CHAPTER 16
As the month of February wore on, Robby stayed in contact with Olivia, either by phone or e-mail. She told him all about her job. They were busy investigating an adoption scam that had her working overtime. Then, in March, a series of drug-related kidnappings and murders monopolized her time.
Her investigation of Otis had to be postponed, but she claimed it didn't matter since she hadn't received any apples since November. Her supervisor had insisted Otis would stop harassing her if she ignored him. It looked like it might have worked.
She admitted that sometimes her job left her completely exhausted and frazzled. She was bombarded with the painful emotions of victims and their families. She could even feel the stress and angry frustration of her fellow colleagues. Since she couldn't feel anything from Robby, talking to him was like taking a vacation. She looked forward to it at the end of every day.
By mid-February they both installed webcams on their laptops so they could see each other as they talked. Robby knew she was stressed from work, so he did his best to cheer her up. He told her about his friends - how Jack threw a rowdy bachelor party and the police had come to shut it down, and now he was marrying the pretty police officer. How Phineas was in love with a girl who had slipped hot sauce into his drink. Seeing Olivia and hearing her laughter was the highlight of Robby's evening. Of course, he left out the pesky fact that some of his friends were Undead.
A few times their late night conversations turned sexy and flirtatious, but Robby tried to keep that to a minimum. He would always take his laptop and webcam to a nearby conference room, since there was no privacy in the office at Romatech. Even so, the guys enjoyed barging into the room to tease him. He couldn't afford to get too excited, or he'd be stuck trying to do his job all night with a conspicuous lump in his trousers.
Even so, it was hard not to get turned on. Olivia was so damned beautiful. More than once she had peered closely at the monitor and asked if his eyes were turning red.
"'Tis the camera," he'd tell her. "My eyes are always looking red in photos." Luckily, she accepted that excuse.
One more good reason, he thought, for keeping their relationship long distance for a while. If he went to visit her, his eyes would be glowing red within three minutes.
He verified that J.L. Wang was trustworthy, and he found nothing wrong with Otis's lawyer. When he mentioned he was the best man in Jack and Lara's wedding in April, Olivia insisted on hearing all about it.
"What does the wedding gown look like?" she asked.
Robby thought back. Lara had shown him a picture. "'Tis...white."
Olivia snorted. "That's real descriptive. Is it bright white or cream? Is it floor length? Is there a train? Does it have beadwork or lace? Is she wearing a veil?"
Robby frowned, trying to recall the picture. "'Tis white." When Olivia groaned, he added, "I'll e-mail you the picture."
He ended up e-mailing all sorts of things that Olivia was curious about, even the menu that the mortals would be eating at the reception. Since she was so fascinated with the wedding, he was sorely tempted to invite her, but he rejected the idea. How could he explain the Bubbly Blood - synthetic blood mixed with champagne - that he and his friends would be drinking at the reception? No doubt she would want to do some sightseeing, too, and she'd wonder why he was completely unavailable during the daytime.
He needed to tell her the truth soon, but figured it should be done in private. A wedding was not the right place to break the news.
The wedding took place in mid-April at the Romatech chapel. While Robby listened to the couple reciting their vows, his thoughts kept returning to Olivia. Could she marry a vampire? It involved more than just accepting him as Undead. If she wanted to stay with him over the centuries, she would have to become a vampire, too.
The conference rooms were opened up to make a ballroom for the reception. The bride and other mortals enjoyed a gourmet meal, while the Vamps celebrated with Bubbly Blood.
The High Voltage Vamps began playing a waltz, and Jack escorted Lara to the dance floor, leaving Robby alone with LaToya at the bridal party table. LaToya had flown into town two days earlier to be Lara's maid of honor.
When the waltz was over, other couples joined Jack and Lara on the dance floor.
LaToya suddenly jumped to her feet and grabbed Robby's arm. "Come on, dance with me."
"As ye wish." He stood, then noticed Phineas hurrying toward their table.
