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  “Oh, and I totally exploded a vampire with my mind,” I said, but once I saw her eyes get about ten sizes bigger and her color drained from her face I stopped talking. A thought crossed my mind, sending chills down my body. “What’s the name of your coven leader?”

  “Uh, Ash,” she stammered with fear in her voice. She belonged to the same coven we were investigating. I was beginning to think my initial bad feelings were correct.

  I took a step back. “Are you following me?”

  “Why would anyone be following you?” she asked curiously, the fear had diminished from her voice.

  “Because I work for the FBI and we’re investigating your coven,” I blabbed. I was beginning to realize I was a horrible agent.

  “Oh shit! No, no, no, Emily. I didn’t even know until now. I know what you think but for reals I had nothing to do with Maggie and Charlotte. You have to believe me.” She started toward me with her hands up.

  “Dee-Dee this is a little too convenient for this be a coincidence,” I said, taking another step back.

  “Emily,” Axle called out.

  I looked to my left and saw him by my apartment building. He jogged over to us with anger written all over his beautiful face.

  “What are you doing here?” I questioned. I knew from the expression on his face I had a lot of explaining to do.

  “Robert called me and asked if I would come check on you. What’s going on here?” he demanded as he stood between Dee-Dee and me.

  “Nothing, we were just talking,” I lied.

  “Yep, talking.” Dee-Dee nodded.

  “Honey, how many beers have you had?” Axle asked as he turned to me.

  “Enough to know you’re sexy.” I giggled and poked his hard chest.

  “That’s one too many, but I like where you’re going.” He laughed. He grabbed my trash and my hand, pulling me back toward the apartment.

  “Sorry, Dee-Dee, got to go,” I yelled as he dragged me off. I took another drink of the vodka and tossed it into a nearby trashcan.

  “No apologies needed,” she said, nodding to Axle.

  Axle didn’t let go of my arm till I was safely seated on the couch. He threw his arms in the air as if he was about to start scolding me and shook his head. It seemed like he was trying to decide what the best approach would be.

  “I got your note,” I slurred. My tongue lost control; slobber ran down my chin. I threw my arm across my face cleaning the mess up with my sleeve.

  “And yet you still went out there and talked to her? Are you mad?” His voice was rising with every word he spoke.

  “I had a bad day, I was out there by myself and she found me. She didn’t know who I worked for.” My voice also got higher, reaching his pitch as I stood up.

  “You drunk texted Robert something about wanting to talk to Riley, which is why he sent me over here. He thinks you’re looking for a fight.”

  “Oh yeah, I completely forgot about my genius plan.”

  “You are insufferable,” he said, pointing his finger at my chest.

  “I don’t even know what that means but I’m sure it’s an insult and I don’t take kindly to you barging in and interrupting my talk with my friend and then insulting me,” I barked at him, moving closer. I could smell the aftershave on his skin. His chocolate eyes burned deep into mine. I found myself unable to be mad at him any longer; it was hard to hold his gaze. My stomach churned with the realization that he was just inches away. I swallowed the knot forming in my throat.

  His eyes caught the action and he pulled me in by the back of my neck into a tight embrace. I wrapped my arms around him. Our fight was over.

  “I know you’re going through a lot, pumpkin. I wish I could help, but Ezra is a big boy. You need to let him make his own decisions,” he offered, and kissed the top of my head.

  “He’s making the wrong one,” I sniffled.

  “So are you.”

  Chapter Four

  Waking the next day after my drunken stupor was not an easy task. The room spun as I sat up in bed. After a very long shower and forcing down breakfast, I finally felt good enough to go into work. I was only an hour late when I walked in, my sunglasses still on my face. I didn’t want to deal with anyone; I put my things on my desk and walked back out. I quickly found Ezra’s room and sat down next to him. He was still sleeping and I didn’t want to wake him. His skin had become dry and loose, falling off of his bones. Except for the shallow breaths he took, he looked dead.

