Dont, Eve said sharply, and pinched her arm. Claire yelped and looked at her. Dont look him in the eye.
Eve, Oliver sighed. Im very disappointed in you. Dont you understand that its my responsibility, as Brandons Patron, to get to the bottom of this? To find the ones responsible? Youre not the innocent Claire may be; you know the penalties for killing one of us. And you know the lengths to which well go to find out the truth. If I can get it from her without pain, dont you want me to do that?
Eve didnt answer. She kept her eyes focused somewhere around the middle of his chest. I think youll do whatever you want, she said grimly. Just like vamps always do. You didnt ask me, but Im glad Brandons dead. And Im glad he suffered, too. However much it was, it wasnt enough.
That was when Nice Oliver vanished. Justgone. Claire saw a flicker of movement, nothing more, and then he had hold of Eves black-dyed hair and he was yanking her head back at a painful angle.
And there was nothing human in his eyes. Unless pure, flaming rage was human.
Oh, he breathed into Eves ear. Thank you for saying that. Now I dont have to be so careful anymore.
Detective Hess stepped forward, fists clenched; Richard Morrell got in his way. Easy, Joe, he said. Its under control.
Didnt look that way to Claire. She was breathing too fast, feeling faint again, and she could see Eves knees buckling. The menace in the roomthe body on the tableit was all just terrifying.
Shanes dad did that. Claire felt sick and even more terrified once she had the thought, because now somehow she had to keep it to herself.
And she knew they were going to ask.
Oliver sniffed at Eves exposed neck. Youve been working at a coffee shop, he said. On campus, I suppose. Funny. I wasnt asked for any references.
Let go, Eve said faintly.
Oh, I cant do that. It makes it harder to hurt you. Oliver smiled, then opened his mouth, and his fangssnake fangs, deadly sharpsnapped down into place. They werent like teeth, really; they were more like polished bone, and they looked strong.
He licked Eves neck, right over the pulse.
Oh God, she whispered. Please dont do that. Please dont let him do that.
Ask the girl a question, Oliver. We dont have time for your hobbies. Mayor Morrell said it in a bored tone, like all of this was keeping him from something more important. He inspected his manicure and buffed his fingernails against his suit jacket. Lets move this train down the track.
Amelie wasnt saying or doing anything.
Im Protected, Eve said. You cant hurt me. She didnt sound very confident, though, and Claire looked at Amelie, sitting in the front row of chairs, studying the scene closely, as if it was all some show put on for her benefit. Her expression was polite, but cool.
Please help, Claire thought. Amelies pale gold eyebrow raised just slightly. Can you hear me?
If she could, Amelie gave no other sign. She simply sat, calm as Buddha.
Lets just say that Amelie and I have an understanding in matters such as this, Oliver said. And Eve, love, that understanding is that I can use any methods to pursue humans who break the peace.
Regardless of Protection. Regardless of who that Protection is from. Now, I think we should have a little talk about your home invaders.
Ourwhat? Eve was struggling not to meet his eyes, but he was so close, it was almost impossible to avoid him. I dont know who they were.
You dont. Youve very sure about that, he said. His voice had dropped to a low, lethal whisper, and Claire tried to think of something to say, something to do, that would help Eve. Because clearly, Eve wasnt going to help herself, and she couldnt just stand by and see herhurt. She couldnt.
I know, she said, and she felt everyone shift their collective attention onto her. Scary. Claire cleared her throat. They were bikers.
Bikers. Oliver let go of Eves hair and turned toward Claire. I see. Youre attempting to distract me with the obvious, and, Claire, that is not a good idea. Not a good idea at all. We know all that, you see. We know when they came to town. We even know who called them.
Claire felt all the blood drain from her head. Her stomach flipped over, and kept flipping, and Oliver walked away from Eve and yanked another cord.
Another curtain slid aside, next to Brandons body.
Two men, on their knees, bound and gagged and held in place by really scary-looking vampires. One of the prisoners was a biker.
Shane was the other.
Claire screamed.
Chapter Sixteen
In the end, they sat her down in a chair and had Gretchen hold her down with those strong, iron-hard hands pressing on her shoulders. Claire continued to struggle, but fear and shock were winning out over anger. And Shane wasnt moving. He was watching her, but he couldnt say anything around the gag, and if Shane wasnt struggling, maybe there wasnt anything to be gained from it.
Eve spun around and slapped Oliver. An open-hand, hard smack that echoed like a gunshot off of all the marble in the room. There was a collective intake of breath. You son of a bitch! she spit. Let Shane go! He has nothing to do with this!
Really. A flat word, not even really a question. Unlike a humans, Olivers face didnt show any sign of a handprint from the slap, and it had definitely been hard enough. He barely looked as if hed felt it at all. Sit down, Eve, while I tell you the facts of your rather pathetic life.
She didnt. Oliver put his hand flat on her chest, right at the notch of her collarbone, and shoved. Eve sprawled in a chair, glaring at him.
Detective Hess, Oliver said. I suggest you explain to my dear ex-employee exactly what she risks the next time she touches me in anger. Or, come to think of it, touches me at all.
Hess was already moving, sitting in the chair beside Eve and leaning toward her. He whispered to her, urgent words that Claire couldnt catch. Eve shook her head violently. A trickle of sweat ran from her messy hair down the side of her face, making a flesh-colored track through the white makeup.