Page 23 of Newly Undead in Dark River

“Take it easy at work. No staring into the lens of the projector.” I just rolled my eyes. Like I did that for fun.

I was actually a little sad to see the bandages go. It meant that Brody would go too, and I had gotten used to having him around.

Doc Alice left in her usual whirl of brightly colored kaftan, leather doctors bag in hand.

Walker looked at me, worriedly. His face looked pinched, and I felt bad. I had a good life here. I liked the town and the people. Well, except for the daylight wielding nutjob sucking dry unsuspecting tourists, of course.

“Maybe we should drop the investigation. I don't want to live in fear for the rest of my life. I think whoever he or she is would just go back underground if we stop looking. I just want to get on with my life,” I whispered.

Walker shook his head. “That's not how this works, Raine. This person has killed once and attacked you in your home. If we do nothing, who's to say that they won't do that to another person, and another? At what point do we say, no more? Wouldn't you like to save someone else your pain?” Damn him, he knew I would.

“I want this whacko caught too, but I don't like the fact that Raine will be a sitting duck, waiting for his retribution. I won't be just downstairs next time,” Brody growled, his face intense. The fact he cared so much made me feel a little fuzzy on the inside. But he was right; the idea that I would be up here by myself all day filled me with terror, even though I tried not to show it. Walker had enough to worry about, and Brody couldn't babysit me forever. I needed to stand on my own two feet. I wasn't going to be the kind of girl who needed saving, a perpetual damsel in distress, for the rest of eternity.

“Maybe Judge could move in....”

“No!” Both men shouted. Geez, what was their problem?

“We both know he isn't my maker, so why not?”

Walker frowned and Brody ground his jaw. A look passed between them, one of blatant disapproval. The same look Walker was giving Brody less than forty-eight hours earlier. Apparently, they were now united in their disapproval.

There was some macho mind-meld going on because Walker nodded. “I don't trust him. He might not be your maker or your attacker, but he's still shifty as hell. I can't find any information on the guy anywhere. Not his maker, his age, his abilities. Nothing.”

I raised my eyebrows at Brody. “And what's your problem?”

“I just think you can do better,” he grunted.

“Better like you?” I prodded. Walker shot Brody the stink eye. I'd bet my favorite new Ray-Bans that Ella had dropped over earlier, that Walker was going to chew him a new one later. But Brody just raised his chin.

“Yeah, like me. You're smart, beautiful, and kind. You deserve better than some dude treating you like a toy that he can pick up and put down whenever he wants.”

I blinked. And then blinked again. Well, I didn't see that coming. Blood rushed to my cheeks, and Walker's face got even stormier. He grabbed Brody by the t-shirt and hauled him out of my apartment.

“I'll see you after your shift at Angeline’s. Lock the door!” he yelled over his shoulder as he barrelled Brody down the stairs.

Well, holy crap on toast. Brody wanted to be my boyfriend. Why didn't hot guys with abs like a washboard want to be my boyfriend when I was a human? Apparently being a vampire was like being married, but times ten. Now I wanted to be free and easy with my sex life, someone wanted to make an honest woman of me.

I'd ponder that quandary later. I walked to the shower. It was going to be fantastic to wash my hair and head down to work. I was getting cabin fever, and not the hot kind with pirates and saucy wenches.

In the end,work was pretty quiet. Well, maybe quiet wasn't the right word for it. I think nearly every person in Dark River turned up in the cafe to say hello and see how I was feeling; it's just that no one was borrowing books. Though Angeline was making a killing with her sunshine cupcakes, a lemon cupcake with cream cheese frosting and a bright yellow fondant sun on top in honor of my return to work after being nearly blinded by, yep you guessed it, the sun. Angeline had a warped sense of humor at times, but it was one of the reasons I liked her.

The problem was that everyone asked the same questions. Did I know who it was? Did I have any suspicions? Was I permanently blind in one eye? Apparently, that last rumor had spread quite prolifically.

In the end, Angeline had sent me to the diner, just to get rid of the crush of loiterers in the store. At one point she yelled that she ran a bakery, not a circus sideshow. I wasn't offended; I was starting to feel like a freak.

I walked into the diner and sat at the long counter. Beatrice took one look at me and yelled through the hutch, “One extra-large order of cheesy fries, extra bacon.” Beatrice was a goddess in a gingham apron.

“How are you doing, Lass?”

Beatrice seemed like someone's mother. She just had that maternal vibe about her, like a mother hen. From here, the question I'd answered a million times today didn't seem so intrusive or tedious.

“I'm doing better, thanks, Beatrice. And thanks for the lasagna. I don't know what your secret is, but it's the best lasagna I've ever had.”

Beatrice preened. “You're welcome, dear. Anything I can do to help.” Another townsperson waved to her down the end of the counter, and she bustled off.

Someone came and stood beside me at the counter, and I realized it was Catherine and another one of the Council members.

“Raine! I heard about the attack. Walker assured me that you were okay, but I'm glad I can see it for myself.” Catherine frowned and gave me the once over as if both Walker and Doc Alice had been lying to her. I hadn't seen Catherine, or the other Council member, the really ancient one, I think his name was Tomas although he’d always be Grim to me, since my citizenship ceremony. The Council members didn't seem to hobnob much with the other townspeople.

---