Save for his two youngest sisters, Rosa and Sofia, all his siblings were married with kids of their own. He phoned his parents and the rest of his family from time to time, but it was getting harder and harder to explain why he missed so many holidays. He made it home for his nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays when he could, always showing up after sunset. He tried to make an appearance during the holidays, constantly making excuses for why he couldn’t be home on Christmas morning, why he couldn’t be there for sunrise services on Easter Sunday or watch his nieces and nephews hunt for Easter eggs.
Shaking off both his memories and his worries, he hunted the dark streets, searching for prey, his hunger growing stronger with every passing moment. Five years a vampire and he still didn’t feel like he was in complete control of his hellish thirst. Sometimes he doubted if he would ever control it. He wondered how Kadie managed it. Of course, she had Saintcrow to help her over the rough spots. And having been turned by a master vampire, she was stronger than most.
Not for the first time, Micah damned Lilith for turning him and then leaving him to figure things out for himself. He didn’t know what he would have done if Saintcrow hadn’t come along. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have survived as long as he had. It had been Saintcrow who’d assured him that he could satisfy his thirst without taking a life. Still, there were times when the urge to drink his prey dry was almost overpowering.
He was about to go to bed hungry when a middle-aged man, obviously drunk, emerged from the shadows and staggered toward him. The man was none too clean, smelled like he hadn’t washed in days, and reeked of tobacco and cheap wine, but this was no time to be choosy.
When he had first been turned, Micah had been careful to prey only on those who looked clean, healthy, and sober. But Saintcrow had assured him that, to a vampire, blood was blood. He didn’t have to worry about drinking tainted blood. None of it could hurt him. It varied in taste and smell from person to person, but in the end, it was all just blood.
Micah took the man quickly, drank only what he needed, and left him propped against the side of a building, little the worse for wear.
He was making his way to his lair when he caught Leticia Braga’s scent again. Dissolving into mist, Micah hastened away.
Braga was supposed to be hunting Saintcrow.
So, why the hell was she following him?
Chapter Six
Holly spent most of the night tossing and turning, her mind and her dreams filled with images of Micah. He was the sexiest, strangest man she had ever met. Try as she might, she could think of no reason why he would leave so abruptly. One minute they were in each other’s arms exchanging kisses so hot she thought she might go up in flames, and the next he was out the door without a backward glance.
Holly racked her brain, trying to recall if she had said or done anything to make him angry or hurt his feelings, but she couldn’t think of a thing.
She was still fretting over it when her alarm went off.
Rising, she went out on the front porch to get the newspaper. She scanned the headlines while eating a bowl of oatmeal swimming in butter and brown sugar. She paused, spoon in hand, when she read the lead article on the second page.
BODY OF PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN FOUND
BY LOCAL HIKERS, DRAINED OF BLOOD.
Holly felt sick to her stomach as she read the story, which stated that Joseph Burke’s body had been found by bikers early Saturday morning on a sandy stretch of land three miles out of town. Bite marks on the victim’s neck and a heavy loss of blood led police to believe he had been attacked by a wild animal, possibly a rabid wolf, though they were waiting on results from the coroner. Burke had last been seen Thursday night at popular goth hangout The Lair. Police were asking anyone with information to contact them immediately.
Holly pushed the bowl aside, her appetite gone. No wonder Burke hadn’t shown up for their meeting Friday night. She glanced at the story again, her gaze drawn to the words, bite marks on his neck . . . possibly from a wild animal. She shuddered.
There were no wolves in the city, rabid or otherwise.
Bite marks on his neck . . . last seen at The Lair, a popular hangout for the goth crowd.
And wannabe vampires.
If she didn’t know better, she’d think Joseph Burke had found a real one.
* * *
Holly had a difficult time concentrating at work Monday morning. Soon after she arrived, she met with Mr. Gladstone, who had also read the article about Mr. Burke’s death in the paper. Apparently, so had everyone else in the company. It was all the talk in the cafeteria, with varying opinions on how he’d died, most of them absurd.
“Maybe it was a drug deal gone bad,” her friend Coy suggested.
“And they tried to make it look like a vampire bit him?” asked Lynn, who worked in the accounting department. There was no missing the sarcasm in her voice.
“Well, it certainly wasn’t a wild animal attack,” Coy retorted, “unless there’s a lion or a tiger running loose in the city.”
“Lions and tigers eat their kills,” Mr. Keith from Legal ventured. “They don’t drain them of blood.”
He should know, Holly thought, since he had gone big-game hunting when he was a young man. “So, you’re saying it was a vampire?” Holly asked skeptically. “A real vampire attacked Burke?”
“Have you got a better explanation?” Coy asked.
Holly shook her head.
She was glad to see the day come to an end. She had just shut down her computer and was about to leave when her cell phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Holly? It’s me, Micah.”
“What do you want?” she asked, her voice frosty.
