In the sublevel room, Katrina conferred with Alton on the note passed to Caleb in the backyard. However, the elder vampire had no additional information to provide her, other than that he was already aware of interests forming on either side of the issue related to the summer conference. He recommended proceeding with caution regarding further interactions with the faction, though she had already been resigned to do that even before calling him. Still, she promised to keep him apprised of the situation.
When he asked her for confirmation as to whether she and Caleb intended to attend the conference, she told him that she hadn't decided for certain. He seemed less than pleased, but wisely didn't press the issue with her.
I'll do whatever's in Caleb's best interests, she reaffirmed after hanging up the phone.
The following evening, Paige mentioned to Katrina that she wanted to take Caleb on another evening ride on her Harley. It was against her normal modus operandi, but given the previous evening's events, she considered it the better part of valor to run her plan past Katrina first.
"Sure, Paige," Katrina said. "I appreciate your cooperation with me on this issue."
Paige stared intently into her friend's eyes. "No problem. But someday soon, you and I are going to have a chat about how overprotective you still are with our boy."
"He's a human, Paige. He needs protection from our kind."
"And yet, he's not helpless," she challenged. "Consider how far he's come since you first met him last fall. Hell, he's practically a firecracker by comparison."
Katrina silently acknowledged her friend's point.
"He means so much to me. I've already lost one husband and two children. I can't bear losing him, too," she whispered.
"Then don't drive him away by smothering him."
The silence grew between them as Katrina merely stared at her.
"Listen, Red. I know you 'love him more than life itself.' I get it," Paige said, "You're just trying to protect him. You're Wonder Woman to his Steve Trevor. But every good superhero knows when to lighten up a little."
Katrina chuckled. "You have a weird way with analogies, Shorty."
"I'm just special that way," she quipped as she turned to depart.
"Have fun, but please be careful," Katrina said.
"Not to worry, Red. I can be a superhero when I need to be."
"And just which superhero are you, exactly?"
Paige paused with a thoughtful expression, one index finger lightly tapping on her chin. After a moment, she shook her head. "Aw, heck, I dunno, maybe Superman's cousin. Superwoman?"
"You probably mean Supergirl," Katrina dryly corrected.
"Whatever," she countered with a dismissive wave, once more on a mission. "I'll leave all the nerdy stuff to you and Caleb."
Having received the approval she needed, Paige located Caleb and was happy that he jumped at the opportunity for another cycle excursion.
"I'll even try not to scare you this time," she teased.
"Oh, yeah? Do your worst."
Paige's bright blue eyes slyly narrowed, and she murmured in a lethal tone, "Oh, you really shouldn't have said that, tiger."
Much to her satisfaction, a visible shiver coursed through his body, both from her tone and visage.
They left the house an hour or so after he ate dinner.
The nighttime ride with Paige filled Caleb with an odd sense of contentment. The weather was perfect, not overly warm, even in their leather jackets. The continuous rumbling of the engine grew soothingly rhythmic as he watched the landscape flow past them in a blur of motion.
Life is good, he contemplated as he tightened his embrace around Paige's waist.
Paige felt Caleb's grip strengthen around her. A blissful feeling passed through her, and she couldn't imagine riding without him that night. While relieved that he had agreed to take an impromptu ride with her given his last experience, she nevertheless deliberately took corners a little sharper than normal in order to elicit the occasional tightening of his hug around her.
I just love this little guy, she thought contentedly.
Then she refocused on the real reason for their jaunt.
After a time, Caleb wondered if Paige had any idea where they were actually headed, or if she were merely riding in the direction the cycle was pointed in at the time. He speculated that they were not only well outside Mableton city limits, but likely outside the county. Still, he had no complaints, and the gently rolling countryside was relaxing despite the darkness.
Little did Caleb realize that Paige had affairs well in hand. She was touring the area using a progressive, methodical pattern, purposefully hunting for a specific target. Despite the odds against success, it made her feel proactive.
Some time passed before Paige's keen vision glimpsed a motorcycle like the one that had followed them the other night. She steered them off the main road and into the parking lot of a place that had all the telltale signs of being an old biker bar.
A sea of cycles was arrayed across the half-gravel, half-asphalt lot. The wood-framed building appeared to be at least forty or more years old and in only modestly maintained condition. A wooden front porch sported a series of rough-hewn wooden beams that supported the ramshackle tin front awning.
The old-fashioned porch was occupied by a throng of rough-looking bikers who were engaged in either drinking, smoking, swapping tales, or some combination thereof. Also on the porch, to one side of the front entryway, sat the motorcycle that had caught Paige's keen vision.
That's probably not the bike we're looking for, but it bears checking into.
You're freakin' kidding me, Caleb disdainfully thought as Paige slowed their approach through the parking lot.
Memories of a previous bar visit in downtown Atlanta flooded through his mind like a bad flashback. A former California punk rock singer named Gil Yeager, whom Paige had dated for a brief time, had steered them into a rough bar setting that had ended in an impromptu parking lot fight. He painfully recalled that he and Gil had barely managed to be on the winning side.
As they came to a halt, he maintained a firm embrace of Paige's waist as she straddled the cycle. She had no sooner removed her helmet when she flashed him a devilish look over her shoulder.
"Lovin' the hug, kiddo, but now you just look like you're groping me," she teased with a flash of her bright blue eyes.
She accepted his anxiety over their arrival, but it wasn't going to deter her from checking out a possible lead while also exposing him to a prospectively instructive setting.
He absently released his arms from around her and removed his helmet. His blue eyes warily scouted the crowd hanging around the front of the dimly lit building.
"I don't like this," he darkly muttered.
Paige hung her helmet over one handlebar and cast a reassuring face at him. "Stop being such a worrywart. I've been in dozens of places like this. Most of these guys are just weekend roughnecks trying to live out Easy Rider."
