“What about that bodyguard of hers? Can you sense him, too?”
“Yeah.”
A handy talent, she thought as she pulled off the freeway.
At home, Holly changed into jeans and a T-shirt. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, washed down by a glass of milk, served as dinner. She cleaned out her refrigerator, disposing of everything that would spoil, then asked her neighbor’s teenage son, Josh, to water the yard until she returned, and to collect her mail—most of which was junk these days, since she paid her bills online.
And all the while, she was keenly aware of the attractive vampire idly thumbing through a magazine in her living room.
Doubts assailed her as she packed a bag with enough changes of clothes to last three weeks. Another small case held her toiletries. Was she doing the right thing? She was going off to a ghost town with a man she scarcely knew, putting her life—and her future—in the hands of a vampire and his two friends—who were also vampires.
Muttering, “I must be insane,” she closed her suitcase, slung her handbag over her shoulder, and picked up the smaller of the two bags.
“I’m sorry about all this,” Micah said from the doorway. “I didn’t mean to put your life in danger.”
“I know. It’s not your fault.” She glanced around the room. “I guess I’m ready.”
“You can trust me, Holly. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Looking up, she met his gaze. In some ways, she was more afraid of him than she was of Saintcrow and Braga combined. They could harm her physically, but caring for Micah could bruise her soul.
Micah grabbed the other suitcase, then wrapped his arm around her waist.
Moments later, they were back in Blair House.
Feeling nervous and ill at ease, Holly looked at him. Why had she agreed to this? What was she going to do in this place for three weeks? The town was deserted. There was nothing to do here. He slept during the day.
He set her suitcase on the floor beside the sofa; then, as if he knew his nearness made her uncomfortable, he put some space between them. “I need to go out for a while. You’ll be safe here.”
She dropped her purse and the small bag on the sofa. “Where are you going?”
“Just where you think,” he said, his gaze meeting hers. “I need to feed.”
He said it so casually, she thought. As if it were no big deal to go out and prey on some poor, unsuspecting man or woman.
“I know you think it’s awful, but it’s necessary.”
Holly sank down on the couch. “Do you like being a vampire?”
“Like it?” Micah frowned as he thought it over. He had never stopped to think about it. It was a fact of life, something that, once done, couldn’t be undone. “What difference does it make?” he asked bitterly. “There’s no going back.”
“But would you, if you could?”
Would he? Sure, there were things he missed, like playing football with his brothers on Saturday mornings, digging into his mother’s homemade lasagna and apple pie, teasing Sofia and Rosa about their dates while driving them to early church services on Sunday. But there were things about being a vampire he would also miss, like his preternatural strength and speed, his enhanced senses, his immunity to disease, never growing old and feeble.
And things he wouldn’t miss, like the hunger that clawed at his vitals even now, urging him to sink his fangs into Holly’s throat and savor the warm, rich nectar that flowed through her veins.
“I’ll be back in a while.” And with those few words, he was gone.
Holly shook her head, wondering if she would ever get used to watching him vanish in the blink of an eye. Wondering what she was going to do in this dreary place for the next three weeks, and what she would do if Braga was still a threat when those three weeks were up. She couldn’t stay locked in this place forever. She had a job she loved, friends, family.
She closed her eyes, her mind reeling with questions for which she had no answers.
* * *
In the morning, Holly woke with a start. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was, and then it all came rushing back to her.
She was in Morgan Creek, alone with three vampires.
In the cold light of day, being trapped in a ghost town with Micah and his friends suddenly seemed like the worst decision she had ever made.
Grabbing her handbag, she fled the house. If she was careful to always be home before dark, if she armed herself with a sharp wooden stake and a bottle of holy water and a big silver cross, surely she’d be safe from the monsters.
She was out of breath by the time she reached the bridge. She glanced over her shoulder, but there was no sign of Saintcrow.
Gathering her courage, she started across the wooden expanse, repeatedly glancing over her shoulder, constantly wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Only another few steps until she reached the road.
She heard a car in the distance. If she hurried, maybe she could flag down the driver and hitch a ride.
Almost there!
Relief flooded through her when she reached the end of the bridge. And then a strange thing happened. She couldn’t go any farther. She couldn’t see anything blocking her way, couldn’t feel any kind of barrier, but try as she might, she couldn’t get past the edge of the bridge to the roadway beyond.
She let out a wail of frustration as the car drove past.
“Going somewhere?”
Feeling like a child caught playing hooky, she whirled around to face Rylan Saintcrow.
He shook his head, his expression rueful. “Micah told me you had agreed to stay here for a while. What changed your mind?”
She clutched her handbag to her chest, as if it would protect her. “What do you think?”
“I find it hard to believe that any rational person would rather face a vampire she’s never met than stay with the ones who are trying to protect her. Or do you have a death wish?”
