~*~*~
“She's awake!” A young woman dressed in light blue scrubs was wrapping up my wrist. “One of those scumbags came in here. We found him dead, a bite mark on your wrist.”
Poor Melvin. I wiped a tear away remembering his graying skin as he drank my blood. He'd only been loyal to Jessica. No one needed to die. All over a silly relic that probably did nothing more than taste like salty water.
“I had some holy water and garlic.”
“You should buy a car for the witch that spelled that for you. It probably saved your life. I wish I could brew something that powerful. I've seen vampires die from it before, but they can usually smell it before they bite.”
“Simon made him bite me.”
“Oh sweetie, you must still be out of it. No one has been in here except for that escaped vampire. Just rest. Your friend, Bridget, is being moved into this room after she is done being questioned by the cops and the BSB. We're keeping you here at least until the morning. I'll be back in a little while to check on you. And, you have a visitor.” She winked and left me. I heard her tell someone in the hallway to come in.
Sean came in. He ran a hand along my face. The moment was fleeting. “Brent, Jose, and Patrice are here. Carl is getting coffee, but he wants to come see you too.”
“I look like shit.”
He smiled, showing all his teeth. His fingers brushed the bandage over my stitches. “You'll heal and your scar will make you look tough.”
“If I was a dude maybe. I'll just look like a battered woman otherwise.”
The smile. My heart beat faster to see it. “You silly girl. A good witch can hide it for you and so can some decent foundation.” He took my right hand. I looked at my cast and frowned.
“Our beloved, but nosey coworkers will be along any minute, I'm sure, he logical part of my brain told me we needed to break contact now, but part of me wanted Sean to sit and hold my hand for while. “Did anyone call my parents?”
He shrugged. “Probably, but no one is telling us anything.” He locked our fingers together, bringing my hand to his lips for a quick kiss.
“So...” I said quietly. “What happens now?”
“What would you like to happen?” We locked eyes. He smiled gently and I knew there was at least one thing we both wanted.
A great many things. I wanted a real date with Sean, not a few random make-out sessions with undertones of fear. I also wanted to one day return to work, but I couldn't have both. I blew out a sigh, letting it last longer than it should have.
Sean leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips and pulled back again. “Better make it last,” I said without thinking.
“That's what you want?” I expected a bit of disappointment from him, but he kept his voice level and professional.
“I love my job, current troubles aside. I worked hard to get here. I'd be a fool to throw it away on something that may or may not work.” It hurt to say, but I knew it was the right thing. I did love my job and as much as I liked Sean I couldn't be sure of anything with him.
“If I ever transfer offices, maybe...?”
“Maybe,” I conceded.
Sean leaned in again and kissed me. His free hand cupped my face and I felt warm all over. If I could have made the kiss last I would have, but it eventually had to break. When he pulled away he let my hand go too.
In the hall I heard a great deal of commotion and my mom's voice shrill with fear. I leaned back into the pillows, hoping to disappear. Sean stepped away from the bed. From a briefcase on the floor, that I hadn't even seen, he began reading off a list of questions off the official BSB incident report. He winked at me as my mom and dad barged into the room to shower me with hugs and kisses.
Eighteen
Bridget blew out a smoke ring. We were seated on the front stoop of the two-flat. Sasha sat next to me, tongue lolling out. My parents were on their way to my house with their grill and food. Jenna planned to stop by too.
The morning after the bar brawl some suits came to my hospital room. They told Bridget her witch's license was not being revoked because Sean had acted as a character witness for her. They told me I would be suspended for a month while they investigated my claims. I had told them the whole story, I omitted nothing. Sean corroborated, stating he’d come to investigate a tip that I was in danger the night of the full moon. I had to answer for my resistant to giving the full story from the start. It helped to tell everyone Angie spelled me. Her file was turned over to the BSB office as evidence, the fake file, and fake Tears went with it. My saving grace was Stevenson. Balicki and Hill questioned him and he squealed, telling them he was bound to a vampire and that vampire wanted me for my information. No one could find Simon or Angie though.
Jessica was in a vampire-proof jail and Bridget and I would both be expected to testify. Bridget had been visited by Simon in the hospital as well. She refused to talk about it.
I slept at my parents' house for safety's sake, but I had come home to grill with Chris.
Bridget sighed, “We should go by Angie's house in a few days, see if she's actually gone.”
“Why do you think she bothered to help and then flee like that?”
“I don't know, but that's twice she's been there to save my skin. I guess I owe her again.”
“Does the first time she saved you have anything to do with your burn mark?
“In a way, but let's not talk about that right now. I'm going to have nightmares enough without dredging that up. When Jessica and Simon are behind bars for good, we'll talk again.”
“I can dig it.” Sasha licked my hand to check if I was real. Bridget and I both doted on her.
~*~*~
I couldn't sleep. Not tonight. It had been two weeks. I had received a letter from Simon two days prior. He said Angie put me in danger as a diversion. He'd leave me alone for now. Angie had the Tears and the BSB had the file. He warned me to avoid Angie in the future. If I did I'd stay safe. No problems there. Angie was gone and if she came back I'd scream and stake her.
Outside in my parents' yard the stars shone down on me. I didn't know if Simon was really gone, but I couldn't keep having people drive me everywhere after dark. I knew I ran a risk being out now, but I needed to feel the night air. Needed to assuage my fears. I missed my home. I looked at my cast, admiring the sweet and somewhat lewd things people had written on it. I touched the bandage on my head.
The cool night air got even colder. Angie walked up the driveway toward me.
“Your friend said you fled,” I remarked.
Angie put a manila envelope into my good hand. “I'm leaving tonight. I was watching him. Don't worry about Simon. He thinks I went to New York. He headed there.”
“Where are you going?”
She didn't say anything to that. “I wanted to stop by and see you and Bridget. You look well enough.”
“Thank you for keeping us safe until she got her protection circle up. Though I could have done without you skipping out on us.”
The BSB had started combing the area for Angie and Simon. Simon wasn't in the BSB system, he would be a bit harder to find. The donor file ended up being used to help locate Angie. It hadn't proved too helpful. Angie used a different address for each donor. Most addresses ended up being seven-elevens.
“I said I'd protect you in return for you destroying my file. I didn't realize it'd cost you so much in the end. So, to make up for that, the keys to my house are in that package for you, along with some money to help you along until they permit you to return to work. You can stay at the house, throw parties, do whatever, just don't sell it. I'll be back to Chicago someday and I hate staying in hotels.”
I looked at the stuff in my hand and then looked back at her. “Take care of yourself.”
Angie wrapped cold arms around me. It was the most frigid hug I'd ever been part of. I appreciated that she was trying. “I'm out, Samantha. Don't let Bridget push you around and don't let that Were of y
ours get any ideas about chewing on your furniture.” She broke the hug and walked back out of the gate.
Huh. That was weird.
About the author:
Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Katie Roman has been many things. Student, band geek, dog sitter, history major , and consummate tea drinker, but above all things she’s been a writer.
Visit her at www.katieromanbooks.weebly.com
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