Part 17 (2/2)

Lessons. What did you learn in your lesson- With a burst of wrath, she used her mind as a wave, flinging the hypnotic energy back at the vampire, making the woman clutch at her chest.

She hadn't expected Dawn's lightning-fast parry.

Like an atomic shudder, the vampires broke apart, leaving faint imprints of a black cloud that had dissipated. Dawn took off after them.

”Are you crazy?” Breisi yelled, grabbing Dawn. The older woman was digging her fingers into Dawn's healing burns.

Snarling in pain, she gathered all her strength and wrenched herself away, revolver and crucifix in front of her as she blazed into the hall.

The empty hall.

”s.h.i.+t!” Dawn kept aiming around, hoping to find them.

Needing to find them.

I had something, Frank. d.a.m.n it, I had something!

Breisi and Kiko marched into the hallway, the tech geek taking hold of Dawn's jacket and dragging her toward the club and the exit. ”We're no good to the boss if we're dead.” The look on Kiko's face almost echoed Breisi's sentiments, but Dawn couldn't be sure.

His expression was as fleeting as the silver in those vamps' eyes.

FOURTEEN.

THEHAUNTEDHOUSE.

ONCEthey were in the car, Breisi turned around in her driver's seat and let loose. ”You're out of control, Dawn.”

”We had them.” Dawn held up her hands in impotent fury. ”We should've given chase before they disappeared.”

”No. We gather information for the boss. We don't exterminate, not unless we're attacked and we have to. Besides, that's how Frank got into trouble-not thinking and pursuing things at a whim, the fool.”

Scolding was bringing out the mother in Breisi, or at least, close to what Dawn thought a mother might sound like. The fine wrinkles had deepened around the older woman's narrowed eyes, her tone final and nonnegotiable.

But Dawn didn't need a parent-never had. As soon as she was old enough, she'd a.s.sumed that role in a household where Frank needed someone else to take care of the bills, cook the meals, tuck him into bed after he pa.s.sed out.

Staring out the window, Kiko wasn't saying a word, so Dawn didn't know whether or not he was agreeing with Breisi. h.e.l.l, it'd be nice to have an ally here, seeing as Dawn had done some good and gotten them major information, right?

Robby's been around,the bartender/servant had said. But he'd uttered something else that had disturbed her much more....

A big guy, asking a lot of questions about Robby.

He...never came back.

Frank. Dawn closed her eyes, dug her nails into her jeans. Her dad had been at Bava earlier this week. She could almost still feel him in the air. So close. So G.o.dd.a.m.ned close.

Finally, Kiko said something. ”Those silver-eyed vamps weren't as tough as the red-eyes. Think they know each other? They both like to hang around Robby's turf.”

Dawn opened her gaze to find Breisi still glaring at her, jaw tight as she answered her a.s.sociate.

”It wouldn't be a leap to think they're somehow connected.”

”And they all ran away.” Kiko motioned to the window, outside. Somewhere, the vamps-and the servant with the answers- were on the loose. ”Wimps.”

”We should've gone after them,” Dawn repeated, like saying it again would give her another chance at them.

Breisi held up a finger, the terse gesture demanding silence. Slowly, she allowed her hand to drop as she spoke.

”There are times when weakness covers desperation, and that's even more dangerous than strength or skill. We might be very lucky that those creatures ran away. Very lucky.” She turned to Kiko. ”Maybe the boss is right about giving Dawn more training, or maybe...”

”Maybe what?” Dawn sat forward, her hands on the front seats, frustration skimming her nerves.

Breisi hesitated. ”If Frank knew you were involved with this business, he would've made you stop anyway.” ”I am not quitting.” Dawn sat back in the seat, a.s.suming the determined, easy posture of a person who was going to stay around awhile, even if she knew she was in over her head. Even if she knew, deep down, that all her fake fighting skills might just be succeeding on borrowed time and that, one day soon, her showy talents might not stand up to a bigger crowd of vampires who stayed to face the rock music instead of running away.

The other woman wasn't letting up. ”Now that it's come to this, I don't know how many times Frank told me howlocohe'd get if you found out what he was doing for a living.”

”You know my dad well enough to speak for him, do you?”

It was like Dawn had cracked a whip over Breisi's head, missing by inches. The woman flinched, then remained still, her dark eyes suddenly explaining more than Dawn wanted to know.

There was a softness there, a tenderness. As Dawn recalled the strange flash of emotion on Breisi's face when they'd first talked about Frank's disappearance with The Voice last night, livid shock tore through her. Then she remembered more: Breisi angrily jerking the steering wheel after Dawn had mentioned that she'd often picked Frank's ”drunk b.u.t.t” up from the Cat's Paw; the emotion in Breisi's voice as she vowed to Dawn that they would get Frank back, no matter what.

Breisi's eyes got watery, like she was holding back tears. Dawn slumped, numb, the strength sapped out of her.

Frank, she thought, who else have you hurt? What other damage did you do while I was gone?

In the face of Dawn's non-responsiveness, Breisi glanced at Kiko for aid. ”I know we have to go along with this, but...”

Kiko touched her shoulder, and she bit her lip.

”Drive,” he said. ”Just drive for now.”

She ran a hand through her bobbed hair, gave a clipped nod, wiped at her face, then started the SUV. It squealed onto the street, mingling with the traffic.

Dawn barely heard Kiko trying to melt the ice that had frozen the air. He was saying something about the waitress he'd talked to at Bava, how he hadn't gotten much information from her....

G.o.d, Frank.

Dawn's mind drifted, hiding in the memories that had been triggered by the bartender.

He...never came back.

So where was he, huh? Where was the widower who'd taken responsibility for a newborn baby as he mourned his young, dead wife? Where was the father who'd invited over friends he'd met during a couple of light stunt gigs for football Sunday-men who'd enchanted little Dawn with their laughter and exciting stories while making her dream of getting paid to have such fun someday, too? Where was he, d.a.m.n it?

Dawn's voice came out in a battered whisper. ”Take the one-oh-one.” The highway.

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