“Listen, I’m sorry about last night. I was wondering if you’d give me a chance to make it up to you.”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t blame you for being upset, but I’d really like to see you again. How about Friday night?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“All right, sunshine. I’ll call you in a few days.”
Holly felt the ice around her heart melt a little, but how could she help it, the way that sexy voice of his caressed the word sunshine?
“Holly?”
“Fine. I’ll talk to you then.”
* * *
Micah slid his phone into his back pocket. He supposed Holly had every right to be annoyed with him. After a quick make-out session on her sofa, he had left her hot and bothered with no explanation, but then, he could hardly tell her that, had he stayed longer, her health—hell, her life—might have been in danger.
Or that the scent of her blood had been driving him dangerously close to the edge of his self-control.
Or that he had left her to go in search of prey.
None of those options had been remotely feasible, he thought wryly.
Not then.
And not now.
Of course, there was always the truth, but that didn’t seem like a smart move, either, especially since news of Joseph Burke’s recent demise had been splashed across every paper and blog in Southern California. The press might claim Burke had been attacked by a wild animal, but Burke had been killed by a vampire. Of that, Micah had little doubt. And since he hadn’t done it, he figured Leticia Braga was the culprit.
Shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans, Micah strolled down the sidewalk, his thoughts fragmented. He wondered what his odds were of getting another date with Holly, why Braga had been following him the other night, and how Saintcrow and Kadie were getting along back in Morgan Creek.
Feeling suddenly homesick, he pulled out his phone and punched in his parents’ number.
“Micah!”
“Hi, Mom. How’s it going?”
“Oh, you know, same as always. I’m worried about Sofia.”
“Is she still in goth mode?” Sofia was obsessed with vampires. She read every book she could find on the subject, both fiction and nonfiction. She watched ev
ery movie, had posters of Dracula on her bedroom walls. Her favorite color was black.
“It isn’t funny, Mikey. She’s acting moody and withdrawn. All she does is sit in her room with the doors closed and listen to music.”
“Ma, that’s what teenagers do, remember? It’s just a phase. Stop worrying. She’ll get over it.” He sure as hell hoped so, Micah thought, because the more Sofia learned about the Undead, the more likely she was to start noticing the similarities between the vampires she read about and her own brother.
“I hope you’re right,” his mother said, sighing. “Where are you? Are you coming home?”
“I’m in California.”
“I guess that means we won’t be seeing you any time soon. How’s the acting business?”
“Slow, Ma.” He hated lying to her, but having the family think he was still trying to break into show business was his best excuse for not moving back home. “How’s Dad?” His father hadn’t been in the best of health the last time he’d seen him.
“He’s feeling much better. His doctor put him on some new medication, and it’s working wonders. Katy’s starting school next year—can you believe it? And Todd broke his arm climbing over the neighbor’s fence, and . . .”
Micah closed his eyes, his yearning for home swelling within him as his mother continued to bring him up-to-date on the rest of his nieces and nephews.
He was depressed as hell when he said good-bye.
A thought took him to Holly’s house. Standing out of sight in the shadows, he closed his eyes and opened his senses.
She was in the kitchen. From the sound of it, she was washing dishes. He caught the lingering scents of fried chicken and gravy and, overall, the scent of Holly herself.
The scent of her skin sparked his desire.
The scent of her blood pricked his thirst.
So easy, he thought, so easy to call her to him, to mesmerize her with a glance, to bend his head to the soft curve of her throat and drink.... Humans were repulsed by the thought of drinking blood, but he was no longer human. For him, blood was as necessary as food and drink to mortals. No two humans tasted quite the same. Some were sweet, some bitter, some intoxicating, some repellent. For his kind, humans were, quite simply, a vampire buffet.
He took a deep breath, drawing the scent of her blood deep into his lungs. She would be sweet, he thought. Sweet and satisfying as no other.
He padded silently to the front door, the tips of his fangs brushing his tongue as he climbed the porch steps and rang the bell.
He was thirsty.
And tonight, she was prey.
He muttered a vile oath. What the hell was he doing?
He was gone before she reached the door.
* * *
Holly frowned. She could have sworn she heard the doorbell, but there was no one on the porch, no one on the sidewalk. She stood there a moment, arms wrapped around her middle. Someone had been there. She was sure of it.
Overcome by a sudden, nameless fear, she darted back inside, closed the door, and turned the deadbolt, the newspaper account of Joseph Burke’s death unfolding in her mind . . . bite marks on his neck . . . vampire.
Breathing heavily, she stood with her back to the door, and then she laughed. She had to stop watching horror movies. She was letting her imagination get the best of her. There was no such thing as vampires. Or werewolves. Or zombies.
Just a foolish girl who had seen one too many Dracula movies.
* * *
During the next two days, Holly’s heart skipped a beat every time her phone rang. It didn’t matter that it was never Micah, or that she told herself she was still mad at him. Her foolish heart kept hoping. He continued to invade her dreams.
By Thursday evening, she had convinced herself that he had changed his mind, he was never calling, and she didn’t care. It became her mantra—I don’t care. I don’t care.
