They Come by Night (26 page)

“Well?”

He really expected me to give him an excuse? “It’s spring?” I offered hesitantly.

His brows snapped together above his nose. “Thank you for stating the obvious.”

My face felt as if it were on fire. I could hardly tell him it was way past the time when I needed to feed a vampyr. The result was not only was I fidgety, as Dr. von Bulwer had been so kind as to point out, but my skin felt as if it was too tight for my body. I went through the days half-hard and aching, but for Adam; I had no desire for any other vampyr.

And I’d turned away every one that had come to my door. A man and three women had shown up in a six-week period, and I hadn’t needed Mina’s reaction to refuse them permission to enter my home. Something felt
off
about them. Their eyes had looked weird and the tips of their fangs had stood out against the blood red of their lips.

I expected to hear from the rege anytime now, telling me to get my act together and do my job.

The thing was, I wanted
Adam
—Adam’s fingers stroking over my skin, Adam’s tongue teasing my throat, Adam’s fangs sinking into me.

Not that it looked like I was going to get him….

“I believe it would be well for you to absent yourself for the day.”

“Excuse me?”

Dr. von Bulwer studied me for a moment, then turned back to the podium and leafed through the pages there. “You have the homework assignment.”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right, then. Good afternoon, Mr. Small.”

I stuffed the useless recorder into my messenger bag along with the notebook, put on my jacket, and went out to the parking lot.

I shivered as the cold cut through my jacket, and I fumbled with the remote to unlock my car. What I needed was to… to drown my sorrows. Yeah, that was what I needed to do. Dad was a big proponent of that. He always said when things looked their darkest, ice cream was the surest cure. And I needed more than plain chocolate.

I’d drive to the mall. There was a Ben & Jerry’s just off the food court. I’d buy a couple of pints of ice cream—Chunky Monkey, I thought, and Cherry Garcia.

And I knew Mina would greet me with little yips and bounces. At least someone would be happy to see me.

And maybe tonight Adam—I sighed. A vampyr would come to visit me.

I
WAS about a quarter of a mile away from home when I began to hear the barking—deep, thunderous—I had the window rolled up, the heater blasting, and classic rock pouring out of the speakers, and I still heard it.

Had someone who lived along this part of the road bought a Neapolitan mastiff?

The closer I got to home, the more full-throated the sound became, and I grew uneasy. There were no other houses that near, but….

Just then I spotted the minivan parked at the curb in front of my house.

I never had visitors. Who was this?

I parked, got out of the car, and stumbled to a halt. The barking was coming from my house?

Before I could wonder about that, I recognized the figure that got out of the van and sauntered down the sidewalk to me.

“Jimmy!” I jogged over to greet him. “When did you get here?”

“About ten minutes ago. Dude, I have to tell you: it fucking sucks to be your friend!” He looked me up and down.

I jerked to a standstill. “What?”

“I can’t even hug you!”

“Since when has that mattered to you?”

“Ty, if anyone could use a hug, it’s you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look at your place!”

I turned around and studied at my home. “Yeah?” It looked fine to me.

“Small, are you nuts? It’s almost Easter, and you haven’t got a single egg or bunny or chickie on your lawn!”

“Uh… yeah. I guess I don’t.”

“Your dad would be so ashamed! He’s had all the decorations up for the past two weeks!”

That was another thing Dad was a big proponent of: decorating the house and yard for each holiday.

“I… I’ve been busy with classes,” I offered weakly. I couldn’t tell my best friend I’d had little desire to do anything beyond feed a vampyr. Well, one vampyr in particular. “I just haven’t had the time—”

“Bullshit. You still aren’t over that guy, are you?”

I opened my mouth to deny it, but his look told me he wasn’t going to buy anything I said just then. And I supposed he had a point. If it was almost the middle of April and I didn’t have a single Easter decoration up….

“It’s a good thing I’m here….”

“Speaking of here, how’d you find my place this time?” He’d gotten good and lost back in the fall.

“It was a snap!” He snapped his fingers. “I don’t know why I had such a hard time the last time. I just followed the directions the guy gave me, and here I am.”

“Guy? What guy?”

“Dunno. I was topping off the van’s gas tank at the 7-Eleven on Meridian last night, and he came over and started talking to me. Now, come on, let’s go.”

