Darkness by Joann I. Martin Sowles Read Free Book Online

I’m worried.” I set my cell back down. I’d deal with all those messages after a shower and some food.
     
    Then I quietly headed out of Oliver’s room, down the hall past the closed door where Carter was and to the bathroom. Just before I got to the bathroom door Oliver wheeled himself back from the computer desk and smiled, with just a hint of a smirk. Then he gave me that “come here” with his index finger. I put a finger up in return, as I really needed to pee and brush my teeth.
     
    “Just a minute,” I said and rushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
     
    Once I was finished in the bathroom I slid into Oliver’s lap at the computer desk and wrapped my arms around his chest, burying my face against his neck. His scent calmed me. He was perfect for me. My body, my mind and my everything felt at peace when I was with him. His arms slipped around me and he held me close against him. I sighed in relief. They had all been irrational thoughts. Every last one of them.
     
    “You okay?” he asked quietly.
     
    I nodded against his chest. He kissed the top of my head and I looked up into his amazingness and smiled. He gently kissed my lips causing my tummy to get that good queasiness. Then he said, “Get ready and I’ll take you grocery shopping.” The thought of a fresh new box of Lucky Charms always brought a smile to my face. I slid from his lap and as I stood, I caught a glimpse of what was on the computer screen.
     
    “What’s that about?” I asked, pointing at the screen. It was the homepage for the college and it read “Campus Closed Until Further Notice.”
     
    He reached over and clicked the screen off. “All of our classes have been transferred to online courses until further notice. It’s just until we can make sure the town is secure. It’s protocol.” I made a face at him and he laughed. “Damage control, you know?” He stood and pulled my body against his. “We have to cover every base to make sure what happened doesn’t happen again.”
     
    I got lost for few minutes after that. Right about the time his lips hit mine and until he whispered for me to get ready. Damn, he was amazing.
     
    I took a shower and got ready in Oliver’s room. I had another voicemail from Kiera. This one was a concern about the school being closed. At least something was taking her mind off of Carter for a while. If only for a brief moment. I responded with a text telling her I’d call her later and that everything was fine. I’d decided I would call Lilly back later too.
     
    We took Felix’s big black SUV. It was a much larger vehicle than I was used to and Oliver seemed so far away from me in it. I couldn’t just reach over and hold his hand without stretching my entire arm out. So I sat in the big leather front seat with my hands in my lap.
     
    A couple pushing a red canopied stroller with a toddler in it and walking a dog that looked a lot like Lola waved at the SUV as we waited for the gate to exit the neighborhood to open.
     
    “You know them?” I asked.
     
    He waved back with a smile and his dark shades in place. “Not personally.”
     
    I shot him a dirty look and watched a smirk start to form as he drove through the open gate.
     
    “Most of the people in this community have some sort of vampire lineage or some sort of vampire knowledge.” I didn’t even respond with a look. For some reason I wasn’t surprised. But all the happy cozy safe feeling I always had in that neighborhood drained right out of me. And that pretty much sucked, no pun intended.
     
    “Hey,” he said softly and reached for my hand, “don’t worry about anything. Julz is probably the most dangerous one out here and she’s just full of drama and stupidity.” I tried to give him an anxiety free smile. Not sure I succeeded but he didn’t acknowledge if I hadn’t. He squeezed my hand a little as he started talking, “I would love to create a place where we wouldn’t have to worry about being