Page 49 of Map of Pain
Luka nodded immediately, holding up one finger in a ‘wait’ gesture. He rinsed his mouth and wiped his face with a motel towel, before moving toward Nick with that careful grace that never quite looked human.
“Thank you,”Nick said, holding still as Luka’s fingers found the top button. The touchwasas gentle as ithadbeen last night, but the context felt different. Thiswasn’tseduction or comfort—just practical help.
When the last button came free, Nick stepped back.“I’ll just...”He grabbed the t-shirt from his bag and retreated toward the bathroom.“Give me a minute.”
When Nick emerged from the bathroom in the soft t-shirt, checking the knotted sleeve. Lukatied it perfectly—not too tight, positioned so it wouldn’t chafe. Such a small consideration, but it made Nick’s chest warm.
Lukawaschecking his phone, expression shifting from casual to alert. He turned the screen toward Nick: a message from Haley timestamped three hours ago.“Ready when you are. Community center 2 miles north of the hospital.”
“We slept through the day,”Nick said, glancing at the digital clock. Nearly midnight.
Luka nodded, then seemed to notice something. His hand lifted toward Nick’s face before he caught himself, green eyes questioning. He mimed smoothing down hair, his cheeks flushing pink as he waited for permission.
Nick’s breath caught. Such a simple gesture, but the care behind it, the way Luka asked instead of assuming...“Yeah. Okay.”
Luka’s fingerswerecool against his temple as they gently smoothed his sleep-mussed hair. The touchwasachingly tender, and Nick found himself leaning into it slightly before—
Even if you’re going to keep rubbing up against a vampire like a bitch in heat,the hunter cut through the moment with brutal efficiency,you’re still walking into unknown territory.Get your head in the game.
Nick jerked back, the warmth draining from his face.“We should go,”he said, voice flat.“I’ll go check the parking lot for a car we can, um, borrow.”
That part of himwasn’twrong. It just didn’t have to be such a dick about it.
Luka watched him with that patient, observant gaze that seemed to see through Nick’s deflection.«Are you okay?»
The question hung between them, deceptively simple yet impossibly complex.“Yeah. Just... processing.”
Just before stepping outside, Nick glanced back at Luka only to be greeted with a small, reassuring smile.
***
The twenty-minute night drive to Peoria stretched before them like a minefield. Nick kept his gaze fixed on passing scenery, the warmth of their motel stay dissolved into heavy silence thatgrew more uncomfortable with each mile. He could feel Luka’s occasional glances, patient but questioning, and it made his skin crawl with anxiety.
What are we?The question circled his mind without answer.What happens when this is over?
His mind retreated into tactical mode as a defense mechanism, old conditioning providing welcome distraction from emotions hewasn’tready to process. Every intersection became a potential ambush point. Each passing car transformed into possible Society surveillance. At least this part of himself felt familiar, reliable.
The comfortable silence of their drivehadgivenway to tension as they approached their destination. Whatever fragile intimacy theybuilt in the motel room felt distant now, overshadowed by the practical concerns of meeting unknown contacts in unfamiliar territory.
“We should approach from the north,”Nick said, breaking the silence thatstretched for twenty minutes.“Less exposure, better sight lines.”
Luka nodded, glancing at him briefly with a question Nick ignored. He caught the vampire’s hands moving—probably signing something—but Nick kept his eyes on the road.
The community center stood on the outskirts of town—a blocky concrete structure surrounded by a half-empty parking lot. The GPS showed theywerestill three miles from downtown Peoria, in an industrial area that felt deliberately isolated. At this hour, the emptiness felt ominous rather than peaceful. Nick’s assessment activated automatically: two visible entrances, ground-floor windows with security bars, flat roof providing potential sniper positions.
“Something’s wrong,”Nick muttered. The parking lotwasempty except for a single van. No lights inside thebuilding. The front door stood partially open, swaying in the breeze.
Luka slowed their “borrowed” sedan, positioning it for a quick exit.«Wait here?»he asked.
“No. We go together.”
Ten yards from the entrance, the smell hit him—gasoline and copper. Blood and accelerant. Nick’s steps faltered as recognition dawned.
“Society cleanup protocol,”he whispered as a chill settled in his stomach.“The systematic elimination of any vampires who might have survived the initial assault, followed by evidence destruction and scene staging to send a message to other nests.”
The front door revealed a dimly lit reception area. Blood spatter marked the wall behind the desk in a distinctive pattern—medium velocity impact, consistent with machete strikes. Bloody footprints led deeper into the building, some showing the tread pattern of Society tactical boots.
Nick followed them mechanically, his mind shifting into clinical assessment mode. The domestic warmth of the morning—Luka’s careful touch, the simple act of help with buttons—felt like something from another lifetime as his training reasserted itself. Thiswasn’tjust violence; itwasa message written in blood.