"You mean the magazine?" he demanded.
Another inspection of the nearest female patrons confirmed that none of them looked like any of the cover models he had ever seen in an issue of Easy Rider.
She immediately countered with a withering expression, "No, porn-king. I mean the world's most famous biker film and anti-establishment story of the twentieth century."
"Sorry. Never saw it," he replied with a shrug.
"Just never mind," she chastised with annoyance as she snatched his helmet from him and draped it over the other handlebar.
"We could go home and rent it online now, if you'd like," he suggested.
She tightly pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, and began towing him by the arm towards the building. "Some other time. Come on, Captain Adventure."
He quickly fell into step beside her, and she draped one arm around his waist as he stretched his arm across her petite shoulders. He glanced sidelong at her as they approached the wooden steps leading up to the smoky porch and noted a self-satisfied half-leer on her face that gave her an edgy appearance.
Well, at least I have a vampire with me, he thought as they crossed the threshold into the joint.
Loud rock-n-roll roared above the din of laughing, cursing, and carousing in the bar. The scents of stale beer, cigarette smoke, and worn leather permeated the room. A trio of worn pool tables in the back was surrounded by men and women as bets were called out for whoever was shooting. A lengthy series of worn stools along the length of the bar were occupied, save for two, toward which Paige steered Caleb with the pull of her arm around his waist.
A number of eyes darted to up look at the two newest patrons with a mix of mild curiosity and assessment, much like predators sizing up new prey. Caleb's eyes darted once to Paige's to note that a subtle look of amusement had replaced her earlier scowl.
She took immediate notice to their reception, but deliberately ignored the patrons. She recognized the various expressions, having seen them on numerous occasions over the past century. But unlike Caleb, she had already determined that in a roomful of dangerous characters, she was the deadliest. It was merely that nobody else realized it yet.
How I've missed this, she reflected.
Her attention quickly returned to assessing the two dozen or more people in the room. She quickly noted that none appeared to be a vampire.
An older, balding man wearing a worn brown leather vest over a stained t-shirt stood on the working side of the bar. His eyes slightly narrowed as he studied the two while passing two bottles of beer to the two bikers before him. He sidestepped to his left and casually wiped the counter in front of Paige with a relatively clean towel.
"Haven't seen you two before. Just passing through?"
Caleb started to reply, but Paige smoothly interrupted with a shrug, "Just out for a ride tonight. My old man and I got thirsty."
The bartender snickered. "I bet. Okay then. What'll you have?"
"Got any Sam Adams?" Caleb inquired.
"Nope," the bartended answered in a clipped tone.
"Two Buds," Paige interjected as her eyes met the bartender's.
One of the man's eyebrows arched slightly. "Now, that we got," he confirmed and turned to reach into a closed metal cooler behind him.
He neatly popped the metal caps off each bottle and swiveled around to place them on the bar with a thump.
Paige neatly produced a couple of crumpled bills and smacked them on the bar before her. "That's the first two rounds. Next one's are yours, lover," she quipped to Caleb.
The bartender scooped up the bills and made his way to the opposite end of the bar to attend to three bikers clustered together. Paige took a swig from the bottle and casually leaned over to Caleb.
"Next time, pay attention to the lit beer signs and order what you see," she pointedly recommended. "Don't go out of your way to look like an amateur."
He filed the tip away for future reference. "Just what are we doing here, anyway?"
She took another swig of her beer and stared at him. Poor kid, she thought, way too sheltered in his lifetime.
"Looks like we're just getting something to drink," she snapped in a perky voice. "And maybe teaching my boy a little bit about bars. Might come in handy someday."
"I received enough experience in bars with Gil, thanks," he recalled with a scowl.
Paige's late boyfriend had a penchant for trouble, and Caleb was thankful that Katrina's combat training had snapped into his head at just the right time, or he would probably still be recovering from injuries.
Her expression darkened as she recalled how beaten up Caleb had gotten over that event, mostly due to Gil's big mouth. The memory sent a pang of angst through her, leaving little room for regret at having killed Gil not long after that.
"Yeah, well, this time I'm here to make sure things don't go south. Just watch and take it all in, like a tourist," she recommended with a gleam in her eyes.
"All right," he replied with a shrug. He took a long draw from his beer bottle and discreetly observed the other bar patrons.
"Don't linger on anyone, or make too much direct eye contact," she mentored. "You're at the zoo looking at the animals and watching how they behave. It's a game. Just mark the ones you think look dangerous, and I'll tell you if you're right or not."
She caught the bartender's attention again and waved him over. The man frowned slightly as he leaned against the bar to stare at her.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Nice bike out on the front porch," she casually began. "Had my eye on one like that in town. Know whose it is?"
The man warily eyed her. "Yeah, mine now. Just bought it off one of the customers a couple of nights ago. Some wannabe biker chick, I guess. Anyway, she didn't seem like she'd been in the cycle scene long for some reason. Said she was tired of it and wanted to get it off her hands. The price was so right, I didn't think twice."
Paige sneered. "Yeah, sounds like a gal I once knew. Becky Something, I think."
The bartender cleared away a couple of nearby empty beer bottles and shook his head. "Well, this one was Lucy Jones. At least that's what the title said. Cute gal...pretty red hair."
"Well, nice ride, man," Paige complimented and took a swig of her beer. "Live it up."
"Yeah, thanks," he said with a chuckle and wandered down to the opposite end of the bar.
She turned to lean back against the bar on her elbows and looked bored as her eyes darted across the crowd. Lucy Jones. I'll bet that's an assumed name, she fumed. Probably was our stalker, though. I'll ask Katrina or Alton to do a search just in case.
"The lady I saw had auburn hair," Caleb recalled.