She was relaxing in a hot bubble bath later that night when her cell phone rang.
“Let it ring,” she muttered irritably. “I don’t care.”
But the caller was persistent and the phone just kept ringing. Scrambling out of the tub, she stubbed her toe on a chair in her dash to find her phone. “Yes, hello?”
“Miss Parrish?”
“Mr. Gladstone. Is something wrong?”
“I’m sorry to bother you at home. I just wanted to let you know that the meeting scheduled for eight tomorrow morning has been canceled, and that I’ll be out of the office until Monday.”
“Thanks for letting me know, sir.”
“You might want to call Maddux and make sure he’s received the updated contracts.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have a good weekend.”
“You, too. Good night.”
Holly tossed her phone on the sofa, grimaced when she saw the trail of bubbles and wet tracks leading from the bathroom to the coffee table.
Muttering, “This is all your fault, Micah Ravenwood,” she grabbed a towel and mopped up the mess.
She was headed back to the bathroom when the phone rang again. Thinking Mr. Gladstone had forgotten to tell her something, she picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hey, sunshine, did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, why?” Unless you consider being wet and naked and dripping all over the floor a bad time.
“You sound like you’re out of breath.”
“Well, if I am, it’s your fault.”
“Mine? I’m not even there.”
“Forget it.”
“You sound a little out of sorts. Maybe I should call back?”
Holly took a deep, calming breath. “No, I’m fine.”
“So, did you decide to forgive me for my churlish behavior?”
“Churlish?” she repeated, laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone use that word.”
“I’ve missed you, sunshine.”
She bit down on her lower lip to keep from telling him she had missed him, too.
“So, are we on for Friday night?” he asked.
“I guess so.”
“What time should I pick you up?”
“I don’t know. What are we going to do?”
“There’s another scary movie at the multiplex.”
“No more scary movies for me. I think I’d rather go out for dinner and dancing.”
“Fine by me. I’ll pick you up at eight and take you anywhere you want to go.”
“Anywhere?”
“Just name it.”
“All right. I’ll let you know tomorrow night.”
“See you then. Sweet dreams, Holly.”
“Good night, Micah.”
Smiling, she pressed the phone to her heart.
Tomorrow.
She would see him tomorrow.
Chapter Seven
Friday after work, Holly paid a quick visit to her favorite boutique, where she bought a new black bra, panties, and a floor-length black dress that fit like a second skin.
At home, she took a long shower and shaved her legs. After she washed and dried her hair, she polished her nails in front of the TV, willing herself to relax while her nails dried.
She didn’t know why she was so nervous. She had gone out with Micah before, but tonight she felt like a high school girl dating the captain of the football team for the first time. She was all aflutter as she slipped into her new underwear, and then into her dress.
Her heart jumped into her throat when the doorbell rang.
He was here!
She took a deep, calming breath, forced herself to walk slowly to the door and pause a moment before she opened it. “Hi.”
“Wow, girl, you look good enough to eat.”
Holly’s cheeks warmed at his words, pleased beyond measure by the admiration in his beautiful dark eyes.
“Are you sure we have to go out?” he asked, his voice husky.
“What would you rather do?”
Sliding his arm around her waist, Micah drew her body aga
inst his. She leaned into him, her scent surrounding him, the beat of her heart like sweet music to his ears. “Do you have to ask?”
She stared up at him, speechless, sorely tempted to forget dinner and surrender to the naked wanting in his eyes.
Micah brushed a kiss across the top of her head, then drew back as his hunger roared to life with a vengeance. “Get your coat,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I promised you dinner and dancing, and I’m a man of my word.”
* * *
The restaurant was small and intimate. Holly ordered lobster. Micah ordered the same, thinking, as he did so, that it was a waste of good money, since he couldn’t eat it.
But the wine was outstanding.
They made small talk for several minutes, then Holly said, “Do you believe in vampires?”
“What the devil brought that up?”
“Remember the man I mistook you for the night we met? Joseph Burke? He was murdered.”
“Yeah, I read about that. Too bad.”
“The papers said he’d been bitten. On the neck.”
“So you think a vampire killed him?”
“It sounds silly when you say it out loud, doesn’t it?”
Micah shrugged. “You know the old saying—if it bleeds, it leads. Reporters will print anything to sell more papers.”
“I guess so. Oh, my,” she exclaimed as the waitress brought their meal. “I’ve never seen lobsters that big.” She glanced at Micah. “Have you?”
“No.” Catching her gaze with his, he spoke to her mind, implanting the memory of the two of them enjoying the meal together.
She might have remarked on the lobster’s size, but Micah noticed there was nothing left when, with a sigh of contentment, she pushed her plate aside and declared she couldn’t eat another bite.
After Micah paid the check, he drove to the nightclub Holly suggested. Located in the heart of the city, Gabriella’s turned out to be a small intimate club, with subdued lighting and soft music.