Only Human (Kirsten O'Shea Book 1)

by Blevins, Candace

  I checked my email and skimmed through the information, working my way through the details out loud, “Both were males, one was a mail carrier and the other a mechanic. Both have obvious Irish last names, McKowan and Flannery. I don’t see any similarities in the way they looked, other than both had light hair, one a strawberry blond and the other a dirty blonde. Oh, and both had blue eyes. McKowan, the mechanic, had lots of freckles. Flannery, the mail carrier, didn’t appear to, but I’m not sure the snapshot we have would show them. And by the way, thanks for not sending me pictures of them after they were dead. I’d just as soon not see it, but I should probably know which was decapitated.”

  “McKowan was decapitated and was killed second.”

  “Maybe they were killed because they saw something they shouldn’t have? A mail carrier gets around and sees a lot of stuff. I wonder if the mechanic worked on the car of someone who was on the mail carrier’s route.”

  “Denny has his detectives looking into it. But, Kirsten? You nailed one of the things bugging me — both of them have obvious Irish last names. Can it be a coincidence that someone who kills with a weapon like yours is killing people with last names like yours?”

  I’d have been much happier if Aaron hadn’t voiced what was going through my head. “Are you trying to scare me?”

  “No, just making you aware of a possible threat.”

  “Well, gee thanks. I’m sure I’ll sleep much better now.”

  “Keep Smokey close. He’ll warn you if someone is nearby. If someone should break in, kill first and ask questions later.”

  Smokey is my two hundred and twenty pound Newfoundland. He stays outside in the fenced-in backyard when no one’s home, but the rest of the time he’s in the house with us. He’s more of an alarm dog than a guard dog, as I don’t believe he’d ever bite anyone. He’d stand between us and physically keep someone from getting to me, but biting isn’t his thing.

  “Both of these men were killed in their homes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Smokey will sleep at the top of the steps, same as always. We’ll be fine.”

  “I know. I’m not worried enough to post bodyguards yet. I just want you to be on alert.”

  “Yeah well, sweet dreams to you, too. Goodnight, Aery.”

  “Goodnight, Bug.”

  Chapter Five

  My Friday morning appointment was a regular patient I see every week. He usually came in on Thursdays but had rescheduled to Friday morning this week. Frank is an alpha male who happens to be sexually submissive — it’s hard for the foreman of a construction crew to come to grips with the fact he likes to be tied up and have women torture his boy-parts and stick things up his ass.

  Frank and I have a nice rapport and he no longer gets pissed at me for pointing out the things he’d rather not have to come to terms with. This week he told me about his Mistress taking him to The Diamond Club last weekend in a collar and leash, as it was the first time Frank had submitted in public and it was difficult for him. His Mistress had pointed out The Diamond Club is a mostly gay club, and if anyone he knew happened to be there, they couldn’t very well tell anyone without outing themselves as well.

  We talked a good bit about how he felt about his experience, and the conflicts he’d been forced to deal with. I was also interested in hearing about The Diamond Club, since I’d recently met the owner. I’ve been there, but it was nice to hear someone else’s impression of the place.

  What really interested me was an incident Frank told me about. Apparently, a fight broke out upstairs, and Frank watched someone jump flatfooted from the dance floor, up and over the railing of the upper level, easily land on both feet, and then calmly pick both fighters up around their rib cages, one under each arm, and walk towards the upstairs office with them. Frank insisted he hadn’t been allowed to drink anything but water, and he was sure of what he saw.

  It sounded like something a supernatural would do, not a human. Especially since Frank said no one seemed to notice the jump, and that he doubted he would’ve if the man hadn’t been standing right beside him. His Mistress was holding his leash and hadn’t seen it, and hadn’t believed Frank when he told her about it. I, also, tried to downplay what he’d seen, though I felt guilty for doing so. I find most humans often just don’t see what they don’t believe is possible, so it didn’t surprise me that no one else seemed to notice.

