Take a Bite Outta Crime Part 10 by Dellani Oakes

Drea has had a creepy visitor, which really upsets her. Kirk tries to calm her down.

"What if he was a Hunter?" Her question cut through the calm he tried to create.

"Then we deal with him on his own terms. The way we always do." His lips continued to caress her hands.

Drea shivered, a tingle running up her spine.

"What if he won't take a bribe?"

"The choice is then simple—turn or die."

"He could kill us, Kirk."

"We are not without skills and resources, my love. The Council...."

"The Council will throw us to the dogs. Look what happened to Jasmine!"

"She was careless," he replied gently. "Sloppy. We would have dispatched her ourselves, had it not happened."

"How can you be such a heartless bastard?" She asked, jerking her hand away. "Jasmine was our friend!"

"Perhaps, but she put us all at risk. She was too outrageous and obvious. Showing your fangs in public, even as a Halloween costume, is bound to attract the wrong kind of attention. Then taking up with that group of depressed teenagers. What was she thinking?"

"She was lonely." Her fingers touched his cheek, brushing his hair gently. "Just as I was—until I met you. Turning you was the best idea I ever had."

"You did it for the sex," he said, taking her wrist to his lips.

"At first, but then I fell in love with you. I have loved you for so long now."

"Four hundred years," he said, nuzzling her palm.

"Four hundred and one."

"Together, yes," he said, nibbling the base of her thumb. "But married four hundred. And you look as beautiful now as you did that first day. So young, vibrant...."

"Immortal?"

"Even so...." His eyes turned dark, stormy as he continued to caress her arm.

With a flick of his head, his mouth opened wide, clamping down on her wrist. His teeth sank into her arm. Drea gave out a shuddering sigh, a shiver of pleasure running up her spine as he fed. Not to be left out, she took his arm, doing the same. Soon, their lips met, their blood mingling between them.

There was a tapping on the door.

"Chef?" It was Margo. "Are you busy?"

"Moderately," he said, his voice low and husky.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But put 'em back in, the police are here."

"Shit!" He hissed. "We'll be right out."

"Let them taste the new hors d'oeuvres you're experimenting with," Drea said, wiping blood from Kirk's lips with a damp towel.

He did the same for her, checking their wrists and sleeves for any traces of their encounter. The scars were gone, no telltale blood on skin or sleeve. Fixing her hair, Drea took the lead. Kirk shifted his chef's uniform around his lean, muscular frame.

Officer Scott and a female police officer they had never met, were waiting in the front. Margo was feeding them the new pastries she was working on. Each of them had a glass of sparkling water at hand.

"These are delicious!" the female officer said excitedly. "I'd love the recipe."

Margo giggled, taking up the tray. "Thank you for the compliment, but I don't have one. I toss in whatever seems like it would be good. I don't measure."

"Oh, then you have to make these for my wedding reception," the woman said. "I'm getting married in two months."

Margo grinned, batting her eyelashes. "Talk to the boss!" She waved to them, taking her tray with her to the back.

"May I introduce Detective Sandra Perelman?" Officer Scott said proudly. "She's in charge of your case."

"Our own detective? Why are you in uniform?"

The young woman shrugged, shaking their hands. "I just got promoted. Until today, I was a beat cop, Eddie's partner."

"Eddie?"

Officer Scott wiggled his fingers. "I'm Eddie."

"I just found out I passed, so Ed's telling everyone I'm a detective, though it's not official until tomorrow."

"But your assignment on the case is?"

"Yes, it's genuine. Eddie's taking me around, filling me in on details, introducing me to everyone."

"Oh, I see," Kirk said, not sure he did at all.

"I apologize for not calling in advance. We were in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. Some pretty crazy stuff has been happening in this part of town lately."

"Be fair," Sandra interrupted. "Not just this part of town. Actually, all over town. We've had a string of weird, unrelated crimes. Or they seem to be on the surface. But the same names keep cropping up."

© 2019 Dellani Oakes

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