“Rational?” She swallowed a burst of hysterical laughter. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
“Try pretending you’re here because you want to be,” he suggested. “This is a nice place. The mountains are pretty this time of year. Pretend you’ve come here to relax. Take a look around, pick one of the houses you like, and I’ll give it to you. Once it’s yours, we won’t be able to enter unless you invite us, which means you won’t have to see any of us if that will make you feel safer. I’ll open the movie theater and the other stores and stock your house with food and whatever else you want.”
“Why can’t I cross the bridge?”
“A little vampire magic. You and Kadie can’t go out. No one else comes in.”
“So, you’ve decided to spend the rest of your existence in prison?”
“Hardly. But for now, this is the safest place for you. And for Kadie.” He glanced at the sky as he pulled the hood of his jacket forward. “Think about what I said.”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?”
“Not really.” He jerked his chin at her handbag. “I’ll be needing that phone back.”
She was tempted to refuse, but what was the point? She couldn’t outrun him. Couldn’t hope to fight him off. She glared at him as she reached into her bag, withdrew the phone and tossed it at him.
He caught it easily, sketched a bow, and vanished from her sight.
She stared at the place where he had been standing, thinking how cool it would be to be able to just disappear like that.
Since she couldn’t leave and she didn’t have anything else to do, Holly decided to take Saintcrow up on his offer. Walking the few blocks to the residential section, she noted that the houses were set on large lots, well back from the street. Most of them had wide front porches and old-fashioned picture windows.
She spent the rest of the morning going from one house to another. Although the floor plans were basically the same—one large bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, service porch—the furnishings, paint, and wa
llpaper were all different, no doubt reflecting the tastes of the former occupants, she thought with a shudder. Men and women had lived in these houses, helpless prey to the vampires who had ruled the town. How had they endured such a horrible life? She couldn’t imagine such a thing. And even though the houses were lovely, a prison was a prison no matter how richly furnished.
In the end, she decided on a house painted pale green with white shutters, partly because she liked the color and partly because it was closest to the town and farthest from the house on the hill. The previous owner had had a preference for French blue, and the color was predominant in all the rooms, from the flowered sofa and chairs in the living room to the quilt and matching drapes in the bedroom. The appliances in the kitchen were stainless steel. She found a set of flowered china and glassware in the cupboards, silverware in the drawers, pots and pans in the lower cupboards. The bathroom had a nice whirlpool tub, as well as a shower. In the living room, a pair of built-in bookshelves filled with books and DVDs bracketed a widescreen TV. As prisons went, it was better than most.
She was here, she thought glumly, and here she would stay for the better part of a month. Might as well try to make the best of it.
Returning to Blair House, she gathered her belongings and made the long walk back to the cozy little house that was to be hers.
It didn’t take long to put her things away. Her stomach was growling by the time she finished. Being one of the many women addicted to chocolate, she always kept a candy bar in her handbag for emergencies.
With a Midnight Dark Milky Way in hand, she went into the living room and perused the bookshelves. The previous prisoner had had a penchant for mystery novels and sci-fi and fantasy movies. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, X-Men, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mummy, Ghostbusters, The Avengers, Men in Black, Mission Impossible.
All of her favorites, Holly noted, pulling the first Pirates movie from the shelf. What could be better than dark chocolate and Johnny Depp? she mused as she turned on the TV, slipped the DVD into the player, then settled back on the sofa.
* * *
Micah woke with the setting of the sun. He sensed immediately that Holly wasn’t in the house. He wasn’t worried; he knew she couldn’t leave town. But it was dark outside. Where would she go?
Rising, he pulled on a pair of jeans, tugged on his boots, and went outside. Opening his preternatural senses, he honed in on the scent of her blood. It led him to one of the houses in town.
Shirley’s house.
He stared at the front door, remembering the first night he had met her as though it were yesterday.
He had been wandering through the residential area, looking for a secure place to spend the daylight hours, when he heard someone crying....
* * *
Curious, he walked around to the rear of the house. He found the woman lying in a heap at the bottom of a set of stairs that led into the kitchen. There was blood matted in her hair. One ankle was swollen.
She let out a shriek when she saw him.
“Hey, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide with panic, her heart beating wildly as she tried to scrabble away from him.
He knelt beside her. “Take it easy.”
“Go away!”
“You need help, lady. That’s a nasty bump on your head. What happened?”
“I . . . I slipped on the steps. I think I might have passed out.” She cringed when he reached for her. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to take you inside and bandage your head and your ankle.”
“No! You can’t come inside!”
Micah snorted. “Lady, if I was going to kill you, I could just do it here.”
She blinked at him, as if that had never occurred to her.
He settled her in his arms. “So, are you going to invite me in or not?”
* * *
He had been surprised by how quickly they had become friends. And, eventually, lovers.
Dammit, he’d left Holly at Blair House. What was she doing here, of all places? He reached for the doorknob, determined to find out, only to frown when the door refused to open. For a moment, he considered breaking it down; instead, he dissolved into mist, intending to slip inside, only to discover that he couldn’t.
Materializing, he rang the bell.
