Claiming the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  "Hey, aren't we…" I pointed in the direction of the exit he passed.

  "No, I'm driving straight through."

  Speechless, I stared at him.

  "It's a three-hour drive. I thought we could get acquainted," he said with that silky tone I loathed. Briefly, he removed his gaze from the road. Inquisitive eyes glanced at me while the corner of his lips twitched, hinting at a smile.

  The subtle move surprised me and roused my curiosity about him. Yes, the drive seemed long to be stuck in the car with the vamp. But maybe I could learn something about him. After all, I knew nothing about him except the fact that he was a bloodsucker.

  "Do I get to drive?" I'd never driven such a luxurious vehicle before. My outdated Honda with its cloth interior and manual, roll-down windows was the most luxurious car I had driven thus far. At least it had cruise control.

  "No." His response was as flat as the pavement.

  "I won't wreck. I have a spotless driving record." When he didn't respond, I added, "I won't even put a scratch on the car."

  He removed his gaze from the road and looked at me. His pressed lips and direct stare reinforced his answer. Sighing, I turned to the window.

  Darkness engulfed us the farther away we were from the city. Lights from subdivisions faded, and only a few trucks were visible on the road. The high speed we were traveling and the silence made my eyelids feel heavy.

  "Jessie Garrett," he said, capturing my attention. "Twenty-four, single, computer technician, paranormal investigator…" He paused and directed his attention from the road to me.

  I stared back at him and waited for him to say the word.

  "Demon," he finished.

  "That's not on my birth certificate."

  His lips twitched. "You're a mystery to me."

  "Let's keep it that way."

  I shifted one leg over the other. From my peripheral vision, I saw him watching me. I wore a knee-length black skirt with small, blue floral designs and three-inch black sandals. I'd selected the skirt thinking I would stay cooler. Now that I realized I had exposed my bare legs to his eyes, I wished I'd worn jeans.

  "I have met a few demons in my existence, and I have to admit that none compare to you."

  I silently chuckled. What a sweet compliment. Maybe he had a warm personality hidden within that cold body of his. Maybe.

  "Tell me, Jessie Garrett, where have you been hiding all these years?"

  "You followed me and seem to know a lot about me. Why don't you tell me?" I crossed my arms.

  "How about a deal?"

  "Another one?"

  "Consider it an exchange. You tell me about yourself, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about me."

  His proposal appealed to me. Since I was stuck in a car with him for the next three hours, and I had limited knowledge of vampires, why not cash in on a golden opportunity to learn more about him?

  "Okay," I said with a shrug. "But I get to ask the first question."

  He grinned. "Always a concession with you."

  I flashed a smile at him. He should have known that bargaining with a demon was never easy.

  He set the cruise control, then leaned back against his seat. "Ask."

  "How old are you?"

  "You are going to have to be more specific."

  "How long have you been dead?"

  He hesitated for a few seconds. "Eight hundred and forty-two years."

  My eyes widened. I was sitting next to a true ancient artifact.

  "When did you first realize you could catch souls?" he asked.

  I inhaled a deep breath. My first question for him seemed trivial compared to his. He wasted no time and went to the heart of my ability.

  "I suppose I first realized I could catch souls when I was nineteen. I went to a funeral with a friend of mine and noticed a ghost wandering around the cemetery. It was the first time I'd really felt…" I paused, searching for the right words to explain. Could I even do it? Perhaps it was best to leave emotion out and stick to the facts first. I continued. "After the funeral, I followed the ghost into a mausoleum. He wasn't there, but I made a mental note of all the names in the mausoleum. I went home that night and researched the names online. Frederick Hamberg was one of the names. I stumbled on several articles about him. He had been married twice and had a child with each wife. His first wife and daughter died mysteriously. The article had said car accident. Twenty years later, his second wife and son died under mysterious circumstances—the house burned down and only Frederick had survived. Out of all the names I researched, his was the only one connected to something…odd. My gut instinct told me something wasn't right about Mr. Hamberg."

