Welcome to the Neighborhood (15 page)

“Oh, okay.” She sounded grim.

He began to pace in the kitchen. His shoes tapped lightly over the tile. “Where are you?”

“I’m somewhere safe.”

“Are you staying in Westport?”

“No.”

Worry snaked through him. Her avoidance to answer his question, clipped responses, and unfriendly tone indicated something was different with her. “You’re not going to tell me where you’re at, are you?”

“I don’t see a need to.”

Greg ran his fingers through his hair. He regretted the tension between them and wanted to make things right. But how could he when he didn’t have a clue why she shielded herself from him?

All day long, he’d thought about what to say to her. On his way home from work he’d devised a plan to get her to open up. Now that he was talking to her, he feared his idea would fail. Still, he refused to give up on her.

“Alexi, I owe you an apology. I think we might have gotten off on the wrong foot.”

“Oh?”

“I realize I can seem overbearing at times, but I want you to know my intentions were honest. I merely wanted to help a new neighbor. As for what happened in the bathroom, I acknowledge I lost control. You’re a beautiful woman and I couldn’t resist.”

“I see.”

“If you’d allow me, I would like to take you out tomorrow night. No strings attached. I promise just a night out on the town with friendly conversation. Would you be interested?”

“Well…I–”

“I promise to keep my hands to myself.” The commitment would be difficult to keep, but he’d fight his damnedest not to touch her if it meant gaining her trust.

“Well…”

He sensed her hesitancy. “I only ask for a few hours of your time, and we’ll be in public.”

The line became silent. Was she pondering over her decision?

“Can I meet you at ten?” she asked.

A rush of excitement flooded him. “Ten is perfect. Shall we meet at your house?”

“That will be fine.”

He wanted to jump with joy and shout praise. “Thank you. And I’ll notify you after I talk to the police tomorrow.”

“If I don’t answer, leave a message.”

“No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Good night, Greg.”

He couldn’t stop the smile from forming on his face. She’d called him Greg instead of Mr. Holmes.

“Night, Alexi.”

Upon hearing silence, he lowered the phone. Her number disappeared from the screen, but her voice remained strong in his head. At the start of their conversation, she’d sounded aloof. He feared he’d lost her completely. By the end of the call, he sensed a slight change. The miniscule alteration gave him hope.

He tucked the phone in his pocket as he headed for the door. Maybe with time and gentle persuasion his plan to get her to trust him would work. He’d managed to convince her to go on a date and that was a start in the right direction. Even if it took months or years to find out who had harmed her and caused her to be so defensive, he’d persist. The woman deserved peace, respect and, more importantly, the love of a man. And he was just the one to fill the job.

13

Alexi stopped at the red light behind a large truck. Her turn signal clicked like a ticking clock. A breeze blew in her open window and tossed a few strands of hair in front of her face. The air reeked of cigarettes and diesel. If she guessed right, the stench originated from the large vehicle in front of her. Disliking the toxic odors, she stopped breathing to block the foul scents. She never relied much on that particular ability anyway. Superior hearing and sight were more beneficial to a vampire.

She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. The time showed she had a half hour before meeting Greg. By her estimate, she was two minutes from Midnight Gardens. She had the perfect amount of time to run inside her home, tie her hair back and brush her teeth. Changing from her skirt and tank top to something more professional was also part of her goal, if traffic in front of her ever cleared.

Waiting for her turn, she flipped down her visor and checked herself in the mirror. Her brown eyes held a gleam and her skin appeared firm. She focused on her mouth and rubbed a finger along the edge of her lips. Not a smidge of blood came off her. Before she checked out of the hotel, she contacted room service for a snack. A young Hispanic man showed up, healthy and with a nice pair of blue eyes. Within seconds, she had invaded his mind. Shortly thereafter, she sipped on the elixir in his veins. After she’d taken all she could without causing the mortal damage, she sent him on his way with a nice tip, two small punctures in his arm and an altered memory. She used the same routine with all humans and had for the last two and half centuries. Some vamps killed, but they were usually the ancient ones. Like the vampire who’d turned her.