"Yeah. It was her, I'm sure," Paige said. "I'm willing to bet she stole the bike, forged the title, and sold it for some quick cash. At least, that's what I'd do."
He stole glimpses into the mirror behind the bar across from him, using it to mark people quickly.
"Smart kid," she complimented. "Bonus points for using your head with the mirror there."
He spent the better part of the next hour nursing two beers and picking out characters he thought looked particularly dangerous. His attention fell upon a large-framed, bearded man wearing an old denim Harley Davidson jacket. He had a weathered face and a faded scar across the left side of his jaw. A medium-framed woman hung on one of his arms as he stood talking to a short biker before him. The woman wore a scowl on her face and had some streaks of gray in her long, black hair. Her hard brown eyes momentarily caught Caleb's.
"The fellow with the woman hanging off his arm," Caleb noted. "He's dangerous for sure."
Paige took two seconds to scout the individuals and turned her head to look at him over her left shoulder. "Nice pick," she complimented. "But he's not the dangerous one. The woman is."
He vision flashed to the mirror to study the woman at greater length. What am I missing?
"Look at her eyes," she suggested. "They're hard and cold. Bet you she's the one who gave him the scar on his jaw."
That surprised him. "You think?"
She smirked. "I know. Seen that look before, but it's been a while."
"Yeah? On who?" he asked following a swig of beer.
Paige paused and took a drink. "Katrina. She used to look a lot like that. But not for a while. At least, not since she found you, anyway."
He frowned at Paige. He wouldn't have guessed that his mate would have maintained such a cold, hard expression. And yet he was content to learn that Katrina seemed happier as of late.
Maybe I can take a little credit for some of that, he speculated.
"Hey, Blondie," called a gruff voice from across the room near the pool tables.
Paige panned the room with a bored expression until her eyes rested upon a burly, gray-bearded fellow wearing faded jeans and a dark t-shirt commemorating a biker rally from nearly twenty years prior. The fellow was missing two bicuspids, and his scraggly gray hair was tied back into a pony tail.
"Why doncha ditch that young old man of yours for a game of eight ball?" the grizzled fellow challenged.
A middle-aged woman with graying hair also pulled back into a tight pony tail and wearing faded jeans and a leather vest cackled. She sat on a barstool against the wall and just behind the man that had beckoned to Paige.
"Don't worry, honey, he's mine." She cackled again. "The old bear's tired of us beating his ass, so he's looking for fresh blood."
Her eyes momentarily widened at the reference to blood. Old blood tastes just as good as new blood, she resolved.
She looked at Caleb, who shrugged in return. "Watch and learn," she whispered as she thumped her beer bottle onto the bar behind her.
The short vampire headed across the crowded room towards the pool tables. Caleb watched as Paige dissected the old guy through two games of pool amidst chastisements, hard looks, and scowls. She was a mix of edgy charm and playful banter as she kept the mood light despite the man's overt exasperation. In the end, Paige pocketed no less than sixty dollars in friendly bets from the small crowd.
"Well, I'll be gone to hell," the man groused as he handed over his portion of the wager.
She flashed a grin in her classic sprite-like manner and bent up to kiss the old man playfully on the cheek.
"Thanks for the spending money, Grandpa," she quipped. "Blondie needs more sewing supplies, after all."
A roar of laughs erupted from the crowd as she turned to depart. The old woman sitting nearby cackled a laugh and teased, "That'll teach you, ya, old bear! Now grab what's left of your pride, and let's head back to the house."
The older couple said their goodbyes and made their way past Paige. The old woman leaned towards her and congratulated, "I watched you, Blondie. Thanks for not shamin' him too bad. He's a pretty good one, after all."
She winked at the woman, who followed the man across the room to exit the bar. A new batch of people made their way to the vacant pool table and began setting up for a new game.
Paige turned to walk across the bar back towards Caleb, but a rough-looking man in his early thirties at the table next to her reached out to clutch her arm.
"How's about a drink with your biggest fans?" he chortled as the four other men around the table chuckled.
She sneered down at him with contempt. "How about you get to leave without a broken nose?"
"Hey, mouthy bitch! I'm just bein' friendly!" he spat as he jerked on her arm again.
She reached out with her free hand, grabbed his beer, and poured it over his head in a flourish. "Beer's on you then!" she retorted while using the distraction to pull her arm free from his grip.
The other men roared with laughter, but the fellow was less than amused, and he flew up out of his chair to launch himself at Paige. Caleb saw the entire scene develop from his vantage point at the bar and leapt up from his barstool towards the fray. Two of the men at the table immediately jumped up to intercept him.
The beer-soaked biker furiously reached out for Paige, but she grinned at him evilly as she firmly latched onto his belt. The burly man leered at her until she lifted him by the belt and slammed him onto the rickety wooden table, which collapsed under his weight as his face registered shock. The two men across from him nearly fell out of their chairs to avoid being caught beneath the table.
Caleb was halfway to them when one of the two bikers approaching him swung at his head with a balled fist. He neatly dodged the swing, only to bury one shoulder into the gut of the other biker. The man staggered backwards from the force of the blow, but the first biker had already recovered and grabbed Caleb's arms from behind to pin them. While trying to jerk free from the man's grip, Caleb slammed one foot down against the biker's instep. A curse was emitted in response, but the second biker was already ramming one fist into Caleb's gut, taking his breath.
Most bar patrons watched with astonishment while Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "I Won't Back Down" blasted over the wall-mounted speakers. Paige quickly noted Caleb's plight and darted to him in a blur. She grabbed the back of the neck of the biker preparing to punch Caleb again and slammed his forehead against the bar counter.
Meanwhile, Caleb managed to pull one arm free and slammed his elbow back into the nose of the fellow behind him. The biker yelped and cursed as his hands went to his face, where blood was freely flowing from his nose.
