Claudia's giggle interrupted the hug both Cameron and I were in. I led my eyes furiously back to her. Her eyes were full of laughter and excitement.
My bitterness began to show through. "What you laughing at?"
Her smile grew wider as she grabbed onto Shawn. "It's not everyday I see my best friend head over heels in love."
I pushed myself away from Cameron. "I am not in love."
Claudia dragged herself and Shawn closer to Cameron. I walked off to the bar. "Oh really, Sara? You sure do look like you're in love. The twinkle in your eyes, redness in your cheeks. I bet you were thinking of him the entire trip."
I sat my butt on a stood and twirled around to face her. "That's not fully true." I placed my glare on Cameron. "Only four-fifths of the trip here."
She sighed then jogged over to me. She plopped her behind on the stool next to mine. She placed her hand on my shoulder pulling me closer to her.
"Admit it girl, you are in love."
"No."
She let go of me then looked at me accusingly. "You know it's the truth."
"I don't love him, I like him. If I do love him then my heart hasn't decided to tell my mind yet."
She hopped off the stool. "So that's how it's gonna be."
"Yeah."
She gave me an evil grin. "You two had sex yet?"
My left eyebrow rose. "No. You and Shawn?"
She sighed. "No."
"Why not?"
"I guess I wanna wait." I patted the stool's cushion.
She sat back down next to me. "You guess?"
Her eyes focused back on mine. "Yeah, I'm not so sure anymore, I mean just look at him."
"No thanks." She pushed me slightly. "Come on, you know he's not that bad looking."
"For a wolf, I suppose not."
Confusion draped across her face. Her mouth was wide open.
I wanted to say, "why are you looking like that but I knew better". "Don't tell me he didn't tell you he was a wolf."
"Yeah he did, I just wanted to play with your mind."
"Bitch."
She pushed me off my stool then ran to Shawn. I walked over to the guys peeling the wallpaper off the walls. I told them to quickly get out of here. We got business to do. No need to have any witnesses. It's not like more than half of us in here are wereanimals. What I am, I am proud of. Well, at least partially proud of.
I returned my attention back to the bar to see Cameron waiting for me to sit next to him. I ignored him focusing on Claudia and Shawn, who were still by the jukebox. I saw her kissing Shawn, hugging him, tugging on his manly parts. Well maybe not the last one, but with the mood I'm in sex was on the mind.
When the men finally left, I walked over to Shawn and Claudia, who miraculously moved by Shannon and Richard. A curious smile was placed on my face. "So, Shawn, when you two gonna do it?"
Claudia's eyes turned wide to me. "Sara!"
"Hey, can't blame a girl for asking."
I sat down next to Richard and watched the lovebirds. Cameron eventually came to stand behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders.
"Damn, you guys wanna get a room."
Claudia turned to me laughing. "I bought this place, so it's good enough."
I rolled my eyes while getting out of the chair. I stood up and headed back to a phone behind the bar. I reached out for the phone until Claudia's voice stopped me.
"Who you calling?"
"A cab."
"Why?"
"I'm sick of this love shit. Cameron, wanna come with me."
He nodded. Claudia stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "Sara, you can't leave."
"I can do what I please and what I please to do is leave."
I picked the phone up and began to dial. I got two numbers out until I heard a car pull up. I slowly put the phone back on the wall. My eyes looked toward the front door. Richard stood as one of the doors roared open. Let me guess, this Anita chick likes to get noticed.
A pasty white woman with dark curly black hair stomped her way inside. She was wearing an oversized dark blue polo shirt with black pants. She had no makeup with no smile. An everyday bad ass.
She came to stand next to Richard. I walked back out into our very own tiny crowd.
Her power was like a brisk feel of warm air rising up my spine. It was so different than what I'm used to feeling. A necromancer? Most definitely.
Richard was the first to break the silence.
"Claudia Franchetti, Sara Pezzini, this here is Anita Blake."
She quickly reached her right hand out to us. I was the last to touch her. Our powers fought amongst each other as I caught hold of her hand. I was the first to pull back since I wanted to go back to the telephone.
Claudia's voice returned to my ears. "You aren't calling a cab."
I mumbled back. "I don't see anyone stopping me."
She sighed. "We're going to talk about the problem now."
I stopped in my tracks. "About damn time."
I stomped back to a chair. Since Cameron took mine, I was stuck sitting next to Anita. Oh well. She can't be that bad.
Richard stood up in front of us as if ready to start a lecture.
"There's some kind of power out here in St. Louis that's forcing heart failure on wereanimals."
Anita spoke out for the first time. "How many have died?"
Richard looked down at her. "About ten. It's all from the same thing."
I sat there with my hand cradling my face thinking of a few things to say. When I finally settled on something, everyone's attention was turned to me.
"When does this power occur?"
"Usually at dawn and dusk."
I looked over to Anita. She was standing with her hand on her forehead. Did she have a headache?
"Does anything else happen to the wereanimals? Sunken in eyeballs? Anything like that?"
"No, Anita. Their heart basically explodes in on itself."
My expression played along the lines of my confusion. Cameron's face looked just as puzzled as mine did. I turned my glaze to the back of the bar. Sitting in the dust was a coffin about to the tossed to the wolves, literally.
I jumped up out of my seat. "It has to be a vampire."
Anita caught onto it fast. "Yeah, what else rises twice in a day."
I started questioning my own theory. "What if it's something else?"
She looked back at me. "It has to be. A demon has to be called up in a sacrifice or ritual. A fey usually isn't strong enough."
I walked slowly over to her with a condescending grin. "You know anyone that would have any clue about a strange appearance in their territory?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "Yeah, I know the Master of the City."
I smiled at her. I remembered what Richard told me. About his problems with his girlfriend. Am I trying to pick a fight or what?
She glared angrily at Richard as if able to read his mind. I quickly pushed my chair in causing them to turn to me. "I don't care what type of past you two have, but don't drag it out now. We sort of need Anita, Richard. So back off."
Anita's angry glare turned to me.
I placed my hands on my hips. "What? I was just telling the truth. If you don't like it, there's the door."
She cocked her head to the side. "If I wanted your opinion on his and my past, I would have asked for it. Otherwise, stay the hell out of my business."
"It is my business if your stupid infatuation with this werewolf will get me killed."
She jumped closer to me. "I am always careful. Only way you'll die is if you are stupid enough to get in the line of fire."
"Whatever. You watch your ass and I'll watch mine. Don't come crawling to me if you need any help."
"I won't need any help from you. One way or another, I tend to rely on myself."
She was talking about Richard and Cameron saving me. Dammit.
"Is that so? It's funny because you seem to be confused."
Her black eyes focused in on mine. "About what?"
"You don't know which supernatural freak fucks the best."
She stepped up closer to me. I could actually feel the hilt of her gun in my side. Our eyes were pressed against each other's. Claudia stepped in between us.
"How are we going to defeat this bad guy if we can't even get along?"
I looked back at Anita, who hadn't stepped off yet.
Claudia continued. "These are innocent people that are dying."
I thought about it for a second, then backed off. If I had to be the bigger person, fine with me. Just shows how immature she was. Eventually, Anita did back off.
Should I make a truce right now? Claudia is right. These are innocent things getting killed. Maybe I should grow up and become wiser. Hell, nothing wrong with trying.
"Anita, I'm willing to drop my attitude, if you are willing to drop yours."
She stood there thinking for a few seconds. Then, she nodded her head. I stepped forward with my right hand outstretched. She took it, shaking it as if it were the first time we met.
"So, where's the Master of the City?"