We settled into a routine over the next week. I would get up, unlock Lauren’s door, walk down to the kennel in the kitchen, let Rudy out, and he would thunder up the stairs. I would hear Lauren’s door creak open, then close again. I’d eat breakfast and top off Rudy’s water bowl. Then, I’d go out to the shop to experiment with casting different types of silver bullets or work on a sterling silver chain mail shirt I’d been working on. I should had made it sooner. After lunch, I would run through dry fire drills with my various guns and crossbows and wrap up with one or two live fire drills on my makeshift range. I would finish the day with a kettle bell workout or a long run with Rudy followed by practicing a bit on the punching bag hanging in the back of my shop.
Lauren would work with Rudy in the morning and spend much of the rest of her day drifting around like a ghost from room to room in the house and though the surrounding woods. Often, I would look up from a set of kettle bell clings or glance out the shop’s window to find her nestled down at the back of a tree with Rudy napping in her lap as she wrote or drew in a notebook. Sometimes, I would see her lying on the ground watching the wind blow through the trees. Around seven, we would find our way to the kitchen, and I would cook dinner. She would pull a quart of cow’s blood from the fridge and replace it with one from the freezer. She seemed to still like normal food, so I would make extra. I would turn on the tv and watch something and sometimes she joined me, sitting on the floor with Rudy. Most of the time, she went up to her room. Once I was ready for bed, I would call up to Rudy, who would reluctantly clamber down the stairs from Lauren’s room. I’d let him outside to do his business, then shut him in his kennel. I would go upstairs, lock Lauren securely in her room, and finally secure myself in bed.
We went three weeks without any news from Chris on how his raid had gone, and received no new jobs, which wasn’t surprising. I was getting bored, worried, and a bit complacent. Lauren seemed so harmless I had to keep reminding myself what she was capable of. One morning, after getting out of bed and unlocking Lauren’s door, I waited for her after making breakfast instead of going out to the shop. I sat at the kitchen table, absent-mindedly scrolling through different crossbow bolts for sale. She came down not long after I usually would have left.
“No work in the shop today?” She stopped halfway down the stairs and leaned on the railing.
“Plenty, but I am thinking about going to town for the day.”
“Oh,” she frowned. “You’re going to lock me in my room, then?”
“Sure am. Unless, you come.”
She looked at me skeptically and leaned further over the balcony “Why?”
“I want to eat somebody else’s food, pick up a salt lick for the deer, and get a few other big things.”
“Taking me would be a risk,” she clarified. “So, why?”
“Are you going to run or try to get me in trouble with the local cops?”
“I could,” She smiled
“You could also play nice, join me for dinner, and have a relatively enjoyable evening.”
“I could.” She drew out the words, seeming to think it over. “Where were you planning to go for dinner?”
“Chinese, but I am open if you would like to go somewhere else.” I couldn’t help but notice her hips sway from side to side as she thought it over. Gosh, she was distracting. I got up and started water for my morning tea, giving myself something to do other than stare at her.
“Fine. I’ll come, but we are getting curry.”
“Thai or something else?”
“I was thinking Indian, but Thai is good. Do you have to drink that?” Her voice was close. I turned from where I was shredding fresh ginger into a coffee cup. She was a few feet behind me, glaring at my cup.
“I like it, and yes.” I popped in four rose buds. “Do you want to know why?”
“I think I have an idea,” she replied.
“Roses and ginger tea, I make it every morning I’m in the field. Makes me smell delicious to vampires and other predators.”
“Are you trying to get bit?”
“Yes, actually. I want them to be distracted,” I replied, and she scowled. I couldn’t help a small smile. She continued to glare at me. I poured hot water in the cup, setting it aside.
“You should put garlic in it,” Lauren said.
“Why?”
“People who eat a lot of it smell nasty. People and garlic don’t mix at all.” She glared at the tea. “You should drink garlic juice instead.” I picked up the glass and took a sip.
She stepped around me and dug in the fridge, pulling out apple juice and cream cheese. After breakfast, we locked up Rudy, leaving him home. He still needed a line and outdoor kennel, two of the things on my list. I pulled into the local farm supply store where Lauren helped me pick out an outdoor kennel and line for Rudy. I was about to walk by the toy aisle when Lauren stopped me by lightly grabbing my shoulder. The touch sent prickles up my spine, and I couldn’t tell if they were good or not. “What?” It came out harsher than I had meant. Her eyes blinked in surprise, and she quickly withdrew her hand. I coughed, clearing my throat. “Sorry. What is it?” I prompted in a less rough tone, though it still had an edge I couldn’t quite get rid of.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
She pointed to a stuffed tiger. “We should get him some chew toys. He’s destroyed the one you had for him and a couple pillows.” I nodded absentmindedly, trying to not think about the lingering feel of her touch. It should have been cold, so why had it felt warm?
“Good idea. Is there anything else he needs?”
“Treats would be great, actually, a dog bed for inside, one for outside would be nice too, but if that’s too much, I can just move it when he goes out.”
“I suppose we can afford that,” I said. Lauren picked out a couple toys, including a ball and a throwing arm. I grabbed two big beds.
As we shopped, I kept catching the occasional stare from a redhead a few years older than me. Her complexion was very light, not uncommon, but she kept looking from me to Lauren. Her expression was troubled, and her attention was mostly on Lauren. She was very discreet, but I have been hunted by many things, including people. You get a feel for it. I guided Lauren through the store, keeping an eye on the redhead. Perhaps it was nothing. Lauren was acting a bit strange. She looked around from time to time as if trying to find something or someone but couldn’t put her finger on it. We checked out, and I unloaded the big items into the truck bed as Lauren put the smaller ones in the cab.