The two men formerly sitting at the collapsed table launched themselves at Caleb and Paige. One of them solidly punched at Paige and managed to land a glancing blow against her jaw. The vampire's head twisted to the side from the impact but quickly recovered. Her irises glowed bright blue and her jaw was clenched as she thrust the flat of one hand forwards into the man's chest. His body flew up off the floor and sailed fifteen feet across the room to land against one of the old pool tables.
Caleb saw the other man's fist already heading for his face and quickly dodged the blow, causing the biker's fist to slam against the edge of the bar. A cry mixed with anger and pain erupted as Caleb followed with a quick punch to the side of the man's head. But the fellow was hearty and swiftly recovered with a swing at Caleb with his uninjured hand. Fortunately, Caleb anticipated that and countered with a simultaneous punch to his throat and foot sweep, sending the man to the floor.
However, he failed to anticipate a barstool hitting him on the back. Caleb fell forward against the bar before two rough sets of hands threw him to the filthy floor. He grabbed at one man's leg in an attempt to unbalance him, but was quickly distracted by alternating volleys of boots kicking at his ribs. He involuntarily curled up, wrapping his arms around his torso to protect himself as best as possible.
The rough character who started the affair and whom Paige had initially slammed onto the table charged at her like a bull in a roar of anger. But she used his momentum against him, deftly stepping aside and grabbing him with both hands as he lurched past her. She lifted him bodily into the air and threw him across the room to her left, where he crashed into the stereo system against the wall.
All music ceased, and Paige turned to where Caleb was being kicked in the side by the two men towering over him. She swiftly punched one fellow in the kidneys, causing him to collapse backwards to the floor with a pained groan. She grabbed the other thug by the neck and propelled him to the floor like a rag doll. A swift kick to his head rendered the man unconscious.
The room fell silent as the sound of a gun being cocked was easily registered by Paige's keen hearing. The biker whom she had thrown onto the far pool table defiantly brandished a chrome revolver in his right hand. Her blazing eyes bored into the man, and his mouth went agape as his eyes pensively widened with shock.
He fired two rounds.
Paige instantly darted to her left to grab a pool cue from a stunned biker standing near her. The bullets harmlessly impacted the bar behind her as she flung the cue across the room at her assailant. The larger end caught the biker in the throat, and the pistol harmlessly dropped from his hand as he gagged. He grasped at his throat while collapsing to his knees.
The room seemed to freeze in time as complete silence prevailed. Nobody moved as Paige used a single motion with her arm to pull Caleb to his feet next to her. Small gasps of surprise and hushed whispers began to fill the room as she quickly inspected him for damage. She was hopeful that he had escaped serious injury.
"Caleb?"
"I'm okay," he dully mumbled, though he rubbed at his chest and ribs where the bikers had kicked him. He knew he would feel like hell the next morning, but he felt fortunate given the scope of the brawl that had erupted.
Paige reached into her jacket, withdrew a large roll of cash, and slapped it onto the bar before the bartender, who held a small sawed-off shotgun in his hands. Her baleful eyes burned into his, and he quickly lowered it and laid it on the bar counter.
He swallowed hard as he surveyed the wad of cash before him. She nodded once at him, and he nodded his head in silent understanding. The take before him was likely more than the bar made on even a good weekend and would more than pay for any damages.
"Come on, kiddo. Time to head home," she quietly insisted, reaching out to wrap her arm around his waist.
She gently began herding him in the direction of the exit, careful not to squeeze his side too tightly.
The room parted like the Red Sea for Moses, and a number of faces shone in complete astonishment as the two passed by. They made it to the exit, which Paige surveyed with her senses to ensure that nobody lay in wait for them just outside.
She removed her arm from around him and instructed, "Wait outside for me, tiger. Holler if you need me."
He slowly shuffled through the open door to the porch beyond. Everyone watched with confusion at Paige's treatment of the young man, as if not quite sure how to reconcile what they had seen and heard.
She ominously turned to address the room. "Are we finished here, or is there unsettled business for me to wrap up?"
After a moment of silence, a young biker across the room piped up, "Are you talking to all of us?"
"Yeah," she evenly replied with slightly pulsating irises, standing like a statue as she pored over the faces in the room.
"Son of a bitch," whispered a shocked voice out of the silence.
"Nope, we're all good here," insisted the bartender from behind the bar in a tight voice. "Nobody saw nothin'."
"Good," she replied and turned to leave.
"Hey," called the bartender.
Paige froze then pivoted her head to stare back over her shoulder at him. "Yes?"
"Uh, maybe you could drink somewhere else from now on?"
One corner of her mouth upturned slightly. "Sure, it's the least I can do."
Then she turned to walk straight out of the bar, hearing audible exhales of relief from behind her as she crossed the threshold.
What a lovely freakin' night, she ruminated.
Caleb looked up expectantly at her as she reached the base of the bar's porch steps.
"Let's mount up, kiddo," she beckoned, though he was already beside her, matching her stride for stride.
As they reached the cycle, she mischievously turned to him. "So, what do you think of Supergirl now?"
"What?"
"Er, never mind."
"Just so you know, the guy who pulled the gun back there was on my 'dangerous list' earlier," he offered while glancing back to the bar.
She looked at him with approval. "Good boy."
He chuckled, but the pain that shot through his ribs caused him to groan. She observed him with concern as she handed him his helmet.
A number of patrons gathered on the rickety front porch to watch as the two of them put on their helmets and mounted the cycle. The engine roared to life, and Caleb's arms automatically wrapped around Paige's waist.
Moments later, they were back on the main road headed back towards Mableton.
"I thought you said they were all weekend-wannabes?!" Caleb shouted.
