Page 88 of Starved Until Sunset

“How’re you feeling, Demetrius?” Otis asked, giving him a smile in the rear view mirror.

“I’m tired and have a bit of a headache, but otherwise okay. Thanks for the pick up.”

“My pleasure.” Otis reached over to give Amelia’s thigh an affectionate pat before he pulled out of the drive and turned toward town. “Where to?”

Amelia turned in her seat to look back at him. “Why don’t we take you back home so you can clean up, and we can have the others meet us there?”

“That sounds good,” Demetrius said. “Thanks.”

As Otis navigated the familiar streets of town, Demetrius looked at the businesses and homes they passed. He wondered if Cody was being held in one of them, and how they were going to figure out which one and save him. Because if he knew anything at all, Demetrius knew he wasn’t at all ready to lose the love of his life. Not even close.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Cody moaned and tried to move, but he had fallen asleep in a weird position. He wanted to rub the crusties from his eyes, but he couldn’t get his arm out from under him. Was he lying on his arm?

“Cody?”

He tried to respond, but his mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Who was talking to him? Had he fallen asleep in class?

“Oh, now he wakes up?”

That voice he knew right away, and a twinge of anxiety amped up within him. Why the hell had he fallen asleep in front of Lucia? With great effort, Cody forced his eyes open. Second question of the day: Why the hell was he lying on a concrete floor?

It all came back in a rush. Anxiety and confusion morphed into a sickening spike of terror. He lifted his head and looked around. “Where…?”

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Lucia said. “Welcome back. So glad you got a nap in during the day when you should have been trying to escape.”

Cody dropped his head to the floor, wincing at the impact. “Fuck off. I know where we are.”

“What?” That was a new voice, and Cody lifted his head to peer past Lucia. Oh, right. Tracey Mumm had been brought to the party as well. Fantastic. He put his head down, more gently this time, as Tracey continued. “Where? How?”

“The chairs,” Cody said. “I recognize them.” He looked at Lucia. “We’re in the DPW basement.”

She frowned. “Department of Public Works? There’s a basement?”

“Yeah. I’ve seen John The Bastard coming and going from here. He keeps it locked. It’s a deadbolt with a key.” Cody looked over at Zenona. “Did you see anyone come down when you were here alone? Besides the vampires?”

She shook her head. “No one, but I was blindfolded for about a day.”

“Who the hell is John The Bastard?” Tracey asked.

“Sorry. That’s how Demmy and I talk about him. John Burnwell. The DPW Director.”

Lucia snorted. “That crabby fuck? You think he’s the one who’s been helping the vampires?”

“Yep.” Cody struggled a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position on the hard floor. “These chairs match the ones around the break table upstairs. I’d bet everything I have on it.”

“What the actual fuck?” Tracey said. She started grunting and swearing even more, and Cody figured she was trying to get loose.

“Don’t fall over,” Cody warned. “You won’t like it, trust me.”

“Cody Bower saying ‘trust me’,” Lucia said. “If that isn’t a stereotype.”

“Yeah, okay. Good to see being held captive hasn’t dulled your spark.” He tried to find a more comfortable position, but gave up. Being bound to a chair that had tipped over and was lying on its side on a concrete floor didn’t leave a lot of room for comfort. He looked around at the glass block windows, disheartened to see the dim light of evening. “Whole day, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Lucia said. “How did you manage to handle all those other monsters?”

Cody amused himself by flipping her off from behind his back, but she couldn’t see his hands.