mourn his loss, but we need to watch him instead,” Campbell said. “He knows something. I saw it in his eyes.”

  “Eyes I’d like to poke out,” Kaja said quietly.

  Though he’d love to let Kaja do whatever she wanted to Salmeri, would even lend a helping hand, he was the leader of this team. The one who had to ensure the rules were followed by all vampires, including his friends.

  Including himself.

  * * *

/>   Olivia thought she might as well get used to not sleeping very well ever again. After several insomnia-filled hours, she finally drifted into REM shortly before dawn. It seemed as though she’d only just shut her eyes when her alarm clock started blaring as though it was trumpeting the end of the world.

  “Turn it off before I come in there and shoot it,” Mindy yelled from the living room.

  Olivia slapped the button to quiet the clock, then lay there staring at the ceiling and trying to remember the last time she’d had a day off from work. She let herself fantasize about what she’d do if business picked up enough to where she could hire another cook and waitress. She’d wander through the Met, eat somewhere besides her own kitchen, hang out in the park with Herbie, Roscoe and their friends, and enjoy the feel of the wind and sunshine on her face.

  She let out a long sigh at the elusiveness of all those things. When she finally dragged herself out of bed, she felt as if she were slogging through hip-deep mud. Her brain was sending the appropriate signals to her arms and legs, but they didn’t seem to want to obey.

  A shower helped marginally, but she was still not up to par when she wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a huge mug of the strong coffee Mindy had made.

  “You look about how I feel,” Mindy said when Olivia joined her in the living room.

  “Then you must feel as if you’ve been through the wringer a few times and have the energy of a slug.”

  “That about sums it up.”

  Olivia took a drink and stared at a random spot on the coffee table. She’d had just one too many shocks lately. Hiding a burned vampire in her freezer and giving him what felt like half her blood was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

  “I feel as if I need an energy drink to even make it down the stairs,” Mindy said.

  “What I wouldn’t give for a day at a spa. Massages, facials, manis and pedis, maybe a new hairstyle.”

  “Now you’re just being mean, putting that idea in my head.”

  “Misery loves company,” Olivia said.

  This felt right, joking around with her best friend. She tried not to think about what she would have to give up to keep this type of relationship with Mindy.