Shawn’s voice trembled. “And which charity is that?”
Vincent’s eyes moved to Bryna and then back to Shawn. “One that helps people overcome and recover from tragic life events.” He patted the other man on the shoulder. “I’ll leave the logistics to you, but know that I can and I will check up on you to make sure you’ve done it. If it’s not a fully functioning charity by my next birthday, you’ll get to meet a real vampire.” Then his hand curled around the base of Shawn’s skull and he transferred the image of what real vampires were.
Shawn shrieked as Vincent let him go. Vincent got out of the booth and wrapped his hand around Bryna’s. He gave a cheerful smile. “You can write about this, if you want.” He nodded to the wide-eyed brunette in the booth across from Shawn, and then tugged Bryna into motion. “Did you want one of those death by chocolate drinks you used to like so much?”
She blinked twice at him with total confusion.
He shrugged and led her out of the café. By the time they got to the car she was sputtering. “What the hell did you just do?”
“Scared the ever-loving hell out of him and made something good come out of our ordeal.”
Bryna snapped her mouth shut, she studied him for a long moment before letting out a breath. “Why did you pause?”
Vincent opened the driver’s side door for her. “I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did,” she said as she sat down and fished her keys out of her purse. “When you said you were fixing my life. For a second it looked like you were expecting to be hit by lightning. Why?” She started the car and waited for him to get in. After drumming her fingers on the steering wheel for a moment, she turned and looked at him. “You’re not supposed to be fixing my life, are you?”
“I’m supposed to protect you. Felix doesn’t like us lying if we don’t absolutely have to.” He glanced up, hoping the lightning strike wouldn’t come. Those hurt.
Her brow furrowed. “What exactly did this Felix tell you to do with me?”
“The assignment is to protect you.” He wanted his assignment to be going back and saving his own life, but it went against the rules. It was Felix’s number one rule. The one rule if broken that could get him sent to Hell without judgment.
“And you’re not happy about that?” Her tone bordered on hurt.
“Let’s just go talk with this Andy guy. I’m not sure I need to share my confusion right now.” And he didn’t, not until he figured out how to save her life.
“You don’t want me safe?”
Vincent closed his eyes and slumped back against the seat. No, he didn’t want to save her life. If he could keep the demon from yanking her into Oblivion, he’d be able to be with Bryna forever if she was dead. There was one couple who stayed together after death and fought evil together. It wasn’t an impossible dream—improbable, yes, but not impossible. Still, she deserved a chance at life. It didn’t matter if it was a chance he’d never get. Her needs and what was best for her should be paramount, but he was quickly starting to see the logic in Bryna’s death wish. He let out a growling huff and looked at her. “I want you with me, Bryna, but that’s not how this is supposed to work, so yeah, I want to keep you safe.”
Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip as she pulled out of the parking space and headed for the main drag. She shook her head while she waited for the light to turn green and then laughed quietly. “So if you could find a way to make my death okay for your higher-up, you’d let me keel over without lifting a finger?”
She was making fun of him. “I will do everything I need to do to protect you, Bryna, no matter what Felix wants or doesn’t want, but your track record for dying is pretty high.”
She stomped on the brake and turned to give him a look. “You’d be happy if I died?”
He rubbed at his temples. When was the last time he got a headache? Probably when he’d been alive. He growled at himself and then sighed. “Actually, we shouldn’t be having this conversation. You’re supposed to live, and what I want doesn’t factor into this.”
“But it would make you happy?” she demanded while ignoring the honking behind them.
“No. Your death would not make me happy.” And it wouldn’t, at least he didn’t think it would. He didn’t want her dead; he wanted her with him. That was the big difference.
Her brow winged up before she shook her head and started driving again. “You’re not very convincing.”
“What the hell do you want from me?” he said in an almost whining tone, so he cringed and muttered, “Damn woman.”
But Bryna was giggling. “You’re not making this death wish any easier. Seriously, what happens if I die and the demon doesn’t drag me into Oblivion?”
