Samee chattered all the way to the store about how great it would be when she could finally get her driver's license, how cute the boys in West Windington are, and her stupid biology class. But one thing she wouldn't discuss – vampires.

  “I just want a normal conversation for a change,” she insisted. “Is that so wrong?” Donna shook her head and smiled. Normal seemed like a good goal to her, too. Samee turned her attention to The Dark Side and how she hoped she could go back there soon because the people were so fun. Donna smiled politely, parked at the store, and Samee bolted from the car like a kid at a carnival. The driver of a passing Subaru even squealed his brakes to avoid hitting her. “Sorry!” she waved, but without stopping to see what else might be coming around the next turn.

  Donna found Samee in the produce aisle a few minutes later. She had one hand on a shopping cart and the other clutching an orange, which she sniffed.

  “Mmm, thanks Donna. You don't know what this means to me.”

  “You’re right,” Donna chuckled. “I don’t.”

  “Vampires aren't big eaters,” Samee explained. “Hunter doesn't notice any difference between a tomato and a potato. Sometimes, I'll be craving chocolate and he'll bring home a bran muffin. When I complain, he says, 'Geez, Samee, they're the same color, why do you have to be so picky?'” She eyeballed the mangoes and licked her lips. “The fact is, sending a vampire out for a mortal's meal is like taking a gorilla to the prom.” She giggled at that, and then meandered around the store with such childlike wonder that Donna didn't have the heart to investigate some of her pressing concerns, like how many pints of blood Hunter usually drank for breakfast, and what effect it would have if she pelted him with garlic cloves.

  After two and a half hours of watching Samee shake cereal boxes and fondle marshmallow bags, Donna asked, “Why aren't you putting anything in the cart?”

  “I don't have money on me.” Samee snuggled with a package of T-bone steaks while Donna glanced toward the front and watched customers. Through the plate glass windows, Donna watched a police car slowly cruise by.

  “Samee, what do you know about a man in a blue Toyota?” Samee set down the meat and looked over Donna's shoulder.

  “Oh my God!” she gasped.

  “What?” Donna whirled around.

  “The make-up aisle!” Samee scrambled to it and Donna followed. “Hunter is so impatient when I try to pick out colors in a store, but you'll let me browse, right?”

  “Well, I suppose it can’t do any harm.”

  Samee grinned ear-to-ear again. “Thanks, Donna. You really are wonderful.” She pulled a mascara tube from its display hanger. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to guess the best lip tone on a computer screen?” Donna admitted she didn't. Samee replaced the mascara tube back on its hanger. “What did you ask me about something blue?”

  “Do you know anything about a dead man in a blue Camry?”

  Samee curled her lip. “A blue what?”

  “Car.”

  Samee plucked a four-pack of eye shadow from a different hanger. “No, why?”

  Donna thought about it for a moment while Samee squinted at the eye shadow shades. “How about a big, scary-looking guy with a gun who drives an old Bronco and shoots people?”

  “Bronco?”

  “An SUV thing, with a roll bar. It's black. And the guy murders people, Samee. Do you know him?”

  Samee held the eye shadow to her face. “Do you think this color would look good on me?”

  “Yes,” Donna nodded. “Earth tones suit you.”

  She beamed. “Thanks! I'm going to make Hunter buy this for me the next time we come shopping. I don't know the gun guy personally, but I know who he is.”

  “Who is he?”

  “One of Hunter's friends.”

  Donna gasped. “Hunter is friends with a murderer?”

  Samee shrugged. “Well, not really friends in the normal sense, they actually hate each other. The guy's a contract killer.”

  “That's awful,” Donna mused.

  Samee nodded. “Hunter hires him from time to time.” She squealed. “Look, eyeliner's on sale.”

  Donna swallowed hard. “Hunter hires contract killers?”

  “Not killers, just killer. He only uses that guy.” Samee grinned. “I think purple eyeliner would look good on you.”

  Just that guy...

  “What about the cops, Samee?”

  “They're a bunch of stupid minions,” she scoffed. “Look at this lip color.” She held it to Donna's face. “This would look so good on you.”

  “Great,” Donna said absently. “Are you saying the cops are all working for the kidnapper?”

  Samee shook her head and put the lipstick tube back on its display hanger. “Not all the cops.”

  “So there's hope I can find one in town that’s not corrupt.”

  “I wouldn't bet on it. The cops who aren't minions for the kidnapper are probably minions for the mayor.”

  “Mayor St. James?”

  Samee nodded, scrutinized make-up brand names. “That one makes my eyes leak. The mayor's a vampire too, you know.”

  “No,” Donna replied reflectively. “I didn't know. Mo's going to have a field day with that information.”

  Samee frantically shook her head. “Don't breathe one word of this to your friend, or to anyone. It's bad enough I'm telling you and it's really important to mortals that the mayor's not implicated.”

