serial killer whimper as the last drops of her life
blood drained from her body. She joined her friend Tina at the bottom of the
Delaware.
* * * * *
At the sight of Ramon walking into her store, Larissa knew
something was wrong. With his face flushed and brow creased, she wasn’t sure if
he was angry, distressed or in pain. Then she saw his shirt and rushed over to
him. “What happened? Is this blood? Are you okay?” His shirt was black so at
first, she hadn’t noticed the slashes or bloodstains.
He nodded, not looking at her. “I’m fine. I was roughhousing
with a friend’s dog and he got ahold of my shirt.”
“Oh, my God. Were you bit? Let me see.”
“No. Really, I’m fine. Just a few scratches.” Ramon pushed
away from her. “Where’s Garrick?”
“Basement. He’s checking on a fuse that blew.” Larissa
pressed him. “You should let me take a look, clean up the cuts so they don’t
get infected.”
“No need. Where’s Jordan?”
“Still here,” Jordan answered cheerfully as she came out of
the back room. “I just finished unpacking the deliveries. Hi, Ramon.” She
frowned when she saw him but didn’t comment on his appearance. She probably
noticed he didn’t look well either.
“I’m closing up, Jordan. You can go home unless you want to
stay for a glass of wine.”
Jordan glanced at Ramon and he gave her a stern look. “Can’t
stay, but thanks anyway. Ramon looks like he could use a glass.”
Garrick came up from the basement and stopped when he saw
Ramon. “Trouble?”
Ramon shrugged. “Not anymore.”
“Guild or local?” Garrick asked.
“Local, but it’s going to expand quickly into a Guild issue.
We can’t wait.”
Garrick’s brow creased with worry. “I know. And you look
like you need—”
Ramon nodded. “My encounter drained me. I need sustenance but
don’t have the strength to acquire it.” He walked up to the counter and dropped
a bag in front of Larissa.
“What’s that?”
“I got this from those two girls who were in here before
giving you a hard time.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“While the one was arguing with you, the other was stuffing
these babies into her coat.” He dumped the contents of the bag.
Larissa gasped. “There must be merchandise worth several
hundred dollars. How did you—”
“Don’t ask.”
“I don’t know what you did. But thanks.” She studied him
cautiously.
Garrick gave Jordan a warning glance then approached
Larissa. “Do you have a few minutes, Larissa? We must talk.”
“Sure.” Here it comes, her ultimatum if she didn’t make some
money with the store soon. Damn it. How much time did she have before he kicked
her out?
“I need to head out, Larissa.” Jordan retrieved her purse
and coat from the back room. Larissa walked her to the door to lock up. Jordan
lowered her voice. “See you in the morning. Keep an open mind with what Garrick
and Ramon tell you. They have your best interests in mind. You can trust them.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. “Tell me one thing. Am I in danger?”
Jordan glanced at Garrick and Ramon who were involved in a
private conversation. “Yes, but not from them. You have to do what they tell
you.”
“Why? Something is going on in this town, I know it. Tell
me. Is it the mob? The other day I was attacked, Garrick warned me about where
to go and not go, my store was broken into, those girls who shoplifted talked
about belonging to a Guild, Ramon keeps repairing locks on my doors, and
Garrick mentions that he could help my business become successful.”
Jordan glanced across the store at Garrick and Ramon but
they weren’t paying attention to them. “I envy you because although I receive
the benefits and protection from Garrick, Ramon and the Guild, I can never be a
part of that exquisite rapture, the intense sensual fire of being a crimson
swan. I’m excluded.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Larissa wasn’t sure
if Jordan had lost her
blood drained from her body. She joined her friend Tina at the bottom of the
Delaware.
* * * * *
At the sight of Ramon walking into her store, Larissa knew
something was wrong. With his face flushed and brow creased, she wasn’t sure if
he was angry, distressed or in pain. Then she saw his shirt and rushed over to
him. “What happened? Is this blood? Are you okay?” His shirt was black so at
first, she hadn’t noticed the slashes or bloodstains.
He nodded, not looking at her. “I’m fine. I was roughhousing
with a friend’s dog and he got ahold of my shirt.”
“Oh, my God. Were you bit? Let me see.”
“No. Really, I’m fine. Just a few scratches.” Ramon pushed
away from her. “Where’s Garrick?”
“Basement. He’s checking on a fuse that blew.” Larissa
pressed him. “You should let me take a look, clean up the cuts so they don’t
get infected.”
“No need. Where’s Jordan?”
“Still here,” Jordan answered cheerfully as she came out of
the back room. “I just finished unpacking the deliveries. Hi, Ramon.” She
frowned when she saw him but didn’t comment on his appearance. She probably
noticed he didn’t look well either.
“I’m closing up, Jordan. You can go home unless you want to
stay for a glass of wine.”
Jordan glanced at Ramon and he gave her a stern look. “Can’t
stay, but thanks anyway. Ramon looks like he could use a glass.”
Garrick came up from the basement and stopped when he saw
Ramon. “Trouble?”
Ramon shrugged. “Not anymore.”
“Guild or local?” Garrick asked.
“Local, but it’s going to expand quickly into a Guild issue.
We can’t wait.”
Garrick’s brow creased with worry. “I know. And you look
like you need—”
Ramon nodded. “My encounter drained me. I need sustenance but
don’t have the strength to acquire it.” He walked up to the counter and dropped
a bag in front of Larissa.
“What’s that?”
“I got this from those two girls who were in here before
giving you a hard time.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“While the one was arguing with you, the other was stuffing
these babies into her coat.” He dumped the contents of the bag.
Larissa gasped. “There must be merchandise worth several
hundred dollars. How did you—”
“Don’t ask.”
“I don’t know what you did. But thanks.” She studied him
cautiously.
Garrick gave Jordan a warning glance then approached
Larissa. “Do you have a few minutes, Larissa? We must talk.”
“Sure.” Here it comes, her ultimatum if she didn’t make some
money with the store soon. Damn it. How much time did she have before he kicked
her out?
“I need to head out, Larissa.” Jordan retrieved her purse
and coat from the back room. Larissa walked her to the door to lock up. Jordan
lowered her voice. “See you in the morning. Keep an open mind with what Garrick
and Ramon tell you. They have your best interests in mind. You can trust them.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. “Tell me one thing. Am I in danger?”
Jordan glanced at Garrick and Ramon who were involved in a
private conversation. “Yes, but not from them. You have to do what they tell
you.”
“Why? Something is going on in this town, I know it. Tell
me. Is it the mob? The other day I was attacked, Garrick warned me about where
to go and not go, my store was broken into, those girls who shoplifted talked
about belonging to a Guild, Ramon keeps repairing locks on my doors, and
Garrick mentions that he could help my business become successful.”
Jordan glanced across the store at Garrick and Ramon but
they weren’t paying attention to them. “I envy you because although I receive
the benefits and protection from Garrick, Ramon and the Guild, I can never be a
part of that exquisite rapture, the intense sensual fire of being a crimson
swan. I’m excluded.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Larissa wasn’t sure
if Jordan had lost her
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