They Come by Night (38 page)

Raymond grinned ruefully and toned down his smile.

Jimmy didn’t see what Dad saw, but he must have sensed something. He went to stand beside his girlfriend.

I put the bag down and went to Harker. He looked so unhappy. “I’m sorry, pup, but thank you.” I took his head in my hands and looked into his eyes. Slowly his tail began to wag. “You’re a good boy.”

“Ty, we’d better go.”

“All right.”

“We should go too, Trish.” Jimmy took her hand and brought it to his lips. She blushed and smiled. She seemed like a nice person. I hoped they’d be good for each other.

“Dad, it’s been a great Memorial Day. Thank you.”

“Drive carefully, son. Give me a call when you get home.”

“Okay. Good night, everyone.” We left through the side gate, Jimmy and Trish right behind us.

My car was parked in the driveway, and Jimmy’s was at the curb. I saw the shadows under the trees, but he didn’t.

“See you at the beach on Wednesday, Ty.”

“You got it. Bye, Trish. Bye, Jimmy.” We waved to each other, and then he drove away.

I turned to Raymond to ask him about the shadows, but before I could, he said, “You’re going to the beach?” He didn’t seem pleased.

“Sure. Why not?”

He sighed. “Why not, indeed? Which one?”

“Schuyler.”

He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Schuyler Beach, Wednesday.” He hung up.

“What was that about?”

“Hopefully, nothing.”

I wasn’t going to let him distract me. I nodded toward the shadows. “They’re to protect my father?”

Raymond followed my gaze. “You can see them? Of course you can, if you ask me about them. Yes.”

I opened the trunk and put in my suitcase and the bag of leftovers, then closed it and looked down at Mina.

“Need to go potty before we start for home?”

She yipped and wagged her tail.

“Okay, then. Come on.” I walked toward the trees and the shadows, and she bounced along at my heels.

“Tyrell!”

I didn’t know why Raymond was getting bent out of shape. If they—whatever they were—were protecting my dad, then I didn’t think I’d be in any danger from them. And besides, Mina wasn’t doing her
Hound of the Baskervilles
imitation.

The shadows seemed to shrink back for a moment, and then they all came forward. My mouth went dry.

There were six of them. They weren’t tall, maybe about average height. Their hair and eyes were dark, and under the trees it was impossible to make out their features. The only thing I could see clearly was their teeth as their lips parted to bare them. Their canines were long and dazzling white.

Maybe this hadn’t been such a smart idea.

But Adam was my vampyr, and I wasn’t going to embarrass him or me. I swallowed and stood my ground. “Thank you.”

They didn’t say anything, but I could sense they were surprised.

“You’re guarding my father,” I explained. “I wanted to let you know I appreciate that.”

They glanced from one to the other.

“Um… I’m going home now. Ready, Min?” She woofed. “Okay. So, uh… thank you again. Good night.”

I didn’t want to turn my back on them, but it would have been rude to show I didn’t trust them not to attack me. I walked to the car, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up and feeling their eyes on me every step of the way.

Raymond was leaning against the trunk of the car.

“I’m sorry, I should have unlocked the door for you,” I said.

“It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t have gotten in until you returned anyway.”

“Oh.” I aimed the remote at the car and pressed the button that released the locks. Mina bounded in as soon as I opened the driver’s door. She scrambled over the console and settled herself on Raymond’s lap. Damn, the man… vampyr… was fast!

I buckled up, turned on the ignition, and put the car in gear. “Are you going to yell at me?” I backed out of the driveway. The shadows under the trees seemed to converge in the street as I drove away.

“No. I’m going to leave that to
le duc
.”

“You’re going to tell him? Snitch!”

“I won’t have to.”

“He can… he knows what I do even when he isn’t here?” I stared at him in horror. “He’s like Santa?”

“There’s no such being.” There was amusement in his voice. “Keep your eyes on the road, please.”

“Are you…. You’re pulling my leg!” I slowed at a stop sign and turned my head to glare at him. “Well, I’ve got a news flash for you, o harbinger of sunlight.” He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, no sunlight. Joy?” He gave a condescending nod. “There is too a Santa Claus. The Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy told me so!”