  However, two days ago I’d had vampires in my office, and yesterday I met a man who owned a club with at least one supernatural bouncer. I don’t believe in random coincidences.

  The rest of my workday went as it should, and that night I worked backstage during Lauren’s show. I’d volunteered for this night months ago, since Lauren is always nervous to be performing on the big stage and likes having me close when she’s uneasy. The show went off without a hitch and we went home and I let her fall sleep in my bed so we could talk about the show and her day at school and anything else she wanted to talk about.

  Once she was asleep, I carried her to her own bed and tucked her in. I’d love to let her sleep in my bed every night, but I’d seen it happen too many times in my practice when the daughter slept with the mom, and when the mom finally got around to marrying someone, the daughter felt like she’d been kicked out of bed for the new man in mom’s life. So I made the bedtime pajama parties a special event, and I always carried her to her own bed when it was over. Not that I expected to meet a man to share my life with, but if the impossible ever happened I wanted to make the transition as easy on Lauren as possible.

  We had a relaxing day Saturday, and that evening we arrived at the theater an hour and a half before show time. I walked Lauren downstairs to the dressing room and helped her and a few of the other girls with their hair and makeup. It happens to be something I’m good at, and I usually end up doing at least a half a dozen faces before performances. I walked back upstairs about thirty minutes before curtain, and was looking for an usher when Abbott walked up and offered his arm.

  He wore a charcoal suit with a black shirt, and an eggplant tie with subtle charcoal and black diagonal stripes, pulling everything together. His black hair looked a little longer tonight, giving him more the look of a well-dressed rogue than businessman, and my heart gave an extra pitter-patter when I placed my hand on his cool arm. The vampires had said their Master would need to meet me, and I couldn’t shake the idea this might be the master vampire. However, his aura wasn’t quite right, but was nothing like that of the shifters. Of course, Gwen and Kieran’s aura hadn’t been different, either.

  I’ve seen the box seats before, when wandering around the theater during practice. I knew the chairs were more comfortable, and was aware we’d have a birds-eye view, but hadn’t expected the feeling of being higher than everyone else in the theater. I wasn’t sure I liked looking down on the audience as well as the performance, and thought the floor seats might have the better view, or at least one more intimate with the performers.

  The final show is always poignant for me — the last time I’ll see my daughter perform this part with this cast — and I warned Abbott before the curtain rose, saying, “I’m not normally an emotional female, but I always cry at the last show, so you shouldn’t be alarmed.”

  His grin made him look even more the bad boy, and he had a happy twinkle in his eye as he thanked me for the information.

  I managed to hold it together during the first part of the performance, and excused myself to the bathroom during intermission. When I returned, Abbott asked, “Do you have plans after the show?”

  “Yes, there’s a cast party, since it’s the final performance.”

  “I’d planned to make an appearance, and would be honored if you would consider me your date for the party.”

  I grimaced and warned, “My parents will be there, playing the part of the doting grandparents who’ve just watched their only grandchild give a fantastic performance. I doubt they’ll stay long, but if you’re with me you’ll have to meet them, and my mo
m isn’t always nice. I also have a young lady from China staying with me while she attends UTC, and she’ll be there as well.”

  “I believe I can handle your mother. I’m curious about your young lady from China, though. Is there an interesting story?”

  “I don’t know how interesting it is.”

  I explained how she came to live with me, and he said, “You pronounce her name as if you’re comfortable with Mandarin.”

  I eyed him a moment before noting, “And you recognize that fact, plus you know it’s Mandarin and not just Chinese. Have you traveled to China?”

  “I’ve had occasion to visit, yes. I take it you’ve traveled more than just the one time to adopt Lauren?”

  I nodded. “I was living in China when I first met her, and once I decided to adopt her, it took more than two years to make it happen. I’ve also taken Lauren back a number of times on vacation. What cities have you visited?”

  “The list is quite long; I would rather talk about my favorite places instead of merely itemizing where I’ve been.”

  I smiled. “Favorite place is easy — Guilin and the surrounding countryside.”