The truck in front of her jerked forward. Alexi flipped her visor up and took her foot off the brake. Cars ahead turned slowly. The light changed to yellow, but that didn’t stop two cars and the truck in front of her from continuing. By the time she reached the light, it had turned red. She brought the car to a halt and hit the steering wheel. Damn traffic. At least she was first in line for the next change.

Alexi relaxed against her seat and listened to the cars whizzing by. Combing her fingers through her hair, she wondered what plans Greg had for their date. Where would he take her? Since he knew she didn’t eat human food, she doubted he would take her to a restaurant. Maybe he’d take her to a movie or show her around Indianapolis. Whatever his plans were, she would treat him as she would any other man. If it weren’t for his sincere apology and promise not to touch her, she wouldn’t have even agreed to go out with him. Since he had, she believed his move was a start in the right direction, wherever that led to.

After a lengthy wait, the green signal illuminated and she zoomed forward. Although she’d sat for far too long at the stoplight, she still had time to do what she needed to before meeting Greg. She turned into her neighborhood and followed the curves, keeping her speed low. Several neighbors walked with their pets. A few others jogged on the opposite side of the street. Lights along sidewalks and near driveways lit up the clean and orderly neighborhood. A feeling of bliss seeped into her system as she approached her house. She’d made it back home.

Greg’s car sat idle in the middle of her driveway, forcing her to park in front of her house so she wouldn’t block him in. A soft glow from the thick drapes led her to think someone was inside her home. She suspected it was Greg.

A tall man with short hair stood on the sidewalk between her house and the vacant one next door. He teetered to the side as if he were looking at something beyond the homes. The average built man wore Bermuda shorts, a white t-shirt and sandals. As Alexi exited her car, he walked toward her.

“Are you Alexandria Cartwright?” he asked.

She passed in front of the car, crossed over some grass and stopped on the sidewalk. “I am, yes.”

He extended his arm toward her. “Justin Bidwell. A pleasure to meet you. I regret I arrived late at the party and missed you.”

“No problem.” She switched her purse to her other hand, then shook his. Immediately heat spread up her arm and blew over her in waves. Typical traits of a demon. She’d have to be cautious of her words. Demons were masters of deception and creating trouble. Chaos was their middle name. It certainly fit Sylvia.

“I live across the street from you.”

She glanced over her shoulder, across the street. “Which one is yours?”

He pointed. “I’m on the corner. Phillip lives next door to me. Have you met him yet?”

She shifted her gaze back to Justin. “Yes, I did actually.”

“If he gives you any trouble, just let me know.” He winked at her. “I have connections.”

Was he flirting with her? Of course, he was. Besides chaos, all demons had sex on their brain. Female or male, they all thought the same.

He gave her a sly smile. “I heard someone broke into your home. That’s terrible. Did an old lover find out about your new digs?”

Alexi tightened her grip on her purse. The nosy demon was fishing for information. Though Alexi wanted to keep her affairs to herself, she decided she’d better set the record straight before Justin generated any rumors.

“The moving company I hired employed a bunch of werewolves. Considering what they stole from me, I think they broke into my home. The police are investigating them.”

“The movers? Wow.” He shook his head. “Werewolves. They’re crafty little fur balls.”

Crafty was not a word she would use to describe werewolves. Demons? Absolutely. They were the most devious creatures she’d ever dealt with. For that very reason and more she tried to avoid them.

“Greg is working on my behalf with the police. I’m hopeful to put this event behind me soon.”

“Greg Holmes is helping you?”

“Yes.”

“And you trust a werewolf to find another one?” He snickered.

Her nails dug into her hand. “He seems trustworthy for this kind of issue.”

“Really? I thought they had pack laws to protect themselves.” Justin arched his brows. “Did Greg mention if they were part of the local pack? If they are, you probably won’t see any justice served.”

