“You know we have laws, too.” Salmeri had certainly broken enough of them, even if he did manage to slither out of paying for his crimes.
Nicky snapped his fingers, which must have been a signal, because the line of guards parted.
“Now, what law have I supposedly broken this time?” Nicky said.
Campbell took his time walking forward, closing the distance between himself and the Nefari boss. Len and Kaja backed him up while the rest of the team had positioned themselves around the restaurant to keep an eye on things and make sure they didn’t go sideways fast.
“Hiring humans to do your dirty work during the day.”
He sneered. “While a repulsive thought, I fail to see how that would be against our laws.”
“It is when those humans are kidnapping other humans for the blood-slave trade.”
Salmeri barked out a solitary laugh as he sat back in the corner of the booth, stretching his arms along its back. He wore a slick gray suit that no doubt cost more than Campbell made in a month. Evidently crime paid very well.
“I have no need for blood slaves. I don’t lack for food or sources of pleasure.” He gave Kaja a long look. “Though I’ve always got room for another lovely at my side.”
Len growled low in his throat, and Campbell had to agree with the sentiment. But Kaja wasn’t the type of girl to need guys to take up for her.
Kaja said nothing, but Campbell had no doubt that she was giving Salmeri an “eat crap and die” look.
“Quit trying to divert the conversation,” Campbell said.
“Is that what we’re having, a conversation?” Nicky asked. “Because it sounds more like you coming in here and accusing me of crimes with no evidence. The Imperium must be dragging the bottom of the recruitment barrel if you are the best it can muster.”
Like every other Soulless vampire, Salmeri was no fan of the Imperium. Campbell had his own issues with them, that they were perhaps a bit too much like human politicians, but he kept those thoughts to himself.
Campbell pulled a photo out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, causing it to slide across the surface until it came to rest in front of Nicky. “So you’re saying you don’t know those guys?”
Nicky barely gave a glance to the crime-scene photo of the two guys in Olivia’s alley, a photo that Travis had procured from the NYPD’s server.
“I don’t associate with human alley trash. Seems someone did the world a favor by removing them from the population.”
“I agree.”
Nicky met his gaze and nodded. “Your work?”
“Yes, and when I find the vampire who hired them, he’s going to wish he could die as quickly.”
“It must be tiring caring so much for your prey.”
The muscles in Campbell’s jaws tightened. He refused to respond because anything he said would likely be seen as a victory to Salmeri. Man, he hoped the guy was the one behind the kidnappings so he could take him out of play, knocking a big hole in the Nefari.
“Be sure to spread the word that we’re looking for the vamp behind the kidnappings. I want him to know we’re coming for him.”
“You can rest assured your visit and accusations here have already begun to spread. You can’t beat the vampire grapevine. I suspect you’ll hear something very soon.”
Campbell detected a hint of threat in Salmeri’s words, but he didn’t acknowledge it. The vamp was used to scaring others to get his way. Well, Campbell didn’t scare easily.
He nodded to Len and Kaja that it was time to go.
“You’re forgetting your photo,” Salmeri said.
Campbell looked back at Salmeri, wearing his surface cool with a practiced air. “You keep it. Maybe it’ll help jog your memory.”
With that, Campbell and the rest of the team filed out of the restaurant, intently aware of all the eyes on them and the level of malevolence thick inside.
Once they were out on the street, Kaja glanced back at the entrance. “Can I just rip that guy’s throat out and be done with it?”
“Get in line,” Len said.
“I wouldn’t mourn his loss, but we need to watch him instead,” Campbell said. “He knows something. I saw it in his eyes.”
“Eyes I’d like to poke out,” Kaja said quietly.
Though he’d love to let Kaja do whatever she wanted to Salmeri, would even lend a helping hand, he was the leader of this team. The one who had to ensure the rules were followed by all vampires, including his friends.
Including himself.
* * *
Olivia thought she might as well get used to not sleeping very well ever again. After several insomnia-filled hours, she finally drifted into REM shortly before dawn. It seemed as though she’d only just shut her eyes when her alarm clock started blaring as though it was trumpeting the end of the world.
“Turn it off before I come in there and shoot it,” Mindy yelled from the living room.
Olivia slapped the button to quiet the clock, then lay there staring at the ceiling and trying to remember the last time she’d had a day off from work. She let herself fantasize about what she’d do if business picked up enough to where she could hire another cook and waitress. She’d wander through the Met, eat somewhere besides her own kitchen, hang out in the park with Herbie, Roscoe and their friends, and enjoy the feel of the wind and sunshine on her face.
She let out a long sigh at the elusiveness of all those things. When she finally dragged herself out of bed, she felt as if she were slogging through hip-deep mud. Her brain was sending the appropriate signals to her arms and legs, but they didn’t seem to want to obey.
A shower helped marginally, but she was still not up to par when she wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a huge mug of the strong coffee Mindy had made.
“You look about how I feel,” Mindy said when Olivia joined her in the living room.
“Then you must feel as if you’ve been through the wringer a few times and have the energy of a slug.”
“That about sums it up.”
Olivia took a drink and stared at a random spot on the coffee table. She’d had just one too many shocks lately. Hiding a burned vampire in her freezer and giving him what felt like half her blood was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.
“I feel as if I need an energy drink to even make it down the stairs,” Mindy said.
“What I wouldn’t give for a day at a spa. Massages, facials, manis and pedis, maybe a new hairstyle.”
“Now you’re just being mean, putting that idea in my head.”
“Misery loves company,” Olivia said.
This felt right, joking around with her best friend. She tried not to think about what she would have to give up to keep this type of relationship with Mindy.
They slipped into silence as they drank the rest of the pot of coffee.
“Guess we better get to it,” Olivia finally forced herself to say. “Don’t want to scare poor Rusty by being late to open again.”
She beat Rusty to the front door by about thirty seconds. “Morning, Rusty,” she said when he slipped inside. “What’ll it be?”
“Feels like an oatmeal-and-whole-grain-toast morning.”
“Coming right up,” she said as Mindy came out with his coffee.
“You girls need a day off. You work too hard.”
“We were just thinking the same thing this morning,” Mindy said.
“Alas, days off don’t pay the bills,” Olivia said.
Though she was still tired, some of her fatigue receded as she dived into her morning routine.
“Oh, Lord,” Rusty said as he opened his paper.
