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With hands that trembled, she cradled the child to her and lifted away the bit of blanket that covered her baby’s face. So small. So perfect, Samantha thought. She had the shape of her grandmother’s face and maybe her brow. A small thatch of jet-black hair like Samantha’s own. Pale white skin, nearly colorless in death.
In death.
“Why?” Samantha asked, although she knew why. Her daughter was dead because Samantha was too weak to protect her.
“I can call the sheriff. He can—”
“Arrest my husband for beating me?” They both knew nothing would be done.
Dr. Latimer sat down on the edge of the bed. His gaze was somber, but full of anger. “You don’t have to stay here. I have plenty of work at my place.”
“He’d just follow me. Cause problems for you. Even worse, he’d hurt the people here. Better that he hurt only me.” But it hadn’t been only her. She cradled her daughter’s immobile body tight to her breasts. They tingled and, in response, milk began to flow. There would be no mouth to suckle them.
The doctor stood, looking down at her, hesitant. Clearly uneasy. There was more he had to say. Samantha knew it wasn’t good news.
“Tell me. Whatever it is, just tell me now.”
“The birth and the beating. It tore you up badly inside. I’m not sure you can carry another child.”
Samantha closed her eyes at his words. Her daughter dead and any hope for another gone with her. “Maybe that’s for the best. It’ll keep another child from knowing pain.”
He said nothing, just walked to the door of her bedroom. “When you’re ready, there’s a pretty spot over at my place. Beneath a cherry tree and overlooking the river. You’re welcome to it for the child.”
She was touched by his kindness and all that he’d done. “Thank you, Dr. Latimer. If there’s ever anything I can do for you…”
He hesitated at the door, clearly considering her words. Finally he said, “You can live, Mrs. Turner. Just live.”
And then he walked out, leaving her alone to grieve.
A tear slipped down her cheek, as cold as her memories.
So much killing. So much pain. More than her rightful share in her long and seemingly interminable lifetimes.
Swaying back and forth in the rocker, battered both mentally and physically, Samantha withdrew into herself. Arms wrapped tight around her chest, teeth worrying her lower lip.
Samantha didn’t know how much time had passed when she finally sensed Ricardo’s presence in the room. “You were somewhere else, amiga. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She stopped her rocking and gave him a tired smile. “Thank you. Are they gone yet?”
He shook his head. “It’ll be a few more hours before the police go, but they’ll be back in the morning to ask more questions.”
That was the last thing she needed—questions that might reveal her secret.
“The groceries are in the kitchen. I put the milk and other things in the refrigerator. I told the lead detective that I was just returning from shopping, but given my current state,” he motioned to his attire, “I’m certain he didn’t buy my story.”
The story wouldn’t hold up anyway, Samantha thought. A visit to the local market would reveal who had made the purchases. “Thanks for trying.” She laid a reassuring hand on his thigh. Beneath her fingers she sensed his blood, pulsing with life, and she shivered in response to her preternatural desire.
“Are you cold?” Noticing her deep chill, he said, “You need to feed.”
Samantha confirmed his observation and Ricardo left the room, returning moments later with a blood bag for her. “Sara just brought this today. I figured the freshest would be best.”
She thanked him before bringing the bag to her mouth.
Already partially in her vamp state because of her actions when saving the children and the wounds she’d suffered, the prospect of a fresh feeding completely transformed her. Her fangs erupted, elongating. Saliva dampened her mouth in anticipation. She placed pressure on the skin of the bag until her fangs punctured the thick plastic. Greedily she sucked down the blood. Energy coursed through her veins, bringing with it warmth and renewed strength. Some blood spilled onto her lips, spicing her mouth with its unique flavor.
Stingy that even one drop should escape her, she licked her lips. She laid her head back against the rocker and took a deep breath, then another. Calm slowly settled within her, replacing her earlier anger and sadness. Her fangs retracted and all other traces of her vampire nature receded. With renewed energy, she could exert control once more.
Meeting Ricardo’s gaze, she smiled. “I’ll return to the shelter once the police have gone.”
“Stay until morning and I’ll walk you back.”
It was an old argument. Whenever she returned from patrolling the neighborhood, she’d go by the botanica to sit, talk and feed if need be. When it was time to go, invariably Ricardo would suggest she stay.
She examined his face in the dim light cast by the lamp on his nightstand. There was no denying he was a handsome man. Hair the color of fertile earth hung to his shoulders in silky waves. Luxuriant green eyes reminded her of the deepest part of a pine forest. Tonight his gaze was tender and filled with concern for her.
But Samantha had no interest in any man. Not even one as incredibly desirable as Ricardo. Men had only brought pain into her life.
“You know there can never be anything between us,” she finally said.
Ricardo reached out to caress her cheek, but she reared away out of habit. She didn’t like being touched.
