The Vampire's Curse (6 page)

That seemed to be the right thing to say to Charity, and she smiled in approval. "That's the best thing to do. I actually should be closing up right now, but you can stay as long as you like. I'll set you up with a library card while you're looking, even though you don't live here. That way you can take some books with you."

Kyle graced her with a real smile. "Thank you."

She pointed her finger behind them. "You'll find vampires up those stairs on the fifth shelf in the back. The shelves are all labeled so you should find anything you need without a hitch."

Kyle looked where she pointed and grabbed Jackie’s hand. "You are wonderful, come on Jackie."

***

Jackie didn't know why she felt any kind of jealousy when Kyle called Charity wonderful. Charity just pointed the way. She wasn't the one who kissed him for a cure and brought him here in the first place.

They passed a couple of wooden pillars, some desks with those little green lamps, and Kyle all but jogged up the stairs, turning every few seconds to be sure that she followed him.

When they were along the shelf with everything marked with a V, Kyle whispered to her, "She said she has nothing against vampires, but I got the feeling she really does."

There was no point to lying, so she nodded. "Her husband was killed by a feral vampire last year. She hasn't been the same since."

Yes, Charity had stopped being very charitable when that happened. The people who knew her understood, but newcomers like Kyle had to be told so they wouldn’t take offense.

He nodded. She felt sympathy rolling off him before it was replaced with the need to fix his own problems.

He looked at the shelf. "So, I don't think the word
Curse
falls under V."

"It doesn't. You're going to stay here and do some reading while I grab some books and bring them to you."

He rewarded her with that heart stopping grin of his and started pulling books in two’s off their polished wooden shelves after barely glancing at their titles.

Jackie watched him pile them onto the table, suddenly hesitant to leave.

What if she was wrong about calling Mike? Kyle was the first normal person she’d met in years who’d found his way into the city, only he didn’t mean to stay. He needed help, but what if this was the only way to help? "Okay, be right back."

He opened one of the books, something big with glossy color photos, and then looked back at her. Her stomach fluttered when he smiled again. "Thanks for bringing me here, Gorgeous. I know I haven't been so nice to you, and I apologize for that."

His words sucked the breath right out of her, and then drilled the guilt right in. "Uh, that's okay." Then she tensed and her face heated. “Gorgeous?”

He shrugged. “Nickname, I think it suits you.”

He thought she was gorgeous. Their eyes met, and that spark she felt when he touched her came back. She had to turn away. "It’s fine, I guess. I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," he called.

No one ever referred to her as
Gorgeous
before. Jackie didn’t know whether she was supposed to be insulted or not.

She opted to just let it go for now.

She had to force herself to keep going despite the loud nagging voice in her head. He had no idea what she was really up to, what she really had planned. She was betraying his trust. She ignored all that and kept walking past the C shelves and back downstairs.

Turning him into Mike was the right thing to do. This guy was new to the city, to this way of life, and he was cursed. He needed someone to help him deal with being a vampire and provide him with blood until he could buy it himself. She had no idea if he had any money, probably some but she doubted it was much with the condition she first saw him in. Not to mention that Mike probably wanted him to answer a few questions about what happened in the alley last night.

Charity was only too happy to lift herself from her computer and offer her the phone. She had that eager-to-help look on her face up until Jackie got Mike on the other end and explained Kyle’s curse.

She could hear him fighting back the panic. “Okay, just try and keep him busy until I get there. Stay safe.”

“I don’t think he’d hurt me.”

“You don’t know that. Just stay put and try not to arouse his suspicions.”

“Right, right.” When she hung up the phone Charity appeared pale.

"
He's
the one who was bitten?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." Jackie spun to look upstairs over the railing, but she saw no movement amongst the far shelves.

Charity leaned closer to keep her voice from traveling. "Why wouldn't you tell me? And how does he look so normal?"

"It's hard to explain, but—" The sounds of sirens cut her off. She spun to look at the top shelves. She couldn't see him, but he was probably standing up, telling himself the police were being called to some other emergency somewhere else while sweating over the fact that he might be wrong.

She should have told Mike to come alone, but then, he thought she was in danger. Knowing Mike he would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

She spun to face Charity, keeping her expression tight with no room for argument. "I need you to just keep calm, okay. He's not dangerous."

The lights of the cars made the inside of the library brighter. Jackie heard a chair fall upstairs as the police rushed in.

"He's upstairs! He’s upstairs!" Charity yelled, pointing the way for them.

Jackie was silent. She couldn't say or do anything but watch them pass. She heard one of the officers yell, "Freeze!" And then she saw Kyle jump over the rail and onto the ground floor of the library, only to be met by more police who tackled him to the floor like football players.

Jackie shrieked a little at how violent it all played out. How they shoved his hands behind his back, searching him and removing his gun.

He looked up at her and again their eyes met. She shut her eyes and turned away from the betrayal she saw there, and the anger, only to open them and see Mike standing beside her, supervising the entire ordeal. His face sagged with tired relief, and he needed to shave the dark stubble from his chin.

She grabbed him by the coat he wore. "He's not dangerous, Mike. All of this really isn't necessary," she said, secretly hoping her voice traveled enough for Kyle to hear her defend him.

The police hauled Kyle to his feet and handed Mike the gun they bagged before taking him outside.

