Part 9 (1/2)
”Oh, we're not gonna do it during daylight hours, Sammy. We're goin' in ninja style,” Nina cackled, mocking a karate chop.
Sam's jaw tightened. ”Despite the mostly harmless goings-on at O-Tech, we do still deal in dangerous chemicals, Nina. Which means they have armed guards. So how do we get past the security guards?”
She shrugged her shoulders like she'd stormed plenty of castles in her time. ”You're the wall whisperer. She can teleport. Figure it out, brainiac.”
Oh, dear G.o.d. Not only was she a vampire, but she was going to be a teleporting felonious vampire now, too?
”So you want me to just walk through a wall at O-Tech? I don't know if you saw what just happened only moments ago, Nina, but I wasn't exactly Mr. Miyagi at wall walking.”
Nina glanced at her wrist.w.a.tch. ”Then you two better get to crack-a-lackin' and practice. You've got twenty-four hours. Eight of which will be spent pa.s.sed out cold in vampire sleep not too far in your immediate future, Gigantor.”
”Do you have any idea what could happen if we get caught?” Sam demanded, his voice, usually so easygoing and light, riddled with concern Phoebe distinctly heard.
Nina rose, pulling Archibald up with her. ”Nope. But you do have an idea of what could happen if we don't figure this s.h.i.+t out. I don't know about you, but I bet that Mark would pa.s.s out cold if he had to sweep his Phoebes up off the floor. I bet all those nice pictures of your family you had all over the place are a sure sign they'd be pretty upset if you just didn't exist anymore, too. We got trouble, kemosabe. Big trouble. If I were you, I'd want answers.”
Yeah. Answers. Phoebe internally rallied for answers while she pondered Sam's hesitance. Maybe he was just one of those rule followers who never balked at authority? But who could afford to follow the rules when they were destined for death? Wouldn't that light a big fire under your a.s.s?
If your two choices were break some rules or die-she was choosing rule breaking. Whether Sam was in or not.
She sat silently, watching the play of emotions on Sam's face and waiting. But the moment had pa.s.sed and his face lightened. ”You're right. I'm just not a fan of breaking and entering. I have to go back to work sometime. Can't do that if I'm in jail.”
Nina wrapped her arm around Sam's shoulder. ”Sam, here's the word. You ain't ever goin' back to a day job because there isn't a sunscreen on the planet that can protect you from frying like so much egg come high noon if you're out in the sun too long. A full day of work just won't cut it until you build up a tolerance, and that takes time. You'd have to walk around covered from head to toe in clothing, and even then, it stings like s.h.i.+t. It can be done. I've done it. But it ain't no walk in the park and it takes time to build up a tolerance to it for longer than an hour or so. Get used to the fact that gray and overcast are your new BFFs.”
Jesus. Phoebe grimaced. Always with the death threats. If one thing didn't kill them, something else surely would be happy to take a stab at it.
While Dmitri, Nina, and Sam hatched a plan, Archibald extended a hand to her, tugging her upward from her place on the couch. ”So, miss, I hear a welcome to the fold is in order?” His pleasant smile and soft words made the hole where her dead heart lay ache.
”I think there's no room left in the fold,” she said, keeping her tone light.
He clasped her hand between his, his eyes full of a twinkling amus.e.m.e.nt. ”There's always room in the fold, miss. Sometimes the fold just needs a swift kick in the pants.”
Phoebe laughed for the first time in what felt like eons. ”I'd be happy to oblige.”
Archibald's smile was warm, his rounded cheeks cheerfully dusted with color. ”Ah, miss. Our Nina is as you young people say, a bada.s.s. But underneath all that bl.u.s.ter lies a heart, and while it no longer beats, it surely exists. She grumbles. She oftentimes yells. Indeed, her language is an abomination to one's ears. However, I've borne witness to countless selfless acts on her part. I do hope you'll stick around to see some of them.”
This wasn't the first time she'd heard those words where Nina was concerned. Sam held the same sentiment to a degree. On impulse, Phoebe gave him a hug. ”Thank you, and thank you for coming out so late to help us.”
”I daresay it isn't pleasant news, but I have every faith we shall find an answer. As for now, you must rest. All good vampires need a minimum of eight hours or they turn into our fair Nina.”
Phoebe smiled at him and giggled softly. ”Then maybe I should shoot for ten-you know, padding my chances?”
He laughed before holding out his arm to her in a gallant gesture. ”Come. You must drink in order to keep you strong during the final stages of the change. I shall prepare your evening feeding, and we'll get to know one another while your Sam finishes up.”
”Oh, he's not my Sam,” she made a point of saying, looping her arm through his and allowing him to lead her to the kitchen. ”We just met a few hours ago.”
Archibald's bushy eyebrow rose. ”Chemistry is a funny thing, miss. Sometimes those who are experiencing it aren't always aware they are.”
