Dawn's Never Ending Glow

"The client was very specific, you or nobody." Her boss pushed the file across the desk and stared up at Anna. He could see the wheels turning in her mind and the glimmer of temptation in her blue eyes. She was going to do it. "He'll be here at six tonight to meet with you."

Anna scoffed at her boss's eagerness. He already knew she was going to take the project. Maybe, she should have thrown professionalism out the window and just packed her things and left. Not only was her boss trying to cram the project down her throat. But he was demanding her to stay after hours to meet with a client about a project she didn't plan to start. She wasn't about to let him push her around. No matter how tempting the project was or how big of a name it would make for her. "Sorry." Anna shoved the manila folder back across the desk.

"Anna, I'm begging you, please at least meet with him." He pressed his hand down pinning the folder to the desk stopping its advance across the sleek, polished surface. "Maybe, we can work something out." He smiled at her, shooting her the smile that launched fear into the hearts of lesser men, hoping she would cave. He knew she was a sucker for this kind of work. "You could do most of the project from home. I'd keep you at your current salary. You'd only have to commute to the city a few times a month to meet with the client." He lifted his hand off the folder and played the last card he had to play. Counting on her ego to seal the deal. "I'm assuming you're not letting this man drag you off to the wilds of Alaska or some other ungodly place."

The truth was that the client had offered the firm a huge sum of money to retain Anna's services. Money the firm desperately needed in this economy. Not to mention, if she could pull it off, she'd get spots on the news and in the paper. It was a win-win situation. She'd get what she wanted, the firm would get a handsome pay out, and he'd have all the free advertising for the firm that he could want. This project was a career maker for the both of them. "You know you want this. Lets give it a try," he said in a voice that simply would not take 'no' for an answer.

Anna eyed the folder longingly. Her boss was pulling out all the stops in an attempt to keep her. A fact that really gave her ego a thorough massage. She'd half expected him to demand that she pack up her office and leave immediately once she delivered her notice. She hadn't expected an offer to work from home. The workaholic side of her wanted to snatch the folder and dig in. The romantic side of her wanted to forget the project, pack up, leap into Toby's arms, and forget the world. "Ok," the workaholic side said, "I'll do it. But," the romantic side chimed in, "I'll work until this project is done, and then, that's it."

He smiled triumphantly. "Deal." He pushed the folder into her hands. "Better get started."

Anna clutched the file tightly in her hands, making her way back to her office. She couldn't believe it. Could she really have the best of both worlds? She could be at Toby's side and work from home, earning her own money, a hell of a lot of it, and make a name for herself. She could have it all. She settled into her chair and began studying the file in preparation for the meeting.

******

Janine lowered her scrub brush into the bucket of strong smelling chemicals and sat back on her haunches with a satisfied huff. Her limbs were aching and the sunburn was tight and tender across her back. But, she had less than a week to get the shop ready to open. She'd spent the morning on a ladder, cleaning away layers of grime off the wide plate glass windows. And now, the white tiled floors got her undivided attention. The hard work had been a very diversion for her, keeping her mind off of Patrick.

She squeaked in surprise when a tap on the spotless glass drew her attention. She looked up to see a girl, in her late teens, staring down at her. "Hi, I'm Lori. Robbie called and wanted me to come help you out," the girl shouted through the glass.

"Ok." Janine said, groaning as she scrambled to her feet. Robbie had told her that she was calling back the summer help and they might stop by to lend a hand. She pointed, motioning the girl to the locked back door. She was still very cautious and on edge since meeting the Roark on Alex's wedding day. Opening the door, she practically jerked the girl inside by the collar. "Hi, I'm Janine."

The girl made Janine's insides quiver with envy. She was young, tanned, blonde, with big expressive eyes, and very thin. Not scrawny and gangly, but shapely thin and tone. Janine wanted to choke the living daylights out of the girl for being so damned cute and young. She forced a friendly smile and stuck out her hand. This girl had been working at the shop since she was sixteen and knew the ropes well. Better to make a friend than an enemy. Janine had never so much as taken a food order in her life.

Janine lived the life of a typical upper middle class teenager. Graduated high school and went straight to college, living off her parent's visa card. After college, she landed a good job in a bank and worked there until the problems with the rogues broke out and she'd been forced to quit and move into the compound.

