“Get out.”
“Wait, if you just let me finish-”
“I don’t drive for free…”
Nick rushed his reply, desperate to at least get his reasoning out. “I understand and I’m not asking you to. I’ve got money at the apartment I’m asking you to drive to-”
“I’ve heard those stories before. After the last few nights in this city, not to mention that crazy warzone at the hospital, I ain’t doin’ charity. Sorry.”
“Warzone?”
“Out!”
“Please! Can you just give me your phone? I can call the woman that lives there right now and have her verify there will be money for you when we get there.”
The driver pondered this and slowly handed Nick his phone. “One call, that’s it. Any funny shit, the cops will be called.”
“Sure,” Nick said, taking the phone. “Thank you very much.”
Nick checked the phone’s clock. Almost two in the morning. He dialled Alex’s home number, as he didn’t know her mobile number by heart, confident she’d forgive the late call when she discovered who it was. He felt less confident, however, when it rang and rang without being picked up.
Chapter Six
Left Turn
Lauren didn’t have to wait long before the door to Clive’s apartment opened.
“Oh shit…are you ok?” Clive asked.
“Wide berth needed, Lackey,” she said, pressing her palm into his nose as she moved past him. “Need a shower, like yesterday.”
“Yeah, ok. But what happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“With the fight? The battle? Did we win? I don’t want to assume because you’re here we did.”
“How can you, of all people, not know that? With all your gadgets and gizmos. Weren’t you listening? Or watching? Or something?”
“I was! But the signal stopped.”
“Guess you should change your batteries, eh?”
“No, you don’t understand. It stopped cold. I was frozen out. Kicked off the servers. Not even my backups would register for almost an hour. Then, suddenly, they were back up. The police scanner started humming again. That’s never happened to me before. I don’t know who or what could shut me out like that. But, seriously.”
Lauren clasped her black, bloodstained hands on his face. “Lackey…I’m bored. Yes, we won. Thanks to Nightingale.”
“Wait, Lee Nightingale? Him?”
“Pretty sure he’s the only one with that name.”
“He showed up?”
“He saved my life. All of our lives.”
“But he couldn’t have…no, don’t get me wrong. I don’t disbelieve you. I’m just saying he was reported at Undeadly Desires until a few hours before the battle. I can’t believe he let the chance of more sex go to waste to actually help people.”
“Hang on, how do you know where he was?”
“I’ve been trying to put feelers out, tracking him. This is one of his haunts. The manager lets me know when he gets there and how long he stays. He’d been there for days on end before now.”
Lauren gave a small, heartfelt laugh. “He told me he couldn’t watch the footy in peace. So he came out to smash shit. Looked me up and down. Called me floaties and then ripped apart ghouls with a flaming chain.”
“Look, the most important thing is, are you alright?”
“Besides passing for a skunk?”
“Well…you don’t…it’s not that bad, I mean…” Clive took a deep breath, as if counting to five in his head. “Fuck it…will you go out with me?”
Lauren leant her head to the side. “Um, we kinda took a left turn at Albuquerque didn’t we, just now?”
Clive looked slightly panicked. “Maybe. I dunno. So um…can I get a raincheck? A ‘maybe we’ll see’? A ‘I’m just not that into you’?”
“Lackey, what has gotten into you? Why the jump to warp space?”
“Actually, it’s warp drive. Or it could be hyperspace if you meant Star-”
“Lackey…”
Clive cleared his throat. “I got nervous when I couldn’t reach anyone, and I wanted to plan something for you for tomorrow, but I didn’t know if you’d like it, so I thought I’d ask you what you wanted but that’s not very ‘manly’. Maybe you have something you want to do by yourself tomorrow, or maybe you don’t want to remember, which I completely understand…”
Lauren held up her hands to slow him down. “Lackey, what the hell are you talking about? What’s this about tomorrow?”
Clive looked confused. “Well…your anniversary?”
“What anniversary?”
Clive’s features changed to downcast. “Oh man. I’m sorry. I thought you would’ve known or been thinking about it. Tomorrow is the date you were turned.”
Lauren looked down at Clive’s phone. Him showing her the date didn’t help. She had no idea. “Are you sure?”
“I entered your records myself on the night it happened.”
“You knew? Everything?”
“No! Oh God no. Julian was the one that had the whole thing organised. It was part of my job to input new vampires into the database, that’s all. I had no idea what happened to you. I found out later and I was horrified.”
“But you wanted to…ask me out on a day that horrified you to remember?”
Clive rolled his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked so nervous. “Shit, that’s the way it sounded but not what I meant. I mean, I’d love to go out with you, but, tomorrow was just an idea. I guess…I just didn’t want you to feel alone.” He shrugged. “On that day, of all days.”
A strange sensation swelled within Lauren, on the left side of her chest. Her heart no longer beat, but a wave of affection came over her while looking at Clive. The innocence of him and the thinking of her feelings first was new to her.
“Tonight.”
“I can’t,” Clive replied, downcast. “I have to manage
