Night Fever (A Rue Darrow Novel Book 3) (8 page)

She bounced along beside me. “Even if he does, you can handle them, Rue. You were fantastic. I knew you were strong, but I had no idea.”

When she swung both arms around me, trapping my arms against my sides, I winced. Georgia didn’t notice, and I didn’t draw her attention to my pain. Let her think I was invincible for now because she’d been very afraid even as she cheered.

“I’m sorry your hunch didn’t pan out,” she said as we left the cemetery behind.

“It did.”

She wrinkled her brow. “How?”

I didn’t answer her question because she didn’t need to know. The demon had given me a couple of clues and a direction to go in. That was enough. “Hey, Georgia, how about I treat you to pizza and bowling? I’m fairly decent at it.”

“Eating pizza?” she teased.

I smirked. “For that joke, I’m going to make you cry uncle when I beat you at every game.”

Georgia tittered and waggled a finger at me. “Oh no, no, no, my dear. When I set my mind to it, I am very good at bowling. I accept your challenge.”

We set out for a lighter, safer location, and as it turned out Georgia liked to boast with nothing to back it up. Nevertheless, her smile never faltered, and a quick peek into her head showed she was having a lot of fun spending time with me. That was enough.

Chapter Ten

I woke in Nathan’s bed with no Nathan, and loneliness assailed me. Sure, he called and texted every day, but it wasn’t enough. I missed my boyfriend, and his apartment being as roomy as it was didn’t lend to a sensation of coziness. I rolled over and surveyed the bedroom. A decent roommate also hadn’t presented him or herself. I had interviewed several, mind you. There were some odd characters in New Orleans.

A week and a half passed without results produced from the demon’s tip. I had phoned Violet on a couple occasions but only got her voicemail. She wasn’t talking, and after the night out with Georgia I hadn’t called her either. Usually Georgia would have phoned, but I think she needed time to recover. The graveyard situation might have had its emotional impact only after she returned home.

The doorbell rang, and I climbed out of bed to answer. Zander stood there, and my eyes widened. “Zander, you left your apartment.”

He pouted. Zander was a human who also knew about paranormal creatures. He lived in an apartment downstairs and had helped me out in the past. I had thought he was agoraphobic.

“Yes, sometimes.” He waggled a box in front of me and offered what I’m sure he thought was a charming smile. Creepy is what I would assign it, but I kept the opinion to myself. “Especially when I get to see you, Rue. Have you thought any more on our date?”

“No.”

He blinked, waiting for me to continue. Time passed. At least, it seemed an eternity did to me.

“Well, this came for you. I signed for it this morning since you were sleeping.”

I reached for the package, but he pulled it away. “To thank me—”

A lock of his messy hair flopped onto his forehead because of the wind I produced when I took the package. Zander groaned in protest, but I ignored him.

“Rue, I’m willing to get any other packages you need me to. Just say the word, and I’m there for you.” He stepped closer. I glared, and he staggered back, his cheeks reddening.

“You know I’m seeing Nathan. I thought he was a friend.”

“He is, but it’s you. I can’t resist.”

“Don’t blame it on me, Zander.”

His pink lips protruded. “Well, can’t you at least give me something? Please?”

I reached out and ran a finger along his cheek, leaned in a tad closer, and gave him a millisecond of glamour. Unlike Georgia, Zander wasn’t hooked. That wasn’t what he was asking for. The man was, well, a man, and he was attracted to me. Since he almost never left his apartment, I didn’t let it go to my head. Any woman would do.

While I shut my door and turned from it, Zander toddled down the hall, dazed and happy. I read the sender’s name on the package and discovered this was my first from Ilsa. Excitement washed over me. At least I had something to look forward to for the night. My cell phone rang in the bedroom, and I zipped there to answer it. The name on the screen read Cameron Knight.

“Hello?”

“Rue, this is Detective Knight. Do you remember me?”

“Violet’s boyfriend.” I stiffened because I recalled Violet had said he wanted to question me. So much time had passed since the incident, and I hadn’t heard from him. I had decided she changed his mind. Now he was calling.

