Out of the Night (Harlequin Nocturne) (17 page)

“Yes, sir,” Travis said, betting the farm and quite possibly Campbell’s life on their ability to solve this case.

“Good. We are done here.” Chin headed for the door.

“But, Legister Chin, he killed two humans,” Fowler said.

“He has broken no law. The men were not drained, and he was performing his sworn duty at great personal risk.” Chin looked at Campbell. “Thank you.”

Campbell gave him a respectful nod. “Thank you, Legister.”

Fowler gave him an ugly look as the Legisters filed out of the room. Campbell didn’t know what the guy’s problem was, and he didn’t really give a damn.

Neither Campbell nor any of the other members of the team moved or said a word until they heard the exterior door close behind the Legisters.

“That dude sucked on too many lemons when he was alive,” Billy said.

“Where the hell were you today?” Len asked. “Colin said you raced away with dawn on the horizon.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

“Olivia DaCosta’s walk-in freezer.”

There was a suspended moment; then Colin had the balls to laugh.

Campbell punched him in the shoulder. “You try burning to a crisp and see if you don’t think a freezer is paradise afterward.”

Sophia made a sound of distress.

“I’m okay now. Chloe and Olivia got me some blood so I’d heal.”

“Damn, man,” Len said. “You really do like this gal to go through that. I don’t mind pain, but growing skin. Hell.”

Campbell filled them in on the rest of what had happened then looked at Travis. “How close is NYPD to knowing who those guys were working for?”

“Not very.”

Campbell cursed.

“I, however, am a wizard with connections and have a pretty good lead.”

“And you didn’t tell the Legisters?” Kaja asked.

“They didn’t ask if I had tracked them, only if I could. I answered them truthfully.”

Len laughed. “That Wall Street sneakiness does come in handy once in a while.”

That it did. “Who is it?” Campbell asked.

“I got a couple of hits on them having been in contact with Nicky Salmeri.”

Len whistled at the same time Sophia shivered, both with reason. Nicky was really bad news, feared even among the ranks of the Soulless. The Nefari kingpin had the reputation of punishing by baseball bat just so he could watch the vamp in agony as his bones grew back together. Well, he could try tonight, but he would be in for a surprise. If Campbell found out the guy was behind the kidnappings, behind the attempt to take Olivia, he’d be hard-pressed not to use Nicky’s bat on him.

“Wow, this just gets better every day,” Kaja said as she pulled back her hair into the tight braid she wore when they were about to do some serious ass-kicking.

“What’s the plan?” Colin asked as he leaned back against the edge of his desk.

“First I’m taking a shower and changing out of these reeking clothes so I don’t have every dog in Manhattan following me. Then I feel the need to go say hi to the Nefari.”

Chapter 16

A
n impressive line of very large vampires slid into a shoulder-to-shoulder barricade, cutting off Campbell’s view of Nicky Salmeri. He’d bet money not a one of them possessed a sense of humor. No matter, he wasn’t exactly in a joking mood.

“Nicky, you’re going to want to have your goons step to the side or have them charged with obstructing justice,” Campbell said.

A deep laugh came from the table in the back corner of the restaurant. “Obstructing justice? Sounds like such a human term.” He’d heard many a vampire use the same tone of disgust when uttering the word
human
before, but the way Nicky said it really grated on his last nerve.

“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.

“What?” Mindy asked from where she was putting the cash in the register.

“Those kidnappers got someone else, a teenage boy on his way to school this time. Poor kid.”

A kid in the hands of vampires. Had he been taken because they’d failed in abducting her? Nausea welled up in Olivia and she had to force it down through pure willpower. She couldn’t imagine the horror his parents were going through.

And the reality that the threat hadn’t gone away simply because Campbell had killed those two guys made her even sicker. How many kidnappers were there? How many people were they after?

As the next several minutes progressed as they usually did, Olivia couldn’t get her mind off the boy and what he must be going through. She tried to focus on something else by looking up at the sound of the front door opening again. But instead of a customer, it was a woman carrying a huge vase of roses, pale pink ones with dark pink at the tips of the petals.

“I have a delivery for Olivia DaCosta.”