"Ah." Lori shifted uncomfortably under the woman's stare. Janine looked at her with a certain measure of distaste, like she was something disgusting on the bottom of her shoe. "What needs done?" Her eyes ran over the glimmering, stainless steel, counters, spotless floors, and flawless windows. This woman was a powerhouse, all the cleaning looked like it was already finished and she wasn't sure how she could help out, or if the woman even wanted her to.

Lori had her doubts about how well she and Janine would get along. The woman was staring her down and checking her out, practically scowling at her. Lori forced a smile. "Have you gotten the ice cream machines cleaned yet? I could do that." She was going to have to prove her worth and win this woman over. She wished Corrine were still alive. By now, they'd be laughing and chatting, giving each other a through report of the events of the past year.

Lori blinked back a tear, missing Robert and Danielle. The summers wouldn't be the same without them. Last fall, after they died in an accident, Robbie had tried to keep the shop open, but she was so grief stricken that she hadn't been able to keep up. Before that, the summers past, work had been fun, filled with jokes and laughter. Occasionally, some one would end up with an ice cream cone in the face or deep in a maraschino cherry fight. But, Janine was serious as a heart attack and all business.

"That sounds great," Janine replied. She hadn't been able to master the monstrosity and couldn't figure out how to take it apart to clean the inside. But, she didn't want this kid showing her up by admitting that she had no clue. "I haven't gotten to it yet," she lied, returning to her bucket and scrub brush.

Lori got to work, taking apart the ice cream machine and washing the parts. This was her third summer here and probably her last. In a few weeks, she'd start her online classes at the local vo-tech and then it was on to college. Her parents weren't rich. Her mom was a nurse and her dad was a truck driver. She was going to do what she could to spare them the burden of paying for her college tuition. And the credits she earned from the vo-tech would transfer anywhere.

Another year at home wouldn't kill her. Although, she might have to put her foot down and move into the tiny apartment above the garage her parents occasionally rented out when money got tight. Maggie, her little sister, who tried to act so much older than her fifteen years, was a real pain in the neck. Maggie didn't appreciate the things she did for her. What she went through. Lori, the oldest, was the experimental child. The one her parents used to learn from. She paved the way for her little sister. Any mistakes her mom and dad made in parenting were on her instead of on her baby sis.

Hours later, the shop was immaculate. Ice cream was flowing in creamy, white spirals. And flavors of orange, cherry, and grape bubbled in the fountains. Janine popped the last bundle of thick white napkins into a stainless holder and positioned it on the table. "I think that's it," she said, stepping back to admire their hard work.

"I think so," Lori agreed. She and Janine spent the day engaged in small talk while they worked. Now, that Lori knew her new boss a little better, she guessed her last summer at What's the Scoop would be salvageable and maybe in the future, Janine and she might become friends. She put the finishing touches on the cones and handed one to Janine. "It's tradition. Employees always get the first cone of the season." She smiled and winked knowingly, "Robbie certainly isn't going to eat one."

Janine took the cone from Lori. "You know about Robbie?"

"I know about everything. Corrine, Robert and Danielle were more than coworkers. They were my friends. Everyone here is family." Lori took Janine's arm winding it through hers. "Here like this," she explained, extending her cone to Janine in a toast.

"You're a...?" Janine took her free hand and slid a length of blonde hair away from the right side of Lori's neck to reveal a tattooed symbol exactly like hers. Lori was a donor. God, the kid was barely old enough to vote and she'd already been inducted.

"Hey, we're melting here." Lori knew Janine was a donor, bonded to Patrick. As a human member of the Sons, Lori grew up attending meetings and dancing around the bonfire with the brothers. When she'd turned eighteen, she'd eagerly joined up. Willing to take her place as a donor. She couldn't wait for the day when she would be chosen to be a ps'qui kah-noh, a blood friend, cherished and bonded exclusively to one Son. Feeding him, or her, and only that member from her wrist for the rest of her life.

"Here's to a great season," Janine said. Making an ice cream cone toast, tipping the cones together and lowering her face to Lori's cone, she opened her mouth to take a bite.

Lori grinned. Time to baptize the new member. When Janine had her mouth around the end of Lori's cone, Lori pushed the cone straight into Janine's face, smearing her with the thick, sticky, sweet, goo. The first cone of the season never tasted like any cone thereafter. Lori ducked, but ended up with a cold, slick blob of ice cream in her hair. This summer was definitely going to be ok, she thought as she retaliated, lobbing a sugar cone at Janine's head.