"Most were!" she shouted before gunning the engine into high gear. She immediately appreciated the firm feeling of his arms tightening around her.
I'm really proud of Caleb, she mused.
Then another, darker thought crossed her mind.
Katrina's going to kill me, she dreaded.
As they proceeded home, Caleb reflected on how, despite some setbacks, his latest bar excursion had come out much better than the one that he and Gil had endured. Of course, the fact wasn't lost on him that having a vampire with him certainly altered the equation. But then, he felt he had handled himself fairly well, given the number of combatants. Certainly, he was much less injured than after his previous bar brawl.
Kat's training has really made a difference, he credited, even as the achiness in his chest and ribs increased by the moment.
Later, they pulled into the estate garage and noticed that Katrina's car was still gone. After Caleb removed his helmet, he speculatively beheld Paige as she laid her helmet aside.
"I don't understand something about what happened tonight," he said. "They saw your eyes. That essentially 'outs' you with a bunch of humans who aren't supposed to suspect your true nature."
She admired his insight, but countered, "Ah, but exactly what nature? I didn't display any fangs. For all they know I'm a demon, or fairy, or an alien. Hell, most of them are probably trying to forget that we were ever there. A lot of people would rather just pretend they didn't see what they saw. Who would believe them, anyway? And nobody wants to open themselves up for ridicule. We never even mentioned our names."
He shrugged. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"I'm just happy that I restrained myself from going ape shit on that group. Aren't you proud of me?" she asked with an evil grimace.
His eyes widened. Restrained herself?
She reached out to run her fingers lightly across his cheek.
"You did well tonight, kiddo. My little knight launching from the barstool to my rescue."
"Yeah, well, just doing my part," he said proudly.
She adopted a playful expression. "Of course, I had to haul your ass out of trouble in the end, but it's still the thought that counts."
He rolled his eyes and groaned, "Gee, thanks."
"I'm just sayin'," she added with a wink.
Soon afterward, each of them cleaned up and sought other diversions. Caleb lay on the couch watching a horror movie on the main living room television while Paige was upstairs in her bedroom to chat on the phone with Alton about their evening's investigations.
Everything went along nicely until Katrina returned home later that evening. She politely asked Caleb how the evening went, but her eyes quickly darted to his bruised cheek and knuckles. Her irises flared bright green for a second, and without even consulting him, she grabbed his wrist to inspect his hand closely. To say that she wasn't pleased was an understatement of epic proportion in his opinion.
"Are you okay? What happened?" she demanded.
"Would you believe I fell off the Harley?" he tentatively asked, though her eyes stared right through him as he spoke.
"Paige!" she barked in a loud, commanding voice, causing him to wince slightly as she held onto his wrist.
"Aw, crap. Here we go," Paige mildly cursed as she proceeded downstairs with phone in hand. "Guess who's home? Gotta run."
Caleb quickly removed himself to another part of the house to take some aspirin as soon as Paige began recounting the evening's events in abbreviated fashion.
She noted his hasty departure with a scowl and irritably thought, Coward.
However, she was too proud to admit that she actually envied him.
A search on the name used on the motorcycle title revealed little of value. Lucy Jones was a fairly common name, it seemed, as there were two humans by that name in the Atlanta area alone. One of them had reported a stolen motorcycle a day before Paige and Caleb encountered the mysterious rider on their nighttime ride. And while it had to be the vampire with the auburn hair that Caleb saw in the backyard with Hakizimana, they had very little else to go on.
As the week progressed, Caleb healed, and tensions abated between Paige and Katrina. He played diplomat to the best of his abilities and expertly managed to give appreciative attention to each of them.
He even arranged a game of Trivial Pursuit for the trio. Despite being an accomplished history major, he quickly learned never to play trivia games with long-lived vampires. To say that they wiped the floor with him was an understatement, though both women had been equally amused by the thrashing that they gave him. He did, however, enjoy the numerous topical sidebar conversations that sprung out of a number of game questions, which extended their evening game well past two o'clock the next morning.
By Friday, he suggested the three of them do something together and recommended attending a production of "Promises, Promises" at the Atlanta Civic Center. Since the story was set in the mid-1960s, Caleb thought that both of the vampires might appreciate something both nostalgic and light-hearted. He was happy when both readily agreed, and plans were set, including taking him to dinner at a fine Italian restaurant downtown.
That afternoon, both vampires partook in blood for their meal and changed into trendy evening wear. Paige selected black knit slacks, a long-sleeved red satin blouse, and strappy high-heels for the occasion, while Katrina chose a classic black leather skirt and boots with a white knit top and black leather jacket. Caleb looked smart in navy Ralph Lauren slacks and a sport jacket, but he still felt rather plain compared to the women's fashionable attire.
When Katrina's Audi pulled up before the restaurant, they turned the vehicle over to a valet, and Caleb escorted Katrina on his right arm and Paige on his left. He beamed as a number of onlookers stared at them in passing, though he conceded most of the attention was focused on the two women and not him.
I'm just happy to be part of the scene.
As was typical, the vampires selected plain Mediterranean salads, while Caleb ordered the signature Cappalinni herb chicken pasta entree with a Caesar salad. While waiting for their meal, he absently listened to the vampires discuss some mutual acquaintances who had contacted Katrina recently to ask her opinion on topics scheduled for the agenda during the summer European conference.
He casually panned the room for anyone who might be sitting too close to their table, but then realized that the two women were conversing in soft enough tones that anyone sitting near them wouldn't likely hear.
"Hey," he interjected during a momentary lull in their conversation. "Are we actually going to the conference?"
One of Katrina's eyebrows curiously arched. "You had doubts?"
He shrugged, recognizing that she had said very little on the subject since their strange visitors a couple of days ago.
