Chapter 14 Onyx #2
Angel froze and then nodded once as her eyes widened. “I remember.”
My thumb brushed over my bottom lip. “You can leave this with the police or . . .”
“Or?”
“Or ask me to help you.” Her gaze never wavered, nor did mine. “I don’t offer this lightly. You saw a taste of it in the basement.” Her eyes widened more. “Do you want my help?”
“You’re dangerous,” she said hoarsely. “I always knew that about you,” she admitted as she finally looked away. “But we have law enforcement for a reason,” Angel said as she stood. “I trust the police.” She dipped her head toward me and turned to leave.
“It’s not about trusting me,” I told her. “It’s knowing you’re safer with my help than with anyone else’s, our good boys in blue included.”
Angel hesitated at the door. “I’ll be okay, but,” she turned back to me, “thank you. I know that offer was genuine, and it must have hurt like a bitch, almost as much as me saying thank you to you.” She smiled at me and left the boardroom.
The vampire had a stalker. Who the fuck would believe it? Now it made sense why she was snooping around security. I needed to watch the tapes again. Leaving the boardroom, I marveled that once again Angel had my attention, whether she wanted it or not.
* * *
The call came later that night. I knew before I even answered the call that something must have happened.
“What is it?”
“Onyx?”
Was she crying? “What’s happened?”
“They’ve been here again.” I heard her sniffle. “My bed’s . . . wet. They’ve, they’ve . . .” I heard her voice crack, and I had a strong idea of what had happened to her bed.
“Are you alone now?” I asked as I headed to the front door. “Did you call the police?”
“I’m alone, I haven’t called them yet.” I heard her hesitate. “I don’t know why I’m calling you.”
“We both know why,” I told her, and then I hung up. I called Cooper from my car. “Need you at Twelve South,” I told him.
“Why?”
“Angel went and got herself a stalker.”
“Ugh, of course she fucking did,” he growled, and I filled him in on the details. “I’ll call Charlie,” he told me when I was finished. He hung up, and I ran through all the things she had told me, and I thought about who could want to harm her.
Everyone.
Not true, I reprimanded myself as I thought of the people she knew and worked with who may have ill will toward her.
That definitely narrowed it down, but it narrowed it down to me.
Just me . . . and maybe Cooper. Other than that, it could be anyone.
I got to her house first and waited impatiently as she unlocked the door.
She was still in her work clothes, and checking the time, I raised an eyebrow.
“I stayed late, then went and got something to eat,” she explained.
“Avoiding your house is not the solution,” I told her, and when I heard a car approach, I turned and watched Charlie get out and make his way to the house.
“Which one’s your bedroom?” Charlie asked. “Dracula,” he greeted her as an afterthought.
“Isn’t it late?” she weakly protested.
“Does your bedroom move?” I drawled as I looked around.
“Move? No, what are you talking about?”
“Then it shouldn’t matter the time. Your bedroom?” For the first time, she looked like her old self.
“Second door on the left,” she answered. I heard Charlie grunt and felt him move past me. “You didn’t need to come,” she told me.
“Thought I should familiarize myself with where I’m breaking into,” I mocked. “I have a question. Didn’t you clear seven figures last year?” I asked her.
She looked confused, but she nodded. “Yes.”
“Why the fuck are you living in this shithole?”
“This is my home,” she hissed at me angrily. “I didn’t invite you in. You can fuck off if you don’t like it.”
Cooper spoke from behind us. “It’s only your kind that needs invited in, isn’t it?”
Both of us turned to look at him.
“Cooper.” Angel sighed and avoided eye contact with him.
“Where’s Charlie?” he asked me, and I pointed down the hall. Cooper looked over at Angel. “How much have you touched since you found out someone was in here?”
“Um.” She looked perplexed. “I don’t know tonight, but I cleaned the whole house a few days ago.”
“Everything then,” Cooper snorted and went down the hall after Charlie.
Turning back to me, she saw I was watching. “You brought the cavalry.”
“Like old times.”
“I told the police you wouldn’t do this. I don’t know who would though.”
“I’m humbled you thought to exonerate me and accuse me in the same breath,” I taunted her.
Following my friends’ voices, I entered her bedroom.
I knew she wouldn’t stay behind. The room was in darkness, and someone, probably Charlie, had a blacklight as Cooper sprayed something, and I knew it was a spray because I could hear it, even though I couldn’t see it.
When the blacklight came on, we all stood staring at the luminous splatters.
“You’ve either got a very healthy, active sex life or someone’s been jerking off on your bed for longer than just this week,” Cooper drawled.
“I’m going to be sick,” she mumbled, and I felt her run past me.
“Jerk off for the win then,” Cooper muttered, and Charlie snickered before we all heard her throwing up.