"LaToya, will you dance with me?" he asked.
"Sorry. Robby asked me first." LaToya tugged on Robby's arm. "Come on."
He gave Phineas an apologetic look, then led LaToya to the dance floor. It was a slow dance, which made it easier to talk. "Ye canna avoid him all evening."
LaToya frowned as she placed her hands lightly on Robby's shoulders. "Why doesn't he give up?"
"He's crazy about you."
She glanced to the side where Phineas stood watching her with a lovesick expression. "Crazy is right. I can't scare the guy away. I practically killed him with hot sauce. He came to see me in New Orleans, and I threatened to shoot his ass. Somehow he thought that was romantic."
Robby shrugged one shoulder. "He believes in love. He has a big heart."
"He has a dead heart. Dead as a bloodsucking mosquito caught in a bug zapper."
Robby winced. "He's alive now."
"And what kind of weird shit is that? I mean, you're alive at night, but dead during the day? Sheesh, make up your minds. Either be alive or be dead. How can you be both? It's just wrong."
"So ye're still upset about us being vampires?"
She heaved a sigh. "I promised to keep my mouth shut, if that's what you're worried about. I don't want any of you creepy guys erasing my memory, not when my memories of Lara would end up erased, too."
"She is fortunate to have a loyal friend like you."
LaToya glanced at the bride, who was beaming with joy as she swayed to the music in Jack's arms. "I want her to be happy. I guess she is, but I don't see how it can last."
"There's never any guarantee." Robby thought back to his own failed marriage. His wife, Mavis, had rejected him for being Undead. Just because Shanna, Heather, Toni, and Lara were able to love Vamp men, it didn't mean all women could. Would Olivia be able to handle it?
"My mother's on her third husband," LaToya grumbled. "She's never had a marriage that lasted more than five years. And you Vamps think you can stay married for centuries? You're out of your half-dead minds."
Robby smiled. "Maybe so."
LaToya chewed her bottom lip. "Though I have to admit, the thought of being around for a few centuries is kinda appealing. And staying young forever - that's not bad."
"Aye, there are some advantages." Maybe she was learning to accept them, after all. "We're no' so bad once ye get to know us. When I was captured last summer, a lot of the Vamps in this room risked their lives in order to rescue me."
She nodded. "Yeah, Lara told me about that."
"Phineas was one of them. He's known us for only a few years, but he's demonstrated over and over again how loyal, brave, and trustworthy he is."
LaToya scoffed. "He was a drug dealer. I checked him out, you know. There's an outstanding warrant for his arrest."
"He's come a long way since then."
"That doesn't mean he shouldn't pay for his crime."
"He did pay," Robby insisted. "With his life. He deserves a second chance."
LaToya huffed. "I'm not sure I can be that forgiving."
Robby glanced at Marta Barkowski, who was sitting at a table with Vanda and Phil. "I dinna think I could be forgiving, either. But sometimes there's just no point in prolonging everyone's suffering."
With a small shock, Robby realized he was changing. His time with Olivia was healing his heart and soothing his wounds. He still wanted to kill Casimir, but it was no longer the top priority in his mind. And when it came to Vamps like Marta or Stanislav, he now understood that they'd been victimized, too.
"Can I cut in?" Phineas tapped him on the shoulder.
Robby released LaToya and stepped back. "That depends on the lady's wishes."
Phineas extended a hand to LaToya. "Sweetness, will you dance with me?"
She gave him a wary look. "I guess I could finish this one with you."
"Great!" With a grin, Phineas wrapped his arms around her.
The music ended.
"Oops. Dance is over." LaToya stepped away.
"No, it's not." Phineas pulled her back.
"Yes, it is!" She stomped a stiletto heel on his foot.
With a yelp, Phineas released her.
"So long, sucker." She strode away, flipping her long curls over her shoulder.
Phineas tried putting weight on his sore foot and winced. "Ouch."
"Sorry about that," Robby murmured.
