Barkley's expression soured. "I was trying to help. Why don't I leave you alone now to feel sorry for yourself? Would that work?"
"That would work just fine."
Without another word, Barkley turned his back and left Quinn's room.
He covered his face again with his hands and pressed his lips together. He could still feel Janie's warm body against his own, still taste her on his lips.
She'd tasted and felt better than anything he'd ever experienced before.
Ever.
He reached forward and grabbed the map that he'd pulled out of her pocket without her knowing. It was the only thing that mattered. This scrap of paper was everything to him now. He couldn't hurt it, and it couldn't hurt him.
Janie had effortlessly managed to work her way into his life, into his heart and mind and body in less than a day. The thought of never seeing her again actually hurt. But that's what he'd have to do.
For her own sake.
Lenny was applying some of the healing balm to Janie's neck in her motel room. It would take care of the wound, heal it up by tomorrow so she wouldn't bear the scars like she did of the last vampire bite.
She hadn't found the balm in time for that injury.
The proof that Quinn had bitten her would be gone, but the memory remained.
Her cheeks warmed. God, she wanted him. She wanted that messed-up vampire like no man she'd ever known before.
Did that make her crazy?
Yes. Of course it did. But it didn't change her mind.
It was almost eleven o'clock. Lenny insisted that they go to the restaurant, because he heard her stomach start to growl, and then she realized that she hadn't eaten all day. After her recent blood donation, she figured she should get something on her stomach as soon as possible.
Lenny was cranky. She could tell because he ordered only a plate of fries and a Coke. That was like a diet-sized serving of food to Lenny.
"What's wrong?" she asked him after she placed her order for a club sandwich and coffee that the waitress poured immediately.
He shook his head. "I don't know how you can be so calm. He almost killed you."
"I appreciate your concern, but that's not true."
"Janie, I've seen you with other vamps. You've never had a problem with them before. How did you let this asshole get you off guard?"
She rubbed her lips together and took a sip of her coffee before answering. "He didn't catch me off guard."
He stared at her blankly.
"I let him bite me," she said.
"What?" His eyes bugged out of his huge face as if that was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "Why would you do something like that?"
"He needed blood. He was dying. There were no other choices."
"You should have staked him, then."
"I couldn't do that."
"Why not?"
Dammit. Why did she feel like she owed Lenny the truth? Well, maybe because out of everybody in the world, he was probably the one that cared the most for her. Call it a misplaced crush or just simple loyalty to one's partner, Lenny genuinely was concerned for her safety and well-being. When somebody feels that way toward you, you don't lie to them and blow them off. They deserved a lot more than that.
"I didn't want him to die."
He scrubbed his fingers through his short hair. "Janie, I know you knew this guy when you were a kid,
but what difference does that make now? How could you be so sure he wouldn't have drained you?"
"Because I trust him."
He laughed. "You trust him?" He shook his head and brought his notebook out to rest on the tabletop.
She eyed it warily. "Don't do it, Lenny."
"I have to. You've obviously forgotten." He flipped toward the middle of the book to a page filled with scrawled writing. One of Lenny's many poems. This one was titled "Why Vampires Are Bad."
He cleared his throat:
Vampires suck
And not just blood
They are mean and nasty
And definitely no good
When you're drained
And close to death
Vamps will laugh—
To your screams they're deaf
They arenot human
Not even close
Get too close to one