  “I can feel you watching me,” he mumbled. His eyes remained closed.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted to see how you were dying—I mean doing.” I forced myself to smile.

  He looked over at me with a pathetic glare and began to sit up. “I’m still here.”

  “Barely. Look at you, Ezra, you can barely sit up anymore. You look like hell,” I fussed.

  “Says the girl wearing sunglasses inside,” he joked.

  “Ezra, I really can’t sit here and watch you die. I know this isn’t about me, and maybe I’m being selfish, but seriously I need you to be okay,” I pleaded removing my glasses.

  “Robert’s got the doctors working twenty-four/seven and he keeps saying he’s got something up his sleeve.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it. Robert can’t help you. Don’t you realize what this is doing to me? I did this to you and now you’re going to die and it will be my fault.”

  “Em, this isn’t your fault. I’m so glad to have met you and all you did was free me from my prison.”

  “Dear Lord, don’t even try doing that. I’ve killed you, that’s what I did and I’m sorry.” I stood and walked out, I felt like crying, but didn’t even know if my body could produce any more tears.

  I walked in and went directly to Riley. She sat at Ezra’s desk with a confused look written on her face as she studied the computer screen. I pulled up a chair and sat down beside her. I could feel Gavin and Axle tense up.

  “What is your plan?” I asked her.

  “For what?” she said, playing stupid.

  “For world domination,” I stated sarcastically running a hand through my hair, my head felt as though it was going to explode. “To help Ezra, what else?”

  Her eyes softened and I swear if a vampire could cry she would have tear in her eyes. “I’ve been trying to research what exactly happened, but I can’t find anything. I don’t know what happened to you, but this is weird,” she finished.

  “Okay, so turn him back. He’s weak, you could force him to do it,” I stated. I figured it’s what everyone was thinking.

  “I can’t do that to him,” she replied sadly and turned back to the computer monitor.

  “You’re a vampire, you can do whatever you want. He’s going to die, do you not understand that?” I demanded and stormed out. I couldn’t decide what to do next. No one seemed to understand why I needed him to get better. Nothing online would ever tell Riley what was going on. I went down to Kimmy’s holding cell. I walked up to the gate guard and waved as if I had been there a million times.

  “Whoa, you can’t go back there,” he warned, catching me by the arm.

  “Why not? She’s not a prisoner,” I questioned, snatching my arm away.

  He gave me a warning glare and reached for his gun holster.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Axle warned from behind me. “Let Agent Sullivan pass before you have to deal with me.”

  His voice made butterflies in my stomach go crazy. I walked past the guard giving him my best ‘na-na-boo-boo’ face. I didn’t exactly know where Kimmy’s cell was located since I was always stopped at the desk. I saw a welcome mat at the edge of a cell in the back and knew that’s where I was headed. I walked around the corner and saw her sitting at a desk in the cell, her back to me.

  “I was wondering when you would finally get that big oaf to help you out. You’ve tried forty two times, it took you long enough,” she stated as she turned around.

  As soon as
our eyes met my tears started falling. She got up quickly, threw the door open, and pulled me in tightly … almost too tight.

  “What am I missing?” she asked.

  “You don’t even want to know,” I admitted, trying to control my emotions.

  “Please come inside my humble abode and have a seat. I would offer you some coffee, but I’m fresh out,” she joked.

  “Why are you even here if your cell isn’t locked?” I questioned curiously.

  “Ah, it’s nice here. And they feed me!” she exclaimed.

  “I bit Ezra and now he’s dying,” I started.

  “Bummer,” she said emotionlessly.

  “That’s all you can say? My boyfriend is dying and all you have to say is bummer?” I demanded, suddenly becoming upset.

  “Em, calm down. Ezra is smart, he’s not going to die. And he’s not your boyfriend.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I see everything; Robert set me up with some pretty high tech gear. I have access to every camera in a five hundred mile radius,” she said as she sat at her desk and opened a laptop. There was a small child in a gas station on the screen. He looked around nervously, grabbed a bag of chips, and stuffed it in his shirt.