Biting her tongue, she turned her gaze toward her house and pondered over the question. Pack laws varied from territory to territory. Were the thieves a part of the local pack? She hadn’t considered the question before since she hired the movers in Chicago. Territorial lines sometimes crossed into other states, so it was possible the men she’d hired belong to the local pack. She’d inquire with Greg. Regardless if they belonged to the local one, Greg seemed confident he could get her property returned. She believed he could and retrieving the contents of her safe was far more important than serving justice. She could come up with her own creative solution for retribution.

“No offense, but I think you chose the wrong man to help you.”

She pressed her lips together, holding back the laughter. Was he trying to imply he was the right man? The world would have to end before she’d turn to a demon.

“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine.” She held a confident pose and smile. “Since he’s a lawyer, I have confidence he will be able to assist me in getting my property returned.”

His gaze traveled south and paused at her breasts. The urge to slap him across the face nagged her, but she held her fury in check. She crossed her arms over her chest.

He took a step closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Ms. Cartwright, the law can be slow and unsympathetic. I see criminals running free all the time. Sometimes, we have to take matters into our own hands to protect each other.”

She brushed his hand off her shoulder and stepped back. “And I suppose you’re the one to find the burglars, bring my property back and make sure they never steal again?”

The corner of his mouth twisted. “Wouldn’t you rather have your items returned sooner rather than later? Not only can I deliver your goods back to you, I can ensure the thieves are punished for their crimes.”

An offer too good to be true always was, especially when a demon was the dealer. She knew better than to bargain with the devil’s consorts.

“May I ask why you’re standing in front of my house?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Mark’s damn dogs are loose again. I saw them running behind your house. They’re so fucking annoying. The little critters yap nonstop and shit all over the place.”

“Mark?”

Justin tilted his head toward the cul-de-sac. “The old warlock on the other side of the vacant house.”

“Have you notified him?”

“I banged on his door, but he didn’t answer. The old man always avoids me. I can tell he doesn’t like me, and that’s fine. I can’t stand him or his damn dogs. I wished they’d run out in the street and get hit by a car.”

“That’s a bit harsh,
neighbor
.”

“You wait and see. Those dogs get out at least three times a week and they bark all night long. If I were in charge, I’d outlaw all pets in the neighborhood.”

“Yeah, but someone obviously cares for them, and they make for good company for some people. Hence the word
pet
.”

“Whatever. You’d snack on them if there weren’t anything else around. Hey…” He snapped his fingers. “That’s a great idea. Maybe you could catch one and–”

“Are you serious?” She placed her hands to her hips. “I know you’re not suggesting what I think you are.”

“Come on.” A devilish smile splayed across his face. “I won’t say a word.”

Ire flamed within her and she clenched her jaw. The nerve of the demon to suggest she feed from one. And he was her neighbor. Maybe the neighborhood should ban demons, not pets.

The front door of her home opened and Greg strolled out.

“Well, well. Looks like your lawyer is heading this way.”

Thank the stars, because another minute with Justin might cause her to do something to the demon she might regret.

Greg walked down the driveway. He had a suave look dressed in a polo shirt and dark dress pants. His dark, wavy locks were combed away from his face, yet a small strip dangled near one eye. Chin up and lips pressed together in a slight smile, he beamed with confidence. As he approached, their gazes met and his smile widened.

“Taking care of our neighbor’s house?” Justin asked.

Greg stopped at her side. “For your information, Justin, Ms. Cartwright asked me to oversee the forensics team as they gathered evidence from her home.”

“Of course.” Justin looked from Greg to Alexi. “If you need anything, I’m across the street. Good luck getting your property back.”

Alexi forced her lips to form a grin. “Have a good evening, Justin.”

The demon gave a nod to Greg, then walked down the sidewalk, heading toward the cul-de-sac with his attention pointed at the houses.

“Did he give you any trouble?” Greg asked softly.

“No. I’ve had to deal with a few demons before. I know how to handle them.”

His lips twitched. “They’re tricky little buggers.”

“That’s funny. He said the same thing about werewolves.”