Damon (The Protectors #1)(3)
“Who did you let know where you were going?” Mitch interrupted.
“I sent Pam a text letting her know. She was already on a scheduled home visit.”
“What's the difference?” This again from Damon.
“A scheduled visit is usually less dangerous, as the foster parents know we're coming. We schedule visits up to three months, six months and up to a year depending upon the case. The home visits not scheduled are the most dangerous. Even before Crimson Rush hit the streets it was more dangerous to do an unscheduled visit. Many of us would find that the foster parents were not who we thought they were.” God, the things she had found in those homes kept her awake at night.
“Go on.” Damon crossed his arms nodding at Nicole.
“When I got to the house I sat for a few minutes in the car across the street watching the house to see if anything seemed off. Then I got out and knocked on the door. It wasn’t closed all the way, and opened a little when I knocked. I could hear Sam crying. Again I called out and when no one answered I hit 911 on my phone and went inside.”
Everyone’s eyes were on her and she hated having to repeat what she saw. The anger and horror she felt earlier consumed her again at the memory of it. Everyone waited for her to continue.
“The crying seemed to be coming from downstairs so I headed in that direction, found the door leading to the basement and the crying got louder.”
“Please tell me you didn’t go down in the basement without backup Callahan.” Mitch rubbed his eyes knowing damn good and well that was exactly what she was telling them.
“He was terrified Mitch. What was I suppose to do, just stand there and listen to him scream and cry?” Nicole shook her head. “No way. Not happening.”
“You’re just damn lucky that black eye is the only thing that happened to you tonight.” Mitch nodded for her to continue.
“I headed down the stairs and saw Mr. Mullins leaning over something. Looking around I saw an IV stand lying sideways on a long table with a bag of blood hanging from it. At that point Mr. Mullins had moved and I saw Sam strapped to a chair with IV tubing coming out of one arm. Mr. Mullins was working on a second bag of Sam's blood.” Her stomach twisted at the memory. “Not thinking, I headed toward Sam wanting to yank the tube out of his arm and I guess I surprised Mr. Mullins. He turned and backhanded me.”
“I need a full report on this first thing in the morning.” Mitch told her, shaking his head in disgust.
Nicole nodded as she continued. “After he hit me I heard someone run up the stairs. I didn’t see who it was, but there was money scattered at the bottom of the steps and a busted bag of what I assume was Sam’s blood. By then, the police were there and had Mr. Mullins under control and Sam was being taken care of by the paramedics.” Glancing over she saw Damon’s scowl.
“Do you have any idea what kind of danger you put yourself in?” Damon demanded, looking at the small blonde woman with the biggest blue eyes he'd ever seen. The bruising under one of those lovely eyes had his blood raging. Ever since she walked in the door he had an overwhelming urge to protect her and that confused the hell out of him, making him growl his question at her.
“Yeah, I do, but at the time my only concern was for Sam.” She scowled back. “I have never, and I hope I never, again see what I saw tonight. For a child, vampire or human, to go through something like this is uncalled for and I will do everything in my power to see that Mr. Mullins is never allowed to be near a child again.”
“I still think you are taking grave risks, even with our training, that you are ill equipped to take, human.” Damon scowled, his voice a low deep rumble of authority.
“Yeah, well it wasn’t you who put that child in the hands of a monster, vamp.” Nicole shot back. If he thought to scare her with the big bad vampire warrior thing he had going on, he was sadly mistaken. Backing down wasn't an option when it came to her job.
“Ah.... okay.” Duncan stepped in not liking where this was heading. “Everybody partner up.”
Mitch glared a warning at Nicole, who just shrugged and mouthed, “He started it.” Taking a quick peek at the warrior she noticed his smug grin. Oh yeah, this was going to be a problem.
Chapter 2
Nicole came into the office early the next morning to do her report. She should have done it last night since she hadn’t slept a wink. Between thinking of Damon and the nightmare of what happened to Sam her brain wouldn’t stop working. Tossing the pen across the desk, she rubbed her eyes wishing the images of Sam strapped to that chair with silver chains and the tube running out of his arm would fade, but she knew they wouldn’t.
Sam had been taken off the streets by the Cincinnati police a month ago and turned over to their care. Mitch had sent her to the hospital where he was being looked over. If anyone would have told her two years ago that she would have to place an 8 year old vampire in a foster home, she would have called them crazy. Now they had more vampire children to find homes for than human children. Of course vampires could not have children, but human children were being turned to supply the thirst for the Crimson Rush that had taken over the drug market. Some days she just wanted to head to the mountains somewhere and disappear. God, it was heartbreaking and truly scary. It was a new world they lived in with different rules. One she was hoping she could live in without going insane.