and he knew exactly what she was thinking.
He had every intention of spending the rest of the night making his way through known Nefari hangouts, and he did for a couple of hours before he found himself patrolling Olivia’s neighborhood. Everything appeared quiet, so he took time to pause outside her apartment. He kept to the shadows so she wouldn’t see him if she happened to look outside, but she didn’t seem to be awake. His senses told him that she was sleeping and no one else was in her building. That relieved the anxiety he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying around like a heavy weight since he’d last talked to her.
He hated the idea that he might have hurt her feelings by disappearing, but maybe he was assigning more caring on her part than was really there. But he kept coming back to the night he’d spent on her balcony, how easily they’d been able to talk to each other, how she’d felt so right in his arms.
He sat on the hood of a car and watched her window, lit only by what was probably a single bulb, maybe a lamp or light in the kitchen. He wondered if that was new, her leaving on a light at night. How ironic that she was probably safer at night now than in the daytime. Vampires couldn’t get to her, and even the humans working for vamps weren’t stupid enough to venture forth after nightfall.
The night passed as he watched, silent and still. He could sense the rotation of the planet, knew exactly where the sun was and how much time he had to sit here wishing things were different, that he couldn’t easily imagine how lifeless Olivia would look in his arms if he killed her. Part of him wished he’d never met Olivia DaCosta, but a bigger part didn’t want to imagine his life without her in it. He had given himself headache after headache trying to figure out why he felt so drawn to her. He couldn’t explain it away simply because she was beautiful. It was something deeper, something he wasn’t equipped to understand.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, drawing his attention away from Olivia’s window and his never-ending search for answers.
“Hello,” he said after noting it was Travis calling.
“Hey, I ran the phone trace and I can only narrow it down to about a six-block area in Tribeca.”
“Any video pick him up?”
“You’re not going to like the answer to that.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“Every security camera in that entire area mysteriously went out tonight.”
“Of course they did.” Campbell resisted the urge to throw his phone as hard as he could. The thing might end up in Queens.
He did a quick calculation of the sun’s location. “We’ll have to check there tomorrow night.”
After the call ended, he sat for a few more minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Olivia. When he didn’t, he told himself it was for the best. Seeing her would only make it harder to leave. It was enough that she was safe, asleep in her bed.
He imagined lying beside her, watching her sleep, holding her close. The reality that such a scene would never happen hit him as hard as any bout with bloodlust ever had, like a sucker punch to the gut.
He slid from the hood of the car to stand firmly on his booted feet and stared hard at Olivia’s window. This would be the last time he came here, because each time he did, it got more difficult to leave.
With one final glance, he turned his back and started walking away, each step taking him deeper into his vampire eternity and farther away from the glimpse he’d had of the life he’d once lived.
* * *
As Olivia dragged herself through the preparations for another day of solo work, the sound of a motor in the alley behind the diner surprised her. When it stopped right outside her door, her heart started thudding extra hard. She tried to force the fear down and remember all the self-defense techniques Mindy had taught her. She grabbed a heavy wooden rolling pin in one hand and the cordless phone in the other then hid next to the refrigerator. If someone broke in the back door, they were in for a rude welcome.
The doorknob rattled as someone slid a key in the lock. No one besides her had a key but Mindy. She was trying to tie Mindy to the sound of the motor when the door opened. Olivia raised the rolling pin, ready to strike with full force as Mindy had taught her.
Mindy stepped into view and yelped when she spotted Olivia. She put her hand over her heart as if she could stop it from racing. “Damn, you scared me half to death.”
Olivia lowered the rolling pin and felt like collapsing after the spike of adrenaline. “Ditto. I heard a motor and then the door rattling.”
“I got a scooter.”
Olivia crossed to the door, opened it and looked out. There chained to the drainpipe was a black scooter. “Is that a Vespa?”
“Yeah. Guy in my building is moving to the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma, where they drive pickup trucks and not scooters. I got a good deal on it. Wanted something a little faster than my feet.”
Olivia closed the door, hating that the world was changing again to one where even Mindy didn’t feel safe walking the streets alone in broad daylight. “It’s cute.”
Mindy didn’t acknowledge her compliment, instead taking off her jacket and slipping into the familiar morning routine.
“I didn’t know you were coming back today,” Olivia ventured, hoping she wasn’t swatting a hornet’s nest.
“Gotta make a living.”
Olivia sighed as she placed the rolling pin back on the prep table. Mindy obviously didn’t want to talk about why there was a boatload of tension between them. Honestly, Olivia didn’t either. After all, it might all be a moot point now anyway.
Mindy interacted with the customers throughout the morning the same as she always did. It was only when she stepped into the kitchen that she grew quiet. By the time the breakfast customers vacated for work, school and whatever else filled their days, the tension had Olivia wanting to be the one to flee through the back door.
She stopped scraping the grill when Mindy came into the kitchen with the last of the dirty dishes. “I really am sorry.”
Mindy kept walking and didn’t say anything until she’d loaded the dishes in the washer and started the cycle. When she finally turned around, Olivia saw how tired she looked. She wondered if Mindy hadn’t slept well since she’d stormed out of the diner.
“I know you are. I just don’t understand what you’re thinking. I’ve never known you to be so careless.”
“I can’t explain it beyond saying I’ve just gone with my gut feeling.”
Mindy looked away, obviously wishing Olivia had said something different, that maybe she’d finally cut ties with Campbell while Mindy had stayed at home.
Screams suddenly filled the silence. Olivia stared toward the back door as the frantic sound increased. She and Mindy made eye contact a moment before they each grabbed the nearest weapon—the rolling pin for Mindy and a butcher knife for Olivia—and raced for the door.
When they reached the alley, Olivia saw a white van at the far end. A guy in dark clothes was trying to force a young woman into the back. When the woman screamed again, he punched her in the face.
“Oh, hell no,” Mindy said, and started running.
Totally agreeing with the sentiment, Olivia pointed the knife behind her and followed Mindy. The guy looked up at the sound of their approach and reached for his waistband.
“Gun!” Olivia yelled, and raced past Mindy. She stopped and threw the knife with as much force as she could. She didn’t have perfect aim, but it did cut his upper arm enough to halt his reaching for his gun. It was enough time for Mindy to reach him and get in a kick to the side of his knee.
He roared in pain, but he still managed to wrap his hand in Mindy’s hair and yank hard. Mindy cried out and struggled to free herself.
All of the lessons Mindy had given Olivia clicked into place in her head. While Mindy kicked and clawed, Olivia saw her chance. She grabbed the rolling pin Mindy had dropped and brought it down hard on the guy’s arm. When he released Mindy, Olivia rammed the heel of her hand up into his nose. This time he was the one to go down as blood flowed from his broken nose.
Mindy gave him a swift kick in the ribs for good measure.
By then all the noise had brought other business owners out the backs of their shops. “Call 911,” Olivia
