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a job. And before said job was over, she may need to kill him.

Chapter 5
    T he sound—where was it coming from? Nicolo rapped the dashboard of the carriage, then sensed the sound was also coming from somewhere in the door. And the song had changed from one sung by a male vocalist to a female.
    â€œSo loud,” he remarked. “Yet her voice, it is tortured. What is this violent yet delicious music?”
    â€œIt’s called hard rock or heavy metal,” Summer said. “You like it?”
    He met her daring gaze with an unsure nod, which then changed to a more positive shake of his head. “I think I do. What is she singing?”
    â€œSong’s called ‘Welcome to the Gun Show.’ The band is In This Moment. I love her voice. So raw and raunchy. But I know something that will be even more interesting to you.” She turned down the volume using the radio dial.
    â€œDon’t do that! I want to hear this.”
    â€œI’m going to switch songs.”
    â€œBut you are moving too fast for me. I like this song. I want to put this into my brain.”
    His enjoyment must have given her a kick, for she chuckled at him again. Such a bold woman. He attributed that to her being vampire. Or perhaps the twenty-first-century woman had evolved to a sort of exotically aggressive powerhouse. He liked it.
    He liked Summer.
    â€œA little David Garrett might surprise you,” she said. Tapping the witchbox, she said to it, “Play David Garrett’s ‘Paganini Caprice No. 24.’”
    â€œDid you just ask me to—” Nicolo paused when the surprising first notes of the violin caprice carried over the speakers. “ Mio Dio! This is my composition! But it is...”
    â€œGiven a hard rock edge. It’s awesome, isn’t it?”
    Despite the fact he’d never appreciated when someone had attempted to play his compositions—because they could never achieve the perfection he had mastered—Nicolo found himself shaking his head to the dashing allegretto scale. “It’s different, but I do like it. The violinist even manages the harmonics. How were you able to command it to play a specific song? Does this vehicle know every song ever composed?”
    Summer laughed. “No, it’s in my, uh...witchbox.” She tapped the tiny device. “More stuff you’ll have to learn about if you want to survive in the twenty-first century.”
    â€œThe twenty-first century.” He leaned an elbow on the vehicle door and caught his forehead in hand. “Who would have thought? And I am being conveyed in a horseless vehicle with no fear of running off the road. It is a marvel. And such a smooth ride.”
    â€œShock absorbers.”
    â€œWe had the like in my time. Just those springs were not so smooth as whatever is under your carriage.”
    â€œIt’s a car. Ah, I love this part.” She turned up the radio.
    And Nicolo closed his eyes to take in the composition. It was well played and even more rapidly than he had once managed. The violinist was an expert. But he could not get beyond the marvel that the music was right there, at the literal touch of the vampire’s fingertip. She could call up any song she wished with her witchbox. A song that summoned many wonderful memories. Life had been beautiful when standing on stage. To be adored and respected had mattered to him. He’d had a lovely son and many lovers.
    Could he have that again?
    â€œWe’re driving through a town,” Summer informed him.
    â€œAh.” He opened his eyes. “Keep your eyes open for a tavern.”
    â€œThey are usually referred to as bars nowadays. I see a liquor store. With luck, they might still be open.”
    After Summer had bought a bottle of wine for Nicolo and explained how money was kept on small plastic cards, he decided he wanted one of those cards. They stood outside the car, and she handed him the wine. He bit the cork