Chapter Thirteen
Life Sucks, Then You Die—Unless You’re a Vampire.
Using his parks pass at one of the unmanned entry points to the park, Stefan drove the familiar roads. Finally he pulled to a stop at an isolated area near Glacier Lake. He slumped in the seat, closed his eyes, and held his head in his hands as he let it fall back against the headrest. How did I let this happen? I’ve done nothing wrong. Never even considered accepting what Synn had offered for weeks. Yet Brandy assumed the worst. Why? Whether he liked it or not, the answer stared him right in the face. He’d been afraid to tell her what was in his heart, afraid of being hurt. He snorted. What a fool. Trust. In the end, it was something neither of them would risk.
His shredded T-shirt was stained crimson and sticky against his skin. The wounds were already healing, but they had a strange golden tinge to them. He wound his way to the back side of the lake, stripped off his shirt, and rinsed it in the lake.
The blue sky filled with fingers of orange as the sun set behind the mountains. He slowly returned to the truck, started the engine, and turned toward the main road leading back to the cabin. Her car was still there. Hope surged inside him. Could they fix this? No, he couldn’t put Brandy in danger any longer. He might have killed her.
Trudging up the path to his cabin, he decided to pick up a few items of clothing and give her time to gather her things to clear out.
As he climbed the stairs onto the porch, Brandy shoved open the door, duffle bag slung over her shoulder. He stepped out of her way, holding the door open, allowing her to pass. Voice tired and strained, she said, “Stefan, I’m going to my sister’s home and maybe on to Ireland. I’m not sure yet. You need to decide what is important to you and what you are willing to do to get it. I know what I want, but it’s not good for me. The feelings I have for…well…I’ve got some decisions to make also, and I can’t do it here, not now.” Her eyes, clouded with sadness, shifted to his and back to the ground. “I’ve talked to Randy and taken a leave of absence. Please don’t look for me.”
She walked down the path and out of his life. She was right, and he knew it. Standing in the doorway, he watched her get into her car and drive away until her car’s taillights became tiny red dots bobbing in the darkness. He closed the door and with it his heart, his life, and any chance of happiness.
Walking over to the couch where they’d sat hours earlier, so happy, he eased down and slumped over, his elbows resting on his legs and head cradled between his hands. He let out a low, guttural sound and leaned back, pressing his fingers to his eyes. Time to move on. There’s nothing left for me here.
As he got to his feet slowly and headed toward the bathroom, a loud knock sounded at the door. Fuck, what now? He yanked open the door and stared in surprise at Russ standing on the porch.
Russ’s eyes widened, jaw dropped, and he took a couple of steps backward. He inhaled sharply and stared openly at the healing wound on Stefan’s neck, his damp, shredded shirt, and stained jeans. “God, man, what happened to you?”
Stefan sighed deeply, shook his head, and said in a low, gravelly voice, “You don’t want to know. What can I do for you, Russ?” Stefan stepped out on the porch with Russ and closed the door.
Russ’s forehead wrinkled and his eyes filled with concern. Stefan’s voice had never sounded so rough nor had such despair in it. “I came by hoping you could shed some light on what the hell happened this morning. We found Cody unconscious in the production room after you bolted out the door. He didn’t remember much except seeing Synn standing in front of him.”
An incredulous look crossed Stefan’s face as his eyes narrowed. “You what? Is he all right?”
“Yeah, he’ll be fine. Nothing more than a bad headache and a row of stitches. Her knife didn’t penetrate very deep. He’s hoping you’ll be along shortly to relieve him.” Russ grinned uncertainly at Stefan. “He insisted on returning to work while I came to talk to you. After what you said, I wasn’t sure what to tell him. I can go back and relieve him, call Rocky in if I have to, but I don’t want to explain what happened to everyone yet. Telling Rocky will be like broadcasting it over the radio waves. The boy gossips worse than a bunch of old women.” Russ grimaced and shook his head.
Stefan grunted and wiped the back of his hand across his face. “I’ll be there,” he said on a sigh. “But I can’t tell you any more than Cody already has.”
“Yeah, he made the situation pretty clear. I’ve terminated Synn, called the police, and got a temporary restraining order against her. It’ll be permanent at the next court hearing. She can’t come within one hundred feet of the station or any of its employees or their families.”
“Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I really need to get ready for work.” A slight smile formed on Stefan’s lips. “I’ll finish Cody’s shift, pull mine, and see you or Rocky in the morning as usual. And thanks for respecting my privacy.” He turned and walked back into the house, closing the door behind him.
****
Stefan walked through the control room door and stared at Cody. He had a bald place with stitches above his right ear that ran up to his temple. Stitches crisscrossed the back of his hand and arm. He had dark circles under his tired-looking eyes. “You look like shit.”
Cody jumped and spun around. Apparently, he hadn’t heard Stefan come in. “Thanks. Good to see ya too.” Cody studied Stefan. “You don’t look so good yourself but better than when Russ saw you a little while ago.”
“She’s gone, Cody.”
“I figured. She loves you, and she’ll be back. Just give her time.” Cody clasped Stefan’s shoulder and crossed the room to pick up his jacket. He winced as he threw it over his shoulder. Hand on the doorknob, he turned back to Stefan. “You’re not like us, are you?”
“No,” Stefan said flatly.
“Didn’t think so. You know…it really doesn’t matter to me. If you need to talk, I’m available…anytime.” Cody turned around and lumbered slowly out the door, shutting it quietly behind him.