"Well, I mean, you said that you were going to consult Alton. But you never said for certain whether we're going or not."
Katrina paused as their server brought Caleb his Caesar salad and offered him shredded parmesan. After the lady departed, she confirmed, "Admittedly, I had considered not attending. But when people press me not to do something it just makes me want to do it even more."
Caleb mock-challenged, "Don't you dare kiss me. I'm warning you."
The vampire's eyes slyly narrowed, and she instantly closed the distance between the two of them to kiss him on the lips. He happily returned one of his own.
Paige groaned. "Oh, please, get a room, why don't you?"
Katrina cast a disparaging look at her friend as Paige reached out for one of the garlic bread sticks from a basket on the table. The spritely vampire crunched on one end of the bread stick, and the two women quietly observed Caleb as he dug into his salad with a vengeance.
"I'm not convinced that unionizing our kind is the way to go just yet," Paige suddenly spoke up. "Organization can be handy, but not if it creates hostile factions where there weren't any before."
Katrina scrutinized her friend for a moment and silently conceded that she had entertained similar thoughts recently. It certainly seemed as though Alton was pushing the agenda for the conference with a near fervor, which only made her wonder what angles she hadn't mulled over yet.
"It makes me wonder a little bit too," she admitted in a near whisper.
When their entrees arrived, they quietly ate and appreciated the Italian music being played by a trio of musicians in a corner of the dining room playing violins and a mandolin. The dining room had only been moderately busy when they had arrived, but now it was nearly full with patrons.
Caleb contentedly consumed his pasta and cast an appreciative look at Katrina as she watched him eat. As was typical, both women mainly picked at their salads to keep up the appearance of common diners. However, Caleb noticed that each had consumed only part of their meal and a couple of breadsticks.
After finishing his entree, he ordered a slice of Italian cream cheesecake and three forks and excused himself from the table.
"Go ahead and try the dessert, and I'll be back in a few minutes," he offered.
Both women nodded at him, and he made his way to the restrooms on the other side of the restaurant. Upon entering the men's room, he passed an older gentleman who was exiting. While approaching a urinal, he thought that he heard the door open and glanced to his right.
The female vampire he had seen with the bow outside the estate the other evening stood with an amused expression on her face as her hazel eyes intently watched him. She was dressed in a simple black evening dress and conservative heels, and her auburn hair was elegantly pulled up with fashionable hair clips.
"Wrong room. You want the one next door," Caleb carefully pointed out as he turned to face her. He quickly realized that she stood before the only exit in the room, and he suddenly felt both alone and vulnerable.
"Do you have a cutesy response for every situation?" she flatly asked.
He managed a slight sneer.
"Only the ironic ones, it seems," he quipped. "So, you're Lucy Jones, then?" he asked, recalling the night at the biker bar.
Yeah, as if I'll forget that night anytime soon.
The vampire's countenance darkened. "That's not my name."
Oddly enough, a song by that title by The Ting-Tings went through his mind at that moment. "So, whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to then?"
She glared at him. "That's not important right now."
His eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh, believe me, you're one of the most important people that I don't know at the moment."
"You're somewhat amusing. Now focus. We want to know if your mate is planning to attend the conference or not."
Caleb swallowed, having easily recalled Katrina's earlier comments on the subject, but not certain that it was wise to voice them. While he quickly realized that the vampire would likely be able to tell if he were lying or not, he attempted simple ambiguity.
"I'm confident that she's arrived at a decision on that issue," he replied.
"And?" she demanded with narrowed eyes.
"And I think you should ask her," he suggested. "She's just outside, but you probably already know that."
He immediately wished they had been seated at one of the less desirable tables nearest the restrooms. Normally, that seemed his misfortune, except when he really needed it.
"No," she insisted. "Why don't you tell me what you know instead?"
He swallowed as he wondered if he could yell out Katrina's name before the vampire snapped his neck. Somehow, he doubted it.
Katrina minded her watch as she and Paige made short work of the tasty dessert in front them. She frowned, wondering if her mate were feeling ill. Normally she was quite skilled at reading his body language and tone of voice.
He certainly seemed fine before he left, she considered.
Paige noted her friend's subdued manner. "What's up, Red?" Her eyes darted to the cheesecake as she cut at it with her fork. It was nearly two-thirds gone. "Caleb's going to freak when he sees what's left, you know."
Katrina's eyes scrutinized the area around the room with a piercing stare. She noted a man walk into the men's room, only to depart immediately with a curious expression and a shake of his head. Alarms went off in her head, and she rose from her seat.
"Something's wrong," she darkly muttered.
Paige's eyes immediately looked to where she was staring, and she started to rise as well. However, Katrina motioned with her hand to wave her off and ordered, "Watch the exits while I go check on Caleb."
"Got it," Paige replied, but Katrina was already quickly moving past tables and patrons towards the restrooms.
Caleb appreciated the momentary interruption caused by the fellow attempting to enter the restroom, but his relief turned back to concern as the vampire ordered the man to leave. However, she seemed agitated following that, as if she were feeling hurried or something.
"Well?" she impatiently insisted as her hazel eyes pierced his.
He quickly reasoned that the longer he could keep her talking, the better it would be for him.
"So, the other night after you and your boss left," he slowly began, "Kat and I chatted about that very topic."
"Yes? And?" the woman intently demanded. It was clear she wasn't happy.
"Well, I personally like the idea of a European trip. And Kat's pretty keen on our spending more time abroad," he continued. "But given that I wasn't sure if I was teaching this summer or not..."
The woman's eyes angrily flashed, and her lips pursed. "I know what you're doing," she insisted. "And I should kill you just for trying, but my orders --"
"Tell your boss to ask Katrina himself," he muttered. "But remember that she hates being threatened. Or someone threatening me, for that matter."