He laughed. Pain in the ass. I was willing to bet he got his jollies scaring kids on Halloween.

“So if Adam isn’t omniscient and you’re keeping your mouth shut, who’s going to tell him?”

“You are.”

Crap. I deflated. It hadn’t occurred to me he’d put it onto me. But I had something up my sleeve.

“Okay. I’ll tell him.” The next time I saw him.

After all, the cell phone was for emergencies, and this wasn’t an emergency.

I
WOKE up with a groan; my bedroom felt like a sauna, and the sheets were sticking to my body. I would have turned on the central air before I’d gone to bed, but who thought June would start off so unseasonably hot?

And then I realized I was so hot because there was a body next to mine in bed. And it wasn’t Adam.

I edged away from Raymond’s bulk. He mumbled and pulled my pillow into his arms.

Geez, I would be glad when this thing with de Vivar got settled. Raymond never got grabby or bared his fangs at me, but I had to have my clothes for the next day ready in the bathroom, and if I changed my mind about what I wanted to wear, well, I was out of luck.

It was about 9:00 a.m., later than I usually got up, and I had a lot of things that needed to be done.

I walked Mina and made our breakfasts. I ate standing up by the sink, finishing a bowl of cereal.

Once we were finished, Mina came out with me and made herself comfortable on the porch while I took down the Memorial Day decorations. I should have done it the day before, but I just hadn’t had the ambition. Maybe it was looking at the course schedule that would start in three weeks.

But at least I wouldn’t have Dr. von Bulwer for any of my classes, I reminded myself.

The sun was really bright. I slid my Ray-Ban Aviators over my eyes, slipped the car key off its hook, and jogged to the garage.

I backed the car out, and then I stored the decorations in the loft and took down the cooler.

“We’re gonna go to the beach, pup,” I reminded Mina as I set the cooler down. The backpack that held my swimsuit, towels, sunscreen, a blanket to stretch out on, and Mina’s toys and a traveling bowl was waiting by the front door.

I couldn’t wear the vial with holy water around my neck, since I’d be bare-chested, and how would I explain something like that to my friends? But I had no intention of leaving home without it, and so I tucked it away in a cushioned pocket of the backpack.

As always, the mizpah I shared with Adam swung from my neck. I’d
never
be without that.

Schuyler Beach was about thirteen miles east of Clewiston, and the gang was going to meet there. A small section allowed dogs, and I was interested in seeing how my pup would react to water deeper than the bathtub.

I went to lower the flag, whistling “America the Beautiful.” I knew “The Star-Spangled Banner” would be more appropriate, but I always wound up whistling that off-key.

After folding the flag and putting it away, I brought the cooler into the kitchen and stocked it with bottles of water, cans of soda, and hot dog and hamburger buns. That was all I was responsible for. The rest of the gang would bring the hot dogs and hamburgers, toppings, condiments, potato salad and coleslaw, as well as snacks, paper plates, and utensils.

I put the cooler on the backseat and then returned to the house for the backpack. I clipped my cell phone to my waistband and slung the backpack over my shoulder.

“Right, pup. Let’s get going.”

I didn’t bother leaving a note for Raymond. He knew I was going to the beach. And besides, I’d be back way before sundown.

I
T WAS almost one by the time I got to Schuyler Beach. I found a spot to park, snapped on Mina’s leash, and took the cooler and backpack from the backseat.

It was the middle of the week, but that didn’t matter. It was perfect beach weather, and people seemed to have cut school or ditched work: there wasn’t a spare patch of open sand. Even the dog beach was crowded.

Jimmy was already there with Trish, taking cautious steps into the water. Shells washed up on the beach and were broken, and no one wanted to pay a trip to the aid station.

I gave a shrill whistle between my teeth, and Jimmy looked around, grinned, and waved.

Kenny and Chrissie were setting up by the hibachi and picnic table they’d claimed. They wore matching bathing suits, and I was going to tease them about how domestic that was when Den and Mike came out of the ocean, and
their
suits, Speedos in eye-gouging orange and chartreuse, were matching too.

