Wanted: Undead or Alive

On Or Off?

A young vampire drove me back The Agency so I could get my car. When the metal door rolled upward, he peeked over at me apologetically. "I can't get past the warding, ma'am."

"Don't worry about it." By then the rain had stopped, but my clothes were still damp and they rubbed irritatingly against my skin as I climbed out of the car and walked down the ramp to the Chevy. When I turned the key, the car grunted and coughed like an eighty-year-old emphysema patient. I leaned forward and rested my forehead against the steering wheel. "Maybell, I really, really need you to work for me right now." I cranked the key, and the engine turned over. I patted the dashboard. "You are a good and loyal POS."

My stomach growled. It was after noon, and I hadn't eaten a thing since dinner the day before.

Drake was cleaning up to close for his afternoon break when I pushed open the door that caused the little brass bells to jingle overhead. His smile was wide and warm as ever, but instead of leaning forward over the sales counter to flirt, he leaned back, popping his hip against the work counter behind him. "Heya, Agent Gorgeous. Looks like you got caught in that storm. How's the investigation?"

"Good." I shucked my coat and hung it over the back of a bright yellow chair. "Done. We did it."

He stepped forward then, leaned his elbows on top of the glass pastry case. "For real? You caught your killer? Who was it?"

"Cider first? And I wouldn't say no to an everything bagel with cream cheese. I'm about half dead from starvation."

"Yeah, of course." He scrambled around, preparing my food. "Flip the sign, will you? I'll come sit with you."

I did as he asked and in a few minutes, we were seated across from one another and the first bites of carbaliscious goodness and spicy apple cider were warming my belly. He listened attentively as I explained my harebrained plan and how it all ended up playing out. "Last I saw, they were dragging Price off in cuffs and as far as I know, the rest of them are gone for good. Not sure there's a way to get back from literally nowhere."

He leaned back and folded his long arms over his chest. "Damn."

"Yeah." I popped the last bite of bagel in my mouth.

"So where's Nick now?"

"I don't know. Hawwa said Adom wanted to talk to him." I stared into my cup.

Drake uncrossed his arms and rubbed his palms on his jeans. "So, lately I've—"

"I came here the other—"

We spoke over each other, stopped, and chuckled.

"You first," I said. "I've talked enough for the moment."

"Where did you get the pomegranates?"

Was Hawwa drawn to him somehow because of the pomegranate?

He grinned and shook his head. "I wish I could hear what's going on in your brain when you get that look."

"What look?"

"It's... like... all the looks, all at once. Every emotion I ever felt just flitted across your face." He cocked his head to one side and studied me with unsettling intensity. "I see how much you love me, Liv. How much you've always loved me. I love you, too, you know."

"But it's different with Hawwa."

He nodded. "You got that fruit from her?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that makes sense, then."

"Not to me," I admitted. I don't think I had enough energy left to solve another mystery.