“Where?”

“The nearest nursery! Get with the program, Small!” he said impatiently, then spoiled his scowl by grinning. “Just know I expect to be paid in pizza for this, buddy.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jimmy.” I couldn’t help smiling. He had raised my spirits just by being here.

“And we’d better take the van. Much as I’d love to ride in those fine wheels of yours, it will never hold everything we need.”

“I’m surprised you’re driving your mom’s van.”

“Had no choice, my man.”

“Did you wreck your Buick?” Jimmy always tended to have a lead foot.

“No, but it’s in the shop again. I got a flat, and when I went to change the tire, I found the spare was flat as well. Dad had to call a tow company, and he was pissed. But you know something? I’m always careful about getting the spare fixed.” He shook his head.

“Yeah, you are. What distracted you this time?”

“I don’t know. Unless it was when Sheila and I broke up.” He looked sad for a minute, and I wondered how much of the breakup had been his decision.

“Well, give me about ten minutes, and we can go. I’ll put the car away and get a warmer jacket first, and then I have to walk my dog.”

“You’ll keep that monster from eating me, won’t you?”

“What are you talking about? Mina’s a sweetheart.”

“Well, that sweetheart sounds like the hound of the Baskervilles!”

“Uh…. That has to be a neighbor’s dog.”

“I dunno, Ty. It sounded like it was coming from your house.”

I forced a grin, hoping he wouldn’t realize how uneasy I was, and crossed the lawn to get to my car. Even if any of my neighbors had a dog, they were too far away for us to hear them.

Once my car was in the garage and I’d gathered my messenger bag and the bag from Ben & Jerry’s, I rejoined him. Although the barking had stopped, he was looking doubtfully at the front door.

“Come on in.”

I unlocked the door and Mina stood there, bristling. Her coat was fluffed up, and she looked almost twice her normal size, which made her about a whole ten inches at the shoulder.

“Mina, this is my best friend, Jimmy. He’s convinced you’re a dangerous animal. Show him you’re not!”

Mina sniffed cautiously and then relaxed.

“What a pretty little lady you are!” Jimmy crooned as he crouched down and held out his hand. She sidled up to him coquettishly and licked his fingers. “What can I tell you?” He laughed up at me. “The ladies love me!”

“Yeah, right. Do me a favor and put the ice cream in the freezer. It’s just in there.” I shoved the bag into his hands and waved in the direction of the kitchen. “I’m gonna get my jacket.”

“Ben & Jerry’s?”

I turned around to see him staring into the bag. “Of course!”

“Oh, dude, I am so staying for dinner!”

“Fine by me.” I zipped up my warm-up jacket. “Come on, Min.” She stood still while I put the little red and white sweater on her. It had been her Valentine’s Day gift from me… and Adam.

Well, he would have joined in giving it to her if he’d been here.

I snapped on her leash.

“You come too, Jimmy. There isn’t much to see right now, but I’ll show you around the property.”

“And after we’re done with the decorations, I’ll want a tour of the house.”

“Sure.” Although how I was going to explain the furnishings and all the neat toys I had…. I’d just have to tell him I’d almost maxed out my credit cards.

I opened the door, and we walked out onto the porch. Mina’s muzzle wrinkled and she growled. Jimmy glanced at me curiously, but I just shrugged. I didn’t have a cute story to tell him about that.

I’d have thought after all this time she’d be better, but every time she passed a certain spot on the porch, she did it again.

Well, at least it was better than the first few days after she’d come home from the vet’s, when she’d actually pissed on the spot.

Satisfied she’d intimidated the hell out of whatever was supposed to be lingering on the porch, she looked up at me expectantly.

“All set?” She gave a little woof. “Okay, then. Let’s go.”

“She’s got you wrapped around her little paw, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“You always were a sucker for animals.”

I grinned at him. “Come on. Time’s a-wastin’!”

“Y
OUR DAD is going to be so impressed!” Jimmy took the last slice of the sausage and meatball pizza. Knowing him, I’d ordered three pies. Also knowing him, I knew there wouldn’t be much in the way of leftovers.