  After swallowing, I went on. "That night, I had a couple of dreams. In my first dream, I saw the young Mr. Hamberg, the one from the article when his first wife died. He was underneath his wife's car, and when he squeezed out, he smiled and held a wire in his hand. I woke up from my dream drenched in sweat and queasy. That's when I knew Mr. Hamberg was responsible for his wife and daughter's demise. After I took a cold shower and calmed myself, I went back to bed. In my second dream, Mr. Hamberg held a pillow over his son's face and then strangled his wife with a telephone wire. Then he set the house on fire. The dream seemed so real. I swear—the heat from the flames warmed me. When I woke up, a man's voice told me to get him. Then I sat up in bed and puked all over myself."

  Drake's face was void of emotion. "And?"

  "I went back to the mausoleum the next day and waited for him. I didn't have a plan. I just knew I had to do something. I had an intense hatred and a burning need to send him straight to Hell. I just didn't have a clue how to do it. Well…he showed up, and I confronted him. He got angry and fought me. The fight didn't last long. I pinned him to the wall with little effort. When I opened my mouth to say something, his soul floated into me. I sucked him in until there was nothing left. And that was it."

  "Interesting."

  "My turn." Giddy, I sat up in my seat. "How did you become a vampire?"

  He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I was in a battle. Someone struck me from behind and left me for dead. A man named Thomas found me and took me to an underground tunnel where he was staying. He drank from me the first night and let me live. The second night, he asked me if I wanted to live forever. Because I was in pain and believed he was referring to heaven, I said yes. He drained me and shared his blood with me. I became a vampire. End of story."

  My jaw dropped. Flies could have flown in and out, taking their sweet time, with my mouth wide open. His whole two-minute answer lacked emotion and visualization. Instead of a story, I got to-the-point facts. Damn it, I wanted more details.

  "That's it?" I said with a trenchant tone. "How old were you?"

  "Twenty-seven. And that is two questions I get to ask you."

  I gritted my teeth. "That's not fair!"

  "You asked how I became a vampire. I told you."

  "You didn't tell me nearly enough," I complained, snippy.

  "I answered the question—two of them, in fact. Now, I get to ask questions."

  His shrewdness irritated me, and I dug my nails into my palms.

  "Did you grow up knowing you were a demon, and where are your parents?" he asked.

  I silently counted to ten to calm my anger before I answered him. "No to the first question. In response to the other, my mother is dead and I never met my biological father." How does it feel now, Drake? Oh yeah, my turn.

  "Can you read minds?"

  He gave me a chilling glare, but I simply offered a wry smile in return. Guess he didn't care for my short answer. Lips pressed together and face tight, he remained mute. After two minutes of silence—which I timed the clock on his dash—I repeated my question. "Can you read minds?"

  "Yes," he finally answered.

  Damn. But wait, did that mean he could read my mind? Sweet lord, I hoped not. I should have been more specific with my question.

  "How did your mother die?"


  I bit my lip as I thought of the shortest way to explain her death. "She was hit by a couple of cars."

  He glanced at me twice while silence lingered. If he wanted details, I wasn't going to provide them unless he did.

  "It's the truth, and you have your answer," I said as casual as a walk in the park. "Can you read my mind?"

  "No."

  Hallelujah! Wait a minute…

  "Are you lying to me?" I asked.

  "Is that your next question?"

  "Yes, and I just answered yours, so answer mine."

  He grunted. "No, I am not lying, and I don't enjoy being tricked."

  Hah! "Your game, Drake," I said, emphasis on the k. "Do you sleep during the day?"

  "Some. How old were you when your mom died?"

  "Almost thirteen. Can the sun destroy you?"

  "Eventually. Who took care of you after your mother died?"

  The line of questioning whirled so fast a sharp pain pierced my head.

  "A good friend. Do you have somewhere you call home?"

  "No. How did you find out you were a demon?"