"You brat!" Janine was laughing so hard she was crying. She took her fingers and scooped the sticky goo off her cheek, flinging it at Lori. Lori returned fire, smearing a handful of ice cream into Janine's hair. Giggling, the girls chased one another through the shop, careful not to make too big of a mess, and ruin all their hard work.

Snorting and laughing, Lori said, "You're officially a What's the Scoop girl now."

"Thanks for the initiation." Janine chuckled as she wet down a rag and began wiping away the sticky mess dripping from the ends of her hair. The kid was ok. Cute as a button, which still rankled her, but at that age, maybe someone had been a little jealous of her. Good employees were hard to find, and someone you could trust even harder. It wasn't Lori's fault that she was young and time and gravity had a chance to its teeth into her yet.

"It was my pleasure," Lori replied taking the rag from Janine and dabbing at the tangled mess in her hair. Summer had officially begun. The month didn't matter. According to the calendar summer was still two months away. But, who cared. Summer was a state of mind, not a date on the calendar.

*****

Patrick kept his distance, not wanting Janine to sense him through the blood bond. He was just checking on her. Making sure she was safe. With his superior hearing, he heard the feminine peals of laughter coming from the shop. He sighed at least SHE was having a good time. He was hungry, lonely, and definitely not having any fun. Damn irritable. And everyone was giving him a wide berth.

His hunt in the woods curbed the worst of his appetite, for the time being. But, soon he'd need human blood as a supplement. He didn't want just any donor, he pouted, dropping silently from the rooftop. He wanted her.

Chapter 8

Anna looked up from the receptionist desk, waving as the last straggler left the office for the night. She was seated up front, impatiently waiting for her client to arrive. She still had fifteen minutes or so before he was expected. Enough time for a quick call to check in with Toby. She hit speed dial on her cell phone and waited impatiently for him to pick up.

"Hello beautiful," Toby said, grinning like a banshee as he answered the call.

"Hi. How was your day?" Anna smiled. She loved it when he called her beautiful. She doubted if anyone else in the world saw her that way. But, when it came from him. She believed it.

"Lonely. Boring. Anna, I miss you." Toby pouted. "How was yours?"

"Oh, lonely and boring," Anna teased, barely able to contain the excited tone in her voice. She couldn't wait to tell him the news. "I turned in my notice today." She pulled her leg across her lap fiddling with the buckle on her pump.

"That's great!" Toby hesitated and took a breath. He didn't want to sound too eager. "When's the big day?"

"Well, I leave the office in a month. But, my boss has one last project he wants me to do. Toby," she puffed out an excited breath, "it's a big one. My boss agreed to let me do most of the work from home. I'll only have to come to the city a couple of times a month or so."

Toby hissed out a breath, a month. She was going to continue working in the city for a month? He knew she wouldn't go down without a fight. She was a workaholic, a hopeless workaholic. It was only one more month. "I wish you were here with me now. A whole month? Really?"

Anna giggled at the pout in Toby's voice. "Toby it's only a month." What difference could a month make? She understood his eagerness. She was eager to be with him as well. But, damn was she eager to get into the meat of this project too.

"It seems like forever." He whined, "I guess I'll have to endure it."

"I guess so." She knew he was teasing her. "I have a lot of packing to do and plenty to keep me busy. You have no idea how much stuff I really have."

Scoffing, Toby said, "Yeah I do."

"It's not that much stuff," Anna grumbled defensively. "Love me, love my stuff." Hearing the ding announcing the arrival of the elevator on her floor, she hastily hopped to her feet to unlock the office door for her client. "Hey, I gotta go, my client is here."

"Ok, call me when you get home." He paused, glancing at the time. "Do the trackers know you're working late?" He worried about her safety especially after Roark popped up on their territory. And after rush hour ended and the offices and shops closed for the evening, downtown was not a safe place to be.

