Page 3 of Sundowners
I smiled at him and ran a finger down his neck, enjoying the way he shivered. The energy from his excitement would have been enough to nourish me, but I was feeling greedy tonight.
“Yeah, just um, be safe about it.”
I bathed him in a wave of calm. The manipulation of energy was effortless for me now. “You’re in good hands, my friend.” I turned him around and stopped him when he went to loosen his belt.“Relax, I’ve got you.”
I slid his long, curly blond hair to the side. I had ways of making the experience pleasurable, so I poured energy into giving this guy one helluva good time, one he’d remember for years to come. He just wouldn’t remember that a vampire sank his teeth gently into his neck and took sustenance from his body.
Give unto them what they require.
Take only what you need to survive.
I would never forget what I’d been taught.
“Blessed be.”
After a few sips, I felt my playmate shudder against me and let out a satisfied moan. A few more pulls and his body tensed, gasped, and shuddered once more. It was nice to know I hadn’t lost my touch.
It had been a long time since I’d chanced feeding in public, but I felt safe here. Santa Cruz had welcomed me with open arms, and I wanted to stay.
The young man raised his arm and cupped the back of my head. He pressed his ass back against me, and I knew it was time to end this tryst.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his ear, and then pressed a kiss to his neck.
“I should be thankingyou,” the guy said. “What’s your name?”
I disappeared into the crowd before the young man turned to look, and I was out of the club before he could wonder what happened.
I rarely drank blood—it was an infrequent need to maintain my existence as long as I had plenty of human energy to manipulate—and I always made sure my partner enjoyed it. But the act often left me feeling…empty. I worked hard to help others live a more satisfied life, and after all this time, I sometimes resented that I couldn’t pursue happiness of my own. I would have loved to take that young man home and enjoy more than just an Exchange. Someday I would find…someone. But not until it was safe. Not until I’d done what I came here to do.
2
CHAPTER TWO
Roman
August
Most people would beunnerved being picked up from the airport by a patrol car, but I was used to it. I’d spent much of my teenagehood in the back of patrol cars driven by my aunt Vanessa or my uncle Reynaldo. They were both cops in Santa Cruz, and therefore there’d always been eyes on me. It was Reynaldo’s turn to pick me up, and apparently to play bad cop.
“I have news you’re going to hate, but I want you to listen to me before you lose your shit, okay?”
Here we go. “Thank you for treating me like teenaged Roman and not giving me the chance to respond like the mature adult that I am.”
Rey snorted. “Yeah, right. At twenty-five you’re a mature adult. Got it.”
“Come on, man. Give me a break. I’ve been on a plane for twenty-three hours. I’m funky, I’m tired, and I just want to go home. Not get the Tito Reynaldo treatment.”
Rey didn’t laugh, and that made me nervous.
“It’s Lola Frances.”
I hadn’t spoken with my grandmother for a couple of weeks. The village where I’d stayed in Spain for the summer had shitty Wi-Fi and terrible cellular coverage, but I’d texted my aunts and uncle as often as possible and traveled into a bigger town to call home once a week. Lola knew I was coming home today. Tonight. What the hell time was it?
“What’s going on?” I took off my jacket and ran my hands through my too-long black hair. I shoved the jacket in my backpack and slumped in my seat. Reynaldo was uncharacteristically quiet. “What is it?”
Rey signaled and then merged onto Highway 17 from the San Jose airport. His gaze darted around and the crease in his forehead deepened. I was ready to tell him to spit it out when he exhaled and finally began to speak. I’d aged ten years in the time it took him to start talking.
“Vanessa and I moved Lola Frances to the assisted living center where Stella and Phyllis live. Puesta Del Sol.” He glanced at me as though he hadn’t just hit the ejector seat and sent me flying sickly through the air. “She had a rough summer, and she wanted to be there with her sisters. A spot opened up two days ago and we moved her in yesterday.”
