Page 25 of The Psychic and the Vampire

All right. His wards were working. Ant listened some more. If the people left his door alone, then he’d just go back to bed and file a report at a more respectable hour. But no. Able was crouched by his feet ready to spring, and he was still growling.

“Guess we’d better ask them what they want before they hurt themselves.” Ant sighed. He wasn’t a fan of confrontation – he didn’t understand what made people act the way they did at the best of times. But, conscious of Viktor still asleep upstairs, Ant flicked on the light in the utility room and went and stood a couple of feet from the door.

He was staring at statues through the glass. Two men hunched over, one with a screwdriver in his hand and one with a crowbar, both startled by the sudden light. Their faces were tilted toward the glass, their eyes wide and one of them had his mouth open.

“Did you want something?” Ant knew the respectful way to speak to someone was to ask them if he could help them, but Ant didn’t want to help the two men. He wanted them to leave.

One of the men recovered faster than the other one, standing up straight, the hand with the screwdriver hanging loosely by his side as if that would hide it. “You’re the psychic fella?”

“I am a psychic, yes.” Ant nodded. “But this is way outside of my business hours, and I never see anyone at home. My office address and business hours are on my website.”

“You need to come with us.” The other man had dropped his crowbar and pulled out a gun from somewhere, pointing at Ant through the glass. “Open the door and step out now.”

Ant thought for a moment. The man’s request was very specific, but that didn’t mean it made sense. “Why would I come with you in the middle of the night?”

“Because I said so.” The man waved his gun for emphasis. “I’m the one holding the gun.”

“I can see the gun,” Ant said. “There’s nothing wrong with my eyesight. I still don’t see that as a reason to go anywhere. Where did you intend on taking me?”

“Where did we…? Are you hearing this guy, Nigel? Where does it matter where we’re taking you. I’m holding the gun. That means you shut up and do as you’re told.”

Ant yawned and quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “I’m tired,” he said once the yawn had passed. “My sister will be here for breakfast in a few hours. If you can’t be bothered to tell me where I’m going, then I’m not going with you. Come back and see me when it’s daylight, if you have to, but I’m going back to bed.”

“Look, magic puff.” The man with the screwdriver leaned closer to the glass, his mouth pulled into a sneer. “If you don’t open this door and step out right now, then we’re coming in and you don’t want that.”

“Yeah. Tony Manzano has put a price on your head and that of the vampire and we’re collecting that money.”

“Ah, all right. At least I see why you’re here now.” Ant nodded and then yawned again. “Thank you for that. Money is definitely a strong motivator for criminal behavior. But why are you pointing the gun at me? Why didn’t you go after the vampire?”

“Well, duh. That blood sucker would tear our heads off, and he’s faster than a bullet.” The gunman shook his head. “We’ll take you. The payout is just the same.”

“That’s very astute of you.” Ant approved – he liked it when people showed initiative. “Unfortunately, you won’t be using me for your payout either. I’m not going anywhere. I need more sleep. It’s been a busy day. Criminals don’t catch themselves, you know, unless they’re silly ones.”

“I’ll shoot the glass out,” the gunman warned. “Don’t think that I won’t. I will still get paid if your legs are bleeding.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Ant was equally firm. “You couldn’t even get your screwdriver to work against the door handle. Using a bullet would…”

He never got to finish the sentence. The man with the gun jerked the trigger. The bullet hit the glass and rebounded, but just as both men cried out in fear, likely because the bullet zinged between them, Viktor appeared out of nowhere, slamming the men’s heads together before grabbing the gun out of a limp hand.

“You,” he yelled at a stunned Ant as he crumpled the gun in his hand. “I can’t believe you. Have you got no concern for your personal safety at all? You just stood there with a gun pointed at you. What were you thinking?”

“I guess I’d better put the coffee on,” Ant said to Able, who was happily wagging his tail. “It doesn’t look like I’m gettinganymore sleep tonight. Go on, then boy.” He opened the door to let Able out now the gun was in safe hands. “Have fun.”

Tugging his robe around him more firmly, Ant wandered back into the kitchen and flicked on the light in there. As he got the coffee machine going, he thought about calling the police. But then he remembered the look on Viktor’s face and thought he’d wait and ask his mate what he thought first. From the tone Viktor used, Ant did think he might have committed another mating mistake.

I’ll ask him,Ant decided, pulling out a couple of mugs.That’s probably what a mate would do. Although in my defense, when I asked Viktor what a mate did, he didn’t answer me with any specifics so if I got it wrong, then I’m not to blame.

Chapter Nineteen

Three cups of coffee later and with the sun starting to rise, Viktor was still fuming. First he had to hang around and wait for the police to turn up. Apparently, Ant didn’t think ripping the intruders’ heads off and burying them in the garden was good for the energies around his house. He wouldn’t even consider it when Viktor offered to hide the bodies somewhere else. “My house is not a crime scene.”

And yet it already was, because people tried to break in and according to what Ant had told the police, Tony had put a contract out on the pair of them.

“It wasn’t like I didn’t try and warn you.” Viktor exploded the moment the police finally left with the two intruders in tow. “I told you Tony had people on his payroll at the police station. It was only going to be a matter of time before he got word out to his family to take us out. That’s his answer for everything and anyone who gets in his way.”

“Just because he shouts the loudest or flashes around the most cash doesn’t make him right.” Ant rested his jaw on one hand as he yawned. “I did hear what you said about him when you warned me. I heard and believed you. It’s one of the reasons why I asked you to bring me here instead of your place.”

Viktor glowered at his new mate. How could he look so unconcerned? “You told me Able needed feeding something other than steak.”

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