“Hey, Ty!” They all approached the picnic area, Den and Mike with arms outstretched. The cooler was in my arms, so they couldn’t hug me—I had to be the only guy in America whose friends were this touchy-feely—but Mina planted herself between us. She didn’t growl, but her stance let them know they’d have to go through her to get to me.

“Still have that problem with being touched? Bummer.” Den didn’t seem upset. He crouched down and held out his hand to make friends with Mina. “Hey, little girl.”

She sniffed cautiously, then wagged her tail. She knew Jimmy, remembered Trish, and accepted my other friends, but she still remained close to me.

I cleared my throat, handed Jimmy the cooler, and unsnapped Mina’s leash. “Keep an eye on Mina, would you? I want to get changed.”

I adjusted the backpack over my shoulder and started toward the locker room.

“Ty!”

“What?”

“You’re gonna have company!” They were all laughing.

Sure enough, Mina was trotting along behind. “Okay, pup. But dogs aren’t allowed in there.” I picked her up and whispered in her ear, “Try to look like a beach toy.”

I
N SPITE of the curtain I drew across the cubicle, I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched, but Mina seemed relaxed enough. She sat quietly in a corner of the cubicle while I stripped down to bare skin and pulled my suit on over my legs.

Ready to hit the waves, I folded my clothes and put them into the backpack, then dropped my Ray-Bans into place over my eyes. “C’mon, Min.”

When I stepped out of the cubicle, I walked into a man who was passing by.

“Whoa! Sorry!”

“Not a problem.” He was good-looking, and I checked him out as discreetly as I could. About six feet tall, maybe six one, although it could have been his very erect posture that gave the impression of height. His hair was blond, his eyes were almost slate gray, and I guessed he was in his late twenties. He looked down at Mina. “Cute little dog you’ve got. Is it all right if I pet him?”

“Her,” I corrected. “Mina?” She gave me a doggie grin and stretched her neck so she could sniff his leg. I pushed my sunglasses up onto my head, looked into his eyes, and shrugged. “She has no objections.”

“She’s not supposed to be in here, you know.” He grinned at me. “But I won’t tell if you won’t.” He crouched down and held out his hand, and let her make all the overtures. For some reason, I found myself liking him. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like her,” he said.

“She’s a Bichon Cavalier.”

“Excuse me?”

“She’s a cross between a Bichon Frise and a Cavalier King Charles.” I couldn’t tell him she was really an
Înger Păzitor
. There wasn’t even supposed to be such a breed.

“Well, she’s a sweetie.” He gave a final scritch to her ears and rose. “My name is Luke.” He held out his hand.

“Ty. I’m sorry.” I used the backpack in my arms as an excuse not to shake hands.

He cocked his head, and for a second I thought his gaze was on the birthmark on my neck, but then he looked into my eyes, a wry smile on his face. I waited for him to say something about such a blatant fabrication—he knew as well as I did that I could have shifted the backpack into my other arm. He didn’t, and in spite of liking him, that made me nervous.

“I have to go.” I wasn’t going to explain to a stranger that I didn’t like being touched. “My friends are waiting for me. It was nice meeting you, Luke. And I apologize again for walking into you.” I lowered my sunglasses.

“It’s okay. Maybe we’ll run into each other again another time, Tyrell.”

“Maybe. Come on, Min.” I felt his eyes on me, and as I walked away, I had to struggle not to look back. How did he know my name was Tyrell? It could just as easily have been Tyrone or Tyler or…. I couldn’t resist and glanced back over my shoulder.

He was gone.

C
HAPTER
T
EN
:
C
OME
S
ATURDAY
M
ORNING

W
HEN
L
UKE Small was nine, his grandfather took him and his siblings away from their father and changed their last name to his.

When Luke Crist turned eighteen, he walked out of his grandfather’s house and changed his last name back to Small.

L
UKE STARED at his grandfather, horrified. “That baby was alive when she was born! How could you—”

There was a sound like a gunshot as Grandfather’s palm connected with Luke’s cheek. “You dare to challenge me, boy?”

Luke pressed a palm to his cheek. Before their grandfather took them away from their father, he’d never been struck, not even a swat to the butt.

“No response?” Grandfather snorted and then turned on his heel and stalked away, tossing, “I thought not!” over his shoulder.