"And Carlos invited them back!" Phineas thumped a fist on the kitchen table, shaking his half-empty glass of blood. "They'll be here in fifteen minutes."
Jack frowned. "What do the police want?"
"Me, probably." Phineas gulped down the last of his breakfast, then slammed the glass on the table. "I-I have an outstanding warrant."
"Sheesh, Phineas." Carlos grimaced. "You should have warned me. How can I protect you if I don't know?"
As their daytime guard, it was Carlos Panterra's job to keep them safe during their death-sleep. Jack had been impressed so far by the Brazilian's vigilance. Like many of the mortal day guards who worked for MacKay Security and Investigation, Carlos had special skills. And a special secret. He kept quiet about the Vamps, and they kept quiet about his shapeshifting ability.
Phineas's shoulders slumped. "I didn't want Angus to know. He believed in me enough to give me a job. I really like being one of the good guys."
"Don't worry. Angus is very happy with you," Jack assured him, then turned to Carlos. "Were the police looking for Phineas?"
"No, they didn't even mention him. He should be safe." Carlos sipped some water.
Phineas exhaled in relief. "Then I'm outta here."
"That's a shame." Carlos sat beside him at the table. "They were very pretty ladies."
Jack's heart speeded up. "The police were women?" Was Lara looking for him?
"Pretty ladies?" Phineas smoothed back his short hair. "This sounds like a job for the Love Doctor."
"Was Lara here?" Jack strode toward the table. "I mean Officer Boucher?"
"Yes. She was looking for you. And Officer Lafayette was with her." Carlos smiled at Phineas. "She's a lovely black woman."
"Hot damn!" Phineas's face lit up, then crumbled. "Why would a pretty young thing join the po-po?"
"They're clever, too," Carlos continued. "Somehow they figured out where Jack's living."
"That's the po-po for you, man. They'll track your ass down!" Phineas took his empty glass and blood bottle to the sink and rinsed them out.
Jack sat at the table as he thought back. He'd been careful not to tell Lara where he lived or worked. The car! That's why Lara's roommate had been waiting on the street. "They must have run the plates on Roman's car."
Carlos nodded. "They're smart."
"Relentless." Phineas jammed his empty glass and bottle in the dishwasher. "You'd better not talk to them, man. They'll drag you down to the precinct, where they have those interrogation rooms with one-way glass, and when you don't show up in the mirror, your ass will be cooked."
"I'll be careful." Jack glanced at the clock above the sink. They would be here in eight minutes. "Phineas, go on to work without me. Tell Connor I'll be there shortly."
"Okay, but I can tell you he's not going to like this." Phineas frowned as his body wavered and disappeared.
Jack sighed. Connor had strongly suggested he avoid seeing Lara again. Jack had tried to forget her, but it was impossible. Someone at Romatech would walk by wearing a blue shirt that reminded him of the color of her eyes. Or he would hear someone laugh and find himself longing to hear the sound of Lara's laughter. Whenever he showered, he recalled the feel of her hands on his skin.
And when he lay down to fall into his death-sleep, he imagined the sun rising, a fiery ball of gold and red. He could never see it again, but he could see Lara's hair, the way it gleamed red and gold, the way soft strands curled close to her brow. It felt like silken fire in his hands.
He wanted to see her again. Santo cielo, he wanted her.
"I hope you don't mind that I invited them back," Carlos said. "I thought it would be best to appease their curiosity. We don't want them coming here with a search warrant during the day."
Jack winced. "That would be a disaster." They would find dead bodies.
"You're awake now, so everything should appear normal."
"Are there any coffins in the basement?" Jack asked.
"No. Dougal took his with him when he was reassigned. Ian gave his coffin away to charity. He'd outgrown it."
Jack smiled. "And I doubt his new wife wanted to share one with him."
Carlos laughed. "No, Toni wouldn't go for that."
Jack glanced at the clock. Five minutes to go. "I'd better get ready." He teleported to his bedroom on the fourth floor. With vampire speed, he showered, brushed his teeth, and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a maroon T-shirt. He was dragging a comb through his damp hair when he heard the doorbell chime below. Lara,
He glanced at the blank wall above the bathroom vanity. Even if a mirror were there, he wouldn't reflect in it. He rubbed the stubble on his jaw. He hadn't had time to shave. Hopefully, he would look all right to Lara.
He was gorgeous. A blur of motion had caught Lara's attention, and then Jack was suddenly there on the second floor landing of the grand staircase. She blinked. Had he been moving at super speed? He was standing still now and looking at her.
He smiled, and her heart squeezed in her chest. No way could this man be a kidnapper. All he'd have to do is crook his finger, and a woman would come running.
"Officer Boucher?"
A tap on her shoulder made Lara jump. "Yes?"
Carlos grinned. "I asked if you and your partner would like a tour of the premises."
"Oh." Lara winced inwardly. She hadn't heard Carlos the first time. She'd been too busy ogling Jack. When she and LaToya had arrived a minute ago, Carlos had ushered them into the spacious foyer. She'd noted the gleaming marble floor and grand curved staircase, and then Jack had appeared. Now he was slowly descending the stairs, his gaze still focused on her.
"I'll take the tour," LaToya announced. "Lara can talk to Jack."
Lara sidled close to her roommate. "Are you sure you want to... separate?"
"Don't worry, Officer Boucher," Carlos said. "Your friend will be safe with me."
LaToya snorted and crossed her arms. "You should be worried if you're safe with me."
Carlos's eyes gleamed. "So how do you want to do this? Shall we start at the top and work our way down?"
LaToya arched a brow. "Sounds good to me."
"Officer Lafayette." Jack bowed slightly as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "A pleasure to see you again. I hope your ex is no longer causing you trouble. I believe his name was Bob?"
"He's fine," LaToya grumbled. "But your ass could be in trouble." She stomped up the stairs with Carlos.
Jack turned to Lara, his eyebrows raised. "I'm in trouble?"
No, she was in trouble. Her skin was tingling, and he hadn't even touched her. "Is there someplace we can talk?"
"This way." He motioned to a room on the left.
She strolled into a living room. Three maroon couches surrounded three sides of a large square coffee table. The fourth side faced a widescreen television.
"Would you like something to drink?" Jack asked.
"Some water would be nice." The pizza she'd eaten earlier was making her very thirsty. She sat at one end of the middle couch. She placed her handbag beside her so there would be something between her and Jack.
She noted a desk against the far wall, topped with a computer. To her left, maroon curtains flanked a large bay window that overlooked the street. Metal shutters were closed tight, as if they were worried someone might get a peek inside. But as Lara scanned the room, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe someone was extremely opposed to sunlight.
"Here you go."
Jack's voice caught her off guard. That was fast.
He handed her a glass of ice water, then placed a wooden coaster on the coffee table in front of her. "Shanna will have my head if we leave water marks on the table."
"Shanna? Who's she?"
"Roman's wife. They own this townhouse." Jack settled on the couch beside her.
"Roman Draganesti?" Lara sipped some water.
"Yes." Jack shifted sideways to face her and propped an elbow on the back of the couch. "You did your homework. I'm guessing you ran the plates on Roman's car."
"Yes." Lara drank some more water. "LaToya doesn't actually have an ex-boyfriend named Bob."
The corner of Jack's mouth lifted. "What a surprise."