Top Secret Vampire (Monsters, PI #4)

9. Reese

Chapter 9

Reese

M y mouth was going to get me into trouble, but I didn’t care one bit as long as I could continue to tease Wolf. Thankfully, he seemed to adore it as much as I did.

I barely made it back down to the foyer before he caught me, his arms going around me in a way that made me feel safe. Cherished. And overheated. This vampire was going to be my downfall, and I suspected I’d meet him more than halfway with my arms wide open.

With a growl, he spun me around to face him. “ Wolfie .”

“It’s such a cute nickname. Don’t you agree?” I chirped.

He leaned toward me and—

Someone knocked on the front door behind me.

“I’m not finished with you,” Wolf said, his lips curling up on one side.

Damn, this guy made my heart flip around in my chest. “I look forward to your retribution.” With a snicker, I spun and unlocked the door, cracking it only wide enough to see who was there.

It had been a while, but I recognized him from . . . what happened. He was a year older than me, but we’d been casual friends since elementary school. After what happened, I’d avoided him as much as I could.

“Wilber Blight.” I braced my foot on the inside of the door to keep him from shoving it open and coming inside. This man had . . . A shudder ripped through me. “Um, well. It’s . . . interesting to see you again.” Why was he here?

“Reese? What are you doing here?” His face blanched, though he’d never had a lot of color to begin with. Something about hating sunlight. Whatever the reason, he’d had a note from his mom saying he couldn’t take phys ed class outside. He’d remain inside and walk laps around the gym.

That was when he . . .

“I bought this house.” It was all I could do to speak in a civil manner. But we’d grown up since then. He must’ve changed. “I fixed it up. You should’ve seen it when I bought it.” The words sputtered out of me. Anything to avoid silence and him possibly bringing up our past. “The woman who owned it went into a nursing home, and it was vacant for some time. Her family sold it, but she hadn’t done any work on it for years. I freshened it up, and I’m happy with the results.”

“Do you mind if I come inside?” He cocked his head, glaring at the late-day sunlight, though it was currently setting over the bay and creating shadows on my porch. “Please. I promise. I . . . Well, the past is the past, right?” He said the last in a false, bright voice.

“I’m not alone,” I ground out.

“Is there a problem?” Wolf asked in a deadly voice. He tugged me away from the door and widened it, stepping between us. “Would you like me to send someone on his way by any means within my disposal?”

“No, it’s okay.” Not really, but I could make nice. The past was in the past. I stepped back and flicked my hand, urging Wilber to enter.

Wolf remained between us, watching with a carefully fierce expression. “One word . . .” he whispered to me, following it up with the clenching of his fists at his sides.

I loved that he was here, that he was eager to protect me, but I wasn’t fourteen any longer.

“Wilber,” I said in a stoic tone. I’d get this over with, and then I wouldn’t need to see him again. “This is my friend, Wolfram Zegrath. Wolfram? This is Wilber Blight.”

The teenage bully who groped me inside the gym when I was fourteen to his fifteen. I’d kicked him in the balls and run while he clutched his package and groaned. When I told the principal, the incident was dismissed as boys being boys and maybe I should smile at him every now and then.

There was nothing worse than not being taken seriously.

“Wilber.” Wolfram studied the other man. “Why are you making my . . . Reese nervous?”

“Nervous?” Wilber’s shrill laugh rang out. “No idea. We’re old friends, right , Reese?”

My face flaming with rage, I said nothing.

“Wolfram, you said?” Wilber scratched the back of his neck. “Is that German?”

“Originally Romanian, though my family hasn’t lived there for ages.”

Many ages, from what he’d said.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time.” If only I wasn’t seeing him now, either. “I moved here from New York, where I’ve been since I graduated from community college. What are you up to now, Wilber?” Groped any teenagers lately?

“This and that,” he said with a tight smile, his eyes filled with near-panic. “I got my law degree.” With his hands on his hips, though one held a sheath of papers, he rocked on the heels of his polished shoes. He also wore dark pants and a long-sleeved, button-up shirt. A dark blue jacket. A loosened tie.