“Who is it?”
“Who the hell do you think?” He heard a click as Holly unlocked the door.
Hands fisted on her hips, she glared at him. “Do you intend for me to starve to death? There’s nothing to eat in this place.”
Micah blinked at her, amused by her temper. “What would you like?”
“I don’t care! I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since last night!”
“Tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you.”
“Anything! If you’re going to keep me imprisoned, the least you can do is feed me.” Saintcrow had promised to stock the cupboards. Apparently, he had forgotten.
“As you wish,” Micah retorted, his own anger rising.
Before she could say anything else, he was gone.
“People come and go so quickly here,” she muttered. “l feel like Dorothy in the Land of Oz.”
* * *
A short time later, there was a sharp rap on the door. When Holly opened it, she found Micah on the porch, his arms laden with grocery bags.
“Are you going to invite me in?” He frowned, wondering why he couldn’t enter the house. He thought about it a minute, then decided it must be Saintcrow’s doing.
“No.”
A muscle worked in Micah’s jaw, but he didn’t say a word. He placed the bags on the porch, turned, and walked away.
Holly stared after him. What was she doing? Did she want to spend the next three weeks stuck in this house with no one to talk to? Micah was the only friend she had in this place. Well, he wasn’t exactly a friend, she thought. Still . . . she started to call him back, but it was too late. He was already gone.
She had pulled the bags into the foyer and was about to close the door when a silver Mercedes pulled up in front of the house. She frowned when Saintcrow stepped out of the car.
“Evening, Holly.”
“How did you know I was here?”
He lifted one brow.
Oh, right, she thought. More vampire hocus-pocus.
Moving to the rear of the car, he opened the trunk, removed several large boxes, and stacked them in front of the door. “I’d bring them in for you, but I’m pretty sure you’d rather I didn’t.”
“What is all this?”
“I promised to feed you, didn’t I? I think you’ll find everything you need in there. If not, just let me know. I’m not up-to-date on today’s food choices, so Kadie made me a list. A rather long list,” he added ruefully.
“Thank you.”
Saintcrow glanced past her. “I thought Micah would be here.”
“He was. He brought me some groceries, too.”
Saintcrow nodded. “Cut the kid some slack, why don’t you? He’s only doing what’s best for you. It’s easy to see that he cares about you. And just as obvious that you care for him.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s a vampire.”
“He’s still a man.” Saintcrow gestured at the boxes. “You’d better get those inside before the ice cream melts. If you get lonely, I know Kadie would love some female company.” With a wave of his hand, he slid behind the wheel of the Mercedes and pulled away from the curb.
Holly stared after him. He seemed so friendly, so normal, except for that aura of power that clung to him.
With a sigh, she pulled the boxes into the house, locked the door, and then carried the groceries into the kitchen. Saintcrow had, indeed, bought everything she would need, and more. Added to what Micah had brought, she had everything she could possibly want. She grinned as she found several bags of candy, including one of miniature Midnight Dark Milky Ways.
Murmuring, “Bless you, Kadie
,” Holly unwrapped one and popped it into her mouth.
Kadie Saintcrow might be a vampire, but it was obvious she hadn’t forgotten what it was like to be human and female. Every woman knew that, whatever the problem, chocolate was the answer.
* * *
Holly opened the front door, her gaze sweeping the darkness. Overhead, thick gray clouds played hide-and-seek with a bright yellow moon. A faint breeze stirred the leaves on the trees. Shivering, she closed and locked the door, trying not to think about the fact that she was the only game in town. It reminded her of those old horror movies—helpless female stranded in a town of vampires. All that was missing was Christopher Lee and some creepy background music.
Earlier that evening, she had washed all the dishes and silverware in the kitchen, just to have something to do. She had changed the sheets on the king-size bed, scrubbed the sinks and the bathtub, dusted the furniture, vacuumed the rugs with an old Hoover she found in one of the hall closets. Then she had spent a long, lonely night watching one movie after another.
One day down, only twenty to go, she thought glumly. Going to the front window, she drew back the curtains but there was nothing to see other than her own reflection.
Where was Micah? Was he as bored as she? Or was he out preying on some poor unsuspecting soul? How did vampires spend their nights when they weren’t hunting the helpless?
If she called his name, would he hear her? Could he read her mind when they weren’t together?
“Micah?” she whispered. “Can you hear me?”
* * *
Micah slouched in the back row of the movie theater, his feet propped on the back of the seat in front of him. On the screen, Steve McQueen chased a fugitive across an airport runway. It was one of Micah’s favorite movies.
He jerked upright when he heard Holly call his name. From the subdued tone of her voice, he knew she wasn’t hurt or in trouble.
Curiosity and a burning desire to see her again took Micah to her door. Instead of knocking, he spoke to her mind. I hear you. If you want to talk, I’m on the porch.
The door opened a moment later, and Holly stood there, looking more than a little surprised to see him.
He leaned his shoulder against the jamb. “You called?”