How to Elude a Vampire (VRC Vampire Related Crimes #2) - Alice Winters Page 0,113
I accept the call.
“Watson, where are you?”
“Hey, I take it you’re a little eager?” Watson asks.
“I am.”
“Give me a few minutes. I’m not even home yet.”
“Can I put it on and leave before you give me The Talk?” I ask as I head into the medical room.
“Have patience!”
My eyes lock on to my beauty lying on the counter. “I see her! She’s beautiful.” I rush over and pick my arm up. How I’ve lived three weeks without her, I’ll never know. It was the most dreadful three weeks.
“That’s fine. Do whatever. But you’re still not getting out of The Talk,” he warns.
“Fine, fine,” I say before hanging up. I put my arm on then marvel at how wonderful it feels after having been separated for three weeks.
My phone beeps and when I look down at it, I notice it’s now Brooks.
What’s he want?
“Hello?” I answer.
“Finn, I need to talk to you.”
“We can talk,” I say as I wander toward the kitchen to see if Charlie is here. I still haven’t had the chance to thank her besides through text.
“No, I want to talk to you in person.”
“Okay, I’m with Orin at the moment; we’re headed to the mall. Do you need him to drop me at the department? Or is it okay if we talk later? Marcus could pick me up.”
“No, I want to talk to you alone, without Orin or Marcus. Have Orin drop you off at the station.”
“Okay… is something wrong?” I ask, confused on why he’s so adamant about this.
“Not at all. I’ll see you then. Bye.”
“Bye,” I say, confused about what he wants. Then I call out, “Charlie?”
Since I’m still holding my phone, I decide to call her. When I hear her phone start ringing toward the back of the house, I follow the noise. It’s coming from her bedroom, so I knock on the door. While she’d texted me to ask how Artie’s doing, I haven’t seen her since she’d taken care of him, which I thought was strange if she was still staying with Watson. I push the door open and look into the bedroom to see that the bed is made and the room is neat. Her clothes and bag are still by the dresser, so she must not have left yet.
I glance over at the desk where her phone is sitting, plugged into a charger. As I reach for it, I notice something sitting next to it.
A small dog keychain.
The same one my sister had given me. The same one I’d been fiddling with in the car when the accident happened. I never saw it again after the accident. I remember even asking about it. So why would Charlie have this? Did I come in with it and just don’t remember? I know she was working with Watson as an apprentice around the time of the accident, so she could have come across it then, I suppose.
I just… don’t remember it being on me after the car accident.
Slowly, I set the toy down before backing away from the room. I’ll just have to ask Watson or Charlie. I hear a noise and jump, startled, before looking down. It came from the basement, telling me that Charlie must be down there.
Why do I feel like something is wrong?
I pick up my phone and call Orin as I head down the stairs, but it just beeps, reminding me that he said he was making a call. So I decide to call Marcus asI go over to the basement door and notice it’s ajar. Carefully, I pull it open. “Charlie?” I shout as I start down the lit stairwell into the dark basement.
“Come on, Marcus. Pick up.”
Why am I having such a bad feeling about this?
When I reach the last step, I look around before noticing a switch on the wall and flicking it up, illuminating the room.
My stomach seizes as I feel like I’m falling into one of my nightmares. This room looks familiar. Why’s this room look so familiar?
I’ve probably been down here, right? I mean, I’ve been all over Watson’s house, in every room. Fuck, I spent nights here while recovering more than once, I’m sure I’ve stepped into this basement more than once.
That’s all this is. That’s all…
I lift my phone again, needing to call Marcus. Needing to tell him that he has to get here. He needs to calm me down and tell me nothing’s wrong. I’m going crazy. I’m…