  “Too late. Mo already suspects the mayor's involved.” Not only that, but once Mo was on a roll, there was no stopping the avalanche.

  “That friend of yours could be too nosy for her own good.” Samee glanced behind Donna and groaned. “Oh, brother. Here comes one now. Act normal.”

  “One what?” And what was normal anymore? Donna whirled around when a male voice came from behind.

  “Can I help you ladies find something?” He was large and half-bald, wearing a plaid shirt that fit too tight, a name tag that read “Chet Smith: Assistant Manager,” and a scowl. He approached and focused his vapid eyes on Donna. “It's been brought to my attention that you two have been wandering the store for several hours and have yet to make a single selection.” He glowered at Donna, which made her cringe. Then he focused on Samee, whose eyes were level with his chest. “Shoes are required in this store, young lady.”

  Samee poked a finger deliberately at his barrel chest, glared up at him. “We're allowed to browse for as long as we want. And if you don't leave us alone, I'll stick my shoeless foot up your butt. How does that sound, mister ass-man?”

  “I'm...I'm sorry, miss.” His voice shook and his color drained. He backed down the aisle, his gaze focused and unblinking, on Samee. At the end of the row, he turned and scurried away. Donna turned to Samee, her mouth gaping in surprise.

  “You have to talk that way to the minions,” Samee explained. “If you don't, they can get pretty intimidating.” Donna considered her own recent experience at the police station. Intimidating didn't even begin to describe what it felt like when a bear-sized cop held a gun on you. “We should probably get going anyhow,” Samee rolled her eyes like Mo, “or Hunter will start annoying me with 'Where are you and what are you doing?' phone calls.”

  Considering all the minions, soul stealers and contract killers out there, Donna could hardly blame him.

  “Does Hunter ever worry about you wandering around all alone during the day?” she asked.

  “You have no idea.” Samee giggled. “But you will soon enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, in the dictionary under the word 'overprotective' there's a picture of Hunter. Now, come on. Let’s get home before dark.” Samee pulled Donna toward the exit. On their way, they passed Chet Smith: Assistant Manager, who slunk against the cat litter display when Samee trotted by.

  One thing about minions, they look like half the people in West Windington.

  “Hey Samee, what criteria do Underworld creatures use to pick
minions?”

  “It depends on their needs and what the minion has to offer. The mayor likes having cops on his side,” she explained. “It's good for corruption.”

  “What about Hunter?” Donna asked with trepidation. “Does he take minions?”

  Samee shrugged. “I've never known him to, but then again, that's not the kind of thing a vampire would discuss with his mortal kid sister.” Samee thanked Donna for being mortal. “It's great to shop with somebody who knows the difference between rice cakes and cupcakes.”

  They were just pulling out of the store’s parking lot when the white Honda just ahead of them backed up and crashed right into the front grille of Donna's Mustang.

  “Hey! Asshole!” Donna yelled. The driver got out of the car and glowered. His eyes held that now-familiar, vapid look.

  “It's another minion,” Samee warned.

  “Why are they everywhere all of a sudden?”

  “It just seems like they're everywhere because they're everywhere that you are.” She opened the passenger door to get out.

  “I'll handle this,” Donna said.

  “Are you sure? That's a pretty big minion.”

  “I'm a pretty pissed off Mustang owner.” Donna jumped out, slammed the door shut and faced the minion, who loomed before her. His nostrils flared and a vein in his forehead throbbed.

  “You ran in to me,” he sneered.

  Donna swallowed hard and took a step back. Then she changed her mind. If little Samee could do this, then so could she.

  “No,” she snapped. “You backed into me.” She pushed an index finger against his collar bone. “I'll shove my foot up your butt, asshole!”

  His mouth hung open in surprise. He muttered an apology then hurried back to his car and screeched the tires when he fled the parking lot.

  Donna grinned and turned to Samee. “That was kind of fun.” Samee nodded vigorously then giggled. But the fun wore off quickly when Donna observed the Mustang's cracked front grille and injured fender.

  “It wasn't your fault,” Samee assured her.

  “It won't make any difference to the lawyer.”

  “Who?”

  “My mother,” Donna grumbled. They got back in the car. “Samee, why are minions everywhere that I am?”

  Samee pulled out a stick of gum, offered one to Donna. She shook her head no.

  “Because they've been instructed to watch you,” Samee said.

  “Why?”

  Samee chomped on the gum. “I dunno. But my guess is these minions are learning your habits.”

  Donna glanced at her. “Kind of like what you were doing with me.”

  “Kind of,” she popped a gum bubble. “But I'm not a minion.”

  “If you don't mind my saying so,” Donna frowned at Samee. “You seem awfully casual about this minion stuff.”