Vincent’s eye twitched. What would happen? As far as he was able to tell, with each of Bryna’s deaths it left a very specific demon running around. Maybe it wasn’t her death he needed to prevent so much as it was keeping her soul protected from the demon. Making that kind of speculation wasn’t going to help either of them without concrete answers. For that he was going to have to seriously investigate Caleb’s need for oatmeal raisin cookies.
“I don’t know, sunshine, but I am gonna find out.”
* * * *
A fist connected with Vincent’s jaw the second Andy’s door opened. Vincent’s head snapped to the side. He rubbed at his cheek and turned a glare on the man glowering in the door. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
Zerek, another time walker and technically Vincent’s supervisor, crossed powerful arms over an equally powerful chest. “The better question is what are you doing here?”
“Andy?” Bryna said from behind Vincent. “What is wrong with you?”
Zerek’s face softened. His stance relaxed. “Giving this ass the greeting he deserves. What’s up, hot stuff?”
Bryna slipped between the two men before Vincent could lay into Zerek. “Y-you know Vincent?”
Zerek backed out of the door to let them inside his apartment. “You could say that. It’s death day, so, since you’re not at his grave, and he’s standing behind you, I’m taking it everything’s going to shit.”
This was more than odd. Vincent had known Zerek was a time walker, but he seemed to prefer to spend his time post-apocalypse instead of trying to do something to prevent it. “His name isn’t Andy.” He hooked his arm around Bryna before she could go inside.
Zerek let out a long side. “No, it’s not, but that’s how she knows me, moron. Get your ass inside before I kick it inside.”
Bryna patted Vincent’s hand. “I’ve known him almost as long as you’ve been dead. I think he’s the only reason I’m still alive today.” Bryna pulled out of Vincent’s grip and walked right over to Zerek. She poked the large man in the chest. “You ever hit him again, and I will hurt you so badly your grandchildren will feel it. Got it? And what’s your name?”
Zerek cocked his head, and then chuckled. “Zerek. So, Bryna, you’ve discovered your boyfriend is a time walker.”
“I guess. What is that exactly?” Bryna asked.
Zerek motioned for them to go sit on a thread-bare brown couch. “I’ll get some lunch. This might take a while.”
“No,” Bryna said. “You will tell me now.”
Vincent closed the door and nudged her toward the couch. “We’re a group of men and women who protect the world from things like demons and vampires.”
“And you have to be dead to do this?” Bryna demanded, still refusing to sit.
“Yes,” Vincent said as Zerek said, “No.”
Bryna made the motions of pulling her hair out. “Which is it?”
Zerek pressed his lips together and then let out a long sigh. “The two of you were supposed to figure this out on your own.” He lifted a glare at Vincent. “And you’re too goddamned goodie-goodie to be selfish enough to break fucking rules.”
“Hell.” It was the only comeback Vincent had for him. He didn’t relish the idea of fire and brimstone for the rest of eternity, and he didn’t think ending up there would help Bryna’s death wish.
Zerek shrugged. “It’s not as bad as it sounds. A little boring, if you ask me, but it’s a nice place to rest for a while.” He pointed to the couch. “Bryna, sit, and I am going to get you something to eat other than a goddamned pickle and a slice of cheese.”
Bryna sat, but if she could kill with a look Zerek would be dead. “You are making no sense. You can’t come back from Hell.”
He walked into the kitchenette, right off the main room of the studio apartment. “And people can’t come back from the dead. They can’t walk through time. And they can’t pulse energy to kill the undead. But it all happens, sweetheart, so you need to get used to the laws of physics being fucked over.”
Vincent rubbed at the back of his neck, sure this was more a lesson for him than having anything to do with Bryna. At least he knew why the vampires or demons had never flashed away with Bryna. With Zerek hanging around, they wouldn’t risk popping in where they could be killed, not to mention Bryna’s ability to pulse. “You’re alive?”