“Yes, I can tell by the tone of your voice you don’t want to hear from me. Let me say right away, this has nothing to do with work.”

“Go on.”

He hesitated, and it seemed to me I could hear him agitating something in the background as a way to work out his nerves, maybe a stress ball. “Her friend died, her partner.”

I wasn’t surprised and was sure it had happened days ago. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks. Listen, you’re her friend. Can you talk to her? She won’t talk to me or see me, and I’m worried.”

“Violet’s a strong woman. She’ll be fine.”

He didn’t respond, and I knew that’s not what he wanted to hear.

“I’ll give her a call. She didn’t break it off with you, did she? You two seemed to be getting along well together.”

“We were!” Emotion thickened his voice. “We were great until the other night with the attack.”

“You mean that wasn’t your first date?”

“No.” He sounded confused that I would assume so, and I realized while Violet knew I followed them, he didn’t. He wouldn’t know I had witnessed how awkward Violet behaved that night.

“We’d been seeing each other a while, not too long but enough to know I started to really care about her. I thought she felt the same. Then the other night she was so uncomfortable with every touch and everything I said.”

Poor man didn’t know Violet was thinking of dumping him, and she was no doubt trying to distance herself.

“I can’t let her go, but I refuse to get in her way. Most of us in my line of work know what it’s like to lose a partner. It’s heavy and painful. Anyway, I don’t want her to be alone. Will you contact her?”

I opened my package while he spoke. The tissue paper surrounding the little doll with button eyes barely unfolded before the spell dissipated. Darn it, my compensation would be low for this one. “Why don’t I go see her in case she decides not to answer the phone?”

“Would you?”

“Sure.” She wasn’t likely to answer, so I had no choice.

Violet turned out not to be at the station but at a coffee shop, hands wrapped around a full cup of Joe while she stared off into nothingness. I was surprised to see her once again in everyday wear, and when I sat down to join her, she confirmed my conclusions about the matter.

“It’s my night off, Rue.”

“Mine, too,” I said like I had a real job. “I’m actually here at someone’s request.”

Her angry gaze met mine. “Who?”

“Cam.”

She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. “Stay out of—”

“He’s worried about you. Your partner died, and he doesn’t think you can handle it.”

“He didn’t say that!”

“Something like it.”

She growled low in her throat. “I can’t deal with you tonight.”

“Is there something more going on?”

We stared at each other a while, and she was the first to lower her gaze. “It boggles my mind how you can be unfeeling on one hand but so perceptive on the other.”

“I’m not unfeeling,” I said softly.

Tears filled her eyes, and then they widened as if she was surprised at her own reaction. I laid my hand on the table, and she took it and squeezed. The good thing about me was that Violet could hold on as hard as she wanted, and it would be okay. Boy, did she ever try to mangle my digits. I told myself it wasn’t on purpose.

“I have to break it off. I just have to.”

Thank goodness she was talking about her relationship and not my hand.

A tiny sob escaped her, and her cheeks flamed hot. I guessed it was because she was so embarrassed at breaking down in front of me—or anyone. Werewolves had their pride. So did we all. I tried to imagine what woman I knew was fine with crying in front of an audience. Well, not when she had ulterior motives like getting her significant other to buy a particular item. In this modern age, we independent women—perpetually single—just bought it ourselves and moved on.

“Violet, if you’re this upset letting him go, maybe you’re in love with him.”

She looked at me as if I had cursed at her.

“It doesn’t matter what I feel.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, my dear, but aren’t relationships all about feeling?”

“That’s not what I meant. The thing is… I’m pregnant.”

My mouth fell open. I opened my senses and glanced down at the table as if I could see through it to her belly. Violet saw my movement and hugged herself. I couldn’t pick up a thing, probably too early.

“Stop staring,” she bit out between clenched teeth. “It’s early, yes, but I confirmed it. Besides, I know myself and…other things.”

I nodded understanding. “So what are you going to do?”

Violet started to drink her coffee then set it down. “I’m wondering about the implications of having a half human child. I might need to get rid of it.”

