Rylie Cruz 2 - How to Date a Vampire (23 page)

Maybe I just needed to calm down, take a few
more calming breaths, and contemplate my dilemma. I'd never been
this worked up for this long of a period before. I closed my eyes,
willing away the bad feelings, forcing positive thoughts in my
mind. Everything would be okay… it had to be. Just then I
remembered I had to be on the lookout. Quinton and Sophie were
probably looking everywhere for me. I peeked over my shoulder, but
didn’t notice them in the crowd.

When I turned back around, I glanced down at
the ground. A black leather wallet set tucked next to a shop
doorway. I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed. Maybe
someone was looking for it. The passers-by never acknowledged me,
as if I was invisible. No one paid attention to me and no one
seemed to be looking for it. These people were lost in their own
world. Maybe I could have changed into a werewolf and they wouldn't
have even noticed.

I reached down and picked up the wallet. As
soon as my hands touched it, I got a sick feeling. My stomach
churned and my heart rate increased. A vibe emanated from the
wallet. Pulsing through my hands and snaking its way up my arms and
traveling straight to the amulet around my neck. It pulsated
against my chest. Even worse than it already had, as if that was
even possible. I held the wallet in my shaking hands, looking
around again to see if someone noticed. No one looked at me. I held
my breath as I opened it.

Then I saw his face staring back at me.
Jack’s driver's license was right there in the front. It was his
wallet. His credit cards and money were still intact. Apparently
that meant he hadn’t been the victim of a pickpocket, but it did
mean that he'd been there. But how long ago? It couldn't have been
long or someone would have already found the wallet. I glanced
around to see if I could spot him. The place was full of people
milling around, going about their daily business. I’d never pick
out his face in the crowd. I reached out and twisted the knob on
the door in front of me. It didn’t budge. I tried it again,
rattling it to see if it was just stuck. I’d have to find another
way in. as I stepped forward, my phone rang in my pocket. I quickly
fished it out. Samson’s number was displayed on the screen.

“Rylie, I’m glad you answered. I have some
interesting information for you.”

“It had better be interesting because I am
about to be captured like a stray with a one-way ticket to the
pound.” Did they call it the pound anymore? The animal shelter?
Whatever. Even my thoughts were a blubbering mess.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I’m at the French Market.”

“What are you doing there?”

“That’s what I’m asking myself. The vampires
are hot on my trail,” I whispered. Why was I trying to be quiet?
The noise around me would certainly drown out my conversation. “I
think they have my boyfriend here and I have to find him.”

“Do you need any help?” His voice let me
know he was genuinely concerned.

“No, no, I’ll be fine… or killed, but
whatever. What have you got for me?” I asked. Please let it be good
news. I could really use some right now.

“I got some info on why ninety-nine percent
of the half-vampires aren’t turned completely. Apparently, in most
cases, a person is half turned because their blood is toxic to
vampires. But not everyone has this type of blood. The vampires
stop because they’ll be killed if they drink more. Just like
poison… no way around it.”

“That’s odd. If it’s like poison, wouldn’t a
small taste kill them?”

“No, no. They have to drink a certain
amount. No more or no less.”

“A certain amount of blood? And they know
what this certain amount is how?” I glanced over my shoulder again.
I needed to hurry.

“As soon as they taste it in the blood, they
stop drinking. Like a built-in sensor or something.”

My eyebrows shot up. This sounded crazy.
“What exactly are they tasting? An aftertaste? A flavor? How is it
different from regular ol’ blood?”

“You’re just full of questions, aren’t you?
How should I know? I just discovered this information and I’m a
vampire. If they don’t tell me, then it must be some kind of
information they try to keep quiet.”

“How did you figure out all of this info? If
you don’t know what the blood is like, then how did you know whom
to ask?”

“I have my ways. All you have to do is ask,
baby.”

I chuckled. It felt good to laugh for a
second. Elevate the somber mood, even if for only a moment. “Thank
you, Samson. I owe you.” Another matchup on the house, maybe?

