Tainted Night, Tainted Blood

15



DeeDee’s was packed despite the late hour. I parked in the same place I had the last time I was there. It seemed to be the only place left open. No one really paid any attention to me, though I did notice a few heads turned my way.

I made my way slowly toward the front door, trying not to notice the blank stares. The first hint of doubt crept into my mind. I should have gone home, should have spent time with Ethan. I was a stranger here. I didn’t belong.

And that was exactly why this was the perfect place. I needed to get away, to forget about Adrian, the murders, the crazy woman, everything, for a few hours. Where else could I get that sort of peace of mind?

Still, I felt like a fool for coming. Could I really relax after what I’d been through?

I started to turn around, but a large, hairy hand reached past me and opened the door for me.

“After you,” Levi said, grinning.

I stiffened for an instant but relaxed. Just seeing a friendly face made me realize my doubts were groundless. This was where I needed to be.

I led the way into the diner. The smell of deep-fried grease met me the moment I was through the door. It was somewhat comforting. It felt like the way things should be, the way the world was before vampires and werewolves made themselves known.

“Saved you a seat,” Levi said, taking the lead.

I hesitated but ended up following him over to a corner booth where Ronnie was sitting. He had a plate of loaded cheese fries in front of him, but as far as I could tell, he hadn’t touched them. He stared at them blankly, like he had fallen asleep with his eyes open.

“How did you know I was coming?” I asked, taking a seat across from Ronnie. He didn’t seem to notice our arrival.

“It came down the pipeline that a girl on a motorcycle had entered town,” Levi said, sitting down beside his friend. “I figured there weren’t too many leather-coat–wearing, motorcycle-riding young women who would travel through here, so I decided to wait outside to see if you’d show.”

I squirmed a little at that. Levi seemed far too comfortable with me. Even if he thought I was a Pureblood, he still should be hesitant about accepting me. I didn’t exactly have the nice and friendly look down.

I flipped my coat closed over my sword. The last time I was here I hadn’t been dressed in my Lady Death guise. Full-on kill mode didn’t mesh well with the dressed-down, easy atmosphere of Delai.

“So what you here for this time?” Levi asked, stretching his arm across the back of the booth. Ronnie gave the slightest flinch as Levi’s arm passed behind his head, but he quickly settled back to his usual blankness.

I shrugged, eyeing the fries. They looked damn good. “I just needed to get away for a little bit. This seemed as good a place as any.”

“Help yourself.” Levi gestured toward the fries. “It’s what they’re there for.”

I grabbed a few fries and slowly chewed. Just the act of eating eased my mind. I felt more at ease than I had in a long time. I sort of sank into my booth and a low groan of pleasure escaped my lips at the greasy, fattening taste of the fries.

“Good, aren’t they?” Levi said, smiling.

I smiled at him but caught myself. The smile slid from my face and I sat back up, dropping the last fry in my hand back onto the plate.

What the hell was I doing? I should have gone out looking for the murderer, and yet I came here. There was too much to do back home to be sitting around, eating fries, and chatting with strangers.

But every time I considered getting up and leaving, my mind would ease and all my troubles would slip away. It was as if the air of the diner calmed me, made me see that I didn’t have to go rushing back to my troubled life so fast.

Unfortunately, the good feeling never lasted. I couldn’t get comfortable with people dying needlessly.

Levi must have seen the thought pass over my face because he leaned forward, hairy arms crossed on the table. “What’s bothering you?” he asked. “You look as though the entire world is resting on your shoulders. You should stop and let someone else hold the load for a while.”

“It’s nothing,” I said. I looked out the window, feeling oddly ashamed. What was wrong with me? “It’s been a rough week.”

“Care to talk about it?”

“No.”

I could feel his eyes on me. I refused to look at him, knowing if I saw him staring at me, I might break down and tell him everything. I really didn’t want to scare him off now. He seemed to be the only person in this place who was willing to get to know me.

