thing Charles needed was reports of people shooting up in the parking lot of Dark Xanadu. She waited until another couple went in. Then she stabbed the needle into her arm—on her white skin, it was easy to find the veins—and drew back on the plunger.
Quick and easy. A year ago, as a human, the idea of taking her own blood out through a needle would have bothered her. She preferred to be lying down when she had blood drawn at the doctor’s office. But she was strong now. It was no big deal.
The man took the syringe from her, and smiled. “There. That wasn’t so bad now, was it? One more test I want to do.” The man looked straight into her eyes. “Just smile, that’s all I need.”
She heard Carla take a couple steps forward. Rather than looking at John and smiling, she sneaked a peek at the woman. She held something in her hand that looked like a pistol, but flatter and wider. Carla was pointing it straight at her. She’d seen something like it before, used on a student during a demonstration at USC. Taser. Shit. And John was trying to keep me looking at him.
She swung her arm at Carla, pulling up at the last minute to stop from killing her. Her forearm connected with the woman’s face as Carla pulled the trigger. Carla went sprawling, sliding across the asphalt. Doreen felt for a moment like her whole body was on fire , but it was only pain. She turned on John.
He held his hand up to her. On his opened palm was a star circumscribed by a circle, and it was glowing blue. In his other hand was the syringe. He pushed on the plunger, spraying her blood onto the glowing symbol on his palm. She tried to knock it out of his hand, but her body wouldn’t move.
John smiled over at Carla. “Sorry for leaving you on the pavement, dear, but maybe it will provide an opportunity. Don’t forget to tell them who did this to you.” He walked around to the back of his car and lifted the hatch. He returned to pick up Doreen. He dropped her unceremoniously in the cargo area of the back and shut the hatch on her. And she couldn’t move a muscle.
A few moments later , the huge car’s engine roared to life, and then they started moving.
Chapter Five
Charles looked around the club. No Doreen. She’s probably in the ladies’ room. It took him a moment to realize that in the twenty-four hours or so he’d been with Doreen she hadn’t been out of his sight, and he wasn’t at all sure vampires had to use the restroom. Maybe she wanted to powder her nose. Then again, I don’t think she’s wearing any makeup, either.
After a minute of waiting , he spotted Genna, who was mingling as usual, and headed her way. He moved behind the people she was talking to, and caught her eye.
A moment later she joined him. “That girl I was with, did you see where she went?”
Genna shook her head. “I’m afraid not. She’s lovely, though. Maybe she’s in the restroom?”
“I was thinking I’d ask you to check.”
Genna stared at him. “You’re acting very strange, Charles. You’re over here pulling me out of a conversation because your date is spending too much time in the restroom? Since when did you get all worried about something like that? Not to mention the blood request. Now that was really weird. What’s going on?”
Charles frowned. Kent had made him promise not to tell, and he agreed because he thought keeping mum was in Doreen’s best interest anyway. Kent made a case that it was also in Genna’s interest, which Charles was less sure about. In general, he thought being informed was always a good thing.
“Well?” Genna put her hands on hips. Her gaze was unrelenting.
“She’s got a strange medical condition. I just want to make sure she’s okay.” That’s not precisely lying, is it?
He could see the wheels turning in Genna’s head. “We need to talk about what is and is not safe play with her, then, Charles. I don’t think she’s there, because I was in there a
Quick and easy. A year ago, as a human, the idea of taking her own blood out through a needle would have bothered her. She preferred to be lying down when she had blood drawn at the doctor’s office. But she was strong now. It was no big deal.
The man took the syringe from her, and smiled. “There. That wasn’t so bad now, was it? One more test I want to do.” The man looked straight into her eyes. “Just smile, that’s all I need.”
She heard Carla take a couple steps forward. Rather than looking at John and smiling, she sneaked a peek at the woman. She held something in her hand that looked like a pistol, but flatter and wider. Carla was pointing it straight at her. She’d seen something like it before, used on a student during a demonstration at USC. Taser. Shit. And John was trying to keep me looking at him.
She swung her arm at Carla, pulling up at the last minute to stop from killing her. Her forearm connected with the woman’s face as Carla pulled the trigger. Carla went sprawling, sliding across the asphalt. Doreen felt for a moment like her whole body was on fire , but it was only pain. She turned on John.
He held his hand up to her. On his opened palm was a star circumscribed by a circle, and it was glowing blue. In his other hand was the syringe. He pushed on the plunger, spraying her blood onto the glowing symbol on his palm. She tried to knock it out of his hand, but her body wouldn’t move.
John smiled over at Carla. “Sorry for leaving you on the pavement, dear, but maybe it will provide an opportunity. Don’t forget to tell them who did this to you.” He walked around to the back of his car and lifted the hatch. He returned to pick up Doreen. He dropped her unceremoniously in the cargo area of the back and shut the hatch on her. And she couldn’t move a muscle.
A few moments later , the huge car’s engine roared to life, and then they started moving.
Chapter Five
Charles looked around the club. No Doreen. She’s probably in the ladies’ room. It took him a moment to realize that in the twenty-four hours or so he’d been with Doreen she hadn’t been out of his sight, and he wasn’t at all sure vampires had to use the restroom. Maybe she wanted to powder her nose. Then again, I don’t think she’s wearing any makeup, either.
After a minute of waiting , he spotted Genna, who was mingling as usual, and headed her way. He moved behind the people she was talking to, and caught her eye.
A moment later she joined him. “That girl I was with, did you see where she went?”
Genna shook her head. “I’m afraid not. She’s lovely, though. Maybe she’s in the restroom?”
“I was thinking I’d ask you to check.”
Genna stared at him. “You’re acting very strange, Charles. You’re over here pulling me out of a conversation because your date is spending too much time in the restroom? Since when did you get all worried about something like that? Not to mention the blood request. Now that was really weird. What’s going on?”
Charles frowned. Kent had made him promise not to tell, and he agreed because he thought keeping mum was in Doreen’s best interest anyway. Kent made a case that it was also in Genna’s interest, which Charles was less sure about. In general, he thought being informed was always a good thing.
“Well?” Genna put her hands on hips. Her gaze was unrelenting.
“She’s got a strange medical condition. I just want to make sure she’s okay.” That’s not precisely lying, is it?
He could see the wheels turning in Genna’s head. “We need to talk about what is and is not safe play with her, then, Charles. I don’t think she’s there, because I was in there a
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