called many humans my friends, and a few, including these boys, had figured out my special situation, more or less. Hell, I had to hang with humans or be a hermit since William wouldn’t let me within spitting distance of other vamps. But every now and then, when someone you hang with gets too big for his britches, you have to show ’em who’s the big dog. It’s not an ego thing, honest. It’s for their own good.
“You wouldn’t know what we’re dealing with if it came up and bit you on the ass. Hell, I don’t even know if I can protect you. I don’t even know if I can protect myself. If this thing goes after me, it might not be picky about what it does with whoever gets in its way—like Huey. Until further notice, I don’t want anybody hanging around here. I’m serious.”
“Dammit, Jack, we—”
Jerry’s train of thought came to a screeching halt as I set my mouth to show off my fangs. I let my eyes dilate and leveled a deadly stare on him. “Drop it.”
Jerry sat down immediately. I’d never shown them my game face before. I sighed, seized by an overwhelming sadness. The regulars would never look at me the same way again, I knew it. The little scare was for their own good, but it made me feel like an outsider in my own home. I liked humans. I liked the rosy look of their skin, their musical voices, their genuine human smells, their normalness. The way they went about their business oblivious to the things I could see, smell, and hear that they couldn’t. Like the movement in a corner of the eye, the scent of old, dead things, the sound of lost souls stirring. They would never be troubled by any of that. Sometimes I longed to be one of them again.
Rennie broke the tension by saying, “All right. We get it. You’re bad.”
After the regulars went their separate ways, Rennie patted me awkwardly on the arm and told me to take care of myself. I could tell he was worried. Hell, so was I.
Alone at last, I went to the small safe I’d had poured into the concrete floor in the corner of the garage. I kept one of the tool cases parked above it, so that it was pretty much invisible. I’d installed the safe because some of our more eccentric customers liked to deal in cash. It’s tough to get credit cards and checking accounts when you’re not human. Me, I applied for a Social Security card when that system was established, so I have everything I need. Been drawing benefits for a good number of years now, and I pay my fair share of income tax just like your average human Joe. You know what they say. Nothing is certain but death and taxes. I have them both covered.
I fished out the tacky little necklace William had asked me to keep for him years ago. He called it a charm, but it wasn’t very charming. It was pretty ugly, in fact. Just a bunch of shells and beads strung on old, stained leather that looked like a kid’s “what I did last summer at camp” project. I wondered what was so special about it besides the fact that it smelled like blood. Just more of William’s mysterious shit. I tucked the stupid charm in my pocket, relocked the safe, and closed up the garage.
I took the mayor’s vehicle and headed over to Eleanor’s. Through William’s connections, I happened to know that his honor was at some kind of mayors’ conference out of town and wouldn’t be back until the night of William’s party. I figured William might as well continue to ride around in style while his Jag was missing. Something domestic wasn’t really him, but the Escalade was big and roomy and would do in a pinch. At least I wouldn’t have to drive ’em around and watch Olivia and William getting cozier and cozier in a bucket seat made for one.
My bucket seat.
I parked the car on the street in front of Eleanor’s, got out, and started up the steps, expecting to feel William’s usual impatience with my timing. I stopped on the landing halfway up and had to get a grip on the rail to keep from falling on my butt.
“You wouldn’t know what we’re dealing with if it came up and bit you on the ass. Hell, I don’t even know if I can protect you. I don’t even know if I can protect myself. If this thing goes after me, it might not be picky about what it does with whoever gets in its way—like Huey. Until further notice, I don’t want anybody hanging around here. I’m serious.”
“Dammit, Jack, we—”
Jerry’s train of thought came to a screeching halt as I set my mouth to show off my fangs. I let my eyes dilate and leveled a deadly stare on him. “Drop it.”
Jerry sat down immediately. I’d never shown them my game face before. I sighed, seized by an overwhelming sadness. The regulars would never look at me the same way again, I knew it. The little scare was for their own good, but it made me feel like an outsider in my own home. I liked humans. I liked the rosy look of their skin, their musical voices, their genuine human smells, their normalness. The way they went about their business oblivious to the things I could see, smell, and hear that they couldn’t. Like the movement in a corner of the eye, the scent of old, dead things, the sound of lost souls stirring. They would never be troubled by any of that. Sometimes I longed to be one of them again.
Rennie broke the tension by saying, “All right. We get it. You’re bad.”
After the regulars went their separate ways, Rennie patted me awkwardly on the arm and told me to take care of myself. I could tell he was worried. Hell, so was I.
Alone at last, I went to the small safe I’d had poured into the concrete floor in the corner of the garage. I kept one of the tool cases parked above it, so that it was pretty much invisible. I’d installed the safe because some of our more eccentric customers liked to deal in cash. It’s tough to get credit cards and checking accounts when you’re not human. Me, I applied for a Social Security card when that system was established, so I have everything I need. Been drawing benefits for a good number of years now, and I pay my fair share of income tax just like your average human Joe. You know what they say. Nothing is certain but death and taxes. I have them both covered.
I fished out the tacky little necklace William had asked me to keep for him years ago. He called it a charm, but it wasn’t very charming. It was pretty ugly, in fact. Just a bunch of shells and beads strung on old, stained leather that looked like a kid’s “what I did last summer at camp” project. I wondered what was so special about it besides the fact that it smelled like blood. Just more of William’s mysterious shit. I tucked the stupid charm in my pocket, relocked the safe, and closed up the garage.
I took the mayor’s vehicle and headed over to Eleanor’s. Through William’s connections, I happened to know that his honor was at some kind of mayors’ conference out of town and wouldn’t be back until the night of William’s party. I figured William might as well continue to ride around in style while his Jag was missing. Something domestic wasn’t really him, but the Escalade was big and roomy and would do in a pinch. At least I wouldn’t have to drive ’em around and watch Olivia and William getting cozier and cozier in a bucket seat made for one.
My bucket seat.
I parked the car on the street in front of Eleanor’s, got out, and started up the steps, expecting to feel William’s usual impatience with my timing. I stopped on the landing halfway up and had to get a grip on the rail to keep from falling on my butt.
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