Garlic Is For Vampires (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 9: "Brendon, I'd like you to meet..."

"Bree-lee!"

Brendon was out of his car and running towards me. I hurried towards him and ran into his open arms. He caught me and held me firmly against his chest, slipping the fingers of one hand into my hair. I buried my face into his shoulder, breathing in his warmth and his scent. This was what I've wanted. This is what I needed. He kept one arm firmly around me.

"Bree," he said, this time softly. I looked up at him, staring into those brown eyes that carried a warm, golden ember in them from the streetlight. I simply tightened my arms around him.

"Sh-she attacked," I said.

"Who? The girl from the market?"

"No. It was another girl. Older, and a vampire." I said the last word quietly. "We were just walking and we heard a scream. Dylan-"

"You can write a report, Bree. You don't have to say anything else. I know you're in shock."

"I don't feel like it," I whispered. I looked towards the ambulance where Dylan sat as a paramedic cleaned his face and checked the scratches in his stomach. "I think this is just some joke. This is old, Brendon."

"I know." He smoothed my hair and I felt his breath on the top of my head. "It's over now, Bree. That's all we need to know for right now."

I nodded. "Okay." Then I pulled back from him. He let his arms drop and closely examined my face.

"I'm serious, Bree. We need-well at least I do-to collect every bit of information we can get on these psychos. My boss is breathing down my ass at this point and-why are you laughing?"

I giggled and then composed myself. "Sorry. You said your boss is breathing down your ass-crack."

A muscle in his cheek twitched, and then he gave a dark grin. "If I don't get new evidence on this case I'm getting kicked off, and then it'll be me breathing down your ass-crack."

Suddenly realizing how serious he was I clasped my hands in front of me. "But we have information. We both know what's killing these people."

"How am I going to prove that? Nobody, but probably us, will believe vampires are here in New York, killing people for their blood. We're going to be the ones interrogated, not Dracula or Count Vira. We're going to be prosecuted, and I'm a detective, Bree. I work with the law. This affects my life, and it'll affect your future. You're going to college in fall, and we can't screw that up. I need something better-something people will believe-before I start accepting that maybe proving vampires exist-will close this case. I believe it, trust me, but others won't believe me. Your friend over there won't believe you."

I looked over at Dylan, and found him looking at me. He gave a kind smile and I kind of melted inside. I was lost in his eyes, in his smile, and in-

Brendon cleared his throat to bring me back to attention. I shook myself and turned to him again with an embarrassed look on my face. I muttered a quick apology and combed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Brendon finally realized I was dressed up-men are so slow sometimes-and he cocked a brow. Then he looked at Dylan, and then at me again.

"What exactly were you two doing?"

"We were out on a date and we were going back home."

"To your place or his?"

"We were going to share a cab. But then that woman attacked and...he tried helping whoever was in the alley, but I don't think the person made it."

They didn't. I saw the coroner rolling a body bag towards his van. I saw the lost look in Dylan's eyes when he collapsed, and I saw the anger in Brendon's. Knowing the truth but not being able to do anything about it was driving him nuts, and it was bugging me too that I couldn't help him with his work even though I wasn't supposed to. I knew nothing about solving cases, and I sure as hell didn't know how to convince people vampires existed. I wouldn't convince my friends-I'd lose them. I wouldn't convince Dylan-the guy who I was seriously starting to like. I couldn't lose him either. But I also didn't want to lose Brendon, so I'd help him somehow. It didn't matter. If we could at least find the woman who attacked tonight, then maybe it'd help his case. Get him the evidence he desperately needed.