  “Nice,” I admitted.

  “You should see the shit people do when they don’t know someone is watching.”

  “So what do you think I should do about Ezra?” I asked, hoping to gain insight about my problem.

  “I think you should let him go. I know this is going to be hard, but if he wants to die then let the stubborn bastard die.”

  “Kimmy, this isn’t like I’m breaking up with him. He is going to die.” I began to raise my voice and a glimmer of red flashed in her eyes. I could remember the multiple times I was lectured by Ezra on why I wasn’t allowed to see Kimmy, but I continued to roll my eyes and ignore his comments. I now wished I had listened. I knew he said she was dangerous but she looked like the same old Kimmy to me.

  “Look, honey bear, trust me when I say everything will work out just fine and stop worrying your pretty self over this. Ezra is going to be fine,” she said with a wink.

  I figured she knew something that I didn’t, but I wasn’t too sure. I walked out and left her door open intentionally. I wanted her to see that she could get out if she wanted to. I felt as though we were keeping her prisoner, even if she said it was her choice. I walked by the gate guard and gave him the finger with one hand and smacked Axle’s arm with the other. I felt slightly better about my situation. Kimmy was right. Ezra was a big boy and said he was doing this to be with me so surely he wouldn’t let himself die. I was beginning to think that maybe there was another underlying reason as to why he was doing this.

  “So we have a few more people to visit. Would you like to go?” Axle asked as we returned to the office.

  “Absolutely.”

  Our first unlucky soul was Richie. Ashley warned us that Richie thought he was magical but he really wasn’t. He was a thirty-two year old loser who still lived with his mother. Axle knocked on the door and waited. An older woman, who was wearing clothes that weren’t from this era, answered. She wore bright blue colored spandex and a hot pink sweater. The sweater hung loose around her neck and showed a little skin over her right shoulder. Let me tell you, she should not have been allowed to wear spandex. Her yellow headband was wrapped around a seriously bad blonde dye job.

  “Can I help you?” the woman asked.

  “We’re looking for Richie,” Axle informed her behind his shades. He thought he looked so cool. He did.

  “Yeah, come on in. I just made some sweet tea, would you two like some?” she asked politely as she led us to her living room.

  “No thank you, we just need to ask Richie a few questions and we will be on our way,” Axle answered for both of us. I knew he was just as tired of sweet tea as I was.

  “Well, he’s not in any trouble now is he?” she asked before she left.

  “No, ma’am,” was all he gave her. By the look on her face she wasn’t satisfied.

  “I swear I’m going to throw up if one more person offers us sweet tea,” Axle complained as soon as Richie’s mother left the room.

  My phone beeped, letting me know I had received a text message. I looked down to see the message was from my mother. ‘Emily, I am making dinner. Come by at seven, I have big news.’

  “I didn’t even know my mom knew how to send a text. I can’t imagine what her big news is,” I groaned. I hadn’t talked with my mom since her date with Robert. I wasn’t looking forward to that talk. I put my phone back in my purse just as a little kid walked in.

  “Who are you two?” the boy asked, resting his hands on his hip.

  “We’re the scary monsters that live in your closet,” Axle snapped at the kid, which in return made the little boy run out screaming.

  “Axle, you jerk! Why did you do that?” I asked, slapping his arm.

  “I hate kids,” he said.

  “I knew you would come see me sooner or later.” A man walked in sporting full war gear. He even had paint on his face. He was decked out in camouflage from his head to his toes. I didn’t know they made that many different styles of camouflage gear.

  “What the—never mind. Richie, we came to ask you a few questions about Maggie and Charlotte,” he stated.

  “Ah yes, the broads. I see, what questions might you have for me?” he asked as he sat in a recliner directly in front of us.

  I turned to look at Axle, this one was all his.

  “When was the last time you saw the girls?” Axle asked.

  “That’s an easy one, at the meeting. I was standing next to them when they started to fight,” he replied, smiling. This was a game to him. His answer made my ass itch and not in a good way.

