Blood Trail

deep breath and released it slowly. "We agreed I should be the one to tell you." Peter had wanted to, but Vicki had overruled him; he'd been through enough for one day.

    Henry frowned. There were strange undercurrents in Vicki's voice he didn't understand. "Has someone else been shot?"

    "No, not that." She glanced out the window. Although the sun had set, the sky was still a deep sapphire blue. "The wer have been staying out of those fields, patrolling around the house; it seems to be working for now. No, this involves something else."

    "Something that involves ..." He flicked his gaze over to the lump and she nodded. "... and me."

    "In a manner of speaking. The brakes failed on the BMW today. We - Peter, Rose, and I -
    were broad-sided by a truck. The car, well, the car was pretty badly damaged."

    "And the three of you? You weren't badly hurt?"

    "If we had been," Vicki snapped, "I'd have more to worry about than totaling your car." She winced. "Sorry. It's been a day."

    Henry smiled. "Another one." He cupped her chin lightly with his right hand and looked up into her eyes. "No concussion?"

    "No. Peter got a bloody nose and Rose has a few cuts from flying bits of glass. We were lucky." His hazel eyes appeared almost green in the lamplight. She could feel his hand on her skin through every nerve in her body, which was strange because as far as she could remember her chin had never been an erogenous zone before. She moved back and his hand dropped.

    "You were very lucky," Henry agreed, pulling out a chair and settling into it. He wasn't sure if Vicki was responding to his hunger - his own injuries would heal faster if he fed - or if his hunger rose with her response, but for the moment he ignored both possibilities. "I don't understand about the brakes, though. I had a full service check done in the spring and they were fine. I've hardly driven the car since."

    Vicki dropped into a chair beside him. "The garage was closed today, it being Sunday and all, so I'll talk to the mechanic tomorrow." She leaned her elbows on the table and peered into his face. "You're being very understanding about this. If someone trashed my BMW, I'd be furious."

    "Four hundred and fifty years gives you a different perspective on possessions," he explained.
    "You learn not to grow too attached to things."

    "Or people?" Vicki asked quietly.

    His smile twisted. "No, I've never managed to learn that. Although every now and then, I make the attempt."

    Vicki couldn't imagine watching everyone she cared about grow old and die while she went on without them and she wondered where Henry found the strength. Which set her to wondering. ...

    "How are you tonight?" She plucked gently at the sling around his left arm.

    "Bruised thigh, bruised head, shoulder's healing." It was frustrating more than painful.
    Especially with her blood so close.

    "You've got that look on your face."

    "What look?"

    "Like you're listening to something."

    To her heartbeat. To the sound of her blood as it pulsed just under the skin. "I'd better go."

    She stood with him.

    "No, Vicki."

    Just in time she remembered not to raise her brows. "No, Vicki? Henry, you need to feed, I need to relax. I'm a grown woman and if I think I can spare you another few mouthfuls of my precious bodily fluids, you have no room for argument."

    Henry opened his mouth, closed it again, and surrendered. Healing had used up whatever reserves he had and the hunger was too strong to fight. At least that's what he told himself as they climbed the stairs.

    "How dare you! How fucking dare you!" Barry Wu couldn't remember ever being so furious.
    "You goddamned fucking son of a bitch, you actually believed I'd do something like that!"

    Colin was trying desperately hard to keep his own temper, but he could feel himself responding to Barry's anger. He'd been pulled out of the car for special duty tonight, and this was the first chance they'd had to talk. "If you'd listen - I said I didn't believe you did it!"

    Barry slammed his palm down on the hood of Colin's truck. "But you didn't believe I didn't! It took a fucking Toronto PI to convince you!"

    "You've got to admit the evidence. ..."

    "I don't have to admit shit!" He stomped off half a dozen paces, whirled around, and stomped back.

    "And another thing, where the fuck do you get off searching my place?"

    "What? I was supposed to just sit on my ass and wait for the guy to strike again?"

    "You could've fucking told me!"

    "I couldn't