Love Your Entity(52)

“It’s not that easy,” Sierra said.

“Hal has kicked your vampire’s butt,” Ruby said.

“He has not!”

Ruby just smirked.

“How did you know Ronan’s sister’s name?” Sierra demanded.

“He must have mentioned her at one time.”

“Do you know her?”

“Not unless she worked here. Hah!” Ruby pointed her finger in Sierra’s face. “I saw that look. A nice girl would never work in a brothel, huh?”

“I never said that.” She had thought it a couple of times, though.

“The look on your face said it all.”

“Adele died in 1919.”

“They had brothels back then.”

Sierra ignored that comment. “Did she ever haunt this house?”

“How should I know? I never believed in ghosts until I became one. I still find it hard to understand sometimes,” Ruby admitted.

“Are you able to reach other spirits outside of this house?”

“No. Are you?” Ruby countered.

“Apparently so. That’s how Mother showed up.”

“You invited her in. Without asking my permission, by the way.”

“I was trying to help Ronan,” Sierra said.

“Help me first. Get rid of Hal first. Then I will help you find Ronan’s sister. If you take Hal’s treasure from him, then he has no reason to stay.”

“Can he hear us talking like this?” Sierra asked.

“I’m not sensing him right now. Are you?”

Sierra shook her head. “I need more information. I don’t even know what I’m looking for.”

She spent the next few hours on the Internet, researching Hal, his affiliation with the Chicago Mob, and this house. Doing so prevented her from thinking about the vampire bond she shared with Ronan. His wound had healed with supernatural speed. Hers hadn’t. Staring down at the cut on her arm, she wondered how such a small thing as a drop of her blood could cause such a change in her circumstances.

Right. Like the fact that Ronan was a vampire hadn’t been the biggest change of all.

All those around her acted as if it was no big deal to be a vampire. Maybe it wasn’t if you’d been one for decades and decades.

She tried to focus on getting some pages written on her book.

Nicki sensed someone was following her. Shit. She didn’t need this. She’d already had a hell of a day going to the hospital to see Bernie’s wife, who was still in intensive care and sedated.

Nicki had seen someone suspicious loitering around the waiting room. He had a shaved head with swastikas on it. She asked the attendant, who admitted that she didn’t know who he was and that he’d only asked about Bernie’s wife but was not listed as family. The young man had run out before Nicki could catch him.

She was now on a Chicago street in a neighborhood known for trouble. She’d gotten a tip that her runaway young man was from this area. Bending down, she reached for the knife in her boot. Turning, she confronted him.

“You brought a knife to a gunfight,” he mocked her.

“Yeah, I did,” she drawled before shooting him in the kneecap.

Sierra paused. Maybe Nicki shouldn’t shoot the guy before she even knew who he was. She hit the delete button and tried again.

“Yeah, I did,” she drawled. “What’s your connection to Bernie and his wife?”

Sierra paused again. She really should come up with a name for poor Bernie’s wife but she had yet to find one that really fit. Okay, she could fill that in later. Keep writing.

Skinhead said, “My name is xxx.”

Sierra couldn’t think of Skinhead’s name either. She used xxx as a place holder to fill in later. Forget the name. She hit delete.

Skinhead waved his gun at her. “You don’t get to ask questions, bitch.”

Pissed off, Nicki shot him in the kneecap and both legs and arms.

Hold on. Sierra just remembered she hadn’t even given Nicki a gun in this scene. She had a knife. Besides, Nicki shouldn’t go around shooting suspects before interrogating them. Not good even for a first rough draft.

Time for a break, Sierra decided. Clearly this scene wasn’t going well and she wasn’t thinking straight. So she headed for the kitchen. She needed some chocolate chocolate-chip ice cream. Now.

Grabbing the carton from the freezer, she removed the lid and reached for a spoon, dug it into the ice cream and stuck it in her mouth. Yummm.

Dark, sinfully delicious … which immediately brought Ronan to mind. Those dark eyes of his reminded her of chocolate. They could go even darker with passion. Were all vampires as hot as he was? Damon and Nick were good-looking, granted, but they did not have the power that Ronan did.