  “Ah yes, Elephant Trunk Hill and the Li River. The area around the Li River is easily one of the ten most beautiful places on Earth.”

  “Beautiful… magical…yes.” I agreed, excited to talk to someone else who’d been. “The first time I went there I said if Shangri La existed, I’d found it. Later, I discovered there are other places in China attributed to Shangri La, but I’m still in love with the area around Guilin.”

  Our conversation continued with us talking about places we’d been in China until the curtain rose for the second act.

  During a brief break for a scene change, Abbott asked if it would be acceptable for my parents to take Lauren and Xiaolan home after the cast party, so he and I could go somewhere else.

  I responded with, “Somewhere like the Diamond Club?”

  Abbott raised an eyebrow. “I would be happy to take you, though you don’t give the impression of being that kind of girl.” There was no judgment in his statement, and he didn’t appear to be upset I’d checked into him.

  “I warned you I was a plethora of inconsistencies,” I said with a smile, “but the way we’re dressed, perhaps we should go somewhere quieter tonight.”

  When the show was over, I made my first safe call to James, explaining to Abbott that I had an overprotective friend who asked me to check in at predetermined times when I went out with someone new. Abbott asked what time my next call was, and I told him he didn’t need to know when, only that they existed.

  “What will happen if you don’t make the call?”

  I smiled and changed the subject. “What part of town do you live?”

  “Lookout Mountain.”

  Of course he lived on the mountain. Where else would a respectable rich man who’s a visible patron of the arts live? Somewhere he can look down on the common folk, with a nice view of the city, the river, and the other mountains. Just like we were looking down on the common folk from his box. Or, maybe I was being judgmental.

  “Where on the mountain? Fairyland, or somewhere with a view?”

  He smiled. “On the brow, between the Incline and Point Park.”

  Damn. Those houses were worth millions. I started to ask if he knew Aaron, as there were only around a dozen houses along his stretch of road, and since Aaron lived there, too, it was likely they knew each other. However, I didn’t want to have to explain how I knew him.

  I once again wondered why Abbott Hamilton was interested in me. I mean, I’m not ugly, but I don’t believe I’m beautiful anymore. In my teens and younger twenties I was a model and a ballerina, but now I’m in my thirties and…well, I guess I’m still attractive, but not beautiful. I don’t really miss it — people now accept that I have a brain, which didn’t happen much when I fit the definition of what our society considers ideal.

  Abbott appeared to be about my age and in very good shape.

  Very. Good. Shape.

  Let me just say he’s hot. So far I’ve only seen him in well-tailored suits, but twice I’ve touched an arm and it felt like braided steel. Also, let’s not forget the already-mentioned chiseled face.

  So why the interest in a middle-aged, upper-middle-class single mom with a couple of psych degrees? Not that I’m selling myself short, but something hadn’t felt right about him from the beginning and it just kept feeling curiouser and curiouser. Add the possibility his club had supernatural bouncers, and I wasn’t sure what to think, but if he were the Master Vampire, wouldn’t he have said something by now? He hadn’t tried to poke through my shields in any way.

  Unless he was good enough I wouldn’t know. I’ve been able to keep some really powerful people out, so it wasn’t likely, but I needed to keep the possibility in mind. Mistakes happen when people begin to think they’re invincible.

  As the play progressed and I started crying, he calmly handed me a handkerchief without comment. He’s the only man besides my father I’ve ever seen carry a handkerchief, and he gained lots of points by not making a big deal of my tears.

  When the play was over we went backstage, but my parents weren’t there yet. I called my dad’s cell phone to see where they were and discovered security didn’t know them and wouldn’t let them pass. I usually sat with them, and hadn’t considered how they’d get to Lauren without me as an escort.

  I stepped out to meet them and walk them in, and took the opportunity to warn them they were going to meet the man I’d been sitting with. I gave my mom a serious look and told her to behave, though I knew it wasn’t likely. Even Xiaolan laughed when I said it.