Phineas gave him a wry look. "Yeah, it hurts, but at least I didn't turn emo and punch a hole in a wall."
"I fixed it," Robby grumbled. He'd taken a lot of ribbing over that hole.
Phineas turned his attention back to LaToya, who was ordering a drink at the bar. He smiled slowly. "It's happening, bro. She's falling under my spell."
"How can ye tell? She attacked you again."
"Yeah, but this time she didn't threaten to kill me." Phineas smoothed a hand over his short black hair. "Oh yeah, baby, the Love Doctor is hard to resist."
It was the end of April when the pace at work finally slowed down. Olivia had spent the morning finishing up paperwork. "Ready for lunch?" she called over the partition to J.L.
"Almost," he replied. "Give me five minutes."
This was the perfect opportunity to check her personal e-mail account. She grinned when a message from Robby popped up.
Good morning, sweetheart. After we talked on the phone last night, I received a message from Jack and Lara in Venice. They sent some pictures from the wedding. I've attached them for you.
Olivia clicked through the photos, delighted to finally put faces to the names she'd been hearing about for the last two months. Her heart swelled when she saw a photo that included Robby. He looked dashing in his formal black jacket, white shirt, and black tie that matched his black and white plaid kilt. There was a twinkle in his green eyes and an amused tilt to his wide mouth. She could have gawked at him for hours, but there were a bunch more photos to see. She clicked through some more.
"Hey, Liv. Here's that report you wanted." Yasmine set a file on Olivia's desk, then glanced at the monitor. "Are those wedding pictures? I love wedding pictures!"
"Let me show you the bride." Olivia clicked on Lara's photo.
"All right." J.L. leaned his elbows on the partition. "I'm ready for lunch now."
"Wow, she's beautiful," Yasmine whispered.
"I know," Olivia said. "Can you believe she was a New York cop?"
"Hello?" J.L. waved at them. "Lunch?"
Yasmine ignored him. "I didn't know you went to a wedding. Are you friends with the bride?"
"I didn't go," Olivia replied. "I'm just friends with the best man."
"Just friends?" J.L. scoffed. "He's all you ever talk about anymore. I can't eat my lunch without getting the latest 'Robby' update."
Olivia made a face at him. He'd laughed at the stories, too.
"Who's Robby?" Yasmine asked.
"He was the best man. Here, I'll show you." Olivia clicked on a group photo.
Yasmine snorted. "Who's the big guy in the skirt? And what's that? A purse?"
Olivia stiffened. "That's Robby."
"He's wearing a skirt? I've got to see this." J.L. peered over Yasmine's head at the monitor, then snickered.
Olivia glared at him. "Robby's Scottish. That's why he's wearing a kilt and a sporran."
"Where on earth did you meet a Scotsman?" Yasmine asked.
"Look, guys," J.L. interrupted them. "I'm starving. If you want to keep drooling on those photos, I'll bring lunch back here."
Olivia's glare switched to a smile. "That would be great. I'll take a turkey sandwich."
"Me, too," Yasmine said.
J.L. walked away, muttering about the female fascination with weddings where poor saps got shackled for life.
"Well?" Yasmine asked. "Where did you meet the handsome Scotsman?"
"On Patmos last November."
"A Scotsman on a Greek island?" Yasmine laughed, then abruptly turned serious. "Oh my gosh, Liv, he's not the one who made you cry, is he?"
Olivia's cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "That was just a misunderstanding. We're okay now."
"You're dating him?"
"Sorta. We talk and e-mail every day. I wish I could go see him, but I'm out of vacation days."
Yasmine shook her head slowly. "I had no idea you were involved with someone. How serious is it?"
Olivia bit her lip. Yasmine could be annoying sometimes with her constant curiosity about everyone's personal affairs, but Olivia was dying to tell someone her news. "Last night Robby told me he was taking some vacation time in June so he could come for a visit. He said he had something really important to discuss with me and he needed to do it in person."
