"There's no evidence to back up your story, Nik. And how in hell would I know anyway? But it wasn't a vampire. It just wasn't."
"There's no other reasonable explanation."
"A vampire is not what I'd term reasonable. Hell, for all we know, we've got some nut loose who enjoys draining blood from his victims."
Which was an apt enough description of Monica's lover. “So how do you explain Monica walking out of the morgue tonight?"
"I can't.” His expression was determined as it met hers. “But it wasn't caused by vampirism." Nothing she could say would convince him otherwise. He had to see it for himself. “Okay, but we still have to get to Trevgard's."
"Why?"
"She hates her father, Jake. Trevgard was probably the only person in town who didn't know it. I've got a real bad feeling that it's payback time tonight."
"Trevgard's got guards all over the place,” Jake muttered, but threw the car into gear and sped off. She sighed in relief. He might not believe her, but at least he still trusted her instincts. She just had to hope they didn't arrive too late.
"I don't suppose you brought your gun?” Jake said, after a moment. She shook her head. “You know I won't use it. It's locked up at home. Besides, bullets don't kill vampires."
"Might if you blow their freaking’ heads off,” he said, voice grim. “So, where's the boyfriend tonight?"
"Michael's not my boyfriend.” And never likely to be. He held far too many secrets, was too much of a loner. And far, far too much like Tommy.
"If chemistry's anything to go by, he will be. Where is he?" She shrugged. “I don't know."
He wasn't far, though. Somewhere, somehow, he was tracking her, furious because she'd refused to wait.
"Odd that he only turns up at night.” Jake gave her a sardonic look. “He's not a vampire, too, by any chance?"
"Not likely.” Yet the darkness in his soul haunted her, and she couldn't help shivering. It took them ten minutes to get to Trevgard's. Jake turned into the driveway then stopped. Nikki bit her lip and studied the dark gates before them.