“You look better,” Phlox told Leon. While I didn’t know the vampire well, I had to agree. Vampires’ skin always looked pale, but there were different shades and levels of pallid. Earlier, Leon had stumbled through my door looking barelyalive. His white skin now had an iridescent quality that wasn’t there earlier. His shoulders were no longer slumped, and his eyes were clear and sharp.
“I feel much better.” Leon’s attention turned to me. “Thank you for the accommodations and the consideration regarding the windows.”
“It was dark enough then?” I was worried it wouldn’t be.
“Very adequate.”
I was glad to hear it. My phone pinged with an incoming message, and I frantically unlocked it. My frown deepened when I read Franklin’s words.Going to be a couple hours longer. I’m sorry. Love you.Those few words were followed by a string of heart emojis.
“Bad news?” Phlox asked.
I shrugged. “Not in the tragic sense of things. Franklin says he’ll be a bit longer.” Setting my phone back down on the table, I rested my head in my hand. “He’s working so hard.” I blew out a breath while thinking of my earlier conversation with Sheriff Andrews. “And when he gets home, I’m going to have to ask him to try and squeeze out time in his schedule to escort me to a job.” Gaia, I was beginning to really hate Tenzen Huxley. I hated what he’d turned my life into, hated that I now needed anescortjust to do my damn job.
“What’s the job?” Phlox asked, and I quickly gave him the rundown. I was shocked when he said, “I can go with you.”
Leon sat up a little straighter. “Beloved, that—”
“Think carefully before you speak, Leon.” Phlox’s eyes narrowed to slits.
Leon’s neutral expression never wavered. “I do not doubt your capabilities. You know this.”
Phlox sniffed, his nose pointed into the air. “You donow.”
Leon’s lips gave the barest of twitches. “Yes, and we have discussed how foolish I was when we first met. I did not understand just how dangerous of a predator you can be, beloved.” Leon brought their still-clasped hands to his lips, pressing them against the back of Phlox’s hand. “Even so, itwould be preferable if this venture could be done at night, when I can accompany you. Two protectors are always better than one.”
I hated the fact I even needed the one.
“Pfft. I suppose you have a point. As long as this Sheriff Andrews doesn’t mind doing this in the dark.” Phlox glanced my direction, eyebrows slightly lifted in question.
“I’m not sure, but I can ask.”
“Do so,” Leon answered. “If it is not possible, I would still be able to accompany you during the daytime, though I fear I would be more hindrance than aid should something worrying occur.”
“If this meetup can only happen during the day, then you’re definitely staying put,” Phlox stated, no room for debate. Leon remained silent.
“I’ll send Sheriff Andrews a text now and ask. She should still be up and if not, worst-case scenario is that we hear from her tomorrow.” I typed out the message and had a response almost immediately. “She says nighttime shouldn’t be an issue.”
Phlox clapped his hands together, his grin wide and his wings fluttering. “Excellent. I’ve been wanting another chance to see your mojo in action.” Phlox wiggled his fingers when he saidmojo.
“You do not think your human will mind, do you?” Leon asked.
“I don’t think so. Franklin just wants me to be safe.” I swallowed hard and noticed Phlox’s expression reflected my own uneasiness. The truth was, none of us had a clue whether or not we could effectively fight off Huxley’s shadows. All these precautions and constant worry could very well be entirely useless. I had the unsettling feeling that when Tenzen Huxley was ready to make his move, there wasn’t a damn thing any of us would be able to do to stop him.
Chapter
Fourteen
Franklin
My body creaked when I slid out of bed. I’d managed five hours of sleep, Boone’s body wrapped around me like an octopus most of the night. I hated leaving him this morning. I should have woken him to say goodbye, but he’d looked so peaceful that I didn’t have the heart to do it.
Instead, I’d taken a bar of soap and writtenI love youon the bathroom mirror. It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. It was currently all I had.
Leon was still awake when I left the house, Phlox curled up by his side on the porch swing. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when I waved goodbye, wished him a good day, and slipped into my SUV. The only good thing about being out and about this early was the quiet roads.
The sun painted the horizon in soft oranges and yellows when I walked through the doors of the precinct. The same attendant was on desk duty this morning as when I left last night. That was never a good sign. The officer’s raised eyebrows and thinned lips let me know she held similar beliefs.
My desk was as I’d left it the night before. I’d managed to quiet my brain overnight enough to actually sleep. Seeing thescattered papers and messy lines connecting names, dates, and other known facts mocked me as I stared down at them, the lines blurring and running together. I doubted that made them any less decipherable.