“Are you positive you don’t need some help?
These vampires aren’t known for their sparkling personalities. They
won’t bake you cupcakes, or in your case, beef jerky.”

The crack in his voice made it sound as if
he didn’t really want to volunteer to get involved. More like he
was offering to be polite. No matter what warning he’d just given
me.

“Yeah, but thanks for the offer. I’ll be
fine. I’m tougher than you think. Gotta go.” I clipped off the
phone and stuffed it back in my pocket.

Picking up my pace again, I made my way down
the aisle, when I noticed a security officer watching me. I had to
be acting suspicious with my running through the market. It wasn’t
every day they had someone training for a marathon from vampires
through the place. He eyed me. I tried to slow down so he wouldn’t
stop me and ask me what the heck I was doing. I didn’t need any
more of my time consumed. I’d wasted too much time at Isabella’s,
Sophie’s, and Quinton’s place.

When I neared another shop, maybe I’d step
inside and he’d leave me along thinking I was just doing a little
shopping, but then again, maybe he’d think I was doing a little bit
of shoplifting instead. That wouldn’t be good. When I came to the
next shop, I stopped and stepped just inside. I picked up a
postcard, and began examining it as if it was the most interesting
thing I’d ever seen. He approached.

Just as I had known he would. Our eyes met.
I waited for him to grab me by the arm and yank me away for
questioning, but before he had a chance to speak, a man in jeans
and a light blue T-shirt with sandy-blond hair approached. “There
you are. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He scolded.

The man looked at the security officer.
“Thank you for leading her to us, sir. We’re really late to get
started,” the stranger said.

I must have had the most confused look on my
face. Probably it matched the expression the officer had. I was as
clueless as he was. But I’d go along with this guy just to get away
from the officer. Whatever he had to say had to be better than what
the officer wanted.

The security officer nodded and said,
“You’re welcome.”

The same confused expression I felt on my
face was displayed on his face. As he turned around and left the
store, that’s when a panic set in. I didn’t know the man standing
in front of me. He was probably one of Sophie’s vampires. How
stupid could I be? They must share a good laugh every time they
realize how dumb I am. And I thought I could find Jack. I’d just
played right into their little game. Obviously, I wasn’t smart
enough to outwit them.

The man looked at me. “They’re waiting for
us on stage.” He grabbed my hand and yanked me away.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. My
voice grew louder.

He didn’t answer my question specifically,
but continued scolding me. “I can’t believe how late you are. And
you look like hell, too. It’s not as if that extra time was spent
on hair and makeup.” He looked me up and down disapprovingly.

Hey, strange man, you try looking good when
you’re on the run from vampires. He was just lucky I wasn’t in
werewolf form.

“You look as if you’ve been rolling around
in a graveyard with dead bodies.”

Well… now that he mentioned it. But what was
this guy talking about? What did he think I was late for? And what
the heck did he mean by stage? If he thought I was going out onto
some stage, then he really was bonkers. Never in a million years
would I agree to something so crazy. He yanked my hand, and pulled
me out through a door. The next thing I knew, I stood in the middle
of a small stage with a rather large-sized audience staring at me
expectantly.

The man thrust a microphone in my hand and
said, “We’re doing Blue Suede Shoes first.”

I literally couldn’t feel my tongue. It was
numb. And now that I thought about it, I couldn’t feel my hands or
feet, either. What the hell? I was definitely in panic mode. What
if I started to sprout hair in front of all these people? It would
scare the hell out of them, although my singing would probably
scare them even more. I wasn’t sure which would be worse.

“You have got to be kidding me. I’m afraid
you have mistaken me for someone else.”

The music started. He nodded and smiled, not
listening to a word I said. What would happen if I peed my pants
right there in the middle of the stage? I supposed at least then I
would have an excuse to leave. The audience was packed with men and
women, some standing, and others who’d obviously brought their own
chairs. Tents surrounded the area where vendors were selling their
wares.