  I sighed and turned to the window. My head ached and his "get to know you" game frustrated me. My eyes beckoned me to close them and I fought to do so. But I'd only had two hours of sleep in the last twenty-four hours. I doubted I could resist the lure of sleep for much longer.

  "My mother left me a journal." I yawned. "Have you ever been married?"

  "No, I never met the right woman to spend eternity with."

  It was the most interesting answer thus far. Either he was a romantic or he treated women as if they were pieces of candy. Sure, he seemed a bit rough around the edges, but my gut told me the answer laid with the former.

  "Did your mother tell you who your biological father was?"

  "Nope. She left that part out of the journal." I ran my hand along the side of the seat, searching for a button to recline. I found it and, with a slight buzz, the back lowered. "Have you killed for food?"

  Silence filled the car. My eyelids felt heavier as I waited for him to answer. I curled up in my seat, scrunching my legs underneath me and resting my cheek in the palm of my hand. The soft glow of the lights and low hum of the engine encouraged my lethargy.

  "I have…in the past." His voice was soft. "Have you ever killed anyone?"

  "No. I was tempted once, but I resisted." I fought the yawn trying to escape me. "Have you ever destroyed a vampire before?"

  "Yes, but not on my own." He paused. "Do you enjoy what you do?"

  Like curtains dropping over my eyes, my lids drooped. "Work is okay. Keeps me out of trouble and pays the bills." My mind wanted to shut down. I tried to resist, but my efforts were futile.

  "That's not…" He paused, then said, "Jessie?"

  "Hmm?"

  "Whose voice do you think it was that told you to 'get him'?"

  My mind begged for sleep, but I kept hearing Drake's words repeat in my head. Whose voice? Too tired, I refused to open my eyes. "My real father," I mumbled. "The devil."

  Chapter Five

  I woke up with drool on the side of my mouth and a cramp forming in my leg. Drake was leaning sideways with his arm on the seat divider. He was close, too close. His cool energy brushed over my skin in gentle waves. As strange as it seemed, I liked it.

  The pain in my calf worsened. I stretched my legs as I wiped my face clean. "How far are we?" I held the button to bring my seat upright. My catnap had refreshed me. My mind felt one hundred times clearer.

  Drake straightened. "Not far. Fifteen more minutes."

  A sign drawing near said we were on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

  "Where are we staying?" I asked.

  "I have a condo downtown. I think you will find it accommodating."

  I gazed out the window. Traffic crowded the highway, and taxis flew by as if it were the Indy 500. Drake maneuvered around the vehicles with nail-biting accuracy. Chicago natives were crazy drivers.

  From the Interstate, he drove through the heart of downtown. Bright lights lit up the windy city. Passing up Michigan Avenue and other highly trafficked streets, he proceeded down Wabash Avenue to one of the tall skyscrapers. My eyes nearly popped out of my head at the magnificent glass structure. He turned down a small alley, then steered toward an underground parking garage.

  "This is where your condo is?" I asked as he stopped the car in front of a metal gate.

  He withdrew a plastic pass from the storage compartment between us. "Yes."

  He lowered his window, then flashed the pass in front of a scanner. After the gate rose he sped through the parking garage, angling the corners fast. My body tilted with each quick curve. On the third sublevel, parking spots were marked with numbers. Drake pulled into the spot marked 82-B, then cut the engine.

  With a deep sigh, I pushed my door open. Drake moved fast and was out of the car before I had put both feet on the ground. I blamed my slowness on the three-hour drive. My stiff legs and back refused to respond quickly. I stretched as he lifted the trunk lid. By the time I'd finished, he'd shut the trunk.

  "Ready?" he asked, holding my bloated bag in his hand.

  I gestured for him to lead the way.

  Drake strode through the silent garage carrying my luggage with ease. I kept close to his side, surveying the area for anyone or thing that might jump out. Sure, I was in a secured garage with a vampire for a bodyguard, but my gut instinct reminded me I was in unfamiliar territory—enemy territory—and I needed to be alert and ready.