His full lips thinned to a tight line. “I would never hurt you. I’m not like whoever did this to you.”
No, he wasn’t, she thought. From the moment he’d sensed what she was with his unusual healing powers, he’d been a source of support. But his understanding wasn’t enough to overcome her many years of suffering. She didn’t trust men. Wasn’t sure that she ever would. But worse yet, she didn’t trust herself or the violence buried within her. The demon inside her was always just beneath the surface, waiting to emerge.
She laid a hand on his thigh once more. “I know you wouldn’t cause me pain. It goes against everything you are. But I can’t make the same promise.”
“Querida, you could never—”
“Hurt someone?” she said. She touched her chest. “Inside me there’s violence. I battle it every second of every day. I wanted to kill those boys tonight—the ones who shot Juan and his friends.”
He didn’t say anything, apparently sensing it would only lead to an argument. “I will set my alarm so you can go before sunrise.”
Samantha shook her head. “There’s no need. I can feel the dawn coming. I’ll know when to leave.”
Ricardo nodded. He slipped beneath the covers of his bed. “Buenas noches.” He shut off the light.
“Good night.” She huddled in the rocker again. In the quiet, she heard the susurrus of his breath, deepening as sleep claimed him. The beat of his heart slowed and blood pumped sluggishly through his veins. The smell of him was sumptuous with the life she lacked.
She was still weak from her earlier wounds and the heat of her transformation came upon her quickly, with her awareness of him as prey. Her fangs emerged. Her eyes adapted to the night, allowing her to see every inch of him: the pulse point throbbing along his neck as his head lay against his pillow, the fine network of veins just below his skin.
With her acute senses, the enticing masculine scent of his sweat was strong. The warmth of his skin as alive as if it was pressed to hers. It would be easy to break through that thin layer. Much easier than through the plastic blood bag. And his blood—it would be so hot and fresh on her lips, fill her with an energy the bagged blood couldn’t match.
Samantha hugged herself tight and buried her head against her knees, battling her urges. She had to go. Her control was too weak from all that had happened.
There was still activity outside, but it had lessened considerably.
She concentrated on those outdoor sounds: the shuffle of feet against the sidewalk; the slam of car doors; the rasp of equipment going back into storage areas; the murmur of voices.
Human voices in the night, unsuspecting of what was near.
The sounds became her sole focus, keeping the demon inside her contained until finally, there was silence.
Taking a last look at Ricardo as he slept, she hurried down to the kitchen where she gathered her things and left.
Dawn would not have come soon enough to spare her friend.
Chapter 2
NYPD Detective Peter Daly never made it home after the drive-by shooting. From the moment the call had come in, just past midnight, he’d been on the job.
It was just as well. He didn’t really have any reason to go home.
The sights at the morgue that morning had been grim. Three dead, all below the age of sixteen. Another one in critical condition. Amazingly, three had survived with barely a scratch.
He was still puzzling about those three as he stood on the sidewalk, examining the scene of the shooting once again. The Crime Scene Unit was supposedly finished here, but Peter thought there had to be something they’d missed. Something that would explain how three kids had escaped a fusillade of bullets.
He stepped backward, off the curb and into the middle of the street where the car had paused. With as many rounds as the Tec-9 could fire, you didn’t need good aim. Just point and shoot. That was enough to hit almost anything within close range.
Which didn’t explain how three of the children had somehow gotten away. Nor could the children explain it either. All they recalled was that they were suddenly whisked into the stairwell next door. The hangers-on in the neighborhood, religious semisuperstitious types from what Peter could see, had murmured that an angelita had saved the children. It was a miracle.
Peter didn’t believe in miracles or maybe even Heaven for that matter. But Hell. Hell was right here, he thought as he ambled back to the sidewalk, searching for any clues the Crime Scene Unit might have missed. Along the street and stoop there was nothing. Down in the stairwell of the building next door, he hit pay dirt.
Some drops of blood. Just a few on the top step leading down to the shelter’s lower level. Along the railing, what appeared to be a smear of blood. Removing a kit from his jacket pocket, he swabbed at the drops and the smear, and then safely tucked the evidence away for analysis.
Glancing up at the shelter, he wondered if anyone there had seen anything. Or if someone within had been responsible for the supposed miracle. And the blood.
As Peter turned, he caught sight of the garbage cans. A veritable source of information. He popped open the lid on the first receptacle. Nothing but recyclables. Lifting the lid on the next one, he noted the refuse from last night’s dinner. Taking off his jacket, he undid the cuff on his white shirt and rolled it up. Then he gingerly placed his hand in the garbage—a job he totally hated—and rooted around. Barely below the surface he came across something tucked into a bag from the local grocery.