The auburn-haired vampire disappeared through the door in a flash. He only had time to take a breath before the restroom door burst open. Katrina appeared before him, and her eyes were glowing bright green.
She immediately began assessing him for signs of harm, but he insisted, "The woman vampire, she just left!"
Her eyes registered surprise, and she turned to leave, but then stopped and looked back at him. "No," she insisted. "I'm not leaving you like I did the other night."
"Well, you're gonna have to, because if you thought I had to go a few minutes ago, I really have to now."
She rolled her eyes at him. "Fine. Go," she challenged and deliberately pushed each stall door open to view them, although she sensed nobody else in the room but him.
He pointed to the exit with his forefinger.
"Fine. I'll be right outside," she added and turned to leave.
A few minutes later, he exited the men's room to find two other men standing a few feet from Katrina as they warily studied her with confused expressions. He anticipated that she must have stopped them at the door in abrupt fashion.
As they walked back through the dining room, she teased in a whisper, "You really did have to go, after all."
He blushed slightly. "I had three glasses of tea, you know," he mumbled. "And what's with the eavesdropping on my -"
"Vampire hearing, remember?" she countered, at which he made a disapproving grumble.
He momentarily fumed at the occasional indignity of a vampire's all-too-acute hearing. But his thoughts quickly returned to his recent visitor. "So, you never saw the woman then?"
"I didn't see her leave the restroom, but I had told Paige to keep an eye on the exits. Unfortunately, it appears she wasn't able to catch her before she disappeared," she quietly explained as they approached their table.
Both noted that Paige was already seated and waiting on them with an expectant expression.
"She was gone as soon as I made it out the front entrance. So, we know they're following us at least some of the time," she ascertained as she watched Caleb sit down.
"So it would seem," Katrina darkly agreed.
"They're demanding to know if we're attending the conference this summer," Caleb offered as his eyes locked onto the mostly-eaten cheesecake before him.
Paige shrugged at him when he looked sidelong at her with an expression of disdain.
"Good cheesecake?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.
"Hey, Red ate some of it too, you know. And you offered, as I recall."
"Well, we're definitely going to Europe now," Katrina stated as she ignored their exchange.
I'm getting to the bottom of this issue now, no matter what, she thought. It angered her that they were being stalked, particularly because the tactic involved cornering Caleb for information.
Another slice of cheesecake materialized before Caleb as the server appeared out of his blind spot. He winced slightly at the momentary surprise, and she apologized upon realizing that she had startled him. Despite the dessert's unexpected appearance, he adopted an approving visage and alternated glimpses at Katrina and Paige in turn.
"Eat up, kiddo," Paige suggested. "I took the liberty of anticipating your dessert-longing angst."
He appreciatively regarded her as he picked up his fork. "Thanks."
She briefly smirked at him and murmured, "Our boy likes his cheesecake, after all."
However, her delight quickly faded as she watched him. She had to leave for her contract job overseas soon and hated the idea of leaving him. Not that Katrina couldn't take care of him, of course, but Paige wanted to be nearby if she were needed. However, she acknowledged that it was for the best, given the latest developments. Anger rose in her as she contemplated how he was being sought for information by an unidentified group of vampires. A quick peep at Katrina suggested that she probably felt the same.
"Perhaps we should forgo the Civic Center this evening," Katrina suggested.
"No," Caleb insisted, his fork suspended midway to his mouth. "We run and hide, and they win."
Katrina imperiously arched one eyebrow, but he maintained a defiant expression. Paige observed the exchange with a degree of amusement.
"Very well," Katrina acquiesced. "However, you don't go anywhere without being in proximity of Paige or me," she stipulated.
He shrugged. "Fine," he conceded. "But I can't wait to see the expressions on faces in the men's room at intermission."
The corners of Katrina's mouth upturned ever so slightly, and she agreed with a penetrating stare, "Really? Neither can I."
"You really freak me out sometimes, Kat," he admitted.
She tried not to appear astonished, even as Paige struggled to avoid laughing out loud.
"But I know that you mean well. And I still love you," he thoughtfully added.
Katrina flashed him a relieved look.
He was impressed as he watched her deftly withdraw a credit card from her purse and hold it up at perfect height for their server who had approached her from behind. All the while, her vivid emerald eyes never left his as she stared at him resolutely.
Show off, he silently challenged as she adopted a gratified expression.
The remainder of the evening was uneventful compared to dinner. Fortunately, all of them enjoyed the stage production, which particularly pleased Caleb since it had been his idea. And despite Katrina's threat in the restaurant, she maintained a respectable vigil outside the restroom during intermission.
He hated to admit that he actually appreciated the additional attentiveness from both vampires, and he made an effort to make appreciative gestures to both of them throughout the evening. He wrapped his arm around Katrina's waist as they walked and initiated a kiss or two when possible without making a public spectacle.
As for Paige, he bought her a drink during intermission and traded whispered, humorous comments with her as they took in some of the more outlandish attire of some of the patrons. He felt like he was a high school student all over again with that, but she seemed to enjoy it immensely.
By the time they drove back to the estate, he had nearly forgotten about the confrontation in the men's room. Once he and Katrina were sequestered in the estate's sublevel room, they shared passionate, intimate time together. Afterwards, he curled up behind Katrina and tenderly held her in his arms.
While it was unlikely that she would sleep, she appreciated the feeling of his body spooned against hers as they lay together. He brought so much pleasure to her and genuinely made her happy. She appreciatively listened to his breathing become more even as he drifted off to sleep.
Later, her mind wandered to the events of the past few days, including the unexpected confrontation between the auburn-haired vampire and Caleb at the restaurant. The unknown faction's persistence annoyed her, even as she admired it.
However, I refuse to be caught off-guard by them again, she vowed.