Her eyes followed his. She waited for his outburst, his screams of betrayal, wished for it even just to take away from what she felt. He said nothing. He didn't need to. She saw the anger in him as his golden eyes became dark, and she cringed.

"If he's not so dangerous then what's this for?” He waved the bag in front of her. “Last I checked vampires don't normally carry these."

"It's legal. He used to be a bodyguard," she said, stepping up to him and jabbing him in the chest with an angry finger. "The only reason I called you is so that you could help him. I was right, he is a vampire and I did cure him."

"But in your call you said it was only temporary."

Jackie rubbed her face. "He's cursed. Someone cursed him. That makes him a victim not a criminal. He needs help, I called you to help him."

Mike blew air out of his mouth and looked out the glass that made up half the wall and the doors to where Kyle was being driven away in a squad car. "That woman who was found yesterday was identified as Georgette Sash. She's a doctor. The people looking after her now are positive that she'll wake up soon, and when she does we'll be able to question her and find out if what she says matches his testimony."

Jackie cocked her head at him suspiciously. "Why are you telling me this? What does her being a doctor have anything to do with anything?"

"You said you found him in your apartment at eight thirty?"

"You’re not answering my question."

"Answer mine first."

She knew that tone, though he'd never entirely unleashed it upon her before. She was being questioned as a cop would question a civilian. She gave in. "Yes. Why?"

"A woman was found dead earlier today. Looks like a feral tore her neck wide open and left her to bleed out."

Charity gasped, her hand flying to her neck in sympathy. "That's horrible! How could that have happened?"

Mike and Jackie looked at her. She forgot Charity was even there and it looked like Mike did too.

Mike took her arm and led her to a corner where they could speak while another police officer distracted Charity by asking her questions. "I just want to keep you safe. It looks like she was killed before the time you said but the medical examiner is going to check and get back to us after the autopsy."

Jackie shook her head. "But he's not a feral."

"It wouldn't be the first case of a vampire tearing into the neck like that to make the attack look feral when it wasn't."

Jackie massaged her throat and swallowed painfully. She suddenly had a large appreciation for her neck. "And what makes you think he's connected with her?"

Mike held onto her shoulders. "She was a doctor just like Georgette. If you say this guy is cursed then I'll believe you now, but that also means that he was once normal. He could be hunting down doctors, looking for a cure."

"Only to kill them when they say there isn't one." She finished, having a hard time digesting the fact that she might have had a crazed killer in her home, comforted him, offered him her help, and kissed him.

"I think I'm going to be sick." She bent over and fought for deep breaths, the feel of Mike's large hand rubbing her back brought her no comfort.

She'd been so sure,
so sure
he was just a victim of unfortunate circumstances that she was willing to go along with him, that she had felt guilt for calling Mike in the first place.

What had she been thinking? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

"Do you need me to go with you? Answer more questions?" She prayed he'd just send her home.

No such luck. "That'd probably be best." He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Want to call your mom?"

Jackie took the phone. She didn't want to give her mother anything to worry over, or to nag at because she'd become comfortable in the presence of a man she knew might possibly be dangerous in such a short amount of time, but she needed to hear a warm voice.

Patty picked up quickly.

"Hi, mom."

“Hi, baby. What’s going on?”

Her cheery voice had Jackie fighting back tears. She didn't know why she was crying. Everything was fine now. Kyle was safely away and she was in a room filled with cops.

"Honey, I've been trying to call you. Where are you?"

Jackie wiped her eyes and sniffed. "I'm, uh, calling from Mike's cell."

"Oh! Well, isn't that nice. You kids make sure to use protection now, or not. I could use some grandkids already."

Jackie laughed, then sniffled and rubbed her eyes some more. She didn't even have the strength to fight her about the fact that she wasn't dating Mike. She could barely win the fight against her trembling chin.

"Are you alright? I thought I heard a sniffle." Patty said.

"Yeah, mom, I'm good. I've just been sneezing a lot. I think I'm getting something."

“Probably Karma because you dragged me out of bed today to take your last half of the shift, only to come back after losing your wallet."

"I found it," she said quickly, not wanting to say how she found it, and then suddenly she didn't want to tell her mom that she would need a ride home from the police station.

"Oh, great! At least you won't have to cancel your cards."

"Yeah, mom, about that—"

"But I have some more good news, it made me feel so much better. Your sister is here."

The clock stopped the second her mother mentioned her sister. Her eyes dried up like the inside of her mouth. "Carly's home?"

"Yes! Isn't that wonderful? I was beginning to think she'd forgotten all about us. But she said she's here to visit for a while. Taking a break from touring the world and all that. And she has pictures!"

"Uh, great."

Mike pointed to his watch, signaling that she needed to hurry up.

"Listen mom, I only called to let you know I found my wallet. I'll be over tomorrow to say hi to you and Carly."

"Actually I was thinking she and I would drop by tomorrow and visit you at work. Then all three of us could hang out, and Carly could see how well the store is doing."

Jackie clenched her teeth. The last person she wanted was for her high style, too tall and too thin model sister, the sister that their mother was so proud of, see that she still worked in their mother's little shop because she couldn’t get her own career. "Great, uh, listen mom I have to go. Love you."

"I love you too, and so does Carly."

Jackie hung up and handed Mike his phone. She couldn't help it. Her sister was always a sore subject for her.