The temperature must have risen thirty
degrees because sweat had broken out on my forehead. My clothing
felt instantly constricting. The air had grown stifling. The river
was near. Maybe I could jump in to escape this mess. Normally, the
smell of the food traveling through the air would have made me
hungry, but now it made my stomach turn. People were smiling,
chatting, and waiting on me. No pressure. No pressure, at all.

I held the microphone up to my lips, trying
to remember the words to the song. What was wrong with me? Had I
lost the last little bit of sense I had? Yes, I had completely lost
it.

“Well, it’s one for the money. Um, two for
the show. Three to get ready. Now go, cat, go,” I croaked out.

I may have heard a few gasps and groans from
the audience, but I wasn’t sure which were the noises coming from
them, and which were the God-awful noises coming from me.

My cheeks burned and my
stomach churned. I knew I had to get out of there. The only thing
to do was throw the microphone down and run. So that’s exactly what
I did. No one would believe me if I told them. This guy had
obviously mistaken me for someone else. A doppelganger perhaps?
They say that everyone has one. Too bad for mine I was a lousy
singer. I think I actually heard some dogs howling in the distance.
How apropos.
The music grinded to a stop
as I ran off stage. I hoped those people got their money back for
their tickets. At the very least, I hoped I wasn’t the main act. If
only I could get out of there now without the officer seeing
me.

I rounded the corner at warp speed. When I
thought I’d put enough distance between me and the stunned
audience, I slowed down. My ears picked up echoes of what sounded
like footsteps nearing the alley. Someone was following me and they
weren’t far behind, at all. One misstep on my part and they’d catch
me. I glanced over my shoulder, but with so many people moving down
the aisle, how could I know if someone was truly following me? I
didn’t want to stick around and find out.

When I turned the corner, I spotted Quinton
up ahead. He stopped and I jumped to my left, hiding behind a sign
on the sidewalk. I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t turn around
and spot me. He paused for a moment, but never turned around to see
me. He turned to his left, then walked into a building. I let out a
deep breath and made my way to the building.

He moved with purpose down the aisle and I
was hot on his trail. Did he sense me? Did he know I was following
him? The old warehouse looked as if it hadn’t been occupied for
some time. Why was Quinton going into an abandoned building? Since
I had no idea where I was headed, or what fate lie in wait for me,
I figured it was my only choice but follow him. Better I follow him
than he follow me. My amulet was putting off more vibes. Something
evil was in the vicinity.

When he was inside, I slipped over to the
door and eased it open. Despite my trying to be delicate, a large
clang announced my arrival. So much for staying under the radar.
Luckily, no one seemed to notice. Graffiti marked the walls. The
space was dim and gloomy, kind of like my mood. I spotted Quinton
up ahead. He walked with a mission as if he knew exactly where he
was headed.

I tracked him through the long corridors as
he made twists and turns. Since I had to stay back in order to not
be noticed, it didn’t take long until I lost him. There I was in a
huge building that was probably full of vampires. I was vulnerable
and they could attack at any time.

When I reached a doorway, I heard a slight
moan. I froze on the spot. What would I do? Where was the noise
coming from? I eased closer to the door, unsure of what to do next.
No other sound came from the space. I inched forward a little more
until I saw a legs seated in a chair. When I peeped inside, I held
my gasp.

“Oh my God, Uncle Ernie, they got you.” I
rushed over to him. Both of his eyes were blackened, and he had a
cut on his forehead. “Are you all right?”

He shifted his cowboy-boot-clad feet, trying
to adjust in the seat. The restraints around his wrists wouldn’t
allow much movement. His graying ponytail looked grayer than it had
just a couple weeks ago and his face was lined from stress.

Relief swept over me the
instant I saw him, but I was angry at the same time. Ernie’s
hi-jinks had gone on too long. Uncle Ernie had found himself in
trouble again. He
needed to deal with his affairs and leave
all of us out of it.

“I’m fine. The vampires roughed me up a
little bit. I guess I owe them a little bit of money.”

“You think? A little bit? I heard it was
somewhere along the lines of twenty thousand. Unless you’re Donald
Trump, and by your lack of comb-over, I know you’re not, then in my
book that’s more than a little bit.”