Olivia stared at them for several seconds in disbelief. He’d sent her flowers? When a few curious stares and even a couple of appreciative sounds came from the customers, she hurried to the front counter to take the roses.

“I’m Olivia,” she said.

“Lucky girl,” the delivery lady said. “These are the prettiest roses we have in the shop.”

“Thank you.” Olivia tried not to be obvious when she grabbed the card and slipped it into her back pocket.

“Looks as if someone’s been holding out on us,” Rusty said as he gave her a wink. “Do tell.”

“Nothing to tell.”

“That’s not what those roses say.”

“Stop embarrassing her, nosy,” Jane said from her spot next to the window.

When Rusty shifted his attention to Jane, Olivia took the opportunity to grab the flowers and retreat to the kitchen. She set them in the corner so she could look at them as she worked. It was remarkably difficult to keep the wide, silly grin tugging at her mouth from fully forming. No need in feeding the curiosity fire.

She flipped the bacon and sausage before slipping the card out of her pocket, then out of its little envelope.
“Olivia, thank you for everything. Sorry I couldn’t stay last night. C.”

Mindy brought some dirty dishes into the kitchen and placed them in the sink. “You shouldn’t have accepted them.”

Olivia bit her tongue. She was tired of the constant Campbell bashing. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she had no idea what it felt like to lose family members to vampires. Mindy didn’t hate without good reason.

“I don’t mean to be such a bitch,” Mindy said.

“I understand. And...I’ll break off contact. It’s just...” She stared at the roses until tears pooled in her eyes.

“You have no idea how much I wish this guy was still human,” Mindy said. “I’d be planning your wedding already.”

The thought of a wedding caused a pang in Olivia’s chest.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” Mindy said.

“It’s okay.” She’d never thought she’d even want to think about getting married again after losing Jeremy. Now... She shrugged at the situation in which she found herself, falling for a guy who not only posed a very real threat but was also one she’d never be allowed to marry. No church, no human authority would ever recognize it. She glanced at the flowers. “I’m just going to enjoy the flowers because they’re pretty.”

Mindy surprised her by giving her a big hug before returning to the front of the restaurant.

What she’d told Mindy echoed in her head. She wanted so much more than pretty flowers. She wanted to enjoy being with Campbell, not worrying about what couldn’t be or what might happen. She didn’t want to have to choose between her best friend and the man who’d captured her heart.

* * *

By the time they closed the diner and Olivia convinced Mindy to go home and sleep in her own bed, she wasn’t sure if she had enough energy to force herself up the stairs. But a look outside at the deepening darkness sent a shot of fear through her. Sure, her would-be kidnappers were dead, but what if their boss sent more? Clearly there were more human fetchers out there. Was it personal now because she’d eluded capture twice?

With a fear-fueled burst of energy, she grabbed the vase of roses and headed upstairs. After locking the door behind her and shoving a dining chair under the doorknob for good measure, she set the vase in the middle of her table. She lowered her nose to the roses and took a deep breath of their heavenly scent. They reminded her that despite all the pain and suffering and loss in the world, there were still things of remarkable beauty.

She sensed Campbell’s presence before she saw him standing on the balcony. It surprised her that his sudden appearance only feet away hadn’t startled her this time. Maybe a part of her had expected him to return tonight. How was she going to tell him to leave? That he couldn’t come back.

Olivia met his gaze and walked to the door. When she opened it, he took a step away.

“I see you got the flowers,” he said.

“Yes, they’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“They seem so small a gift for all you’ve done.”

“They’re perfect.”

His mouth edged up at one end. “I’m glad you like them.”

“Is that the only reason you came by, to see if the florist did her job?”

“No.”

She stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. You had a big scare yesterday.”

“More than one. I was afraid you were going to die in my freezer.” She had to bite her bottom lip when the reality of how bad he’d been burned hit her again.

“That would have been difficult to dispose of, huh?” he said.

“Don’t joke about it. It’s not funny.”

“I’m sorry.” He took a step forward but stopped himself.

A mixture of longing and caution showed itself in his eyes. She saw the decision there. It should make what she had to say easier, but it didn’t.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She lowered her gaze to the floor. “I am... I’m faced with an impossible decision.”