Suddenly, he burst into laughter and I couldn’t help but look at him. He was smiling ear to ear.

“What’s so funny?” I asked. I felt my old rage start to climb. I didn’t like being laughed at.

“Nothing,” he said, waving his big hands in front of his face. “It’s just that you are trying to be so tough, so impenetrable, you’re missing out on what makes life fun.”

Ronnie glanced up. He looked at me, and for an instant I thought I saw something deep down behind his eyes. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I swear it was there. He looked back down and continued his silent vigil.

“I manage just fine,” I said. “Maybe coming here was a bad idea.” I started to rise.

“Hogwash,” Levi said. “It was the best idea you’ve ever had.”

I hesitated, stuck between standing and sitting. I knew I should just get up and leave and never come back. I had too much to do.

Once again the need to leave vanished, replaced by a contentment that fell over me like a comforting arm. How could something feel so wrong yet feel so right at the same time. Was it something in the air? The food? Or was it just Levi and his jovial nature that drew me?

“Come on,” Levi said, standing. “Let’s go for a walk.”

I stood the rest of the way. I checked to make sure my weapons weren’t showing. I didn’t want to scare anyone.

“I should probably just go,” I said, feeling foolish. I’d never felt so out of place before.

“We should really walk,” Levi said. Something in his voice told me he would brook no argument.

Normally, I would have argued. The old me might have. Something about Delai was changing me, and I had no idea what it was. Instead of arguing and making a scene, I found myself following after Levi as he led the way out of the diner.

Eyes followed us as we left. Levi waved to a few men in the parking lot. They watched us go without showing any sort of reaction. I think one of them might have blinked, I wasn’t sure.

The entire town seemed sedate outside of DeeDee’s. It made my worries seem like so much useless garbage. It was like a breath of fresh air after years locked in a too-small room without windows or doors.

“You feel like you don’t belong,” Levi said once we were out of the parking lot. We were walking down a well-cared-for sidewalk. There were no cracks, no weeds growing up between the slabs of concrete.

“That isn’t so strange,” I said. Streetlights lit our path. We were walking away from the small commercial district and heading toward the far end of the town to a place I hadn’t seen yet.

“But you feel out of place even more than usual,” he said. “You don’t feel like you could ever belong in a place like this, around people like these.” He made a circle with his arms, encompassing the entire town.

I gave him a sideways glance. “Don’t try to read me.”

“It isn’t hard. I can tell by the way you hold yourself you aren’t comfortable here. You look like the rabbit in the wolves’ den. There is nothing to be scared of here.”

“I don’t like being watched.”

“It’s more than that,” Levi said, seemingly oblivious to the implied warning. “There’s more to you than you like to show. You are deeper than the tough girl you let everyone see. Put away your weapons and that god-awful coat, and maybe more people would see it.”

I remained silent. I hadn’t come here for a psych evaluation. All I had to do was turn around, get back on my Honda, and go home where I belonged. I never had to see this place again.

But I kept walking. Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. I think he was letting his last comment sink in. I tried not to think about it.

The streetlights gave way to porch lights and soon we were walking in near dark. I could see the silhouettes of people through curtains, going about their lives as if nothing could bother them. I wanted to stop and just watch, to see what a normal person did with his or her time. It was a struggle not to.

“You could be among friends here,” Levi said, eventually. “We aren’t so different from you.”

“You’d be surprised.”

“No,” he said, “I wouldn’t.”

I glanced at him and I could see the seriousness in his face. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know you live a violent life,” he said. “That’s clear by your constant need to keep yourself armed.”

I pulled my coat a little tighter around me. “Anyone who wants to live at night should,” I said a little too defensively.

“Look around,” he said, stopping. We were in a small neighborhood. A couple of kids were methodically throwing hoops in the light coming from above the garage door. Across the street, an old woman walked her dog, never once glancing around in search of something that might leap out at her.

