“I can’t take credit for anything except her taste in fashion,” she added.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t take too much credit in that,” Zane murmured. His lighter flared, illuminating the hard angles of his face as he lit another cigarette. “So what’s the plan, girls? Lead and I’ll follow.”
“Back to my place,” said Remy, her jaw set grimly. “We’ll get some equipment and do some research in the daylight hours, dumping you in my basement until the sun goes down.”
“You sure do know how to sweet-talk a man.” Zane chuckled, then took a drag on the cigarette. “I can hardly wait.”
“I’ll bet.” Remy sounded disgusted. “Let’s go.”
The ride back to Remy’s mansion was an interesting one. She wasn’t talking to me. At all. I couldn’t tell if she was mad and blaming me for what had happened to Noah, or if she was pissed that we had a vampire hitching a ride with us.
Zane had given me the passenger seat and had taken the back without asking. Which was good, because I didn’t want to play second fiddle to him. He sat back there without a word the entire time, and his presence alone put me on edge.
I sat silent myself, Noah’s capture still sinking in.
A soft snore punctuated the uncomfortable silence. I turned around and stared. Zane was slumped over in his seat, legs sprawled out. His mouth hung open, and another loud snore escaped.
Remy glanced in the rearview mirror and breathed a deep sigh of relief. “He’s out. Daylight’s finally kicked in.”
I frowned. “So daylight doesn’t kill them? I guess I’ve seen too many Dracula movies.”
She fiddled with the knobs on the A/C for the millionth time, a sure signal that she was stressed. “They don’t die as soon as day hits, no. Just like Noah’s kind-the Serim-don’t turn to dust as soon as the moon comes out. It’s a gradual process that puts their bodies in hibernation until the next cycle that evening-or morning, depending on your company.” Her eyes flicked to the rearview mirror again, watching Zane snore peacefully. “He’s going to be out for the next twelve hours or so, which gives us plenty of time.” She flashed her turn signal and exited onto an unfamiliar street.
Uh oh. “Time for what, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Remy shot me a look. “To work on getting that halo for ourselves, of course.”
I held my hands up in the air. “Whoa, Nelly. I don’t want any freakin’ part of that thing, understand? I just want to get Noah back.”
The car cruised down one street and then another while I waited for Remy to respond. She said nothing, her hands tight on the wheel. We seemed to be heading steadily toward the slummy part of New City. Graffiti lined the brick walls of run-down shops, and I noticed a lot of unsavory types hanging out on street corners or by Dumpsters. A police car cruised silently past us in the other direction.
“Um,” I tried again, rolling up my window like the chickenshit I was. “So why are we visiting the projects?”
She stopped at the curb by a run-down strip mall. Remy turned off the car and pulled the keys out of the ignition, handing them to me. “Meet me back here in two hours. I need to get a few things.” She opened the driver’s-side door and hopped out, glancing around and then crossing the street in her high heels from last night, fearless as ever as she approached a seedy pawnshop, complete with hoodlums loitering at the front door. One of them nearly fell over at the sight of Remy sashaying to the door.
“Remy!” I slid over into the driver’s seat and rolled down the window. “Remy! Where am I supposed to go with a freakin’ you-know-what in the backseat?”
She turned on the sidewalk and glared at me, shaking her head. She mouthed “research” and disappeared inside.
Crap. I rolled the window up again, fast, and turned to check on Zane. He snored on, apparently unable to hear how much my heart was hammering in my throat. Damn it. What was I supposed to do for the next two hours?
Inspiration struck and I started the car, heading for my old apartment. I wondered if the doorman would even recognize me.
The doorman did know my face-not surprising, I guess, since the last time he’d seen me, I nearly attacked him with the onset of the Itch.
Bobby blushed and waved me in with excitement. “Miss Brighton! I’m so glad to see you’ve returned. How was your vacation? You look so beautiful.” He nearly fell over himself, trying to open the door for me.
“It was great, Bobby.” I let him think I’d been on some sort of makeover vacation. Whatever. “How have things been here?”
“Lonely,” he blurted, then turned fiery red. “I mean, we’re busy of course. I’ve made sure that your mail is taken inside your apartment each morning, Miss Brighton. Wouldn’t want the other tenants to know you’ve been away.”
Okay, the crush had just taken a stalkerish turn. Warning bells rang in my mind, and I forced myself to reach over and pat his cheek. “You’re sweet. Do me a favor and go watch my car for me in the garage? It’s the blue Explorer and my, um, cousin is passed out in the backseat. Drinking binge.” I shook my head and tried to look tragic. “Do you think you could watch him for me?”
“Of course, Miss Brighton,” Bobby breathed, looking like he was about to blow his wad in his dress slacks. “I’ll get someone to cover the door for me right away. Don’t you worry about a thing, Miss Brighton!”
Oh, I wouldn’t. If the car was stolen with the vampire in it, that’d solve two problems at once. I just didn’t want Bobby wandering up while I was in my apartment. I smiled at him and headed for the elevator on the other side of the lobby.
Heads turned as I walked. Onlookers stared. Were they wondering who I was, or had someone recognized the old, frumpy me and now wondered who had done my amazing surgery? Either way, I was starting to get used to the overly attentive looks and I ignored them. You know you’ve got a weird life when the attention of an entire floor is focused on the way you walk, and you couldn’t give a rat’s ass.
The elevator was empty, and I made it up to my floor without event. The building was very quiet-one of the reasons I’d decided to live in such an expensive apartment complex-and it made me nervous. Given my new lifestyle, it was reasonable to be wary. After all, last night I’d rubbed elbows with angels, vampires, and a demon queen, and they all wanted to kill me right now.
I headed down the long hall to my apartment. There was nothing stacked up outside my door, which meant that any mail or packages or newspapers had indeed been thoughtfully placed inside. I put the key in the lock and turned it, pushing the door open with a flick of my wrist.
And then gasped. Wall-to-wall roses covered the living room, the cheap bouquets you’d buy at the store down the street. Some were wilted, having been here for several days. There were four sets of balloons decorated with kisses and hearts, and several cards were lined up on my table. I picked up the first one.
Miss Brighton, I think I love you. Love, Bobby.
Creepy. I put the card down and looked at the next one.
Miss Brighton, the sun rises and sets in your blue eyes. Would you be my girl?
Ew. Next card.
Miss Brighton-
I tossed it aside. Just what I needed-a stalker who knew where I lived and had the key to my apartment. How had he managed to get the key, anyway?
I didn’t touch the rest of the gifts and moved to my regular mail, which had been neatly and alphabetically stacked on a coffee table. Bills, bills, bills, and lots of junk mail. Nothing personal, nothing that reminded me that I was a normal woman with a nine-to-five job. It was depressing.
My voicemail was depressing as well. Thirteen messages, and once I’d hit the sixth one from Bobby, I started deleting after the first word. Ten messages in, I recognized a different voice and rewound to listen.