Beside her, Damek was completely still. There was no rise and fall of his chest, no slight breath or snore, nothing to indicate he was even alive. It was frightening and fascinating at the same time.
This was the time of day a vampire was most vulnerable, when the power of the sun pushed them into this death-like sleep. Everything she’d read in The Keepers’ library said he would not wake until sundown. But she knew better. She’d seen Damek up and about late in the afternoon. That spoke volumes about his power. But surely even he slept deep during the day.
She really should just get up, gather her things and leave. There was no point in her staying any longer. But she continued to lie there, her head propped up on one hand, simply watching him.
His features weren’t softened any by sleep. If anything, they seemed harsher, more finely drawn. She reached out and touched a dark strand of hair that rested on the pillowcase. It was soft and silky, such a contrast to the hard planes and angles of his face.
Sonia sighed when her stomach growled. She’d never gotten around to eating the meal she’d ordered at Haven last night and was really hungry. She also desperately needed to go to the bathroom, so she slid out of bed and climbed down the two steps, doing her best not to jostle Damek. He probably wouldn’t wake, but she didn’t want to take any chances.
She grabbed clean clothing out of her suitcase, thankful that the outfit she’d dug out last night was right on the top, and crept into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Once she’d taken care of her most pressing need, she washed her hands and face. She was pale, but other than that, she looked the same as she had yesterday.
She turned her head to one side, checking the spot on her neck where Damek had bitten her. Nothing, not a blemish or even a red patch. She ran her finger over her smooth skin. It was as though he’d never sunk his fangs into her and drunk her blood.
Even her arm felt great. She twisted it one way and then another, testing it for strength and dexterity. There was no lingering pain from where she’d been stabbed, only a faint white scar. It was truly amazing what Damek could do.
Her hair was as unruly as ever, but her brush was in her suitcase and she wasn’t about to dig around trying to find it. Usually she packed with more care, but yesterday at the hotel she’d simply thrown everything into her suitcase and had no idea where to find her brush. She finger-combed her hair until it was as good as she could get it and then pulled on her underwear, socks, jeans and a brown turtleneck sweater.
Sighing, she stared at her reflection. It wasn’t the best she’d ever looked, but she consoled herself with the fact that it wasn’t the worst either. And what did it matter what she looked like? She was alive and healthy and that was all that mattered. Carefully, she turned the handle of the door and opened it, giving a sigh of relief when Damek didn’t move.
Silently, she moved through the room and down the hallway to the kitchen. She needed coffee and maybe some toast or a bagel. A grocery bag sat on the granite countertop and Sonia dug right in. After all, the food was for her. Vampires didn’t eat. At least she didn’t think they did. They needed blood, but she was fuzzy on the whole food thing.
There was a loaf of wholegrain bread, a package of cinnamon and raisin bagels, two cans of soup, a couple of bananas, a half dozen oranges and a bunch of grapes. Not a bad start.
She opened the refrigerator and surveyed the shelves. “Jackpot.” A dozen eggs, some cheddar cheese, a container of milk and a tub of butter sat on one shelf. She could have used some onions, garlic, tomatoes and maybe some feta cheese, but she’d make due. “Toast and eggs it is.”
It didn’t take her long to assemble all the ingredients on the counter. She had a bad moment when she didn’t see any coffee, but since there was a coffeemaker on the countertop she kept looking. After some searching, she discovered some beans in the freezer and quickly started a pot brewing.
As the aroma of coffee filled the air, Sonia broke eggs into a bowl, whisking in a dollop of milk to make them fluffy. She heated a skillet and poured in her egg mixture and then popped several slices of bread into the toaster. She hummed under her breath, wishing she had a radio to turn on. Damek’s home was lovely, but it was large and rather cold. Impersonal, was more like it. There wasn’t much of him here, at least not in the kitchen.
When everything was ready, she plated her meal, grabbed her coffee and wandered into the living room. She wasn’t about to sit at the large dining table by herself. A large flat-screen television was mounted on the wall across from the sofa, but there was no remote lying around.
“Figures.” She plopped down on the sofa and set her mug on the coffee table. “Like most men, he probably has the thing glued to his body somewhere.” Although, she knew firsthand that Damek wasn’t hiding anything on him. He was in that big four-poster bed naked as the day he was born.
“Don’t think about it. Eat.” She shoveled a mound of fluffy eggs into her mouth and followed it with toast, thinking as she chewed. What would happen today? She had to contact her family, no matter what Damek thought about it.
That might not be easy because she hadn’t seen another phone except for the one sitting on the bedside table. Maybe she could take that one without him waking up, but she wouldn’t bet on it.
She shrugged off that worry. She could always leave and find a payphone somewhere. Surely such a thing still existed in the city. If not, she’d check into a hotel and use the phone in the room.
The silence in the apartment was oppressive. There wasn’t even the tick of a clock to break the quiet, only the light hum of the refrigerator in the distance. And this room was dark as well, with only dim recessed lighting. “This is ridiculous.” She set her almost empty plate down on the table and marched to the nearest window.
There was no curtain, only a thick metal shutter. She looked for a handle but couldn’t find one. Resting her hands on the metal, she tried to shove it up. That didn’t work, and she was at a loss as to how to raise it.
Maybe it didn’t open. Maybe it was permanently shuttered to protect him. That saddened Sonia and made her chest ache. This place was so big and lonely and dark. It was hard to imagine Damek here alone day after day, week after week.
A sound broke the quiet and she tilted her head to one side, trying to figure out what it was. It sounded metallic. She hurried down the hallway and peeked into the bedroom. Nope, wasn’t Damek. He was still asleep.
She went back to the living room and turned in a slow circle. There it was again. It was coming from the front door. Was someone trying to get in? Maybe it was one of Damek’s employees. Sonia had no idea what his usual routine was. For all she knew he had a housekeeper or butler or something.
The fine hair on the back of her neck tingled. Something wasn’t right. If whoever was out there was supposed to be here, they’d have a key. Her instincts were screaming that she was in danger. She didn’t question them and started looking for a weapon.
Sonia glanced around the room, searching for something she could use to defend herself. Other than the furniture, there was a smattering of books and artwork on the shelves. Nothing she could use.
She skirted behind the bar in the corner and looked beneath the counter. Nothing. The kitchen. She scurried off, keeping one eye on the front door. The only knife she could find was a small paring knife, which was basically useless. But there was a heavy cast-iron skillet in the cupboard by the stove. She grabbed it and was satisfied with the weight. She could crack a man’s skull with this.