“Are you crazy? Children are a wonderful gift, and you’re prejudiced against your baby because it isn’t fully wolf?”

“No, of course not. It’s just that if anything happens, he’ll have to know about us. From birth, it’s been ingrained in our heads to keep our secret.”

“You wouldn’t believe the number of humans who know.”

“Not because of me.”

“Think carefully about this, Vie. You don’t want to regret anything.”

“I already regret getting involved with Cam.”

“You don’t.”

She said nothing. I didn’t believe she regretted seeing him, but maybe a little of getting pregnant. From my limited knowledge of nonhuman creatures with accelerated healing capabilities, nothing much human-made could affect them. Not long term anyway. I imagined Violet hadn’t been able to use birth control.

“Violet, I think you’re underestimating Cam. His reaction to learning the truth about you might not be what you expect. He seems to care about you very much.”

She sneered. “Love can turn to hate in an instant, especially when you find out the person you were sleeping with is really an animal.”

“You’re not an animal, per se,” I corrected her, but she refused to be reasonable. “Just a few moments ago, you hugged your belly when I opened my senses. You already care about your little one. That’s our way. If you get rid of the baby, you will do much worse than cry in a coffee shop.”

“You speak as if you know something about it.”

“No.” The truth was, I had miscarried before. I had wanted more than one child, but it seemed fate didn’t see things my way. Now, it was too late, and my Jake and I were separated. “Just promise me you won’t be reckless, Violet.”

“I may keep the baby,” she admitted after some time.

“And?” I pushed.”

She scowled. “He can’t know.”

I rubbed a hand over my face at the vehemence in her tone. “I hope you recall our recent experience with another pregnant woman. We women will go to extreme lengths for our children, Violet. And it seems to be much worse when it’s a nonhuman mother.”

“You keep speaking as if you’re a mother. Do you have children, Rue?”

I didn’t answer, refusing to deny Jake even if it was just words. Keeping his existence a secret was for his protection and so he could live a normal life. The thought occurred to me that I would far outlive him, his children, and his grandchildren. However, while he lived, his happiness was priority one. Instinct told me Violet had already begun to feel this way about her baby, but I hoped it wouldn’t lead her to thinking she needed to get rid of Cam.

While we sat together in silence, me thinking over Violet’s situation and I imagine her doing the same, a human man approached our table. Violet and I both glanced up at him, and I sensed her rising anger.

A charming smile graced the man’s face. He had a certain boy next door look to him, even with the salt and pepper temples. “Hello, I couldn’t help but notice the two of you over here. You both look down, and I wanted to offer my services for the night to try cheering you up.”

I wondered at his choice of words. Services? What services was he offering? Violet on the other hand didn’t likely think anything other than “beat to a quivering mass.” I’m just guessing here.

She surged to her feet, and in one smooth motion, jerked the man closer with a fist in his shirtfront. “Do I look like I need your services?”

I jumped to my feet and grabbed her wrist. “Vie, sweetheart, let’s calm down.”

The man tried not to drool in his abject terror. I tugged again at the she-wolf’s arm, but she wasn’t budging. Unless I wanted to use my strength and cause a scene, we were at a stalemate. My head buzzed with various scenarios, and I felt the eyes of the coffee shop patrons on us, waiting for something interesting to happen. Other than the angry brunette wiggling a full-grown man around by his shirtfront, I mean.

“Violet.”

We all stilled, and Violet looked past my shoulder toward the exit. Where I stood my back was to it, but I had already picked up his scent. Cam had arrived. I hoped he was the Calvary, and as I took in how Violet’s face crumpled for a millisecond and then hardened, I wasn’t sure.

“Cam.” She lowered her gaze and released the human. He scurried away, and a breeze stirred with his hurried exit. Violet drained her coffee cup and tossed it into the trash. She walked toward the exit, passing Cam as she went. His gaze followed as she moved. I thought she would ignore him, but she glanced over her shoulder at him. He spun on his heel and followed her out the door.

“Well, that was interesting,” I said to no one in particular and hoped they settled things between them.