Yasmine gasped. "Do you think he's going to propose?"
Olivia grinned. She was so excited, she'd hardly slept at all last night. "It sounds that way, don't you think? I mean, he wouldn't come all this way to break up with me, would he?"
An aura of anxiety swirled around Yasmine. "Are you seriously considering this? You can't really know him that well."
"We've had lots of long talks. I can tell him anything, and he understands. He makes me laugh. I make him laugh."
"Girl, he made you cry last December. You were hurting really bad. Maybe you should rethink this. Or at least slow down."
Olivia shrugged. The last thing she wanted to hear was something bad about Robby. He was the sweetest, most gentle man she'd ever met.
"Here, I'll show you the rest of the photos." She clicked through them, and her eyes were invariably drawn to Robby whenever he appeared in a photo.
Was he really planning to propose to her? She couldn't imagine anything else of importance that he would need to tell her.
There was, however, something important she needed to tell him. She'd meant to tell him before, but the appropriate time had never come up.
How was yer day? he would ask on the webcam.
Great. We arrested a kidnapper, and by the way, I'm a virgin. That would have been too strange.
But surely it didn't matter if Robby was unaware of her secret. Why would any man object to it?
Two weeks later, on a Saturday afternoon, Olivia returned to her apartment after running errands. She dropped her handbag and keys on the console by the front door, then carried her bag of groceries to the kitchen.
As she passed the breakfast nook, she noticed something on the dinette table. A brown cardboard box. The logo on top was unmistakable.
Apples.
Her heart lurched up her throat. The box was in her house. Not on the front porch, left by a delivery man. In her house.
She set her tote bag of groceries on the floor and moved quietly to her bedroom. All her senses tingled high on alert. She might not be alone in the apartment. She was good at martial arts, but she'd feel a lot safer with her gun in her hand. She reached her bedside table and removed her sidearm from the top drawer.
With a quick glance, she verified that the pistol was loaded. She flipped the safety off, then quickly checked the bathroom and closet. She did a more thorough check of her bedroom, looking underneath the bed and behind the curtains. Then she checked the living room and kitchen. Empty. The box on the table wasn't clicking like a bomb, but she wasn't taking any chances opening it.
She examined the front door. No sign of forced entry. She called the apartment manager and asked if they'd let anyone into her apartment. No.
Someone has a key. Her heart thundered in her ears.
She called J.L. "The box was in my apartment. The bastard's been inside my house!"
"Calm down," he told her. "I'll be right there."
She hung up. Calm down? Someone could enter her apartment at will. She wasn't safe in her own home.
Damn that Otis. How long was she supposed to put up with his stupid game? Her supervisor, Barker, had told her to leave him alone and stay away from Leavenworth. Once Otis realized she wouldn't play his game, he'd leave her alone. But it wasn't working. Otis was not giving up.
She was tempted to go tell him once and for all to buzz off. Of course, that was what he wanted. He wanted her to visit. He wanted to keep a connection between them.
She groaned with frustration. There had to be a way to stop this. She was ready to rip her hair out. Instead, she called Robby. Since he worked nights, his phone would be turned off during the day while he slept, but she could still leave a message.
"Robby, another box of apples came. I went out to run some errands, and when I came back, they were in my apartment! Sitting on the kitchen table. The accomplice wants me to know he can enter my house whenever he damn well pleases. And you know what? I'm not running away this time. I've had it! I'm staying here, and if that bastard dares to come back, I'll - "
Beep. The allotted time for the message ran out.
She snapped the phone shut. Just stating her thoughts out loud had left her feeling stronger and more empowered. She wasn't going to take it anymore.
A knock sounded on her door, and she immediately grabbed her gun. Get a grip. The bad guy didn't need to knock. He either had a key or knew how to pick a lock.
"Olivia!" J.L. yelled through the door. "Are you there?"
"Yes." She opened the door.
He slipped inside and looked quickly about. "Are you planning to shoot me?"