I looked at the sky. It was far too late for anyone to be out, at least anyone who wanted to live. The sun was just an hour away, if not less. It seemed odd that these people weren’t tucked away in the comforts of their own homes.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I had no idea what I could say. I didn’t know how to handle this after a life of watching every shadow, knowing it most likely contained something with fangs.

“It’s peaceful here,” he said. “We don’t fear the night like so many others.”

“How?” I asked, looking around. “I don’t understand.”

“We have our ways.” He smiled and something glimmered behind his eyes. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure Levi was just another Pureblood. There was more to him, something hidden behind that smile and those kind words.

“I wouldn’t fit in,” I said, turning away from him. I started back the way we had come. “No matter how much you might think I could, I would never be able to live a normal life here.”

“Your kind always says that.”

I stopped walking and turned to face him. Levi was smiling at me.

“What did you say?” I said. My throat constricted. If he knew what I was, then he knew I brought danger. I took a step toward him, my hand touching the hilt of my sword.

“Oh, don’t do that,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’m not saying I want you out of here. Don’t you remember what I said? You could find a place here. You just have to let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Are you so sure of that?” he countered. “I see someone who is afraid to admit when she’s scared, someone who is running from something. No one ever comes here if they aren’t looking for a way out.”

I stared at him, wanting to hate him, but I couldn’t. I turned away and started walking back toward DeeDee’s. Levi hurried to catch up. He put a hand on my arm and I jerked away, spinning on him.

“Don’t f*cking touch me!”

He raised both hands in surrender. “Okay, okay,” he said. “I just want to let you know I understand. Your life sucks. You came here for a reason. You shouldn’t leave until you are sure there is nothing here for you.”

“There’s not.”

“And how do you know?” he said. “You’ve haven’t stuck around long enough to find out.”

“I have too much to do,” I said, walking again. Levi walked beside me but didn’t try to touch me this time. “I can’t turn my back on that.”

“I don’t expect you to,” he said. “But don’t you think you deserve a break sometimes?”

I didn’t say anything. I could use a break, sure. Everyone could. But did I really have time to relax when people were dying back home? I didn’t think so.

“Stay the day,” he said, stopping me again.

I stared at him. Was this guy nuts?

“I mean it,” he said. “It’s going to be morning soon. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be out when the sun rises.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’ll drive fast.”

“But why do that when you could stay here, see what our little town has to offer?”

I looked around. Every house was lit up. “Doesn’t anyone sleep around here?”

Levi laughed. “Only when they have to.” He sounded full of pride, like it was of his doing. I wasn’t so sure it wasn’t. “The night had been taken away from so many people for so long, they no longer wish to waste it. Here, they don’t have to.”

I frowned. I still didn’t like it.

“Stay, please,” Levi said. “What can it hurt?”

There were quite a lot of people here I could end up hurting if I lost it at the wrong time.

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he said. “You don’t have to save the world tonight. It’ll still be here tomorrow.”

I wanted to keep arguing with him, but something deep down stopped me. Did I really want to turn my back on this? Was this a chance for me to step away for a little bit, to clear my head? If I went home, all I would do is go to my room and wait out the day. Was I ready to deal with all the thoughts that would arise from loneliness?

“Fine,” I said. My stomach did a strange little flip when I said it. “I’ll stay.”

“Good,” Levi said, clapping his hands together. He acted like I had just made his day. “I have a spare room made up especially for you.”

That made me hesitate, but I didn’t back down. I’d made my decision, no matter how misguided it was. I’d have to live with it.

We walked back to DeeDee’s, our pace hurried. I still wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do, but I was committed now.

Levi ran inside the diner to let Ronnie know what was up. He came back out a moment later and told me to follow him. He jumped into a red pickup truck and waited as I started my Honda and fell in behind him.

It wasn’t raining now. I wasn’t so sure when it had stopped.

Levi honked as he pulled out onto the road, waving into the rearview mirror. I waved back, surprising myself.

Something was going on here.

And right then, I really didn’t care what it was.