  I told them Abbott had asked me to go with him after the party, and I asked my dad if he’d mind driving Xiaolan and Lauren home and walking them into the house. He said he didn’t mind at all, of course, because my dad is great about that kind of thing. My mom rolled her eyes at me and squinched her face up like the Church Lady from SNL. I shrugged it off and pretended not to notice — she rarely approves of me or my choices, and I’d come to terms with it long ago.

  I introduced Abbott to my parents and Xiaolan, and excused myself to go get Lauren. I hated to leave them all together without me there to oversee the conversation, but I needed to make sure Lauren packed everything that was hers, and turned everything in that belonged to the theater. She may be a genius, but she’s still a sixteen year old coming down off the high of performing.

  My parents were ready to go an hour into the party, and Abbott and I walked them to their car. I told Lauren I expected her to be asleep by the time I got home, I thanked Xiaolan for going home with her, and then they were gone.

  “The coffee house up on the hill has a decent Celtic band performing tonight,” Abbott said. “It should be a nice atmosphere for conversation.”

  I don’t drink coffee in the evening, but assumed they’d have tea. “That sounds lovely. It’s nice out; why don’t we leave the cars here and walk?”

  Most people would’ve been out of breath by the time we reached the coffee shop, as the hill is steep. I wasn’t, but expected Abbott to be, and he wasn’t, either.

  Abbott ordered coffee like that of a connoisseur, rattling off the kind of coffee and what he wanted done to it. I noted they had bubble tea, so I ordered it. I hadn’t had bubble tea since my last trip to China a few months before.

  When they brought our coffee and tea, I noted Abbott wasn’t drinking. He held it, and smelled it, and occasionally brought the cup to his lips, but didn’t drink. After about ten minutes of conversation I asked, “You aren’t drinking your coffee. Is it okay?”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. Vampires don’t drink coffee, though many of us love the smell.”

  Shit. I knew something was rotten. Okay, first thing I needed to do was see if he could read my mind. I hadn’t felt him try, but needed to be sure.

  However, I couldn’t do it just yet, so I said, “Riiiggghhhtttt, you’re a vampire. And I’m a
fairy. Since fairies and vampires don’t really like each other I suppose we should end the date now. Thanks for the tea.”

  I moved to get up to leave, but he reached across the table and pushed down on my forearm. I had the choice of sitting back down or making a scene. I sat, and looked expectantly at him.

  He very matter-of-factly said, “You are not fae; you’re human. I have no intentions of hurting you. There is no need to leave.”

  His voice was kind yet unemotional, and his words told me he knew I didn’t smell like fae, and knew vampires would know this. This suggested he was a vampire or some other sort of supernatural, but I wasn’t ready to admit out loud that I didn’t have a problem with the fact vampires really exist. It felt too much like entrapment, as if they were seeing if I would screw up. Or worse, trying to make me screw up. So I said, “Look, you seem like a nice enough guy, if a bit deranged, but I deal with delusions enough in my work and don’t really want to date anyone who believes he’s a vampire.”

  “You think I’m delusional? Do you mind explaining how you’re so sure I’m not a vampire?”

  “Because there’s no such thing as vampires, so of course you can’t be one.”

  “Indeed.”

  And then I felt him trying to probe my shields, his will pressing into my mind. I caught my breath and added bulk to my already reinforced shields when I felt a power remarkably stronger than Kieran’s trying to come into my head. A few seconds later, I realized he was stronger than Kieran and Gwen combined. When he couldn’t come in gently, he pressed with sharp, heated pieces of his willpower, moving and sliding, pushing and finally hammering as he looked for a crack to poke into and widen, and then tried to create a crack when he couldn’t find one.

  I held strong, though it hurt to do so and I knew I couldn’t hold him off for long. I decided perhaps it would be a good time to see if he could read my mind, so I imagined myself unzipping his pants and taking him into my mouth, and I had to keep from smiling as he startled for a microsecond and withdrew from the probing.