Page 135

Nick saw it blinking in the corner of his screen and felt a flush of relief.

“Thanks, Charlie. I owe you.”

“Anything else?”

“Not right now. I’ll call if I think of anything.”

“You want me to come up there? I could see about bringing the Midnight with me. She seems pretty good and an extra vampire might come in handy, right?” She sounded worried. “Nick, you and Morley aren’t cowboying this one, are you? Because that dude’s old. Don’t get him killed on me… I kind of like him.”

Nick snorted. “Old?” He glanced at James, lifting an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that old man shot someone today.”

“Yeah. I heard about that.” The worry never left her voice. “Nick, there’s something else. Damon is being helicoptered up here right now.” She hesitated. “Do you know?”

Nick felt a pain in his chest. “Which part?”

“They couldn’t stop it,” she said, her voice wavering. “They couldn’t make him not turn. They said he’s not taking it very well… the turning part.”

Nick felt another wave of grief and clenched his hand.

“Is that for sure?” he asked, looking at Morley. “They can’t turn him back?”

“No.” Her voice shook slightly a second time, but she strengthened it. “No. It was too late. I guess they have a place. They’re taking him there now. But he doesn’t want to go. He keeps saying he wants to go home, but they won’t release him without someone signing off for him, and he doesn’t want his family to know.”

Nick winced again, wishing like hell he could be down there.

“Would he be willing to stay with me, do you think?” Nick asked. “When all this is over, I’ll take him in. I’ll be happy to.” Nick hesitated. “Can you tell him that, if you talk to him? Tell him to think about whether he’d want that. And tell him not to do anything rash, that he needs to try to stay calm right now…”

Trailing, Nick winced as he listened to his own words.

Completely lame, worthless, piece of crap words.

Especially for a newborn vamp.

He knew how utterly unhelpful they would have been to him back then.

“Just tell him he’s going to move in with me,” Nick said, gruff. “Don’t ask him, Charlie.Tellhim that. Okay? He’s not going to be at that facility for long. I’m going to come get him as soon as this is over.”

“Okay.” Relief reached her voice, tangible enough that Nick heard it. “I was just heading out to go meet him there now… so I’ll tell him.”

“Charlie. No.” Nick shook his head, adamant. “No. That’s a bad idea. Don’t go there in person. Don’t do that. Talk to him on the comm for now.”

For the first time, exasperation reached her voice.

Maybe even anger.

“I won’t bealone,Nick. There are guards everywhere. He’s on newborn watch right now, so they’re definitelynotgoing to leave me alone with him…”

Nick’s shoulders relaxed, but only marginally.

“Okay,” he said, gruff. “Be really fucking careful, Charlie. I mean it.”

But she barely seemed to hear that.

Her voice still held that edge of frustration.

“…Anyway Ihaveto go. Like I said, thereisno one else. He doesn’t want anyone to tell his family. I guess they’re pretty anti-vamp, so Damon practically begged us not to tell them. He made me promise not to. He said he would find a way to tell them himself.”

Nick winced, grimacing again.