"You do enough, Doc." Geez, the man had dedicated his life to helping those who couldn't help themselves, both human and vampire. He didn't discriminate.
Quinn rolled his sleeve down and then hopped off the bed. He grabbed his jacket on and then took the bag of blood from the doctor and stuck it in his bag. He dug a small handful of bills out of his pocket and handed them over.
"Quinn, you know my services are free."
"I also know you pay for most of this out of your own pocket. Take it. Use it for someone who can't donate to the cause."
The doctor grimaced, but did as Quinn said.
"Same time next week?" Quinn asked.
"You know my office hours."
He did. He'd been coming in to the clinic once a week to have blood drawn for ages. It wasn't something he was thrilled with, but it beat the alternative.
"Thanks, Doc." Quinn grabbed his bag, swung the strap over his shoulder, and then headed out. He still had another bus ride before he had to walk those six long blocks home. He headed out the front of the clinic and then down the street to catch the bus to take him home.
Quinn was feeling sluggish by the time he climbed off the bus at his last stop. He'd give anything to have a car where he could just drive from point A to point B and be done with it. He just couldn't afford one or the upkeep that came along with it.
He pulled his collar up over his throat and the bottom of his face then started the six-block trek to his house. The walk went fairly easy. As dangerous as his neighborhood was, most people left him alone.
Some appreciated the things he did for the small knit community. Others were wary of him. Quinn didn't really care one way or the other as long as they didn't bother him.
By the time his little gray house came into view, Quinn was so tired, he was ready to drop to his knees and crawl. He felt a small spurt of energy as he passed through the front gate then up the walkway to his porch.
He pulled out his house key and stuck it in the lock, then paused, a shiver of awareness streaking up his spine. He was being watched. He just wasn't sure who was watching him. Quinn slowly turned and stared out into the darkness.
He couldn't see anyone, but he knew someone was there. The fact that he couldn't pinpoint exactly where his stalker was told him he was dealing with something not quite human.
He reached back and unlocked the door then pushed it open. As he stepped back through the doorway, he swept the shadows with his gaze, his eyes narrowing.
"You're not wanted here," he whispered, knowing whoever was out there could hear him as clear as day. "Go away."
Chapter Two
Dmitri watched from the shadows as the little human let himself into the house. From where he stood, not only had he heard the human's words, but he heard the lock click into place after the man shut the door.
He was intrigued by the man. He seemed to be more aware of the world in the shadows than he should be. It wasn't forbidden to tell a human about vampires, but it was kind of frowned upon, especially if that human wasn't mated to a vampire or an official blood donor.
Dmitri slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed his prince. He knew the man would want to know, not only that rogues were in his territory, but that a human who knew about them was as well.
"Dmitri."
"Forgive the lateness of my call, my prince."
"I know you wouldn't have called unless it was important," the man replied. "And knock of the prince crap, Dmitri. You know I hate it."
Dmitri grinned. "I live to serve, sire."
Marcus Aguilera, prince of their tribe, just grunted.
"Me, Nico, and Saul stopped at some little hole in the wall restaurant in town to have dinner. Our waiter informed us that three of his customers were rogues."
"How would he know?" Marcus asked. "Is he one of mine?"
"He was human, Marcus."
Dmitri had been right up in the man's face. As alluring as he had smelled, he still smelled human. Dmitri would have known the difference. He was trained to know the difference.
"And he knew about rogues?"
"Yes, he did, but when I questioned him about it, he got very defensive."
Even hostile.
"I need to know what he knows, Dmitri."
Dmitri grimaced. "I thought you'd say that."
Which was why he was standing across the street from the guy's house. He'd been Marcus's second-in-command long enough to know what the prince would want, and what he wanted was to know if this guy was a threat.
Since mating a few months ago, Marcus had done everything within his power to make those who might think about harming anyone in their tribe think again. He was without mercy to those who broke his laws.
Many could argue that he ruled with an iron fist, and to a point, he did, but he also used his power to protect those under his care. Marcus knew the name of every member of his tribe. He took the time to talk to them all, to get to know them, and to make sure they were okay.
The rules were strict, but so were the rewards.
"I sent Nico and Saul after the three rogues. I'm a little concerned about how easily they were sitting in this restaurant, Marcus." Dmitri frowned as he thought back to his observations of the three vampires. "They were very cautious, but they didn't seem afraid at all."
"See if you can bring them in for questioning," Marcus replied. "If there are rogues moving into my territory, I need to know."
"Yes, sir. Saul and Nico went after the rogues quite some time ago, but I don't know if they've caught them yet."
Or eliminated them.
"Is there any chance they are connected to Councilman Chambers?"
"Unknown at the moment, sire. There was no mention of the councilman in my conversation, but that doesn't mean anything."
Former Councilman Chambers was on every tribe's most wanted list. He'd executed almost all the members of the council and tried to take over the vampire world, with him as the reigning vampire. His plot had been thwarted, but he'd been able to escape in the chaos.
He was still missing.
"Find out," Marcus ordered. "If Chambers is involved in this, then we could have a bigger mess on our hands than we may be prepared for."
"I'll find out what I can and get back to you," Dmitri said.
"Do you need more men?"
"Not yet. I'll call if I do." If he couldn't beat three rogue vampires and bring in one human, he didn't deserve to be second-in-command of the tribe.
"Tell me about this human."
"He was a waiter at the restaurant. I sent Nico and Saul after the rogues, but followed the waiter home. He stopped at a place on the way home. I'm not real sure what the place was, but there seemed to be a lot of people coming and going from there."
"Apartment building?"
"No, it looked like an apartment building on the outside, but there were too many people coming and going from there for it to be someplace people were living. It was definitely a business of some sort."
"What else?"
"He knew I was watching him."
Marcus was silent for a moment before he asked, "He knew you were watching him?"
Dmitri had been shocked as well. He was one of the best enforcers in Marcus's tribe. It was one of the reasons he'd had his position for so long. If he wanted to stay in the shadows, he stayed in the shadows.