The Blood of a Nightlock

Chapter Sixteen

Everyone went to the pool after dinner and I went to the fitness center. I had to burn off some energy and I needed time to clear my head. All I could think about was David. The fitness center was empty, just me and the machines. I couldn't have asked for a better situation. I plugged in my phone and brought up some music to go with my workout. I cranked up the volume and let the sound of the Goo Goo Dolls fill the fitness center. Typically people listened to hype music while they were working out. I wasn't trying to be aggressive- I was looking for peace.

I was an hour into my workout when I was pretty sure I could ring out my shirt and fill a glass with my sweat so I discarded my shirt back to my bag and I continued my workout in just a sports bra and some shorts. My mind wandered back to David. I didn't know David well, I knew of him and I, of course, saw him in training courses. But I didn't actually know him. I heard about him throughout school, but I liked to think that hearing about someone and knowing about them were two very different things. He was probably completely different than the rumors that followed him. A ladies' man, sure. A hard competitor, sure. A traitor? I don't think that is who David was.

I thought back to when Emmet said he overheard him in the locker room telling others he was sick of it. Sure burnout was real like Fremont said, but was it enough to make you leave the world you knew? I understood getting tired of doing a job... but this was all we knew. Burnout was evident, but leaving completely? I'm not sure that was typically a thing. Especially when a life of normalcy was never an option for us. The vampires always came back. Always. Then to hear he took his own life... consorting with vampires... disappearing... all of it was scary and downright odd.

I jumped when someone turned my music down a little. Hamilton was there, leaning against the doorframe with a smile on his face. I didn't say anything, I just stared at him and tried to catch my breath as he stared back.

"Little loud, don't you think?" He asked as his eyes drifted from my face to my sports bra and back up.

"I was the only one here. I needed to burn off some extra energy from a "strategic and depleting training course" as you put it."

He nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. He'd done away with the slacks and replaced them with a pair of dark blue jeans. His sweater was gone too, a white long-sleeve shirt in its place.

"What's this?" I asked him, gesturing to his attire.

"Vacation clothes."

"I thought you went to fancier places than Chase Ridge for vacation, Dr. Hamilton."

"I prefer St. Lucia this time of year, but given the current circumstances my allotted protection detail would be slim to none."

I lifted my brows. "You think?"

"Plus," he smiled at me, "if I went to St. Lucia, I would be missing out on this valuable time in your mind, Wren."

A slow smile started across my lips. "You're such a creep."

"I heard a rumor about you today."

"You hear rumors, Dr. Hamilton?"

"Oh, I hear all the rumors."

"I'm curious, what did you hear about me?"

"I heard that you and Chief Mitchel are getting close."

"Oh," I thought about it and then smiled at him as I walked to another machine, " I'll take a response from your book, don't believe everything you hear."

"Not true then?"

"He's my mentor of course we're spending a lot of time together. Enough to make people think we're getting closer." I reminded him. "Besides, I think he hates me most days, but he's a good sport about it."