“I really have no idea. Ezra pays for it,” I shrugged.

“I think it’s kinda expensive,” Violet said. “I know, before, I could never afford it. But I couldn’t afford much of anything.”

“This place isn’t as exciting as I thought it’d be,” Bobby said, looking around. “It’s all kind of… ordinary. It reminds me of the Planned Parenthood where I get tested at.”

“I told you.” I leaned against the desk with my back resting on the glass, so I faced the front of the blood bank. “Was it worth sitting bitch for?”

“Maybe.” Bobby picked up a nearby magazine. “Ooo, one of the Olsen twins might be pregnant!”

“I don’t think they like being called the Olsen twins anymore,” Violet said. Using her long fingernails, she carved a heart in the glass next to where she stood.

A bell chimed as a vampire pushed through the front door, and I smacked Violet’s arm so she would stop making graffiti. I wasn’t sure that anybody would care, but I didn’t want to start trouble. The vampire was followed by two more, so I straightened up. Vampires in groups always scared me.

The first one that came through was tall with black hair and black eyes. He wore a leather jacket with a black shirt underneath. He might’ve been attractive, but all that black made him look like he was trying too hard to be a vampire.

The vampire that followed right behind looked like a young James Spader, like when he was being a dick in Pretty in Pink before he got all bloated like on Boston Public. He dressed like 1980’s James Spader too, with the popped collar on his blazer.

The only female vampire in the trio looked oddly proper next to the two of them. Her hair was shoulder length and smoothed back, and she wore sensible flats with a pencil skirt. If she had a day job, I would peg it as a court stenographer.

“Hello,” the black haired one said, and I decided that he was probably their leader.

Then I wondered if they even had a leader. Just because the three of them were together didn’t mean they were a gang. Violet, Bobby, and I weren’t a gang, but they didn’t know that either. Maybe he thought I was our leader, or maybe Violet looked tougher.

“Hi,” I said, because I wanted to establish myself as the leader, in case they thought they we had one.

“What you got there?” Young James Spader asked and stole the magazine out of Bobby’s hands.

“Hey!” Bobby stood up to defend his magazine’s honor, and I stepped forward.

“It’s a rag mag. Like I care.” Young James Spader tossed the magazine back at him. Bobby caught it, but he crumpled it up in the process.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I said, and Violet rolled her eyes at my attempt at standing up for Bobby.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Young James Spader stepped towards me.

“Dane.” The dark haired vampire put his hand on young James Spader’s chest, and I assumed that his name was Dane, and not Young James Spader.

“We don’t mean any trouble,” the woman said, stepping out from the shadow of the other two. Her eyes were large and innocent, but I sensed something sinister about her despite her button down appearance. “We just want to know if you’ve seen anything.”

“Seen anything what?” I asked. Bobby had taken a few steps back, standing more behind me and closer to Violet. I’m not sure that he really needed to, but it made me feel safer.

“We’re looking out for you. That’s our job,” the dark haired vampire gestured to himself and his comrades. “We just want keep you safe.”

“I have no idea who you are or why you’d want to keep me safe,” I said, but I stood taller. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Violet tensing up too.

“I’m Thomas,” the dark haired vampire said. “And this is Dane and Samantha.”

“So?” Violet asked.

“We’ve seen you,” Samantha said. Her eyes were on me and only me.

“You’ve seen me what? What are you talking about?” I asked, and I hoped I kept the fear out of my voice.

“We want to know what you’ve seen,” Samantha said.

“Okay, look. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about.” I held my hands up, palm out. From the look on Dane’s face, it wouldn’t take much to set him off. “I was here, with my friends, getting some food. That’s it. We didn’t see anything. We don’t want to see anything. We’re all good here.”

“Yeah, well, we know that’s bullshit,” Dane said derisively, and he wouldn’t even look at me when he spoke. Not out of fear but like looking at me was beneath him.

“We believe you’re involved with the serial killer,” Samantha said, ignoring her friend’s inappropriate outburst at me.

“What?” My jaw dropped. “No, no. I’m not. I’m trying to find them, but I don’t know who it is.” Thomas and Samantha exchanged a look but neither of them said anything, so I blundered on. “And what do you even care? I was told that vampires don’t give a shit because only humans were killed.”

“We take life very seriously,” Samantha looked at me gravely. “All life is sacred, even humans.”

“Thanks,” Bobby muttered when she smiled at him.

“If vampires don’t care about human murders, then why do you?” Dane asked, picking at something on his fingernail.

“My friend was murdered,” I said.

“You’re friends with a human?” Thomas sounded surprised and eyed me up.

“Yeah. I am.” I gestured to Bobby to emphasize my point.

“Interesting.” Samantha’s eyes flashed with something, and I saw a darkness flicker underneath.

“Whatever your involvement is with the serial killer, you need to let it alone. Now,” Thomas said.

“Why should I?” I asked.

Before he could answer, Nurse Janice or Francine came out from the back room, carrying two coolers for Violet and me. Thomas wanted to say something, but when he saw her, his mouth closed. I glanced back at her and saw the same Stepford smile she always had.

“Hello, Mr. Hughes,” the nurse said, setting the coolers on the counter. “Will you be needing anything from us?”

“Not today.” Thomas smiled back at her, but it looked strained. He nodded to his associates, and the three of them turned and walked out of the blood bank, the bell above the door chiming behind them.