Damon (The Protectors #1)(14)
Nicole nodded, figuring as much and knew because of that fact she wasn't backing down. She never did before so why start now? She watched as the chief gave the orders and the officers started backing away slowly. Mitch and the others followed suit, until everyone was evacuated but Damon. “You need to leave Damon.”
“I can take care of this Nicole.” Damon stared over her head at the young vampire and knew he could take him out in a blink of an eye. The nurse may suffer for it, but it was a chance he was willing to take. He did not want Nicole in danger. His whole body burned at the thought of her getting hurt.
“I'm sure you can, but I still need to talk to him and I know I can get more out of him than those guys down at the police station. They still fear your kind and would rather lock him away than find out what really happened. You know this Damon. I could find out a lot from him.” She hoped he would see her reasoning.
“I'm not leaving.” Damon turned her and pushed her toward Steve. “If he doesn't go for that then the deal is off and I will take him out.”
Nicole nodded, knowing Damon wasn't going to back down on this either. At least Steve seemed to be easing up a little with the cops and guns gone. “Okay Steve. I did my part, now you need to do yours and let her go.”
“What about him?” Steve nodded his head at Damon.
“Well you see that's a problem. My friend is very protective and wants to make sure we just talk. ” Nicole turned and shot a glare at Damon who cocked an eyebrow. “He promised he wouldn't interfere as long as things remained calm, which I don't see that being a problem. So do we have a deal?”
“He's a vampire?” Steve unwrapped his arm from the nurse’s neck, but kept a hand on her shoulder.
“Yes he is.” Nicole nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“Just tell him to stay out of my head. I feel him in there probing around.” He watched Damon suspiciously.
“Done.” Nicole looked over at Damon. “Please?”
Damon inclined his head to her then turned his focus on the boy. “Steve I will do as you ask, but if you make one move to hurt her it will be the last move you ever make. She is trying to help you and is putting her life and job on the line. If you decide to take yourself down, she will not go down with you.”
Steve swallowed hard and nodded, letting the nurse go. She ran to Nicole, who quietly told her to leave through the door behind Damon. Nicole turned and walked slowly toward Steve. “Okay, now we can figure out what happened and what we're going to do about it.”
Steve took one last look at Damon as he sat on the bed putting his head in both of his hands with a huge sigh. “God, I don't know where to start.”
Nicole walked up and sat on the end of the hospital bed. She didn't have to turn to know that Damon came closer. “Listen Steve.” She sighed. “I'm going to be straight up with you. I know your file. I was supposed to be your case manager, but Chad wanted it so it was given to him. I'm sorry things didn't turn out for you under Chad's care.”
Steve snorted lifting his head up to meet her stare. “No it didn't turn out, obviously.”
Nicole nodded. The poor kid. He already had so many strikes against him before he was turned. He would be sixteen for the rest of his vampire life. No way would she want to be sixteen forever. He was the only child of parents who couldn't handle the matrimony of marriage and called it quits when he was five. Raised by his mother, who was a heavy drug user and known well by the police, he had spent time in the system on and off for most of his adolescent life. At sixteen, his mom kicked him out and he landed on the streets where he met up with the wrong people and was turned. Getting caught by the police for stealing a car, he was charged, but being a minor, he was to be released into his mother's custody. Problem was his mother never showed up to take him. He was now a ward of the state and what a bang up job they had done for the kid.
“Why did you kill your adoptive parents Steve?” Nicole cocked her head to the side ready to listen. “Let's start there.”
Taking one last look at Damon, he rubbed his hands together back and forth. “I didn't do it.” He looked back to Nicole to see what kind of reaction she had to that little tidbit. When her features showed nothing, he continued. “There was someone else there, but I didn't see who it was.”
“Okay.” Nicole sat up straighter. “Did you hear anything that would give you a clue to who it was?”
He shook his head. “I came in through the kitchen after work. I have a part time job after school. They didn't have much for me to do at Wilson's Garage so I headed home early. I was in the kitchen getting ready to grab a drink from the fridge when I heard my mom talking loudly from the other room. She was always quiet, so it surprised me to hear her voice raised. So I walked into the hall and stood there figuring she and my dad was fighting and hoped it wasn't about me.”
Nicole nodded her head in understanding. Poor kid. Wanting to belong, but afraid he never would. Finding a family, but afraid it would disappear any minute. “Go on Steve.”
His eyes focused over her head. She didn't know if he stared at Damon or nothing. “They were in the office with the door shut. I heard her saying that they changed their minds. They didn't need the money anymore and that they were not going to agree to anything. I heard another voice yelling at her telling her to shut up.”