CHAPTER 9
“Do you know everyone who was involved in the fight?”
Quinn barely paid Julian any attention as she kicked her shoes off and walked toward the kitchen. Her feet ached, her jaw was sore from a punch she’d taken. The only thing she wanted to do was lie down and sleep until sunset tomorrow. Instead, she had an extremely angry, large vampire hovering in her doorway. She grabbed a can of soda and the whole bag of peanut butter cups before slumping into one of her wobbly kitchen chairs.
She opened her soda, before peeling the wrappers from ten peanut butter cups and placing them on the table. She methodically began to eat each one as she tried to ignore Julian’s nearby presence. Maybe if she ignored him for enough time he would simply go away. She knew it would never happen, but she was going to enjoy her snack before she had to deal with him.
She popped the last candy into her mouth and lifted her right foot into her lap. She rubbed at her foot and braced herself. He’d left her alone for this long, she knew it wouldn’t continue, and she was right. He pulled out the chipped white chair across from her and plopped into it. Quinn bit on her bottom lip as she waited for the chair to break apart beneath him.
“So do you know everyone who was involved?”
“I know most of them,” she admitted. “I’m sure there were a few I missed or don’t know. Clint and Angie would probably know the ones I don’t. I can always ask them.”
“Good, we have to find the people involved.”
“Most of them will be back to the bar, eventually. Whenever there’s a fight some of the people involved go to Hawtie’s for a week or two to give Clint a chance to calm down. The rest either go to the bonfire usually held a couple of times a month, or they go to the Mitchum’s.”
“What are Hawtie’s and the Mitchum’s?”
“Hawtie’s is the strip club on the other side of town. Mitchum’s is an old movie theatre the couple bought and renovated.”
He folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. It groaned beneath him but still somehow held his weight. “What goes on there?”
Quinn dropped her foot down to lift her left one up. A groan escaped her as she rubbed at the sore extremity. “I don’t know. They have parties every weekend there. I always assumed it was normal party stuff, but I’ve never been.”
“Maybe it’s a key party?” he suggested with a wink.
She frowned at him. “What’s a key party?”
“It was something that was popular in the seventies with the swinger crowd.”
“Do I want to know what they did with those keys?”
He gave a small laugh. “The men put their keys into a bowl and the women picked them out later. Whoever’s key they picked was who they spent the night with.”
Quinn’s eyebrows rose. “Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“That sounds… awful. I don’t think that’s what goes on over there. I hope,” she added in a mutter. “But way to date yourself with that reference.”
“Dewdrop, I was already old in the seventies.”
She shook her head at him and lifted her soda. She held his eyes over top of the can as she took a swallow and dropped her drink back down. “You do emit an ancient aroma.”
“And what is an ancient aroma exactly?”
“Kind of musty with a hint of mushrooms, and…” she paused to scent the air. “Vinegary.” It was a complete lie, he smelled delicious enough to eat or at the very least lick. The fresh scent of soap and the peppery scent of power emitted from every one of his pores.
He smiled at her as he dropped his arms and leaned toward her. “I may smell like an ancient vinegary mushroom, but I can assure you I don’t taste like one, if you ever decide you’d like to take a bite.”
Despite her best intentions, her mouth dropped and her body flushed at his words. “I… uh… never,” she sputtered in protest.
“Again your mouth is saying no, but your eyes are saying yes.”
She almost threw her can at him, but she thought he might enjoy that too much. “You’re an ass,” she muttered.
“I’m an ass who you’re tempted to kiss.”
Her hand fisted on the table. “Stop.”
“As you wish Dewdrop, but for future reference I’ve never turned down a kiss before.”
“Oh, I’m sure you haven’t,” she retorted. “I bet there have been thousands.”
“Not thousands, but I like that you have so much faith in my prowess with women.”
“Ugh! Seriously, how are you still alive?” she demanded.
“Luck, plus I’ve got skills. You’ll take me to those places tonight.”
A friction of resentment slid over her skin, goose bumps broke out across her arms. Her teeth clamped together and she hissed her words at him. “I’ll do what?”
He must have realized what he’d sounded like as he shook his head. “Sorry,” he muttered and ran a hand through his hair. “I need you to take me to find those men, and if they’re not at any of those places, then you’ll have to let me know where to find them.”
“What do I look like the town yellow pages?” she retorted.
The smile slid away from his face, he stared at her for a minute before leaning toward her. “You look like a highly pissed off vampire right now. You have to understand, what I felt from that person wasn’t good, and they’re going to kill again. Soon. They’re hunting women and children.” Her stomach twisted sickly at the idea, her blood ran cold as she gawked at him. “Children are the main thing they’re hunting, and what they take the most pleasure in torturing and killing.”
All right, she had to admit that was far more important than the fact that he was an arrogant, exasperating ass. “I’ll help you find as many of them as I can.”
“Thank you.”
“We can’t really do anything now anyway.” She gestured toward the blinds covering her window and the rays of sun beginning to peek around them.
“No, but at sundown. You’ll have to call out of work.”
“I have the night off.” She rose to her feet, snatched up her wrappers and walked over to toss them in the trash. “I don’t suppose I’ll get lucky enough to get you to stay out of my hallway today?”
He grinned at her and shook his head. “Hate to disappoint. You’re stuck with me for the day again. Even if vampires can’t move about in the day, I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
Uneasiness slid through her, she glanced around her small apartment. She couldn’t have him spending another night in her hallway. The neighbors hadn’t complained last night, they would if he continued to sit out there though. They may call the cops, which could become ugly if one of them tried to drag Julian outside into the day. But if he came in here, he could learn everything about her.
He was already sitting in her chair, at her table, she reminded herself. Touching her things and yet he’d mentioned nothing of her past. There would be no keeping silent about it if he knew the truth, he would confront her on it, she was certain of that.
Had he lied about his ability in an attempt to get her to spill her guts? Or was he keeping silent on the things he’d learned and just waiting for his chance to pounce on her? Or maybe touching her things didn’t give him detailed images and memories from her but only glimpses?
Either way, the damage had already been done. She’d make sure not to touch him again, but she didn’t see the harm in allowing him to crash on her couch. It was the far better option to having the cops storming her hallway or her neighbors calling the landlord to complain. She didn’t have much money, this was the only decent place in town she could afford, and she couldn’t lose it.
“You can stay on the couch,” she muttered.
He did an exaggerated double take and lifted his right hand to his ear to pull it toward her. “I’m not sure I heard you right.”
She made a disgusted noise and shook her head. “I’d prefer not to lose my place or see you dragged out by the cops. As much as I don’t like it, you?
??ve left me no choice.”
“Let’s get this straight Dewdrop, I’m going to make sure you stay safe, but you always have a choice.”
“My neighbors…”
“I’ll stay in the supply closet at the end of the hall.”
“With the plungers and whatever else the landlord keeps in there?”
“Tools, I’ve already snooped through. Believe me, I’ve slept with worse.”
“Oh I bet the plunger probably beats out a few of the things you’ve slept with,” she replied with a smile.
“You do have some claws; I like it.”
“I’m thrilled,” she deadpanned. “There’s an extra blanket and pillow in the closet.” Before he could say anything else, she turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen. It took everything she had not to look back at him as she hurried into her room.