"Oh, don't be such a ninny," Anna huffed. "I'm fine. If it will make you happy, I'll call Bryce before I leave." She didn't understand his concern. The streets below were filled with commuters and she was perfectly safe in her office building. Security was just a push of a button away. Often, when she was in the middle of a project, she lost track of time and stayed far later than she'd intended. That was the main reason she paid the overpriced fee to park in the garage instead of taking the train. Nope, she wasn't an idiot. And being stuck on a deserted train platform after dark was not a good idea.

"Good. Have him pick you up. I don't want you in that parking garage alone after dark."

Anna rolled her eyes. She had mace on her key chain and there were security cameras in the garage. But, whatever, if it made him happy, she'd call Bryce to pick her up. "Ok, I will. Love you... gotta go." Anna snapped the phone shut and slid it into her pocket just as two men dressed in expensive business suits reached the glass door. She smoothed her bun and pasted on a smile. "Mr. O'Roarke?" she asked, ushering them inside and locking the door behind them. She did not want the cleaning people barging in and interrupting the meeting.

Roark regarded the woman as she approached. She was much more beautiful in person. The harsh hairstyle and tasteless business suit couldn't mask the beauty that lay beneath. "I'm O'Rourke and this is my associate, Mr. Keene." He accepted the hand Anna politely offered and smiled. Keene and he were both experts at hiding what they were from humanity. Even though she knew about his world, he was confident that she wouldn't pickup on the truth of what they were.

"Mr. O'Rourke," Anna said, grasping his hand and pumping it up and down in a shake. Nodding she acknowledged his associate and offered her hand. "Mr. Keene." Mr. O'Rourke was medium height and lean. Well dressed in a custom tailored pinstripe suit. He wore his long, brown hair sleeked back into a tight ponytail, gathered at the nape of his scalp. His eyes were shrewd and hard. And quite frankly, his stare, focused on her, gave her a serious case of the creeps. She began to regret that she'd sent the receptionist home instead of asking her to stay.

His associate, Mr. Keene, was thick and muscular, looking very uncomfortable and stifled in the plain black suit and tie. He was taller than she, which was saying a lot, since she stood eye-to-eye with most men. Muscle bound, he looked like he could stop a Mack truck without breaking a sweat. The office lights gleamed reflected off his bald scalp. And a pair of thin, ginger-colored brows, furrowed into a deep frown over a pair of absolutely ruthless, cold, gray eyes completely devoid of emotion.

Anna kept her cool and ushered her clients into the back of the office where she had a conference room set up for the meeting. Something was off about these two. But, she couldn't put her finger on what it was. They weren't vampires. After hanging out with the brothers, she knew how to spot one. The telltale pallor of their skin, the intensity of their stare, the speed and grace in which they moved, were all dead giveaways. These two were nothing like that. They were strange... just very strange. And they made her skin crawl.

Nervously, Anna patted the pocket of her suit jacket. Relieved to find her cell phone still there. "I spent all afternoon reviewing your folder. If you'll have a seat, I'll show you what I've come up with so far." She walked to the head of the table and pulled out the folders she'd prepared for the meeting, handing one to Mr. O'Roarke and one to Mr. Keene. "Can I offer you something to drink before we get started?"

Roark smiled congenially and gracefully sank into the posh chair. Oh yes, he thought, he'd drink...deeply. "No thank you." Casually, he sniffed the air, appearing as if he were taking a deep breath as he idly flipped through the folder's contents. He had made a late appointment, hoping the office would be empty and the staff gone for the evening. He was not disappointed. There was no one else in the office but them. The entire floor and most of the building was deserted. No one to hear her scream. No witnesses to see what he had in mind for her.

Anna all but fell into her chair. These two were creepy. She gave them time to riffle through the files as she laid enlarged versions of her sketches on the table. Thank God the conference room was large and the width of the polished oak table put plenty of distance between them. Usually, she went for a cozier space when dealing one on one with clients. But, with the kind of money this man was willing to invest in the project. Several million dollars give or take a few odd cents. She'd chosen the larger, definitely more formal room instead.

"These are good," Roark said, pretending to have interest in her drawings. The land was a mere drop in the bucket to him, purchased for a pittance. He had money in abundance. The project was a ruse, a tax deduction for his corporation. He was prepared to take a loss, a rather large loss, on the property. The urban squalor made for good hunting. Depravity, poverty, and crushed spirits were fine eating. He had no plans of actually renovating the space. He had to move quickly though, before her watchdogs picked up his trail and interrupted what he did have planned.