DAVY HARWOOD IN TRANSITION (Davy Harwood #2)

CHAPTER ONE   ––––––––   I felt stupid. There was no other way around it; no way could I justify my emotions. I just felt stupid. Emily had hounded me for the last two months. She wanted me to talk to Mr. Moser. Finally, after she’d held my cell phone hostage, I’d had to succumb. So this is how I found myself back in the infamous building where I used to volunteer with the hotline. I suppressed a shudder. I really hated working at the hotline and it wasn’t because of the last time I’d been in this building. Although that moment had changed my life, the real reason was because I hated talking on the phone. Only a select few got on my ‘I’ll talk to you on the phone’ list. “Davy Harwood,” Mr. Moser boomed as he entered his own office. If he was trying for intimidation, it would’ve worked three weeks ago. Mr. Moser did not qualify for my phone list. I waited until he rounded his desk and sat. His leather chair squeaked underneath his weight, but his two beady green eyes weren’t amused and didn’t care. His orange tie had flapped over his shoulder and it stayed there, caught between the wrinkles of his green buttoned dress shirt. His khaki pants hadn’t fared better. I wasn’t a wrinkle-noticing person, but I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out they’d been rolled up and stuffed in the back of a drawer for the last two years. He lifted an eyebrow. “Do you have anything to say to explain your actions three weeks ago?” I was more concerned about how his tie still hadn’t moved off his shoulder. He looked like an i***t. Was I supposed to tell him? “My actions, sir?” “You broke protocol.” Oh, that. The night that had changed my life. If only Mr. Moser actually knew I was supposed to go up to that roof. “Oh,” was all I said. I tried to sound apologetic. I folded my hands and when I looked down, I even fiddled my thumbs. “I’m not buying it, Davy.” Mr. Moser was very smart. “Buying what, sir?” “You answered the phones after we’d already closed. You broke protocol. You identified the caller’s location; chose to intervene without any communication with your supervisors, and then you had the balls to resign by sneaking a letter under my door. I am not buying your act right now, young lady.” He said ‘balls’. I loved that. “Yes, but . . .” I really had no defense. I’d claimed what had happened was too traumatic for me to continue working with the hotline. Things had been traumatic, but he was right. I’d chosen the coward’s way out so that I wouldn’t get in trouble. I eyed Mr. Moser up and down. The beady eyes had a glaze of anger in them. “I had hoped better of you, Davy.” Wow. Guilt. He sounded disappointed as he took a deep breath. “Emily is an outstanding Listener. She spoke highly of you, but perhaps she was biased since you’re roommates. Still, even Adam seemed to have taken a liking to you. He respected you, Davy.” I had so many corrections to Mr. Moser’s rose-colored perspective. One, Emily was an awful listener. She might be a wonderful Listener at the hotline where she was fulfilling a requirement for a social work class, but she didn’t listen to anyone in real life. And two, Adam had taken more than a liking to me. Adam had asked me out on one date. The date had failed miserably and I didn’t think being kidnapped had been the problem. “What are you thinking?” “Well, under the circumstances I do not support your actions. You broke protocol and you should have the correct discipline. Then there’s the item of your resignation. I know that you didn’t really mean to resign and because of Miss Whistworth’s death, the hotline is in need of any willing volunteers so I’ve decided to look past your actions.” What? Did he mean . . . ? There was no way. Mr. Moser beamed. “You can start tonight. Adam needed a replacement since he’s taken two weeks of vacation. You can take his desk.” I had no words. I couldn’t even feel my toes and I felt everything, literally. Mr. Moser was already up and out of his office before any thoughts could form in my brain. And when I realized I’d been duped, I groaned and dropped my forehead on the desk. Not only did I feel stupid, but I felt like a complete moron. When my phone vibrated, I snapped it open. “Yeah?” “What’s wrong, slick?” Kates drawled. I heard music in the background and that meant one thing. “Are you at the Shoilster?” I’d been there twice and hated both times. Plus, it was a vampire bar. I wasn’t the biggest fan of vampires. “Hell no.” Kates barked out a laugh. “Listen, I’m going to be out of town for awhile. I need to figure some stuff out.” My childhood friend had been camped out in my dorm room for two weeks. The news was met with varying shades of relief and concern. I knew if Emily was the type to shout for joy, my roommate would’ve been screaming at the top of her lungs. I was growing tired of the tension between the two. Of course, Emily had reason for her dislike. Kates had been the one to kidnap us, but Emily wasn’t privy to the fact that Kates had tried to save me from her psychotic vampire boyfriend later that evening. “Where are you going?” She might be a vampire slayer, but she’d find trouble. She always did. “I’m not going to find Lucan.” I relaxed, just a little. Kates added, “There’s something I gotta do on my own. Trust me, slick. You can talk to Blue if you want. She agrees that I should go and do this thing.” “I don’t know, Kates.” I wasn’t too concerned about what my Empath Sponsor had to say since I’d been avoiding her ever since I found out she was connected to my immortal enemy. “What don’t you know? You don’t even know what I’m doing.” I opened my mouth. Kates beat me to it. “I’m not telling you because you’ll just worry. I’ve talked about it with Blue. She agrees that I should go and do this. And she thinks I shouldn’t tell you so I’m not. Besides, you have enough to worry about. You’re the freaking Immortal, Davy. I have no idea why you’re still in college, much less going to see that i***t supervisor.” I was going because Emily made me, but I couldn’t say that to Kates. “I’m living a normal life because I’m going to be living for a long time. Are you sure that you’re not looking for him?” Kates’ boyfriend had been a psychotic vampire, but he was human now. So that made him a psychotic human with all this knowledge about vampires and how to become a vampire again. Kates was silent for a couple beats. “I don’t really have to, remember?” I flushed and shut my mouth. The reminder was duly noted. If anyone was going to find Lucan, it’d be Lucas Roane, his twin. “Have you heard from him?” Kates asked, gently. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t need kid gloves. “I haven’t seen Roane since he took off.” That had been ten days ago. And since he was hunting Lucan, I had no idea how long it would take. Lucan was human, but he thought as a vampire. Roane was not only a vampire, but a hunter. I was surprised he was still gone actually. Hunters had the skill and jurisdiction to hunt and kill any vampire that broke the decree that stated no humans were to be bitten or harmed by vampires. They were the elite of their race and Roane was one of the best. Lucan didn’t stand a chance. “Your roommate has been buzzing around the room like she’s on meth. You sure she’s a sober saint? She ain’t acting like it.” “Did you say something?” I was so thankful to Kates’ attention deficit. No more questions about Roane. “What? I’ve been perfect.” “Kates, no,” I groaned. “The chit needs to toughen up, seriously. I’ve gotta go, Davy. I’ll be in touch. Don’t worry about me. I love you. I’ll be fine.” And my childhood friend hung up. I sighed and dropped my forehead on the desk. What else could I do? “Okay, Miss Harwood, we’ve got you back in the program!” Mr. Moser broadcasted as he strode back into his office. Yes, my life could get weirder. I lifted my forehead from the desk. “Mr. Moser, I hate phones. I’m not good on the phone. I’m not good at this work.” “Nonsense! You’re perfect.” Meaning, he was desperate. Adam’s two weeks to mourn his girlfriend of one day must’ve put the hotline in a dire spot. “When is Adam coming back? Maybe I could fill in until he gets back?” Mr. Moser squashed that idea as he slapped a file on his desk. “We’ll figure that out when the time comes.” I winced from the slap and resigned myself to my fate. I had an entire six hour shift answering a phone in my future. You’d think I would’ve seen this coming since I was the Immortal and empathic, but I was lame.