"No." She set the gun down on the console. "Sorry about that."
"Don't apologize. I'm packing, too."
She locked the door, then groaned. "Why do I even bother? The bastard can come in whenever he likes."
"We'll get a new lock put in today." J.L. walked toward the kitchen table. "So this is it. The infamous apple box. No postage or delivery markings. You checked the rest of the apartment?"
"Yes, everything else is normal."
"Look inside your closet or chest of drawers. He may have taken a souvenir."
Olivia shuddered at the thought. "Okay." Everything appeared normal in her closet. She rifled through her drawers and noted one thing missing - a pair of red lace panties. Damn, now she really felt violated.
"The scumbag swiped a pair of - " She froze at the bedroom door. J.L. was standing an arm's length away from the cardboard box while he used a spatula from her kitchen to open it.
"Stay back," he warned her.
So he'd purposely managed to make her leave the room while he opened the box. It was heroic of him, but not the smartest move if he actually suspected the box would explode if opened.
"There's never been anything dangerous about the apples," she reassured him. Still she held her breath when he flipped the box open. Nothing.
He scooped an apple out, and it bounced onto the table, then rolled off the edge to land on the floor. "Have you ever had the apples tested for drugs?"
"The first time, yes. They were normal." She watched a second and third apple plummet to the floor. "They're just meant to be a threat to my peace of mind. It's a psychological game."
"Yeah." J.L. flipped the rest of the apples out of the box with his spatula. "But criminal behavior can escalate over time, when the creeps need a bigger thrill."
"So far he hasn't shown a desire to hurt me." Olivia approached the kitchen table. "He just wants to manipulate me and keep a connection between us."
"Because you two are destined to be together forever," J.L. repeated what Otis had told his mother. "If he ever realizes you're not agreeable to that plan, he'll turn on you in a second."
"I know."
With the spatula, J.L. dug around in the green plastic grass that had cushioned the apples. "It seems all right, but we should still take this to Forensics and see if they can lift any prints off it. The creep obviously wanted to scare you by putting it inside your apartment, but it may have been a big mistake for him to deliver it himself."
"I think he must be watching the apartment. He knew when I had left."
"Good point." J.L. tapped the spatula on the tabletop while he considered. "Let's see if he'll come back."
Olivia and J.L. made a show of leaving the apartment, locking the front door, and driving off in his car. Then, a few blocks away, Olivia exited the car and J.L. proceeded to a nearby hardware store to buy a new lock.
She jogged back and hid behind a Dumpster to watch the apartment. No one approached. She sighed. It could be that the accomplice's job was done and he'd left.
J.L. returned and installed the new lock while she finally put away the groceries she'd bought earlier. Wearing latex gloves, she returned the apples to the box and wrapped it up in a trash bag. They took it to the forensics department, then picked up a pizza on the way back. Even with the new lock, J.L. refused to leave Olivia on her own.
They sat on the love seat, eating pizza and discussing options. As the sun went down, Olivia finally decided on a course of action, but J.L. didn't approve because it required a trip to Leavenworth to see Otis. He finally relented when she agreed to let him accompany her.
"You realize you're doing exactly what he wants you to do," J.L. warned her as he jammed the last bite of pizza into his mouth. "He sends the damned apples to lure you in."
"I can't threaten him without seeing him," Olivia said. She jumped when a knock sounded on the door.
"Expecting anyone?" J.L. strode to the door while he unsnapped the shoulder holster containing his sidearm.
"No." Olivia grabbed a napkin to wipe the pizza grease off her fingers, then rushed to the console where she'd left her weapon.
J.L. peered through the peephole in the door. "Well, I'll be damned."
"What? Who is it?" She envisioned a UPS man with fifty boxes of apples. Or maybe Otis's enraged brother with a shotgun. She aimed her weapon at the door.
J.L. gave her a wry look. "Is that any way to treat your boyfriend?"
She blinked. "My what?"
He grinned. "Robby MacKay is on your front porch."