Texas Hold 'Em by Patrick Kampman Page B

chance to eat, including Megan, so I hope this room of yours is close and attached to a blood bank. Because it’s almost dawn and we need to get her fed before she goes all black widow on you back there.”
    Megan fidgeted in her chair, an uncomfortable reminder that I was seeping blood from several different places right next to a hungry vampire. As much as I trusted Megan, I was starting to get worried.
    “Which way to your hotel?” Lacey asked. We had been driving for a few minutes despite not having any destination.
    “West of the city, about thirty minutes,” I said.
    “Not enough time. How about this Jacob? Is he close?” Lacey asked.
    “I don’t know. Where are we?”
    Megan handed me her phone and I pulled up the GPS. We were less than five miles away from his place. “Maybe ten minutes,” I said.
    “Great. How do I get there?” Lacey asked.
    “I’m not so sure he’d be up for guests. He’s kind of anti-social.”
    “Tough—he’ll have to deal. Now, which way am I going?”
    I relayed the directions and Lacey drove with determination. Even so, by the time we reached the store the eastern sky had grown a few shades lighter than the west.
    “He lives in a Sew-and-Vac repair shop?” Lacey asked as she pulled the van to a stop on the empty street in front of Jacob’s.
    “Above it, yeah.” It was all I could do to remain conscious. I was fighting a losing battle to stay awake. Despite the pain that was emanating from every corner of my body, my eyes wanted to close. Bryan came around to support me as I got out of the van. Megan took my other side, and I sagged in between them.
    The security gate was still open, but the door was locked. The building didn’t have an intercom or doorbell, and after thirty seconds of knocking proved futile, I was ready to use Megan’s phone to call Jacob. But before I could, we heard the audible click of a bolt retracting.
    “Chance, what happened? I’ve been waiting for—” Jacob stopped mid- sentence as he realized I wasn’t alone. He had obviously come to the door without checking his security cameras.
    “I was too late to save Fred. I’m sorry.”
    “I said you would be,” he said, then acknowledged my companions with wide-eyed anger. “Who the hell are these people?”
    “This is my brother Bryan, and my friends Megan and Lacey. Guys, this is Jacob.” Jacob was unmoved by the introductions. “Look, Jacob, it’s okay—they’re friends. If it wasn’t for them showing up when they did, things might have gone south.” I ignored Lacey’s snort.
    “By the look of you, if things had gone any more south you would have hit the pole,” Jacob said. He considered for a full minute while I swayed despite Megan’s and my brother’s support. Lacey shot an anxious glance to the east, where the first signs of dawn were spreading over the horizon.
    Finally Jacob relented, stepping aside. “Well, come on in, then. Don’t stand there on my doorstep drawing attention.” Not a single car had driven by since we parked, and we were the only ones on the street, but I didn’t bother asking whose attention he was talking about. “Go on, tell me what happened,” Jacob said as he locked the door and motioned for us to follow.
    I gave him a quick recap of the night, or at least the part I was conscious for, while we made our way through the store and up to his loft.
    “This security is tight,” said Bryan, waving at the cameras as the elevator door shut. “Damn, kind of wasted, though,” my brother added when the doors opened to reveal the maze of documents.
    “Wasted, my ass! Do you have any idea how valuable this information is?” asked Jacob.
    “Nope.”
    “At least you’re honest about your ignorance.” We followed him back to the office area. It was the only part of the big expanse that was well lit, and Jacob let out a loud whistle when he got his first good look at me. “Put him down on the couch. I need to take a gander at that leg; we might