She licked her lips and tasted the sweat of the guy who was holding her. Disgusting. You need to go. Right now.
Or?
You cant do what youre here to do if everybodys still looking for you, she said. She was making it up, but suddenly it made sense to her. If you have to kill me, and everybody here, they turn the town upside down until they find you. And theyll put Shane in jail, or worse. If you let me go and take Shane, Ill just tell them everything anyway, and they turn the town upside down
Are you trying to scare me, little girl?
No, Claire whispered. She could barely get the word out. Im trying to tell you what will happen. Theyve kind of given up looking for you, but if you kill me, you lose. And if you let me go, Im going to tell them everything.
Then why shouldnt I kill you?
Because Ill keep my mouth shut if you promise to leave Shane alone.
He glared at her, but she could see he was thinking about it.
Boss, said the man holding her. He had a deep voice, rough like his throat was lined with gravel. Bitch got no reason to keep her word.
What makes you think I like the vamps any more than you do? she shot back. Did Shane tell you about Brandon? I saw you in Common Groundswere you looking for him? Because if you werent, you should be. Hes a dick.
Frank Collinss eyes drifted half-shut, and she was reminded sickly of Shane, somehow. You telling me which vamps to kill now?
No. She swallowed again, acutely aware that at any second the kitchen door could swing open, and someone could come stumbling in, and everything could go to hell on the express train. Just a suggestion. Because as far as I can tell, hes just about the worst one. But youre going to do what you want, I know that. I just want me and my friends out of it.
Shanes dad smiled at her. Smiled. And it seemed, for the first time, like a mostly genuine expression, not just a freaky twist of his lips. Youre tougher than you look, kid. Thats good. Youre going to need to be, you stick around here. He looked past her, at the biker (or so she thoughtshe could feel leather squeaking behind her when she struggled). Let her down, man. Shes okay.
The biker released her. She jerked forward, spun, and set her back to the refrigerator. She scrambled for a knife in the drawer next to her, found a wicked-looking cleaver, and held it out in front of her. You need to go, she said. Right now. And dont come back here, or I swear, Ill tell them everything.
He wasnt smiling anymore. Well, not as much. The biker behind him, though, was grinning.
Girl, you dont know my son at all, do you? he asked. I dont have to come back here. Hes going to come to me. Eventually.
He made a Lets go gesture to his six-foot bodyguard, and together they went back out the side door of the kitchen. Claire ran to pull it shut and lock it, both locks plus the newly installed sliding bolts.
Which made her wonder why it hadnt been locked beforeoh. Of course. The cops had come in through the kitchen.
She took some deep breaths, rinsed the taste of that sweaty hand off her lips, and picked up the coffee cups.
Her hands were shaking so badly, there was no way she could carry anything liquid. She put them back down and went back to the door to call through, Making some fresh!
She poured out the rest of the pot, loaded it again, and, by the time the machine finished, had mostly gotten herself under control.
Mostly.
Claire had a break between classesit couldnt really be called a lunch break, because it fell at ten a. M. and she walked over to the UniversityCenter for coffee. The UC was large and kind of seedy; the carpet was ancient, and the furniture had seen the eighties, at least, and maybe the seventies. It was one large, open atrium filled with couches, chairs, and eventucked in one cornera grand piano. Student-activity banners, most badly painted, draped overhead and fluttered in the weak air-conditioning.
Most of the couch groupings were already claimed by students talking or separately studying. Claire had her eye on an open study table near the corner, but shed have to hurry; there were plenty of people looking for places to settle.
She hurried to the coffee bar at the back of the atrium, and smiled and waved as she spotted Eve behind the espresso machine. Eve waved back, pulled two shots at the same time, and dumped them into steamed milk. The line was about five deep, and Claire had plenty of time to think about what Shanes dad had said. And what he hadnt.
What was he doing there today? Really? Maybe hed come to fetch Shane, but she wasnt sure. Shanes dad seemed to have a plan, but she had no idea what it was. Maybe Shane would know, but she didnt want to ask.
Michael. Shed tell Michael everything, as soon as he appeared.
Large mocha, Claire said, and dug out the required three-fifty from her jeans pocket. It was a huge expense for her, but she figured it was only right to celebrate Eves first day on the job.
The cashiera bored-looking guy who was probably wishing he were anywhere elsetook her cash and waved her on to the line for drinks.
She was standing there, thumbing through her English-lit book, when she heard muffled laughter, and then a wet dull thud as a drink tipped over on the counter. She looked up to see a ring of guys standing around a spilled drink, which was dripping off both sides of the counter.
Hey, zombie chick, one of them said to Eve, who was standing next to the counter, still pulling shots and very obviously ignoring them. Wanna clean that up?
A muscle fluttered in Eves jaw, but she silently got a handful of paper towels and began to mop up the mess. Once the counter was clean, she raised the hinged section of the bar and cleaned the floor on both sides.
The boys continued to snigger. You missed a spot, said the one whod spilled the drink. Over there.
Eve had to bend over to get to the spot where he was pointing. He quickly stepped up behind her and began banging his crotch against her butt. Oh, baby! he said, and they all laughed. Laughed. Youre so f**king hot for a dead girl.