Love Your Entity(36)

“I never liked that clock anyway,” Ruby said.

“That belonged to my family,” Ronan growled.

Sierra’s fear grew. “Look, I want no part of a turf war between vampires and ghosts. You entities can figure it out among yourselves. A word of warning,” Sierra added. “Ruby smashed the plastic clock in the kitchen the first day I was here. These two may have a thing against clocks. I’m just saying…” Her hands were shaking but her voice was strong. She’d pushed the 911 button on her phone in her pocket and the speakerphone. The police would be here soon. “The house at 661 Nikolas Street has trouble. They’ve tried to kill me. Help needed urgently.” She disconnected before the dispatch operator could say anything. She also turned it off in case they tried to call her back. She didn’t want a callback. She wanted an entire SWAT team.

It took ten minutes, but officers banged on the front door. “Chicago police. Open up!”

“If I don’t do what they say, they’ll knock down the door,” Sierra said.

Ronan opened the door.

“We got a report of a disturbance here,” a sexy dark-haired officer said.

“That came from me.” Sierra hurried to his side, praying he wasn’t a fake cop from a strippergram. He sure looked good enough for that job. “They are keeping me here against my will. Get me out of here, please.”

“What’s going on, Ronan?” the sexy cop said.

“I can explain, Alex,” Ronan said.

Sierra stepped away. “You’re another fake cop! Just like Damon.”

Alex said, “I assure you, I am a real cop.”

“She can’t be compelled,” Ronan told Alex.

“What about you?” Sierra asked the other cop. “Are you a real cop?”

“Yes.”

“Are you human?”

“My wife doesn’t always think so.”

“A simple yes or no would do,” Sierra said shortly.

“What drugs did you take?” the unsexy cop asked.

“I did not take any drugs. I’m telling you, I am being held against my will.”

“Are you afraid for your safety?”

“Hell, yes.”

“I’ll escort her out,” the unsexy cop said. “You talk to the guy.”

“He’s not a guy. He’s a vampire,” she said as she scurried past Ruby. Or tried to. Ruby was not budging. Sierra couldn’t get past her. It was as if the ghost had put up a force field of some kind of kinetic energy to stop Sierra.

“Come on,” the unsexy cop said impatiently. “You said you wanted to leave.”

“They won’t let me,” Sierra said.

“Who?”

“The ghosts,” Ronan said cheerfully. “She sees ghosts.”

“Push up your sleeves and show me your arms,” the unsexy cop said.

“He’s looking for needle marks,” Ronan told her.

Sierra was infuriated. She was the victim here but they were treating her like she was the problem. “I am not a drug addict!”

“You just have fun with drugs on a recreational basis, right?”

“No, that’s not right! I’m telling you, he’s a vampire.” Sierra pointed to Ronan. “Didn’t you hear him say that he can’t compel me?”

“I heard.”

“So why aren’t you arresting him?”

“Because it’s not illegal to be a vampire,” Alex said.

Sierra looked at Ronan and pointed accusingly at Alex. “Is he another cop with fangs?”

“That would be an affirmative,” Alex said.

“I suppose you’ll compel your partner now to forget you just said that.”

“I don’t have to,” Alex said. “He’s a vamp too.”

Sierra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What is it with this town? Is everyone a vampire?”

“Chicago is a city not a town,” Ronan said. “And no, not everyone is a vampire. You aren’t.”

“I’m not,” Ruby piped in. “I’m a ghost.”

Sierra’s head was spinning and her anger growing. “I can’t believe this is happening. You cops are vampires yet you think I’m on drugs because I see ghosts? How messed up is that?”

“Most of the people we come in contact with who see hallucinations are drug addicts,” Alex said.

“I’m not most people,” she shot back.

“Yeah, I get that,” Alex said.

Ronan stepped in front of her. “She’s mine.”

“Listen, I am not a piece of property. You already claim you own this house. Fine, you can keep it. But no way does anyone own me.” She leaned closer to look him right in the eye. “You got that?”