Oh, she was aware, she thought as she slid onto one of Sam's steel kitchen stools and watched Archibald produce more of the packets of the blood Wanda had given her back at her place.
She was more than aware of Sam McLean. She was aware of how his jeans hugged the tops of his strong thighs, and the tight abdomen under his s.h.i.+rt. She was sickly aware of his deep brown eyes with lashes for days and his long, lean fingers when they held hers. She was aware of the s.e.xy Stetson he wore that shadowed his lean face.
The trouble was, she wouldn't always be aware.
And that was a problem.
”ARE they asleep?” Wanda asked, entering Sam's apartment via Nina and sliding off her shoes to set them in the hall closet.
Nina stretched, clasping her fingers together over her head and twisting her body from side to side. ”Yeah. Finally. Who's got Marky-Mark covered?”
Wanda draped her jacket over Sam's couch and sighed. ”I left him with Marty and Say Yes to the Dress. Good gravy, they're like a sister and brother from another mother, Nina. They were bonding over tulle and Swarovski crystals when I left. He'll be fine. Though, he was sick with worry over Phoebe. They've been friends since childhood.”
”Good for them.” Nina grunted, plopping down on the couch and dragging one of Sam's pillows to her lap. She patted a s.p.a.ce next to her for Wanda to sit. ”Now I just want some quiet without Barbie Fabulous yakking in my head. I'm an hour overdue for vampire sleep-which makes me b.i.t.c.hy Vampire. Vampire Barbie's evil twin.”
Wanda dropped down next to her best friend and patted her hand with a light chuckle. ”It's been a busy few hours. We've got a lot on our plates. I'm worried, friend.”
”Me, too, Wanda. Me f.u.c.king, too.” Nina's words held a defeat Wanda knew she wouldn't have shared with Phoebe and Sam.
”Do you really think you'll find something at O-Tech?”
Nina burrowed into the couch, letting her head fall back on the arm. ”The f.u.c.king idea that someone's creating vampires scares the s.h.i.+t out of me, Wanda, but it's as good a place to start as any. It's not like we have much else to go on but that memo pad from O-Tech the chick dropped. Like I told you on the phone, Arch and his stoner dude think this is some kind of research gone seriously south. Where better than a place like O-Tech to experiment with s.h.i.+t like that? No doubt, they have the resources.”
”But with people? Humans, Nina? Sweet Jesus. It's horrifying. I feel so helpless. At least with the others we've been able to help in that we had something in common. We didn't know anything about cougars, but we did understand Katie and Shaw's need to s.h.i.+ft. We had a semblance of understanding for their predicaments. But if this is some experiment gone awry, and they're manufacturing vampires, we can't even begin to antic.i.p.ate what else could go wrong.”
Nina grunted, her eyes fighting to stay open. ”How are Doc Katie and those little beasts, anyway?”
Wanda held up her phone and scrolled through her pictures. ”Katie sent me this today. Look at the twins-are they not just to die for?” she cooed.
Nina's return grin was filled with affection. ”Yeah. Love those little b.u.g.g.e.rs. Aunt Teeny, too. I'm glad she gave those old broads s.h.i.+t and started her own knitting circle.”
They each fell silent with the memory of Katie, a veterinarian accidentally turned into a cougar, and the strange, fact-finding journey that had led their friend not just to a successful paranormal existence, but love with a man named Shaw, marriage, and subsequent twins boys.
Wanda let her head fall back on the couch. She poked her friend's leg. ”Hey, Nina?”
”Now what, Wanda?”
”Talk to me,” she demanded. ”We've been so caught up in the chaos of this O-Tech thing and Phoebe and Sam, I haven't had the chance to really talk to you.”
”About?”
”How you feel about all this. Tell me how you feel about Phoebe being your sister.”
She shrugged, the roll of her hoodie rippling on her shoulders. ”I don't feel anything.”
Wanda scoffed. ”Nina. C'mon. Some woman shows up and has valid proof she's your sister. That means your father had a long-term affair you knew nothing about, honey. Tell me how that makes you feel and what I can do to help you deal with it. And don't try to hoodwink me. It's just you and me all in the circle of safe.”
Nina's eyes had begun to slide closed, but they popped open at Wanda's words. ”First, get this s.h.i.+t straight. My dad didn't have an affair. He didn't cheat on my mother. She was dead by the time he hooked up with Princess Barbie's mother. My mom died when I was just a baby of a drug overdose, and I'm four years older than Couture Girl, if that birth certificate frilly boy slapped up in my face is right. Second, I could only feel something if I gave a s.h.i.+t-which I don't. Just because some DNA test says she's my blood means squat. I don't know her. I don't want to know her, and when we're through with this bulls.h.i.+t a.s.signment and she's done all that adjusting we have to teach her, I'm f.u.c.king out.”