Bitter Blood (Morganville Book #2)

Chapter 8

On the other side of the street, college-adjacent businesses were starting to close up shop, even though it was still early. Nobody liked to be caught outside as night approached; it was unsafe during the day, but it was a hell of a lot worse at twilight, and after.

I slowed as I passed Common Grounds. The security shutters were still down, the door was closed, but there was something . . . something . . .

I crossed the street, not really sure why I did, and stood there for a few seconds, staring like an idiot at the locked door.

Then I heard the distinct, metallic sound of a dead bolt snapping back, and in slow motion, the door sagged open just a bare inch. Nothing showed but darkness.

I am not going to say, "Hello, is anyone there," like some stupid, too-dumb-to-live chick in a movie, I thought. Also, I am not going in there.

I'm really not.

The door opened another inch. More darkness. "You've got to be kidding," I said. "How stupid do you really think I am?"

This time, the gap opened to about a foot. Standing well back from any hint of sunlight was someone I knew: Theo Goldman, vampire and doctor.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I couldn't come to you. Will you do me the honor . . . ?"

There were a lot of vampires in Morganville who scared me, but Theo wasn't one of them. In fact, I liked him. I didn't blame him for trying to save his family, which included both humans and vampires. He'd done what he had to do, and I knew it hadn't been for any bad motives.

I stepped inside. Theo shut the door and locked it securely after me. "This way," he said. "We keep all the lights off in the front, of course. Here, allow me, my dear. I know you won't be able to see your way."

His strong, cool hand closed around my upper arm in a firm, but not harsh grip, and he guided me through blind darkness, zigzagging around (I assumed) tables and chairs. When he let go, I heard a door close behind us, and Theo said, "Shield your eyes. Lights coming on."

I closed my eyes, and a flare of brightness reddened the inside of my lids. When I looked, Theo was stepping away from the light switch and moving toward the group of people sitting at the far end of the room. His dark-haired wife rose from her chair, smiling; except for her generally pale skin, she didn't look much like a vampire, really. Theo's kids and grandkids - some physically older than me, some younger - sat in a group playing cards. In the dark, because all the ones playing were vampires. The humans weren't here at all.

"Anastasia," Patience Goldman said, and extended her hand. "Thank you for coming inside."

"Um . . . no problem," I said. "Is everything okay?" It hadn't been for a while. Bishop had been thinking of killing all the Goldmans, or making them leave Morganville. Something about their being Jews. I didn't really understand all the dynamics of it, but I knew it was an old anger, and a very old feud.

"Yes, we are fine," Theo said. "But I wanted to tell you that we will be leaving Morganville tonight."

"You . . . what? I thought Bishop said you could stay - "

"Oh, he did," Theo said, and his kindly face took on a harder look. "Promises were made. None that I believe, of course. It's no sin for a man like him to break a promise to a man like me; after all, I am hardly better than a human to him." His wife made a sound of protest, and Theo blinked. "I did not mean that to slight you, Anastasia. You understand what I mean."

"Yeah." Bishop had carried over some prejudices from his human days, and a big one had to do with a dislike of Jewish people, so maybe he didn't look at Jewish vampires as being any different - any better - than mere humans, who weren't real to Bishop, anyway. "But . . . why tell me? You can't trust me, you know." I rubbed my arm under the long-sleeved T-shirt, feeling ashamed all over again. "I can't help it. If he asks me, I have to tell him about you."