The santero down the block had claimed to have been shopping. Peter grabbed the bag from the garbage. He undid the tied handles to reveal a woman’s blouse. Easing the blouse out using the plastic of the bag, to avoid contaminating the evidence, he noted the bloodstains and two glaring bullet holes—one high up on the shoulder, the other along the rib area.
Curiouser and curiouser. Peter slipped the blouse back into the bag and returned to his car. He stuffed the blouse into an evidence bag and noted the details about his discovery. Placing the blouse and the swabs in his trunk, he decided to visit the local market to see just who had been shopping last night.
As Peter walked to the Gristedes, just a few blocks away, he was struck by the neat and tidy conditions of this area. There was a sense of safety and community he hadn’t expected in this neighborhood. But then it hadn’t been the least bit safe for those involved in last night’s shooting.
At the market, Peter had no luck with the clerks or manager on duty. The night shift had just left. But the manager offered to let Peter view a tape from the night before.
There was a clear shot of a woman making a purchase shortly before midnight. A beautiful woman wearing a shirt much like the one Peter had discovered in the garbage.
“Do you know who she is?” Peter asked, motioning to the image paused on the screen. Had she been another victim? If she’d been hurt, why hadn’t she shown up in a local hospital?
The manager shrugged. “I’ve never seen her before. Maybe one of the clerks has.”
One by one the clerks were called into the manager’s office and one by one they all failed to recognize the woman in the video. Peter thanked them and added the tape to the other evidence in his car.
Then, figuring he had nothing to lose by following his instincts, he walked up the short set of steps to the door of the Artemis Shelter, identified by a small bronze plaque. Vaguely he recollected that Artemis was a warrior goddess in Greek mythology and wondered who had chosen the name for the shelter and why.
A young black woman with a toddler balanced on one hip answered his knock. “May I help you?” Hostility came off of her in waves.
Peter held up his shield for the young woman to see. “NYPD. I’m here investigating last night’s shooting. Do you mind if I come in?”
“Do you have a warrant?” she asked, maintaining her position smack in the middle of the doorway to bar his entry.
“I just want to ask a few questions. Find out if anyone saw anything last night.”
“Come back when you’ve got a warrant.” She was about to slam the door in his face when he reached out and grabbed the edge of it.
“There’s no need for this. Just a few questions.” Although given all that he’d found between the garbage can and the grocery store, he’d have enough probable cause for a warrant.
When the door fully opened again, the woman from the grocery store stood behind the young black woman. He’d thought her beautiful in the grainy video. Up close, she was stunning.
Jet-black hair fell in thick waves, framing a heart-shaped face with just the hint of a cleft in her chin. Her skin was the palest of café con leche and her eyes were large and a startling shade of crystalline blue. Barely thirty years of age.
Peter felt poleaxed as she focused her cool gaze on him. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Sofia is just a little protective. What can we help you with?”
Her tones were cultured, with a bit of an accent. Southern, not that he was any kind of expert.
“Detective?”
Embarrassed at his almost juvenile silence, Peter stammered as he said, “I’m investigating last night’s shooting. I’d like to speak with you, if you have a moment.”
“Actually, breakfast is a rather busy time—”
His interest was replaced by irritation. “Miss—”
“Ms. Turner,” she corrected with an almost regal lift of her head.
“Ms. Turner. We can either do this here or down at the precinct, which would take substantially more time out of your busy day.” He took out his notepad from his jacket pocket to stress his point.
The young black woman protested at the same time as the vision of beauty said, “Detective, I’d rather not—”
“Ma’am. Please understand. Between the videotapes from the grocery and your garbage can, I have probable cause. I’d rather not complicate this with a warrant.”
What little color she had fled from her face and for a moment he worried she might faint. Instead, Ms. Turner stiffened her spine. “Sofia. Could you make sure the children are ready for school while the detective and I share a word in the kitchen?”
Sofia nodded curtly and glared at him as she stepped away.
Ms. Turner opened the door wider, giving him space to pass, and held her hand out in invitation. “Please come in.”
Peter stepped inside to a whirlwind of activity. Ms. Turner hadn’t been kidding when she said it was a busy time. Sofia and another woman were handing out lunch bags and checking schoolbooks for at least half a dozen children of varying ages and ethnicities.
Ms. Turner walked down the hall adjacent to the parlor and past stairs leading to the upper floors of the converted brownstone. At the far end of the hall, Ms. Turner took the stairs leading downward and he followed.
On the lower level was a large dining room that opened onto a small, neatly kept courtyard. The tiny patch of grass was a bright green from the spring rains and someone had been busy planting flowers.
The dining room table was still littered with the remains of breakfast. At least Ms. Turner was being truthful about that.
She walked to the kitchen located at the front of the building. There was a door at one end and he suspected it was the one that opened into the stairwell where the children had taken refuge last night. “May I?” he asked and at her nod, he confirmed his suspicions.