  We entered a mirrored elevator and I stood in the back. The shiny fixtures and clean mirrors led me to believe this was no ordinary condo. Drake set my bag down and pressed the button marked eighty-two.

  "Eighty-second floor?" I asked as the doors shut.

  He gave me a nod.

  The numbers above the door illuminated as the elevator shot up with incredible speed and little noise. Past the twentieth floor, my ears popped. They popped another two times before we reached our floor.

  "Stay here often?" I asked when the doors opened.

  "Depends on your definition of often."

  Drake led the way down a hall. A touch of dizziness made me sway slightly, but it disappeared by the time we reached a door labeled 82-B. He slid his key into the lock.

  "More than once a year?" I asked.

  "Over the last two years, I have spent several months here. Before Alexander came to Chicago, I stayed here maybe a week." He pushed open the door and gestured with his arm for me to go in.

  I stepped past the door and entered darkness. When Drake flipped on the light, I froze. I stood in the foyer, and the far wall in the living room was one big window, from floor to ceiling, overlooking the city. Without a doubt, his condo put my apartment to shame.

  I walked forward and entered the living room, which had two burgundy sofas, two chairs, and a stone coffee table in the middle. The dining area was located to the left with a dark table in the center. Everything looked immaculate and elegant but not overly luxurious. I spun on my heel to comment, but Drake was out of sight. With hurried steps, I returned to the foyer in search of him.

  "Drake?" I called out.

  "Down the hall."

  My heels clacked on the dark hardwood floor as I proceeded in search of him. I passed an open door on the left and continued to the end of the hall where I rounded a corner. I walked by two more doors before I found Drake standing in front of the full-length window at the far end of a room. My suitcase sat propped on the bed.

  He walked toward me. "You can stay in this room, and I will be in the one next door. The bathroom is the next door down."

  "Great." It was the only word that came to mind at that moment.

  He continued to the hallway, then stopped and slid his jacket off his shoulders. "Are you hungry?"

  "No. I ate dinner before we left."

  He tossed his jacket over his arm. "I don't have any food in the kitchen, but you are welcome to call room service and order in. Have them bill me."


  Seeing him for the first time without his coat woke me up to just how big he really was. He had a fit, robust body with curves defining his strength. My heart picked up a few extra beats and the room suddenly felt several degrees warmer. I hoped he couldn't sense how I was feeling.

  I pried my lustful eyes away. "Thanks."

  "Is there anything I can get for you?"

  He approached me. When he was too close, I backed up into the wall and hit my head.

  "I'm fine." I provided a fake grin.

  "Are you?" he asked, curving that same brow as he had done earlier.

  "Yes." I swallowed hard. He had sensed the change in my body. Damn it. "If it's all right with you, I'm going to put my clothes away before they get too wrinkled."

  "That's fine. We don't have to go out tonight. I will be in the living room if you need anything." He left with a casual stride.

  I inhaled a deep, calming breath. What the hell was I thinking a minute ago? Broad shoulders, big muscles, solid body…he was hot and he made me feel the same. Damn, I really needed to get laid soon.

  I shook the dirty thoughts from my mind and unloaded the contents of my suitcase. Although I was probably staying just one week, I wasn't about to walk around town with messy clothes. I hung up most items and left the bathroom supplies on the bed. The hour on the clock near the bead revealed it was early in the morning, but I knew Dani would still be awake. Indy was an hour behind Chicago anyway. I dug my cell from my purse, then called her.

  "You made it?" She answered the phone on the second ring.

  "I'm here." I walked over to the window overlooking the city. From the eighty-second floor, all the cars looked like ants with headlights.

  "Did you drive or fly?"

  "I thought we were taking a flight, but Drake decided to drive instead. I fell asleep in the car for a bit."

  She laughed. "Really?"

  "Yes."

  More chuckles from my dearest friend. "Jessie, that man is hot. I swear—"

  "Yeah, I heard you the first time," I said, stopping her from saying something obscene.