As I climbed in the truck, Lauren looked at me strangely, “Your scent is too thick.”
“Oh?” I asked as I pulled out onto the road headed to Walmart.
“I thought I smelled something familiar. I couldn’t get a good feel for it with you standing so close. Your smell never dissipates; it’s like a fresh dose of cinnamon every time I take a breath.”
“Well, if you get a hint of it again, let me know, and I will give you some more space.”
“It’s not a big deal; I just feel a bit more vulnerable not being able to smell. I’ve become so used to distinguishing things and people by smell it’s hard when it’s all masked by yours.”
I stopped at a light and scanned the cars around me for the redhead. I couldn’t find her, though I kept looking as we drove. “What was the smell like?” I asked. She frowned, looking away. She wasn’t going to tell me, though it seemed she had an idea.
“It doesn’t matter. Where are we going next?”
“Walmart, Lowes, then Thai food.”
“Would it be alright if I got a sketchbook? I filled up the notebook you gave me.”
“I don’t see why not. Is there anything else you need?”
“No.”
“Well, if something comes to mind, let me know.”
I kept my eye out for the redhead as we shopped, but I didn’t see her in either store. Lauren picked out a sketchbook, and I threw in another one and a pack of nice-looking pencils. Then, I forced her to pick out some more clothes; a weeks’ worth just isn’t enough to be comfortable. I hated doing laundry, and she was having to do laundry twice a week. I told her it was because of the water bill.
After picking up a few more things from Lowes, we finally sat down in a small Thai restaurant. I sat along the wall, facing the door. I was looking forward to this. I’m a fairly good cook but not a chef by any means. Lauren ordered some red curry with shrimp and rice, and I got the Pad Thai. Not long after we ordered, the redhead walked in. Our eyes met as she smiled at the waitress and took a seat to our right. Lauren had not seen the woman and looked around, taking a deep breath in through her nose.
“That familiar scent is back, isn’t it?” I asked. Lauren looked at me, surprised.
“Yes,” she admitted softly.
“You wouldn’t happen to know a redhead with a very pale complexion and an angular face?” I asked.
“I don’t believe so.” She sounded honest.
“Well, she seems very interested in one of the two of us, and unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be me.”
“What makes you think that?” Lauren asked as the waiter put down our food. I smiled to the waiter and said thanks. The waiter nodded and walked over to the redhead’s table. I turned back to Lauren.
“She was following us in the farm store. Her attention was mostly on you.”
“What are we going to do?”
I took a bite out of my Pad Thai. “Have dinner; it’s very good.”
“You’re not concerned?”
“No,” I replied. Lauren sat stiffly and ate, trying to not look behind her at the woman across the room. A couple more bites in, she shook her head.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
“Don’t be long.” I shoved another forkful of noodles in my mouth. As soon as Lauren disappeared into the back hallway, the redhead stood and followed. Well, this was going to get messy. I would let her pass, then get up and go after her. Then, well, we would have to play it by ear. I was surprised when she didn’t continue past my booth but slipped in across from me, taking Lauren’s place. She smiled at me sweetly, green eyes probing like a mountain lion trained on prey.
“What are you doing with Miss Charles?” The red head asked.
“She is my date for the evening.”
“You don’t know what a mess you are in; she is going to literally rip your heart out. I should let her, but you might not deserve it.” She produced a missing persons poster. There was a picture of Lauren, skin a darker shade, pink in her smiling cheeks. My heart rate picked up. I hadn’t expected this. “You get up and leave, and we have no problems. You stay, and the cops will be here in less than five minutes. I wonder how long it will take to get out of prison being the lead suspect in her missing person’s case?”
“Really,” I reached out swiftly, grabbed her hand, and clasped her palm under my ring. She jerked back at the touch, but I gripped her hand solidly. Her hand quivered under the metal, then slowly went still as the ring numbed it, causing her to lose strength. She didn’t seem scared or flustered, instead she leaned closer.
“So, you know she will rip you to pieces,” The redhead stated.
I shook my head. “No, she doesn’t have the heart. You on the other hand; you’re the next level like a crazy, redheaded ex-girlfriend. I can’t even imagine what you would do to me.”
“Shut up,” she snapped. Her arm was, no doubt, slowly going numb.
“What is your interest in Miss Charles? You can’t be thinking of returning her to her family. Are you trying to retrieve a lost piece of property?” Her other hand struck like lightning as she slapped me hard across the face. I reflexively let go of her hand. My hand went straight to my 1911 under my jacket. I could taste blood in my mouth. She pulled her hand back, rubbing her limp fingers. The waiter and some of the other patrons looked. Lauren stood in the back hall staring, eyes wide. “Well, I suppose it was inevitable that the two of you would meet,” I announced loudly enough for those around to hear. I stood up, spitting blood into my napkin, then set it on the table. “I will happily talk to the two of you in a more private location.”
I walked to the counter and pulled two hundreds from my wallet. “For me and the two lovely ladies. My apologies.” The cashier took the money from me and muttered something about me being in some deep something or other. I walked out of the restaurant and could hear Lauren’s shoes as she followed. If I was lucky, the redhead wouldn’t. I was disappointed to find her walking alongside Lauren, talking quickly and quietly as they approached the truck.