  “You get used to it.” Another pop.

  “So, the minions follow you, too?”

  “Oh yes, they've followed me.” Samee chomped some more and then she giggled. “I'm the little sister of one of the greatest vampires ever.”

  “Then maybe the minions we just ran into are focusing on you, instead of me.”

  “Nope,” Samee said confidently. She sucked sugar from the gum. “I said minions have followed me. They haven't done it for a long time now.”

  Donna stopped at a red light then looked at Samee's profile. It was cute-as-a-bug's-ear, too. “What made the minions stop following you?”

  “Hunter.”

  “Hunter?”

  “Uh huh. Hunter has connections. He can make the minions stop.”

  So there was hope. “How can he make them stop?”

  Samee popped another bubble. “He hires the contract killer.”

  “That’s awful,” Donna exclaimed. “Isn't there any other way besides killing people?”

  “Not people, minions.”

  “Well for hell’s sake Samee, what is a minion if not a person?” The light turned green, but Donna didn't notice until the driver in the car behind them honked.

  “Be careful of being emotional about minions,” Samee cautioned. “Now that you're in Hunter's world, you can't keep thinking like a normal mortal. It's no longer about good people and bad people. Now it's about Underworld people, too.” Samee glanced sternly at Donna. “Some of which will chew you up and spit you out if you don't grow a thick skin.” They rounded the corner of Autumn Lane just as the sun dropped below the horizon and a text arrived on Samee's phone. “It's from Hunter,” she said. “He’s wondering where we are. I told you so. Hunter's got a seriously overactive protective side.”

  “So it appears.” Donna pulled the Mustang in at the circular drive.

  “I have an idea,” Samee bubbled. “Wait here.” She hopped out of the car, dashed toward the front door, exclaiming “Ow, ow, ow, ow” every time her feet made contact with the rocks. Donna stepped out and peered angrily at the Mustang's grille. Her perfect car, marred because of a stupid minion. Where was that hit man when she needed him? She startled herself at that thought, shook it from her head, and sauntered to the porch and up the steps. Just as she prepared to knock, the front door creaked open and Hunter emerged.

  “What did Samee tell you about me?” He sounded surly, like on that first night.

  Donna folded her arms. “She told me vampires trade souls on the Underground market.”

  “I don't want your soul, Donna.”

  “That's good, because I don't intend to give it to you.” She stood with her feet firmly planted.

  “Don't you get it yet?” Hunter's eyes focused closely on Donna. “My soul didn't die when I Turned. It merged with yours.”

  “Why do you get to share a soul, but other vampires don't?”

  “Because I got lucky.” Hunter leaned against the porch rail and crossed his arms. It made his muscles flex, and Donna tried not to notice. “I found my Eternal Partner before being Turned. Most don't. My craving for a soul is every bit as consuming as other vampires. The difference is, I swallow my hunger and wait for your rebirth.”

  “Fine,” she said, even though she wasn't sure it really was. “Why do you hire somebody to shoot innocent people?”

  Hunter scoffed. “Those people aren't innocent. They gave up their soul in exchange for service to the Underworld.”

  “You put the hit on that Toyota guy, didn't you? He's dead because you called in his number.”

  “A minion's dead, and yes, I made the call.”

  “A minion's dead and it's my fault,” Donna's tone filled with anguish. “I told you to stop him and that's how you did it.”

  “How else did you expect me to stop him, Donna?” Hunter glowered. “Send him a pretty-please invitation?”

  Donna's tone was icy. “I see how this works.”

  “Don't be so sure about that. There are lots of things you've been relieved from seeing up until now.” Hunter's gaze weighed deeply upon hers. “Now that you and I are reconnected, you really will start to see, I'm sorry to say.”

  “How will I ever see why you hire people to kill other people?”

  “Would you rather I didn't, so that you could be the victim instead?”

  “Well, no. But...” Donna trailed off.

  “But maybe now you can see why I tried to spare you from it in this lifetime,” Hunter's tone tried to be soothing, though to Donna it just sounded patronizing. His look softened and his arms opened to embrace her. A slow smile crossed her face and she stepped into the hug. He held her close and she felt warm and safe, cradled in his embrace. He smelled so good, too. Donna didn't know why, but the moment Hunter held on to her, she felt different...like if he wanted her soul he could take it, and if he wanted to hire guys to gun down minions on her behalf, well then that was fine by her, too. Everything that was wrong fell away and all that remained felt right.

  “I'll make you a deal,” Hunter whispered. “Tonight, it's just you and me. No minions, monsters, or other intrusions. Tomorrow, I'll
explain everything.”

  “But-”

  “Please,” he implored. “I just want it to be you and me tonight.” When he looked at her with those big, dark eyes and flashed that crooked smile, Donna couldn't resist.

  chapter eleven