During the following week, the excitement abated somewhat as there were no further attempts at contact from the mysterious vampire faction that had been stalking them. And while Caleb was happy about that, he was looking forward to a time when his activities wouldn't need to be so closely monitored. He had free run of the estate's interior, of course. But his activities outdoors were always accompanied by either Paige or Katrina.
On one occasion, he went outside during midday to walk around the estate and appreciate the sunshine. When he walked on a portion of the property where the exterior surveillance cameras had limited visibility, his cell phone rang within minutes. Naturally, it was Katrina.
"Hi, Kat," he patiently answered. "I'm on the northeast side of the house."
Then a short figure wearing motorcycle leathers and a helmet appeared to his left. He jumped slightly before realizing that it was the outfit that Paige had purchased at the downtown Harley-Davidson dealership.
"Yeah, Paige just appeared," he muttered as his heartbeat calmed once more. "Since she's here, I think I'll take a brief stroll through the park," he ventured with a self-satisfied expression.
She shook her head back and forth and placed her gloved hands atop each hip.
He neatly slipped his cell phone back in its holder and started walking towards the gate leading into the secluded park-like area adjacent to Katrina's property.
"Not happy," Paige's muffled voice emitted from inside the helmet.
"Don't worry. We'll head back if anybody's there. Heck, they might just think you're a NASA astronaut practicing for a mission," he teased with a chuckle.
Paige's charcoal visor reflected the image of his face back at him as he looked over at her. They walked along the path leading through the park area and were the only people in the area. After they finished, Caleb walked to the back porch and plopped down into one of the patio chairs.
"Time to go inside already," Paige complained in a muffled voice.
He reclined back in the chair with closed his eyes while appreciating the warmth of the day.
"Come on," he pleaded. "It's really nice out today. Not too humid, and it's not raining. So, please, just a little while longer."
She shook her head and pulled up a chair in the shade not far from him. She sat down and leaned her helmeted head against her gloved hand, propping her elbow against the arm of the chair.
This really sucks, she thought.
If it weren't for how much she cared about the young man nearby she would probably have abandoned him to his fate. Not that she expected the recent visitors to drop by during the daytime, but she didn't want to take any chances. She realized that Katrina appreciated her efforts, as well.
He happily dozed for an undetermined length of time when he felt a few droplets of water tickle his arms and face. His eyes immediately opened to stare up into a blue sky, which confused him. He glanced over to where Paige had been seated, but she was gone. Then he looked in the opposite direction to see her standing in her cycle outfit and helmet, but holding a sprayer attached to a water hose.
"Remember what you said about rain?" she asked in a loud, muffled voice.
His eyes widened, and he threatened, "Don't you dare!"
She unleashed the full force of the sprayer upon him, and he flew out of the chair like a rocket. However, she effectively doused him as he tried to avoid the spray.
"Paige! Stop it!" he yelled while running back across the porch.
The vampire roared with laughter at his plight.
"Dammit, Paige!" he cursed as she doused his back while he fumbled with the door leading into the house.
He was drenched as he stepped onto the tile just inside the door, and he felt the cold water penetrating his shirt and jeans. He continued to hear muffled laughing from Paige behind him, followed closely by giggling from in front of him. Glancing up, he saw Katrina standing not far from him.
"I guess your idea was all wet," she managed to say before giggling again.
He ground his teeth at both the bad pun and his indignity as he stomped through the house to change clothes.
"Vampires," he muttered with annoyance as he squished down the hallway.
The remainder of the week passed quickly, and before Caleb realized it, the time came for Paige to leave town. He had thoroughly enjoyed her visit and looked forward to the time when she would permanently reside in Atlanta.
The truth was that Paige felt much the same way he did. While Caleb sat on the edge of the guest bed watching her pack, she focused upon him and warmly smiled.
"Come on, kiddo," she encouraged. "It's not like the summer will last that long. Before you know it, I'll be back, and you can help me unpack my stuff in a new house somewhere. Besides, you're going to be preoccupied with Katrina at the conference."
"Yeah, I guess. I'm just going to miss you. We've had some good times the past couple of weeks."
She looked at him in a penetrating fashion and moved in a blur to sit beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and popped a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Getting into trouble, that is. But it's been good, hasn't it?"
He turned and kissed her on the cheek in return. "Yep, good times. And don't forget bar fights."
Her bright blue eyes flashed once, and she broadly grinned.
"Just wait until I see you again, tiger," she promised. "There's more where that came from."
He quirked his lips in response. "I can only imagine."
She winked at him. Just you wait. I'm plum full of surprises.
By evening, it was time to take Paige to the airport, so Caleb and Katrina drove her. It gave them an opportunity to give her a final hug and wish her a safe flight overseas. Then they returned to the estate, and Katrina wrapped Caleb in her arms as they stood in the middle of the living room together.
"Alone at last," she offered in a suggestive tone, to which he bent his face up to hers to kiss her passionately on the lips. She had appreciated Paige's visit, but also enjoyed time alone with her mate.
He relished the feeling of being in her embrace and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer against him. While Paige was dear to him, Katrina was the woman of his dreams, the one who ignited his passion and made him feel safe and cared for. She understood him at so many levels and accepted him for who he was. He only hoped he was able to convey to her properly how much she meant to him.
"I love you so much, Kat," he whispered.
She gazed into his pale blue eyes while considering the endearing tone of his voice. It spoke volumes, and she bent down to kiss him warmly.
This man is everything to me, she resolved.
"I love you too," she replied after their lips parted.
He took her by the hand and led her though the house in the direction of their sublevel room. While he might not always be able to convey how he felt in words, he could certainly show her. The remainder of the evening was spent doing just that in tender ways that only two loving bodies could convey to each other.
