Caroline’s snicker was soft, barely audible over the ticking of the vehicle’s turn signal. If not for my heightened hearing, I may never have caught it.
“What do I do now?” the driver asked as we made the turn onto the next street.
The sidelong look Caroline shot me spoke volumes. “I assume you already have a good guess as to where he’s gone.”
The corners of my lips hooked up the slightest bit. “I may have an inkling.”
There weren’t that many places open in this area after nine. A German beer house and the bar I’d spotted earlier were the most likely contenders.
Of those two, the bar had my vote. It was exactly the sort of place a hunter might choose as a meeting point. It was farenough away from downtown and vampire territory. The fact the owner disliked our kind was a bonus. Throw in the dim interior and a large enough crowd that one or two extra people would go unnoticed and you had the perfect venue for a clandestine meeting.
Honestly, I might want to consider it for the next time I needed a neutral meeting spot.
I leaned forward and tapped the driver on the shoulder. “Turn here.”
He made a right onto a side street that wound behind a rundown-looking strip mall and a couple of the hotels that had sprung up in recent years as we backtracked toward where I’d seen the bar.
“Wait a minute. I’ve been here,” our driver said, perking up a little.
Caroline sent him an interested look. “Have you now?”
He nodded. “A couple of my friends wanted to try it out. It’s supposed to be one of the best dive bars in Columbus.”
“Did it live up to the hype?” she asked.
He shrugged. “It was okay. The drinks weren’t too expensive but you have to have cash. They don’t accept credit cards. The regulars were a little odd though.”
“How so?”
“Not very welcoming. They acted like our presence was an intrusion.”
Probably because it was. No one wanted a bunch of tourists ruining their favorite watering hole.
Although, if the rumors about the owner were true, it was possible those “regulars” were supernaturals of some kind. Most supernaturals only tolerated humans. Some mundanes could pick up on that fact.
I gave the driver a thoughtful look, wondering whether he was a sensitive. One of those rare few whose instincts warned themwhen they’d strayed into a spook’s territory. I’d never met one before so it was impossible to know what to look for.
“Found him,” Caroline crowed, distracting me. “His bike at least.”
I looked to where Caroline was pointing to find the bike we’d been tailing for the last hour. Bikes weren’t my area of expertise, but this one was all class with a stylish edge. It looked like something out of an old movie. Its leather seat contrasted with the chrome and metal of its frame, which was on the thinner side.
About the only thing I could tell you was that it wasn’t a Harley. Or any bike I’d seen before.
I scanned the parking lot, finding no sign of my prey. “It looks like he’s already gone inside.”
That was good news for us. It meant that we didn’t have to circle around and park somewhere far away.
“Stop here,” I ordered the driver.
Caroline had already thrown open her door and was climbing out before we had fully rolled to a stop.
I shoved out of the car after her. “Someone’s a little eager.”
“Can you blame me? All this secrecy has gotten me curious.”
Caroline snickered, stuffing her hands into her pockets as I ignored her, walking over to the driver’s side window and knocking. I waited for the human to look at me before gesturing for him to roll the window down.
He stared at me, not moving for long moments. His hands tightened around the steering wheel. Prey on the precipice of flight. I could practically see the thoughts turning in his brain. The urge to stomp down on the gas pedal and rocket away from the big bad scary.
