we rushed toward the vamp house and stopped at their backyard. Waving my arms, I got the attention of one of them. It was a huge backyard. When he got closer, I realized it was Leo. The one I could tell didn’t like me. Well, it was okay. The feeling was mutual. “Is Jaxon up?”
“No.” Leo snarled. “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
Balling my hands into fists, I was about to zap him with a little power when Drew tugged me away then glared at Leo and the other two who had joined him. “Tell him I want to talk to him at nightfall, or I will be back. Alone.” He snarled his lip and even though the threat wasn’t aimed at me, I felt the severity of it.
Leo watched us leave and I watched him watch us.
Drew pulled me close. “Don’t taunt the vampires.”
“He started it.” I sighed and cuddled into him as we walked back home.
We got around the block and had turned back toward my place when Sam pulled something out of his pocket. “You know, I found a bowl of these in the kitchen. I grabbed one just in case because each of them had one or two matches missing.”
He held the object out, so I took it and studied the cover. It was a small, red matchbook with a white X on it. Flipping it over, I found a phone number. “What in the world could this be?”
“Probably some exclusive club,” Drew said. “If he’s got a bunch, he’s grabbed one every time he was there.”
“Well, call the number,” I said. We hurried into the house. “Come on, we’ll get some privacy and do it in here.”
We huddled around the coffee table as Olivia dialed the number.
“Password?” A deep, resonating voice said.
Panicking, I looked around at everyone and spread my hands. “Uh, I don’t know it. Wade Harper gave me your number.”
“Oh, okay. Sure. First time, eh?” He chuckled.
“Yes, uh, yeah. First time.” I shrugged and exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Olivia.
“Okay, well the address for tonight is 550 Suarez Loop. Knock three times. Don’t come alone. Six pm.” The line went dead.
“What now?” I whispered.
“Let’s just go over there now,” Drew suggested.
I shook my head. “No, if whatever it is happens at six, we shouldn’t go until then. It might be empty before.”
Wallie turned his phone around. “550 Suarez loop is just a house. Maybe it’s like a book club or something.”
I jumped up. “Well, until we can go, we can pack. Everyone pick a room and get busy.”
Olivia handled the small stuff, floating around, refilling tape guns, refilling coffee cups. She handled lunch and an early dinner and helped schlep full boxes to the living room.
Clay was surprisingly helpful, and we went through his stuff and decided what to do with it all. Mostly it was to be donated, but he had a few things he specifically wanted Wallie to have, and there were a few family heirlooms I packed for Wallie’s future children.
Finally, as my stomach chewed a hole in itself, the hours passed, and it was time to head to the house.
We piled into the truck. Zoey and Wallie rode in the truck bed while Drew drove and Sam, Olivia, and I scrunched in the bench seat.
When we got close, as planned, Zoey and Wallie hopped out of the back. Zoey was using her nose to help them snoop around while we got the lay of the land inside.
Drew pulled the truck up to the curb and we looked around.
“Maybe it’s just a party?” I suggested. The whole cul-de-sac was filled with cars. Every available spot to park was taken and we were nearly an hour early. Drew backed up the street and parked a block away.
“Everyone ready?” I asked.
We smoothed our clothes when we got out and started walking, Drew and I arm in arm, and Sam and Olivia did as well. We walked right up to the front door like we were meant to be there and had done it a dozen times and knocked three times.
The door opened and a smiling woman spread her arm. “Please, come in. We’re happy to have you.”
As we walked by, she looked Drew over and nearly purred. “Very happy to have you.”
As soon as we walked through the hall and into a large living room, a few things sank in.
“Please,” the woman said in a sultry voice as she ran her fingers up Drew’s arm. “Dive right in.”
The room was full