  “Okay, did you hear what they were arguing about?” Axle asked.

  “Yeah, something about a party that Charlotte wasn’t invited to,” he answered, rocking back in the recliner and grinning with excitement. “I wasn’t invited either, but you don’t see me gettin’ all uppity about it.”

  “You do know these two girls are missing, right? Can you at least act like you care?” I demanded. I hadn’t realized I said it out loud until it was already out.

  “Emily,” Axle snapped. “Um, so Richie, did you see anything out of the ordinary during the meeting?”

  “Nope,” he said, glaring at me.

  “Do you know anything about the vampire Maggie was afraid of?” I asked, glaring right back.

  Richie’s face went white as a ghost. “What? That’s just stupid,” he nervously stated, trying to force a laugh. After a few more questions it was obvious we weren’t getting anything out of him so we left.

  “He’s lying,” I said to Axle as we climbed back into his Mustang.

  “Are you about to also tell me you think he did it?” he joked.

  “Actually, now that you mention it, I could see him doing it. He seemed to think this was funny,” I replied.

  We stopped for lunch and brought it back to work. I ate my food on the way back so I was wondering what exactly I was going to do for the rest of the afternoon when Robert popped his head out of his office as I walked in.

  “Emily, can I see you for a moment, please?” he asked. He wore a button up blue shirt with jeans. He didn’t look a day over thirty. If it wasn’t for the fact that we looked so similar, I would say there was no way he was my father.

  “What’s up, Robert?” I asked, plopping down in a chair. I was praying he wasn’t upset about me being late.

  “I have a mission for you,” he stated.

  “Sweet! I am so glad you finally see me as a real agent now. This is great! What is it, a vampire?” I rambled with excitement.

  “I guess you could say that,” he said as he gave me a blank stare.

  “Well, what’s the mission then? That is if I choose to accept, right?” I laughed at my own play on words.

  “Shopping,” he answered with a straight face.
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  “Um, excuse me? I thought you said shopping. Are serious?” I demanded. Was this a joke?

  “With the Ezra thing going on I completely forgot to tell you that we have a benefit to go to on Saturday and it will be a formal event. I need you to look your best. That means you have to wear a gown,” he explained with his usual bored expression.

  “Okay,” I said with a little more enthusiasm. I was a pro at shopping.

  “Of course, the division will pay for all of your purchases. This is a very elite occasion.”

  “Sweet! Yes, I can do that.” This was sounding like a dream come true.

  “One more thing though.”

  Damn there’s always a catch.

  “I want you to bring Riley with you.”

  Dream crushed. “Are you kidding? I’d rather hang myself from the ceiling fan,” I whined.

  “Emily, don’t be so dramatic. I want you two to get to know each other. Just take her shopping. It’s only shopping,” he tried.

  “Fine, I’ll take her.” I rolled my eyes. This was not going to be pleasant. He was ruining my favorite hobby by making me go with Satan’s sister. I stood, and turned to walk out.

  “Oh, and Emily, I’ll be watching.” He pointed his finger at me.

  I gave him a worried look. “That’s just creepy, Robert.”

  Riley didn’t have any objections to shopping together. We walked around the mall in silence. It felt like a very awkward first date.

  “You know I’m really not that bad,” she finally said, breaking the silence.

  “I’ve heard criminals use that very same line before,” I mumbled. I knew she could hear my insult.

  “I care a lot about Ezra, too,” she tried again.

  “Look, this small talk is great and everything, but I just want to get a dress and get out of here,” I replied. It sounded like she was trying and I felt guilty for being so bitchy, but I couldn’t stand her. If I was honest with myself I was jealous of her. I started walking into a dress shop and she stopped me.

  “Where are you going?”

  “They have nice dresses for cheap here,” I explained.

  She pulled out a shiny silver plastic card from her back pocket. “We have an unlimited spending budget for a dress and you want a cheap polyester outfit?”