Ronan?”
‘Yes, love?”
“I’m worried about Hewitt.”
“That again?” He drew back so he could see her face. “Is there something going on between the two of you that I’m not aware of? Something that has you worrying about him night after night?”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I just feel guilty for what we did to him, that’s all.”
“You did nothing,” he reminded her. “I’m the one who turned him.”
“I should have stopped you.”
Ronan looked at her, one dark brow arched in amusement. “As if you could have.” He had been engulfed with pain and fury that night. The hunter was damn lucky he hadn’t been ripped to shreds.
“We could go check on him,” Shannah suggested, her voice soft and sultry as she trailed her fingertips over his lower lip. “Think of it as a long over-due vacation.”
He laughed softly as she stretched out on top of him, her hair like silken strands of ebony against his bare skin.
“Please, Ronan?”
He rolled onto his side, his gaze burning into hers. “What will you give me?”
Her hands slid over his bare chest, then trailed lower, lower. “I’m sure I can think of something you’d like.”
Chapter 14
The Susandale vampire council met in the basement of Jason Bowman’s house. It was a large room with block walls painted white and a cement floor covered with a deep green carpet. Three leather sofas were grouped around a large coffee table.
Jason glanced at those present. Six men and one woman. Of the twenty-three vampires in town, these seven had been vampires almost as long as he had. Jason had been turned in his mid-thirties and had been a vampire almost forty years, making him the oldest vampire among them. Jeff Hackett was the youngest of the group, having been turned close to twenty years ago. Destiny Monahan’s human husband had been killed in an automobile accident three years ago. The others—Joe Tuck, Rick Payson, Steve Handeland, and Jonah Kidder, were all married. Human spouses were never invited to the meetings.
Those gathered waited for Bowman to speak.
“I called you here tonight because I’m concerned about the two new residents in town. I’m sure you’re all aware of them. What you may not know is that the human, Overstreet, is a freelance journalist. He did a series of articles on vampires some time ago. The other one, Travis, is new in the life. Have any of you had any contact with either one of them?”
In turn, each one present shook his head.
“Do you think that writer is here because of us?” Hackett asked, looking worried.
“I can’t think of any other reason,” Jason said. “Can any of you?”
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Tuck suggested.
“Maybe you should talk to that writer and the vampire,” Handeland said.
“Maybe you should contact Jarick.”
Jason stared at Destiny, a muscle twitching in his jaw. Jarick was the master vampire in charge of the town and everything that went on within its limits, a fact Destiny never let Jason forget.
“You’re only here on my sufferance,” Jason snapped. “And don’t you forget it.” His gaze rested heavily on each one in the room. “Anything else we need to discuss?”
“What are we going to do if Overstreet is planning another story on vampires?” Payson asked. “Something like that will bring hunters swarming here from miles around.”
“Don’t worry,” Jason said flatly. “If that’s the case, he won’t live long enough to write it.”
Chapter 15
Sara heaved a sigh as she rang up the first purchase of the day. If things didn’t pick up, she wouldn’t be able to pay her rent on the store. Funny, but she didn’t really care anymore. Maybe she should just admit defeat and go home. Sure, business had gotten a little better, but not enough to pay the rent on the store and her house. She didn’t really have any friends in town. She tried to remember why she thought this would be a good place to prove her independence, but all she could think about was Travis.
She sighed again. Truth be told, the only reason she hadn’t left town was because of him.
Why did he have to be a vampire? She stretched her arms over her head, then walked from the back of the store to the front and back again.
Why did time pass so slowly at work and so quickly when she was with Travis? And why couldn’t she stop thinking about him? And why, even though she knew he was a vampire, did she still find him a hundred times more appealing than Dilworth Everett Young the Third?
If she married Dil, her life would be nothing but a series of political get-togethers, endless fund-raisers, and boring cocktail parties with senators and congressmen. Some women would no doubt find such a life fun and exciting. Not Sara. If she married Dil, she would have to be mindful of every word she said, everything she did, who she associated with, how she dressed, where she shopped.
Just thinking about it made her grimace with distaste.
With business so slow, she decided to walk down to the café and drown her sorrows in a chocolate malt.
She felt her spirits rise when she glanced in the window and saw Carl Overstreet sitting at one of the tables. He was, she thought as she opened the door, rapidly becoming her best friend.
He motioned her over when he saw her. “Hey, Sara. Good to see you. Sometimes it feels like we’re the only two people in this whole damn town. Except for Winona, of course.”
“I know what you mean.” She took the chair opposite his, asked for a chocolate malt and an order of fries when Winona sashayed up to the table.
Overstreet arched an amused brow. “Malt and fries? Sounds like comfort food to me.”
“Nothing gets by you,” Sara said with a wry grin.
“That’s why I’m such a good journalist.”
“How’s your story coming along?”
“It’s not. I