“Do you work here in town?” I asked. Hopefully not.

His face tightened. “You know I can’t.”

Actually, I didn’t.

“My mother . . .” He clamped his mouth shut, not finishing the statement.

“Oh.” What should I say to that? Maybe my talk with the principal had resulted in ramifications I was unaware of, though that wouldn’t keep his mother from working here in town.

He huffed and thrust a glossy folded booklet out toward me. “Anyway, I’m canvassing the neighborhood.” His slick smile grew. “I’m running for state legislature, and I’d love to have your vote.”

Never.

“This booklet lays out my plans if I’m elected, and I’m sure you’ll agree that I’ve moved past whatever odd occurrence might’ve happened in our past. I’m more than capable of doing the best for this community.”

Truly? He must know I’d never agree with something like that.

“I’ll look over your information.” No, I’d burn it.

As far as his mother was concerned, I had no idea what he was talking about. My gaze sought Wolfram’s, and he shrugged, equally puzzled.

“Can I count on your vote?” Wilber started backing toward the door.

I pressed for a smile, though I was sure it came out flat. “Interesting seeing you again, Wilber.”

“Thanks.” With that, he spun and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him.

I scooted over to one of the long panes of glass on either side of the door and watched as he got into a car and backed out onto the road, the tires spinning as he took the vehicle down the hill.

“Odd running into him again.” I turned to face Wolf. “For the record, he and I were never friends.”

“You’re frightened,” Wolf growled, his dark gaze stabbing the door. “Why?”

“Back when I was fourteen, I hurt my ankle, and I couldn’t run track during phys ed class. Wilber always stayed inside, so they told me to hang out with him. He . . . pushed me against a wall and pawed my breast. Tried to kiss me.”

“Fuck.” Wolfram mistified, returning not long later. “Gone, but I’ll track him down. Kill him.”

“Don’t bother. It was a long time ago.”

“He frightened you now .” He tugged me into his arms and held me. “You’re still shaking, and I won’t have it.”

“It’s just a reaction to seeing him again. I know he has no power over me now. He didn’t back then either. I kneed him in the balls, and he released me with a yelp. While he clutched himself, I ran to the principal’s office.” I shared that I didn’t find help there.

That only made Wolf’s claws extend from his fingertips farther. “I will kill him.”

“It’s been a long time. I hope he’s grown up since then and learned his lesson.”

“Did he apologize back then? He didn’t do so now.”

“No.”

“Then he has not learned a lesson.” Wolf braced my upper arms and stared into my eyes. “He will.”

“Please let it go. I don’t care about Wilber. I doubt I’ll ever see him again. Don’t endanger yourself for something like that.”

“You have nothing to fear in that regard. Vampires have remained hidden forever. You know we exist only because we’re willing to let you see.”

I should be shivering at this statement, but it only made me feel more secure. No matter what, I knew Wolf would never hurt me.

“Forget about him,” I said. “I haven’t seen him since high school, and that was good enough for me. He went to a big university while I stayed local and went to the community college.”

“He started to say something about his mother.” His scowl deepened. “I’ll see if I can discover any information.”

“Why bother?” I lifted the brochure and grumbled when I read the first line that talked about turning the local park into a condo complex. “He’ll never get my vote.” I tore it into a bunch of small pieces and stomped into the living room, where I flung them into the fireplace to tinder the next fire.

“Wilber has a reason for wanting you to leave Mystic Harbor,” he said, following me.

“He didn’t know I was here until just now. I doubt he’s involved in whatever’s happened.”

“He may have pretended.”

Good point. “Add him to your list, then.”

“I already have.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed. “What can I do to make this better?”

Turning, I lifted a smile, though I didn’t go all-in. “You already have.”

He studied my face for a long while before nodding grimly. “See if you can access your accounts now, and then we can talk about my growing list of suspects and brainstorm ideas for why these incidents are happening.”

“Alright.”

We went into my office, and I sat at my desk, booting up my laptop while Wolf settled on the sofa with a pad of paper on his lap, a pen poised over it.

Scratchy sounds soon rang out as he started taking notes.