Yet she knew time was the one thing they had precious little of. She made herself a cup of coffee and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket, alternating between the two as she wandered aimlessly around the living room. Waiting—but for what she wasn't sure. The phone rang shrilly into the silence. Her heart accelerated as she reached for the receiver. She knew who called. Knew why.
"Mary,” she said softly, blinking back a sudden rush of tears.
"Nikki, you're awake. I was hoping you might be.” Her voice sounded weary, old. “Though the last time I saw you, you looked like death."
She had a sudden vision of Jake, pale and dying, and felt a rush of despair. Don't let me lose him, too. I couldn't bear it.
"Nikki?"
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “How's ... How's Jake?"
"That's why I'm calling. He's alive, Nikki. It was touch and go for a while, but the doctors think he'll pull through."
She closed her eyes and sent a prayer of thanks to the heavens. Then the rest of Mary's words hit her. How long had she been out?
Three days. Michael's thought winged lightly into her mind. I need to be alone, Michael. Please, just leave me be for a while. At least until she figured out how to get him out of her life—or if she even could, anymore.
"Jake wants to see you, Nikki. He won't settle down until he does,” Mary said into the silence. She glanced across to the window. Twilight was settling in. She had, at best, an hour's light left. Jasper would be up and about.
She closed her eyes, weighing her fear of him against her need to see Jake. It wasn't even close. “I'll be there in twenty minutes."
Hanging up the phone, she returned to her bedroom and got dressed. She strapped on her wrist knives, then hesitated, staring at the floor. If she was going to do this, she had better make sure she could protect herself. And that meant getting something that might deter a vampire. She walked across the room and opened the closet door. Squatting, she dragged out the old cutlery set and took out two knives. They were badly tarnished, but hopefully it wouldn't matter. It was still silver underneath—just how much silver though, she couldn't say. She pushed a knife down each boot, then rose and stamped her feet lightly. The knives might make walking slightly uncomfortable, but she felt better for their presence.
Wait for me.
She ignored Michael's request. Grabbing her coat and car keys, she headed out the door. Jake wanted to see her right now, and that was all that mattered.
The hospital was only a ten-minute drive away, but shadows were crowding the parking lot by the time she stopped the car and climbed out. Jasper wasn't anywhere near, yet something watched her. Something not quite human.