And she knew they were going to ask.
Oliver sniffed at Eves exposed neck. Youve been working at a coffee shop, he said. On campus, I suppose. Funny. I wasnt asked for any references.
Let go, Eve said faintly.
Oh, I cant do that. It makes it harder to hurt you. Oliver smiled, then opened his mouth, and his fangssnake fangs, deadly sharpsnapped down into place. They werent like teeth, really; they were more like polished bone, and they looked strong.
He licked Eves neck, right over the pulse.
Oh God, she whispered. Please dont do that. Please dont let him do that.
Ask the girl a question, Oliver. We dont have time for your hobbies. Mayor Morrell said it in a bored tone, like all of this was keeping him from something more important. He inspected his manicure and buffed his fingernails against his suit jacket. Lets move this train down the track.
Amelie wasnt saying or doing anything.
Im Protected, Eve said. You cant hurt me. She didnt sound very confident, though, and Claire looked at Amelie, sitting in the front row of chairs, studying the scene closely, as if it was all some show put on for her benefit. Her expression was polite, but cool.
Please help, Claire thought. Amelies pale gold eyebrow raised just slightly. Can you hear me?
If she could, Amelie gave no other sign. She simply sat, calm as Buddha.
Lets just say that Amelie and I have an understanding in matters such as this, Oliver said. And Eve, love, that understanding is that I can use any methods to pursue humans who break the peace.
Regardless of Protection. Regardless of who that Protection is from. Now, I think we should have a little talk about your home invaders.
Ourwhat? Eve was struggling not to meet his eyes, but he was so close, it was almost impossible to avoid him. I dont know who they were.
You dont. Youve very sure about that, he said. His voice had dropped to a low, lethal whisper, and Claire tried to think of something to say, something to do, that would help Eve. Because clearly, Eve wasnt going to help herself, and she couldnt just stand by and see herhurt. She couldnt.
I know, she said, and she felt everyone shift their collective attention onto her. Scary. Claire cleared her throat. They were bikers.
Bikers. Oliver let go of Eves hair and turned toward Claire. I see. Youre attempting to distract me with the obvious, and, Claire, that is not a good idea. Not a good idea at all. We know all that, you see. We know when they came to town. We even know who called them.
Claire felt all the blood drain from her head. Her stomach flipped over, and kept flipping, and Oliver walked away from Eve and yanked another cord.
Another curtain slid aside, next to Brandons body.
Two men, on their knees, bound and gagged and held in place by really scary-looking vampires. One of the prisoners was a biker.
Shane was the other.
Claire screamed.
Chapter Sixteen
In the end, they sat her down in a chair and had Gretchen hold her down with those strong, iron-hard hands pressing on her shoulders. Claire continued to struggle, but fear and shock were winning out over anger. And Shane wasnt moving. He was watching her, but he couldnt say anything around the gag, and if Shane wasnt struggling, maybe there wasnt anything to be gained from it.
Eve spun around and slapped Oliver. An open-hand, hard smack that echoed like a gunshot off of all the marble in the room. There was a collective intake of breath. You son of a bitch! she spit. Let Shane go! He has nothing to do with this!
Really. A flat word, not even really a question. Unlike a humans, Olivers face didnt show any sign of a handprint from the slap, and it had definitely been hard enough. He barely looked as if hed felt it at all. Sit down, Eve, while I tell you the facts of your rather pathetic life.
She didnt. Oliver put his hand flat on her chest, right at the notch of her collarbone, and shoved. Eve sprawled in a chair, glaring at him.
Detective Hess, Oliver said. I suggest you explain to my dear ex-employee exactly what she risks the next time she touches me in anger. Or, come to think of it, touches me at all.
Hess was already moving, sitting in the chair beside Eve and leaning toward her. He whispered to her, urgent words that Claire couldnt catch. Eve shook her head violently. A trickle of sweat ran from her messy hair down the side of her face, making a flesh-colored track through the white makeup.
Now, Oliver continued once Hess stopped, and Eve was sitting still. Were not technological idiots, Eve. And we do own the telephone providers in this area, particularly the cell phone providers. Shane placed a call from your home to a number that, much to our surprise, we found to be assigned to a device we located on his friend Mr. Wallace. Oliver pointed to the biker. GPS is a marvelous invention, by the way. Were quite grateful for all the hard work humanity has put into keeping track of itself. It makes finding people so much easier than it used to be in the old days.
Shane didnt do anything, Claire said. Please. You have to let him go.
Shane was found at the crime scene, Oliver said. With Brandons body. And I hardly think we can say he wasnt involved, if he was friendly enough with Mr. Wallace to be exchanging telephone calls.
No, he didnt!
Oliver slapped her. She never saw it coming, just felt the impact and saw red for a second. Her whole body shook with the force of how much she wanted to hit him back, and she felt the stinging imprint of his hand on her cheek like a brand.
You see, Eve? Oliver asked. An eye for an eye. Of course, my interpretation is a bit free of the Scriptures.
Shane was screaming around his gag, and now he was fighting, but the vampires were holding him down on his knees without breaking a sweat. Eves eyes were huge and dark, and Hess was holding her down in the chair as she struggled to come after Oliver.
Dont, Claire thought wildly. Because her friends had just told Oliver exactly what he wanted to know: that hurting her would get something out of them.
Oliver, Amelie said. Her voice was soft and very gentle. Is there a question you are posing to the children? Or are you merely indulging yourself? You say you already know the boy called this man. What more information do you need?
I want to know where his father has gone, Oliver said. One of them knows.
The girls? Amelie shook her head. It seems unlikely that someone like Mr. Collins would trust in either of them.
The boy knows, then.
Possibly. She tapped her lips with one pale finger. Yet somehow, I doubt he will tell you. And there is no need for any cruelty to discover the truth, I believe.
Meaning? Oliver turned fully toward her, crossing his arms.
Meaning that he will come to us, Oliver, as you very well know. In order to save the boy from the consequences of his actions.
So you withdraw your Protection from the boy?