Page 76 of Night Shift

Tobi stopped beneath a floor window, head tilted as he focused on the sound. Rapid breathing, small whimpers of distress. Yousuf's room.

The child's pulse hammered against his ribs, caught in the grip of terror, his breath coming in sharp gasps. Tobi recognizedthe patterns - nightmares had their own signature: racing pulse, strangled breathing, muffled sobs.

His enhanced hearing caught the sudden change in Yousuf's breathing - the sharp intake followed by muffled sounds of terror. The nightmare had torn him from sleep, panic flooding his small body. The boy's heart beat even faster as he buried his face in his pillow to stifle his cries.

Without conscious thought, Tobi tapped his fingers against the window pane - just loud enough for Yousuf to hear, but not enough to wake anyone else.

The muffled sounds ceased abruptly. Through the glass, Tobi saw Yousuf's head snap up from the pillow, tear tracks glistening on his cheeks in the moonlight. The boy's eyes went wide as he stared at the window, his small frame trembling.

"It's okay, Yousuf," Tobi called softly, pitching his voice to carry through the glass without being too loud. "It's just me - Tobi. The vampire security guy, remember?"

Yousuf's rigid posture relaxed slightly as recognition dawned in his eyes. He scrubbed at his wet cheeks with the back of his hand, small hiccups escaping as he fought for control.

Tobi watched as Yousuf slid out of his race car bed, bare feet silent on the carpeted floor. The boy pushed the window up, letting in a gust of cold winter air. His small shoulders shook, either from the chill or lingering fear.

"Nightmare?" Tobi kept his voice barely above a whisper, conscious of Layla sleeping in the next room.

Yousuf nodded, fresh tears welling in his blue eyes. "Bad men came. They... they took me from my bed at night." His voice quivered. "Like before."

Tobi's heart clenched at the raw fear in the boy's voice. He'd heard the stories of the compound, of children vanishing in the night, never to be seen again.

"No one can get to you now." Tobi gestured at the security cameras visible from the window. "See those? You watched us install them, remember?"

"But what if-"

"And that's not all." Tobi tapped the window frame where they'd installed sensors earlier. "These will tell us if anyone even tries to open a window. The bad guys can't get past all that fancy equipment."

Yousuf peered closely, trying to see the sensor in the dark, and Tobi noted that the boy's heart rate was finally beginning to slow.

"Plus," Tobi added with a gentle smile, "I'm right here tonight. No one gets past me, I promise. And even when I'm not here, there will always be a vampire watching over the grounds."

"Every night?" Yousuf's voice carried desperate hope.

"Every single night." Tobi nodded firmly. "Sometimes it'll be me, sometimes my brother Tyr, or Dimitri. But there will always be someone keeping you safe."

Tobi glanced past Yousuf into the darkened room, remembering how pitch black the hallway had been when they'd installed the security system. No wonder the kid was scared - even vampires preferred some light to navigate by.

"Hey, you know what might help?" Tobi kept his voice low. "We could put a nightlight in here. And maybe some small lights along the hall to your mama's room."

Yousuf's whole face lit up, fear forgotten in an instant. "Really? You can do that?"

"Of course." Tobi smiled at the boy's enthusiasm. "I know exactly what we need - special LED lights that won't disturb anyone's sleep. I can install them tomorrow night."

"Promise?" Yousuf gazed at him, hope replacing the earlier terror in his expression.

"Cross my heart." Tobi made an X over his chest. "Now, think you can get back to sleep? Your mama will have my head if she finds out I kept you up talking."

Yousuf nodded, already climbing back into his race car bed. He pulled his blanket up to his chin, a small smile playing across his face. "Thank you, Mr. Tobi."

"Just Tobi, little kitty." He tapped the window frame gently. "Sweet dreams this time, okay?"

Yousuf was already yawning. "'kay," he mumbled sleepily.

Tobi lingered by the window until Yousuf's breath grew quiet and even. Only when the boy had settled into peaceful sleep did he step back from the house. Snow crunched under his boots, his gaze still fixed on the darkened window. He pulled his phone from his pocket, the screen's glow illuminating his face in the night. His fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard.

«Yousuf had nightmare. Scared of intruders. Priority watch on east wing, first floor, third window from left. Kid needs to feel safe.»

He added a second message: «Will install nightlights tomorrow. Put in order for motion-activated hallway lighting»