Gambling with vampires? Is that what she just said? My brother, my sweet brother, was gambling with bloodsucking animals that burned in the light and wore capes? I couldn’t believe it. Talking cats, fine. Karma powers, okay. Gambling vampires? No. Just no.
“W-hat?” I stuttered out.
“He’s really good,” Carol said, as if that would make any of this make sense. “But from the rumors, he always takes it a step too far and loses.”
And it was like everything clicked in my mind.
“That’s why he was always asking for money,” I whispered, a rush of cold air moving over my skin as things that never made sense suddenly did.
Deva reached out and squeezed my good shoulder. “Yeah, he asked for it from all of us once or twice. But the thing is, you can’t tell the sheriff.”
“Why not?” I cried. “If the vampires have him, we have to get him back.” I would pay his debt, even if it cost me every last penny.
“There are others that can help us with that,” Carol said. “Not the human police.” She looked at Deva again. “Honestly, we probably shouldn’t have called them.”
The more I was learning about this supernatural world, the more I was starting to hate it.
Suddenly, someone knocked loudly on the door, and my gut tensed. My head was spinning from everything I’d seen and heard, but one thing pushed in front of the rest. If I started blabbing about vampires and gambling, I wasn’t going to get helped by humans, I was going to get locked up. That much I knew.
So, I let them in and explained what happened, keeping it vague. They took a bunch of pictures and asked questions about Henry and who he hung around with, but I was able to honestly answer that I didn’t know. I didn’t know his friends outside of Alice.
Behind the officers, I sensed someone else come in. My heart leapt as for a split second I thought it had to be Henry. I stepped away from them, my gaze searching for my brother, and froze as Daniel’s big form seemed to fill the doorway. For some reason, just the sight of the big man with his kind green eyes made me want to run to him. He seemed like the kind of man who could take all your worries away and swallow you in a hug that made the world seem less frightening.
His eyes found mine, and it was like for one minute someone in this world not only saw how much I was hurting, he felt it too. My vision blurred as more tears filled my eyes, and he took a step forward, as if to offer me comfort.
Carol stepped in front of him. “Daniel, I’m glad you were working today.”
The moment between us shattered, and he looked away from me, his gaze on her.
I felt like a deflated balloon. Daniel was a big man, with strong arms, and the kind of face that women dreamed of. But he wasn’t mine. He was just a ghost from my past here to do his job.
“He only works part-time since his wife died,” Deva whispered in my ear, and I realized I must have been staring. I could have told her that I knew that already, but I didn’t want to deprive her of giving me the tidbits of gossip she thought I’d appreciate.
Daniel arched an eyebrow and glanced at Deva. Had he heard her? No, not from so far away. There must have been a different reason for that knowing look of his, one that said he knew exactly what Deva was briefing me on.
Carol put her hand on his arm. “I think this is a case you’ll want to take a special interest in.”
I tensed. What did that mean? I thought we weren’t supposed to tell them anything? And why did Carol seem to be so close to him? The question bothered me in a way I didn’t understand, or didn’t want to understand at least.
But he simply nodded, glancing at me once more before he said, “Okay, boys, I’ll take it from here. Henry is a family friend.” He spoke to the officers as if he was their boss. And to my surprise, even without him actually being sheriff anymore, they all quickly obeyed him, clearing out of the room with barely a look in my direction.
The next thing I knew, we were all sitting at the kitchen table. All eyes were suddenly on me, as though I had any idea what had happened here. I needed answers, not questions. I needed action, not sitting still while under the watchful green eyes of Daniel Arthur.
8
Emma
“Okay, Emma, tell him the truth,” Carol said. “Anything you know.”
My gaze moved to Daniel. He studied me, and beneath his gentle expression, I could see his thoughts were turning. It was strangely interesting. I got the feeling that he was a really good cop. Which was dumb, because I’d never seen him do anything that logically told me that.
“Tell him what? I don’t know anything.”
Carol lifted a brow. “You can behonestwith him.”
Now, I was really confused. Was that just something she was saying, but if I started talking about vampire gambling rings he’d think I was a moron? How much could I really say to Daniel before he thought we were all crazy? Did he have the authority to place us, or rather me, under a psychiatric hold?
I probably couldn’t say much if I wanted to keep my freedom.
