FULL NOVELXO Chapter CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ABBEY COULDN’T SLEEP with the sheriff in the house, so they played cards at the kitchen table while waiting for the vampire to show up and bang on the door. She was impressed by Alexander’s size and good looks, hoping the rickety chair he was sitting on wouldn’t give way to his solidness. He was a man’s man, although he could be as gentle as a lamb when necessary, a good man that one could count on through good times and bad, she thought. The table was old with metal legs that weren’t in the condition they used to be. The age of the furniture made it evident that they were a poor family.
The German shepherd relaxed on the floor beside Alexander; Tessy sensed their mutual attraction and was indifferent to it. The dog lived to battle evil vampires, and because there weren’t any present, she was bored. Tessy wanted evil bones to chew. She stretched with her powerful legs and let herself fall flat, taking up quite a bit of space on the floor. The shepherd had the most significant chest on a dog he had ever seen, and even before Dracula had turned her into a vampire, she had been alpha.
“Beautiful dog.”
“She’s one of a kind. If someone ever does her in, I’m going to cry like a baby, destroy whoever did it or die trying.”
Abbey liked what he had just said because, to her, it sounded honest. The smell of strong black coffee permeated the air as they both had a cup. Abbey felt safe, but she knew that feeling would leave as soon as he did. They played poker for fun, and he let her win more than half the time. They could hear Arym snoring from her bedroom. They talked about the girl’s new life as a vampire and various other subjects, including Dracula.
“So you’ve met him?”
“Yes, a few times. Every red sheriff has met Dracula.”
Abbey took a sip of her hot coffee from her oversized white cup. “What’s he like? They write about him in books and newspapers, but what’s he like? They contradict themselves so much that they obviously don’t know much about him. I guess that half the stuff is made up.”
“I can’t answer that because we’re not best friends, if you know what I mean. He’s a handsome guy but scary. He has a presence about him like no other. Saying that the Master is powerful is an understatement. Most vampires can detect his energy from quite far away. ”
“How far away?”
“Depends on the vampire.”
Abbey brushed the hair out of her eyes; she was flirting with the sheriff, and he knew it. He was sexy to her on multiple levels. “What’s it like to be a vampire?”
“What’s it like to be human?”
“Yes, well, you were human once. What’s it like to be a red sheriff, then?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that. Let’s just say that it’s a dangerous job and leave it at that. I’m sure you don’t want any of the gory details. A vampire can get used to anything, including dealing with death. Dealing with the bad guys does help, but death is a one-way street. At least I hear that the Master is finally getting involved.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“He’s going make more red sheriffs, and hopefully, people can feel safe again. Unfortunately, I think it will get worse before it gets better.”
Abbey received her cards from Alexander, and again she was looking at four aces. She smiled at him. “Obviously, some reverse cheating going on here. You know that I don’t care if I lose.”
“What, I didn’t give you four aces. Did I?”
She smiled at him. “I hear the ceremony to turn vampires into red sheriffs is quite elaborate. Is that right?”
“It is true, but that’s all I’ll say about that. We are sworn to secrecy.”
Abbey reached out and touched his hand, wanting to see if he would pull away, but he didn’t. It was as if time had halted for a brief moment. “It sounds exciting. Alexander, are you married?”
“No.”
“Are you seeing someone?”
“I’m seeing you.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”
“I’ll be seeing you if you’ll allow me. I am aware of our mutual attraction.”
Abbey was tired. “Oh. Ah, yes, I think I’d like that. I’m so tired that I don’t think my brain is functioning properly.”
Alexander reached out and took her hand in his, and they stared into each other’s eyes. “Relax, I don’t bite. Well, I do bite, but I won’t bite you. What would you like to do for a first date? New York is a beautiful place for first dates. Could we take a long walk through Central Park? We could take a ride in a buggy?”
Abbey smiled as she thought about it, looking a lot like a little girl with a big revelation. “Well, it might be silly, but I’d like to see the polar bears at the Central Park Zoo. I’ve seen polar bears on television but never in the flesh.”
“Not silly at all. We can go this afternoon if you like.”
“Arym is going out with one of those vampires to learn how to become a proper vampire or whatever it is they do, so we’ll have some alone time.”
“It’s a date.”
“Okay.”
“My mother will freak out if she finds out.”
“Abbey, it’s not too late to cancel. We can stop this thing before it starts if you so wish. You need to do what’s best for you.”
Abbey considered it briefly. “No, no. I was just thinking out loud. How old are you, by the way? I don’t mean to be nosy, but it’s hard to tell with vampires.”
“I’m seventeen hundred and thirty-four.”
“Really? Wow. You don’t look a day over sixteen hundred.”
“I use Oil of Olay.”
“Let me tell you, it works.”
They couldn’t help but laugh.