Mindy returned her attention to her work. “I’m almost done.”
Truth was that Olivia wanted to be alone. Well, no, that wasn’t exactly true. The idea of being here alone when kidnappers might break in at any moment frightened her near senseless, but trying to ignore all the looks Mindy had been shooting her all day was exhausting. She’d felt as if she had to play at normal when her life felt as if it had left normal far in the rearview mirror.
She picked up the trash bag and headed for the back door. She stopped halfway there, overrun with a not totally irrational fear of stepping foot outside despite blue skies and plenty of sunshine left in the day.
“Olivia, what’s wrong?”
Olivia dropped the bag and leaned against the center worktable. “Don’t get mad. Just listen.”
Mindy’s expression hardened, but she stayed quiet.
“I’ve talked to Campbell more than once. He was who called this morning.”
Mindy cursed and took a couple of angry steps to her right.
Olivia pressed on. “He told me something you need to know.”
“I doubt he has anything to say I want to hear.”
“He said his team had heard that something called the Nefari—I can’t believe I’m saying this—the vampire Mafia, has employed humans to work for them during daylight hours.”
Mindy jerked, startled. “Humans? Working for vampires? That seems unlikely.”
“Is it? Think back to before we knew vampires existed. There were always people who would do anything for money. Maybe they’re even doing it for guaranteed protection.”
Mindy paced across the room and then back. Her face was scrunched up as if she was thinking hard.
“I wondered the same thing, you know,” Olivia said.
Mindy stopped pacing and met her gaze. “What?”
“If he had some ulterior motive for telling me that, but I can’t think of a single reason it would benefit him.”
“Maybe scare you so you trust him more?”
“Scare me into staying inside? That doesn’t exactly put me within his grasp.”
Mindy seemed genuinely stumped, and she wasn’t happy to be left without a quick vampires-are-evil answer.
“Trust me. This doesn’t make any sense to me either, especially after seeing what vampires can do up close and way too personal. Either he and his team are different or I’m the world’s biggest fool.”
“I’m leaning toward the latter,” Mindy said. She stood silently in the middle of the kitchen for several seconds, biting her lip as if debating with herself. “What did he say these humans were doing? Stealing from blood banks or something?”
Olivia eyed the back door again and imagined replacing it with a metal blast door that would keep out a nuclear bomb, not to mention people with a nefarious purpose.
“They think they’re kidnapping people for blood slaves.”
Mindy cursed again then eyed the door with as much suspicion as Olivia had. “Bastards.” She returned her attention to Olivia. “What else did he say?”
“That his team discovered a list of names of people the slavers are evidently after.” She swallowed, trying to keep a new wave of fear at bay. “I’m on it.”
“No.” Mindy sounded pained by that revelation. It was the first time since Olivia had revealed her attraction to Campbell that Mindy had shown her anything other than anger and disbelief.
“He asked if I had a gun.”
Mindy stared at Olivia for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head. “I feel as if the world just got turned upside down again.”
“Welcome to my past twenty-four hours.” Olivia glanced out the front window. “You really better get going.”
“The hell with that. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here tonight. If bad dudes show up, two chicks with weapons are better than one.” She stared hard at Olivia. “And I’m not comfortable leaving you alone when you’re not thinking clearly.”
Olivia didn’t even bother to argue. Once Mindy made up her mind about something, there was no changing it. Plus, she was right.
They were both single and lived alone with no other family in the city. That made them easier targets. And if Olivia’s name was on a list for her neighborhood, Mindy’s might very well be on one for hers.
After they finished all the closing tasks and locked up for the night, checking both doors about three times each, they headed upstairs.
When they reached Olivia’s apartment, an odd awkwardness settled between them. Mindy looked around the main room, antsy and appearing as if she wished she were somewhere else. But it was too late now.
“What do you want to do?” Mindy asked.
“Honestly, I want to take a long hot soak in the tub. I’m feeling every one of my bruises tenfold.”
Mindy waved toward the bathroom. “Go on. I’ll scrounge up something to eat. I’m in the mood for something with no nutritional value whatsoever.”
Olivia sighed. “Man, I miss just ordering pizza or Chinese food.”
“Yeah, the filthy vamps robbed us of a lot of stuff.”
Olivia sighed, unsure whether she could handle Mindy’s attitude all night. Her friend was entitled to her opinion, but Olivia was tired and confused and wanted to sleep for a week. She headed for the bubble bath that was calling her name.
When she sank into the tub of warm water, it was nothing short of heavenly. She didn’t read as she thought she might, instead laying her head back and closing her eyes. As the warmth soaked through her, relieving her aches and pains, she drifted into a state of semiconsciousness. Her thoughts drifted, as well, and ended up settling on one Campbell Raines, all six-plus muscular feet of him.
Somehow her mind knew this wasn’t real and so it was safe to go where she wanted. He stood in the middle of her living room, and she stared at him in confusion.
“How did you get in here?” she asked.
“You invited me in, remember?”
“I did?”
“Yes, Olivia. You wanted me here, where I could touch you.”
“Bite me?”
“Only if you want me to.”
Did she want that? No, of course not. But something else? She walked closer and looked up at his handsome face. Yes, she definitely wanted something else. “Kiss me.”
He smiled and she was glad to see his fangs were safely tucked away. His mouth lowered toward hers, and her heart rate picked up in anticipation of the feel of his lips on hers. When their lips met, her entire body started to vibrate with need, with wanting him. He seemed to feel the same, and the kiss deepened. Why hadn’t she invited him in sooner? Why had she been so afraid?
She was so caught up in the kiss that she didn’t notice the change in him at first. A low growl, an animal sound, had started in his throat. Fear leaped inside her and she tried to push away. He didn’t let her.
“Campbell, let me go.” She pushed at his chest, but it was no use.
“Never,” he growled next to her ear. He pulled back enough for her to see his fully descended fangs a moment before he plunged them into her neck.
Olivia gasped and sat up so quickly she sloshed water over the side of the tub. Her heart was beating so fast she wondered if it would ever slow.
“Liv, you okay?” Mindy asked from the other side of the bathroom door.
Olivia stared at the door for a few seconds as reality fell a little more into place. She was fine. She hadn’t invited any vampires into her home. She lifted her hand to her neck and found it free from puncture marks.
“Yeah, fine. I just drifted off.”
“Well, don’t drown yourself. I can’t eat all this food by myself.”
Olivia smiled a little, thankful her friend sounded a bit more like herself. No doubt she’d pulled out every bit of junk food in the apartment and made a smorgasbord of it. When Mindy was working out a problem, she fueled