“Yeah, we did a good job.” We’d put up a trellis twined with greenery and spring flowers, and covered the lawn with an assortment of bunnies, chicks, and humongous plastic and ceramic eggs. The eggs were decorated with stars and swirls and zigzags in pale yellows, greens, pinks, and blues. Jimmy had even found a couple of eggs that had baby dragons breaking the shell. “I’ll invite him over for Easter dinner. Can you come too?”

“Thanks. I’d like that. I… uh… I was hoping you’d ask. The ’rents will be out of town.”

“Leaving their littlest chick home alone?” I gave him the big eyes.

“Smartass. They’re going up to Boston for Dad’s job next week, and it turns out Easter falls in the middle of their time away.”

“Listen, Jimmy. You’re like a brother to me, and you’re always welcome here.”

“No bullshit?”

I hooked my ankle around his chair and tugged, almost tipping him off his chair.

“Hey!”

“Seriously, thank you. I was feeling really down, and you’ve helped me cheer up.”

“Then my job is done!” he answered cockily, but I could see he was touched.

“And as a way to show my undying gratitude….” I went to the freezer, took out the two cartons of Ben & Jerry’s, and brought them to the table. “I’ll get a couple of bowls for the ice cream.” I’d popped the lactase supplement before we sat down to eat, and I knew I was covered.

“Why get bowls? We can eat right from the carton.”

“Yeah. Good idea.” I opened the drawer to the right of the sink and got a couple of spoons.

“Mmm!” Jimmy accepted a spoon. “Chunky Monkey, food of the gods!”

“Y’know, I was thinking the same thing.”

We did the faux fist-bump thing, and Jimmy dug the spoon into the ice cream. “So. How’s college life treating you?”

“Good.” I shrugged.

“You meet any cute guys?”

“There are some.” I thought of the guy in the bookstore. I’d seen him around campus from time to time, but he’d had another guy with him. “I don’t have time to date, though.”

“Ty, you can’t let this guy screw up your life. You’ve got to get out there, get back on the horse!”

“Okay.” I wasn’t going to argue with him about it. “How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“Yeah?”

“Would I lie to you?”

“How did midterms go?”

“Eh. They could have been better.” He licked the banana ice cream off his spoon. “I think my Anat and Phys professor still has it in for me.”

“Why?”

“We had to dissect a cat.”

“Bummer.” I didn’t want to rub it in that he had it easy. Next spring I’d be cutting into a human cadaver.

“My professor is a real pain in the ass. I must have turned a little green, and she said, ‘Surely you’re not squeamish, Mr. Black? After all, your generation seems to be so fond of those slasher flicks.’ The witch!”

“You didn’t call her that to her face, I hope?”

“Geez, Ty, you should know me better!”

“Okay, so what happened then?”

“I said, ‘Yeah, but a cat—’ And she didn’t even let me finish. She said, ‘You know the shelters are filled to overflowing with strays.’ She said it in a real snide tone, too.”

“The witch!”

“Yeah. I mean, they were someone’s pet at one time. So, okay, these were from feral colonies.”

“Oh, and that was supposed to make you feel better?”

“I’m telling you, buddy. The thought of cutting into Sylvester the Cat made my stomach tie into knots.”

“So how’d the dissecting go?”

“Not good. We had to skin it first. I made the cut from one side of the throat to the other and down the belly, and….” He swallowed heavily.

“And?”

“And then I threw up on my shoes.”

I couldn’t help it. I started laughing.

“I knew you were going to laugh.”

“I’m sorry, Jimmy. I….”

“No, don’t apologize. You always laugh when I throw up.”

“Hey!” I protested, although I tried hard to swallow my laughter. “When was the last time I did that to you?”

“At the graduation party last June. And don’t tell me it was my own fault and I shouldn’t have been drinking.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have. I’m sorry dissecting the cat made you sick to your stomach, though.”

“No sorrier than I am. I had to let my lab partner do the cutting for the whole rest of the time.”

“Did he give you a hard time over it?”

“She, Ty, and no, she didn’t. But she’s so little! I mean, I’m six feet two inches, and she barely comes up to my collarbone!”

“Yeah? What does she look like?”

“She’s got this wavy brown hair, really light, and you know how you always expect brunettes to have brown eyes?” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “Well, hers are blue. And she’s got a really good sense of humor. Oh, and a nice rack.”