A Vampire for Christmas(102)
Not even all of her favorite Christmas decorations could make that thought any cheerier. Rather than dwell on it, she started handing out the eggnog.
EAGAN SKIPPED THE EGGNOG, preferring to use the time to check out the human hanging out in Della’s kitchen. He’d heard pots banging around and the sound of running water. It wasn’t much of a leap to realize the kid was her dishwasher.
Eagan shifted the ladder to his other side as an excuse to pause in the doorway. The teenager appeared to be about sixteen, seventeen tops. Odd that he was wearing his sweatshirt zipped up and the hood cinched down close to his face.
He wasn’t cold, not with the way he just swiped a rivulet of sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. He was hiding something under that fleece, and Eagan had a good suspicion about what it might be. He’d bet anything the kid was sporting fang marks either on his neck or his wrists or both.
The kid didn’t reek of leftover fear, which meant he’d been a willing donor. Maybe that was a plus, but Eagan couldn’t see how. The question was why? Money, if Eagan were to hazard a guess, but that didn’t exonerate the vampire feeding off someone Daniel’s age. Cautious vampires survived by moving in the shadows and making sure their blood sources didn’t remember being bitten. They also didn’t leave marks behind. The chemistry of their saliva should ensure puncture wounds faded within minutes.
Only the very young and the stupid left obvious evidence behind. The young might be forgiven and taken under an older vampire’s wing until they mastered both their hunger and their survival skills. The stupid were ruthlessly culled from the herd for the benefit of everyone. Now that Eagan knew this boy had been used as a traveling buffet line, he’d hunt down those two vamps and see whether they warranted a tutor or an executioner.
The kid finally noticed him standing there. Lots of resentment in that gaze and then a flare of awareness. Shit, had he been made? Eagan set the ladder down, ready to shut the kid up by fair means or foul if he tried to sound the alarm.
But instead of screaming, the kid shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt and glared at Eagan. “What are you staring at?”
Not much. Eagan forced a small smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’ve got a bum leg, and climbing up and down to hang lights for Della has the muscle cramping. I was giving it a rest before carrying the ladder back down to the basement.”
That much was true, not that he would’ve admitted as much in front of Della. “My name’s Eagan.”
The kid actually grinned. “I’m Daniel, and better you than me with the whole light thing. I figured I’d end up doing that for her.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t such a pain in the ass. “Yeah, well, it was me or Harry.”
Daniel raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? I don’t believe Della was going to let him.”
No, she wasn’t. That’s why she asked me.”
He shouldered the ladder again. “Nice meeting you. I’d better get back to work. She promised me pie if I did a good job.”
Daniel wiped down the counter and tossed the towel in a bin in the far corner. “Her blueberry is my favorite, but they’re all good.”
He headed out of the kitchen. “See you around.”
Eagan waited until he was out of sight to take several deep breaths to draw Daniel’s scent deep into his lungs. With luck, he’d be able to track the boy’s trail back to the place the vampires were using as a feedlot. Once he located it, he’d call the lieutenant and request some backup to keep an eye on the place.
For now, he’d haul the ladder back to the basement. After that, he’d claim his reward. Too bad it wouldn’t be another kiss. As good as Della’s pie was reputed to be, he seriously doubted it could possibly taste as sweet as Della herself did.
Just the thought of how well she’d fit in his arms, how right she’d felt there, had him rock hard and hungry. No human woman had ever had such a powerful effect on him. In fact, no woman ever. He didn’t like it, not one bit. She was human, and an innocent. His job was to protect people like Della, not to seduce her and risk drawing her into the darkness of his world.
Damn it, he wanted to heave the stupid ladder down the steps, grab his coat and get the hell out of the diner. He was there to investigate a case and find the rogue vampires who were threatening the secret existence of all supernaturals, not to hang Christmas lights and mistletoe.
If these guys weren’t stopped, and soon, more teenagers would disappear or die, and the merely human would learn that their worst nightmares lived right next door. He needed to get his head back in the game. His first solid lead had just walked out the front door, and instead of tracking Daniel, all Eagan could think about was kissing Della again. His senses were overloaded with the memory of how she looked, her scent and how she tasted.