Blood Red Dawn by Karen E. Taylor

he would in his own time and his own way. The relationship between them was none of my business and I had more than enough other things to occupy my mind.
    â€œI’m going to make a stop at the next service area.” Sam’s voice returned to its normal level. “You folks might be able to fly all night, but I need to stretch my legs and get a cup of something hot. Coffee would be nice, but I’ll take tea if that’s all there is.”
    There was coffee, it turned out, strong enough to keep Sam wide awake and alert for the rest of the journey. Lily and Claude followed us into the rest area, also looking for sustenance, but of a different sort. Lily found hers in the form of a gaunt boy dressed all in black leather with enough visible piercings to make me wince. Claude waited by our car, and when we came out of the little kiosk that held the food and drink machines, he held the door open for Vivienne to get into the car.
    â€œMerci,” she said to him, curling up into the backseat. “See you in London. And tell Lily to watch out for the cows.” She giggled to herself and Claude nodded seriously, then leaned in toward Sam who was seated once again behind the wheel. “I’ll wait here for Lily, but you three might as well go ahead. We know where we’re going.”
    â€œIf you’re sure,” Sam said, putting the car into gear, “we’ll see you there.”
    Viv turned and waved to him as we drove away. “He is a good man, no? Devoted and loyal.”
    â€œYeah,” I said, leaning my arm over the seat and looking back at her. “He makes a very good watchdog.”
    She sighed then and started to say something, glanced at the back of Sam’s head, and gave her head a small shake. “Poor Claude,” she said finally. “Perhaps I should have left him in the blues club where I found him. I fear he is not happy with the life I chose for him.”
    â€œHe does okay, Viv. And I’m sure you gave him a choice.”
    â€œDo any of them have a choice, Mitch? Is there a way to withstand the allure?”
    â€œSam’s managed.” I blurted it out, saw his hands tighten on the wheel, and wished I’d kept my mouth shut.
    â€œYes, but my Sam is an exception.” She reached up and tickled the back of his neck. “Aren’t you, mon amour?”
    He laughed a humorless laugh. “Always the exception, Vivienne, sweetheart. After all, someone has to keep you vampires amused.”
    â€œJust so,” Viv said, then sighed again, resting her head against the side window.
    I shot Sam a glance; his mouth was set and rigid. Shaking my head, I turned my attention to the never-ending English landscape. No need for me to get involved in whatever was wrong between the two of them.
    And for the record, I didn’t see one single cow on the trip.
    Â 
    Our hotel was right outside the airport. Vivienne had booked rooms for all of us on the same floor. “Safety in numbers,” she whispered to me as the desk clerk distributed the keys, keeping Lily and Claude’s since they hadn’t arrived yet. Then she turned her attention to the clerk. “Pardon, mon ami, can you possibly recommend a good place in London where a girl can get a good drink and some pleasurable company?”
    He mentioned a few pubs near Paddington Station. “And the Heathrow Express will get you there in no time, Miss. Or if you’d prefer, we have a fully staffed bar and restaurant here at the hotel.”
    â€œAh,” she said, with a smile that showed off her dimples, “fully staffed. It sounds très charming. What do you think, Sam?”
    â€œI think I’m going to go up to the room and get some rest, Vivienne.” He sounded tired and harsh. With good cause, I thought, he’d driven for over five hours in a somewhat tense environment. “I’m exhausted. But you do whatever you want.”
    She sighed and gave a