Midnight Hunter Book One in the Midnight Hunter Trilogy

Donna woke up in a cold sweat and with a strong need to shield her eyes from the morning sun. But things seemed to make more sense in the light of day. The shooting, the awful police officers, that gorgeous, surly guy. They’d all been part of a nightmare – a very vivid nightmare.

  Donna nestled herself in that explanation then relaxed into her favorite hobby, drawing.  She drew a man with a gun and glowing eyes, blood on the pavement, a brooding, sultry man with broad shoulders and a wicked smile. She balled up the paper and tossed it in the trash.

  So much for relaxing.

  The kitchen was empty. Donna's parents obviously got home after Donna had gone to bed and left for work before she got up. Maybe that was the way it would be now. They would all just be roommates.

  So much for things going back to normal.

  Not that it mattered. She wasn’t a kid anymore and didn’t need to be treated like one.

  Donna showered, ate breakfast then drove to campus where Rochelle found her in the parking lot. She examined Donna's Mustang and snorted contemptuously.

  “You could hardly wait to take a ride in it last night,” Donna said. “And today you hate it. What’s that all about, Rochelle?”

  “I don’t hate it. I just wonder how you can afford a car like that when you don't even have a job.”

  “Well-”

  “Oh wait,” Rochelle snickered. “You're living at home now. Your parents will take care of the bills.”

  “Wow,” Donna frowned. “What brought that on?”

  Rochelle ignored the question and tilted her pretty head at Donna. “Why didn't you stay at The Dark Side last night?”

  So...it hadn't all been a nightmare.

  “You missed so much fun,” Rochelle continued. “I met this new girl - a sophomore. Her name's Samee Franklin.” Why did that name sound familiar? Donna loaded her arms with books and slung her bag over her shoulder, which hurt. Rochelle watched her for a moment and tilted her head again. “Are you okay? You look stressed.”

  “It's nothing. Tell me about the new girl.”

  Rochelle smiled. Her teeth were beautiful, just like the rest of her. “Samee said she met you yesterday. You tried to run her over.”

  “Oh, yeah.” It came back to her, like a bad dream.

  “She said she really likes you.”

  “She barely knows me.” Donna paused. “You said she's a sophomore? She looks young to be that far along in college.”

  Rochelle chuckled. “She's not in college.”

  Donna's eyes widened. “She's a sophomore in high school? Isn't she a bit young for you to be hanging out with?”

  Rochelle batted her eyes. “And this, coming from a grown woman who lives with Mommy and Daddy.”

  “That's different,” Donna snapped.

  “Of course it is,” Rochelle's tone hinted at disdain. Somebody slammed a car door, which made Donna jump. “Why are you so jittery today?”

  Donna shook her head. “I'm not, I mean...Mo's at work all day and I - would you like to go to lunch with me?”

  “I'd love to.” Rochelle's expression didn't match her words. “But I can’t. Samee already asked me to lunch.”

  “You're going to lunch with the high school kid?” Donna felt the urge to laugh, but swallowed it.

  Rochelle shrugged. “Maybe you'd like to join us. I'm sure Samee wouldn't mind. We're going to the Thai Palace.”

  “You know I can't even stand the smell of peanut sauce.”

  “Oh yeah,” Rochelle sighed. “I forgot about that.”

  “How could you forget about my peanut allergy? It sent me to the hospital our first month living together.”

  Rochelle flipped her hair. “I have a lot on my mind since...well, never mind. Sorry about the Thai food.” She produced a flat, eerie smile. “Maybe next time I'll choose crispy burgers and greasy fries. You and your toilet-brush headed friend seem to enjoy those quite a bit.” Donna opened her mouth to defend Mo's hair, but before she had a chance, Rochelle chattered on. “I'm going back to The Dark Side tonight, with Samee.”

  Donna tried to avoid feeling the sting in the way Rochelle said that. “So are Mo and I.”

  “Two nights in a row? That's a lot of nightlife for a homebody like you. Well, have fun.” Rochelle said goodbye and sauntered away in her high heeled shoes.

  The words of Donna’s nightmare man echoed in her mind. “Do not trust the red-haired one.” That's what he'd said. Mo's hair wasn't always red. Just last week it had been purple. But the new kid, Samee, had naturally reddish hair...and an unnatural effect on Rochelle.

  Donna arrived home to a peaceful, but still empty house. Each of the bedrooms had its own bathroom, since the previous owners had converted the house to a bed and breakfast. Growing up, Donna had adjusted to loving it that way, because she had all the privacy she could ever want...a big house with frequently absent parents. Right now though, all that bigness made her feel lonely and vulnerable. She locked herself in the purple bedroom and pretended to care about Physics homework. When that didn't work, she called Mo.

  “This is Mo,” her voice mail said. “I'd like to take your call, but I'm busy raising hell and pissing off the masses. Leave a message and I'll get back to you after I'm done saving the world.”

  Donna sighed in the phone. “I'm sorry Mo, but I don't think I can do this tonight. Call me back. We need to talk.” She hung up and sat in the silent room, picking her fingernails and sketching the same murder scene over and over until it made her feel crazy. She looked at the clock. It was almost time to leave for The Dark Side, so Donna called Mo's phone again.

  “This is Mo. I'd like to take your call-”

  “Damn it!”

  Donna texted Mo. That didn't do any good either, which stood to reason, because knowing Mo, she'd probably left her phone precisely where she wasn't. Donna begrudgingly drove to The Dark Side where the line to get inside was long and she was the only person in it without a partner.

  “Are you Donna?” A voice came from behind, which made Donna jump. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” A striking tall, thin girl with bleached hair that offset beautifully against her chocolate skin stood next to Donna. She wore a crisp black business suit and an attitude to match, even sauntering right into the line as if she owned the place. She looked too professional for a Goth club, though her thick-rimmed cat glasses and bloody hatchet earrings fit right in. She extended her hand. “I'm Liz. I work with Mo at the newspaper.” Donna took her hand, shook it. “She asked me to meet you here and get you in.”

  Donna frowned. “Oh?”

  “Didn't Mo tell you any of this?”

  “Mo's sometimes forgetful that way.”

  Liz chuckled. “Mo’s sometimes like that.”

  Donna nodded and pointed toward the entrance. “Good luck getting in. The line tonight is even longer than it was last night.”

  “I know,” Liz said eagerly. “Isn’t it great?”

  “It's absolutely fantastic,” Donna muttered. Why did everybody get excited about being crammed in like sardines?

  “More people mean more business.” Liz smiled wide, revealing big, perfect teeth. She caught Donna admiring them and shut her mouth quickly.

  “I suppose that's one way of looking at it,” Donna shrugged. “If you want, I can call my friend Rochelle. She knows the bouncer.”

  Liz grabbed Donna's wrist. Why did everybody keep doing that? “Your friend knows Hank,” she said. “I know somebody even better. Come on, trust me.” She winked and a devilish expression danced across her features. Donna wondered if Liz was hiding a superhero cape underneath her sensible suit. She led Donna to the front of the line where a different bouncer, an even bigger one than Hank, stood astride the doorway. He looked like a boulder with eyes.

  “Hi Bruce,” Liz smiled and he parted for Donna and Liz to pass. Somebody booed. Liz offered them free drinks if they could get in the same way, then she laughed. Donna followed Liz into the club and was immediately
engulfed by loud music.

  “Bruce seems nice,” Donna hollered.

  “That must be why I'm marrying him next summer.”

  A boulder and a superhero. Why not?

  “We met here.” Liz turned so Donna could hear her better. “I work here and at the paper, you know.”

  “No, I don't know. Well, I guess I do now.” Donna was about to ask if Liz knew where Mo was, but she dragged Donna alongside the bar then let go.

  “I need to get back to work,” she shouted. “I went out to get you on my break, but damn girl, you were late. Now, so am I. Have fun tonight.” She surveyed Donna carefully. “And be careful.” Liz turned to the nearest customer and said, “What can I get for you tonight?” Then she left Donna alone, without an anchor in the sea of people. One of those people elbowed her hard and didn’t even notice.

  chapter six