Evonne found herself waking to an empty bed. The TV was off and the shower on in the bathroom. Curious, she went to the bathroom and found Emery in the tub, holding an unconscious Micki. He had most of this clothes off, except for jeans. Gabriel stood by the tub with a towel in hand as he waited for Emery to finish. The fragrant scent of shampoo filled the small bathroom. The empty, hotel bottle sat discarded beside the wastebasket, carelessly tossed to the floor.
     Emery placed Micki’s head back into the shower’s stream, giving her hair one last rinse. He then handed her off to Gabriel, who wrapped her in the towel and picked her up in his arms. Evonne stepped to the side as he carried her into the next room. Gabriel carefully sat her on Emery’s bed.
     Looking for some way to help, Evonne grabbed another towel and handed it to him. “For her hair,” she said.
     Gabriel placed the towel onto the pillow and laid her back onto it. Emery exited the bathroom, his own towel in hand as he began to dry off.
     “She fought it for a while,” he said. “That was the worst of it. It was like her sire tried to gain control over her—tried to take a bite out of me. But all’s said and done.”
     “Is there a laundry room?” asked Evonne.
     Emery answered as he dried his hair with the towel. “First floor.”
     “I was thinking about washing her clothes for her. If that’s okay with you all.”
     “I think she’d like that.” He reached into his wet pocket and pulled out his wallet, then handed her a damp five dollar bill. “Here. This should be enough.”
     Taking the money, she waved it in the air, a measly attempt to dry it some. “This should be interesting,” she said, pocketing the money. “I’ve never used a washing machine or dryer before.”
     Emery tilted his head at her. “You serious? It’s not that hard to figure out. They have directions on the inside of the lid.” He patted her back. “You’ll be okay. I believe in you. Oh, can you wash mine for me, as well?”
     Before Evonne could answer, Emery removed his jeans, leaving him completely nude. He handed them to her and caught her wandering gaze. He smiled. “I knew you wanted to see it. Nice, right?”
     Evonne ripped the jeans from his hand and turned to Gabriel, feeling guilty for what she just saw. “I’ll be in the laundry room if you need me.” And with that, she hurried into the bathroom and gathered up the clothes, then left the hotel room.
     Wrapping the towel around his waist, Emery went to the bed where Gabriel sat with Micki. “What’s your verdict?” he asked, looking at the girl.
     “We have no other choice. Until we can locate her sire, she stays with us.”

The orange glow from the evening sky was brighter than Evonne expected. She squinted her eyes and looked away as she headed for the stairwell, her skin tingling in reaction to the weakening light. On the ground level, she spotted the sign for the laundry room.
     The place held a collection of wonderful scents, all sweet and calming. It reminded her of a laundry basket filled with fresh, warm clothes. She inhaled, taking in a hint of sea air with it.
     Five washing machines sat along one wall, with five dyers sitting on the opposite side. An empty laundry basket sat on one of the dryers while the machine dried the clothes. Evonne picked out a washer and threw the clothes inside. Under the lid, right where Emery said it would be, were the directions.
     “Soap…” she read out loud.
     Evonne looked around and spotted the vending machine near a white table and chairs. Inside the machine she saw the small boxes of detergent. She pulled the damp money from her pocket. A piece of tape covered the dollar intake on the machine. She sighed. “Of course.”
     A black box hung near the vending machine that read “Change.” The clouds parted for Evonne as she sat the bill into the machine’s intake. The thing whirled into life, sucked in the bill and then spat it back out. Images of commercial clips portraying this very scenario played in her mind. She now understood the anguish of these finicky machines. On the sixth try, the bill was accepted and the quarters released. Pocketing as much as she could, Evonne went back to the vending machine.
     “Hold on!” a woman called out.
     Caught off guard, Evonne turned to see a woman in her fifties approach. She had dark hair swooped up in a messy bun and wore a baggy, casual dress that hung over her heavy set body. She went to the laundry basket on the dryer and grabbed the green bottle of liquid detergent.
     “You can use mine,” she offered, going over to open washing machine. “I see no reason to waste your money when I have plenty here.” She filled up the cap and drizzled the thick, blue liquid onto the clothes.
     Evonne stood back and watched. The woman held out her hand, snapping her fingers twice. Forcing herself to move, Evonne assumed she wanted the quarters and gave her a handful, unsure of how much she needed. The woman closed the lid and fed the money into the machine. With a few presses of some buttons, the washing machine kicked on.
     “Thank you,” Evonne said.
     “Don’t worry about it,” she replied, returning the bottle of detergent to her basket. She then took a seat at the table and pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her dress pocket. “Mind if I smoke?”
     Evonne gave a nervous smile. “I don’t mind.”
     “So, where are you from?” she said, lighting a cigarette.
     Pick a state, any state. “Ohio.”
     She nodded. “We’re from Pennsylvania. The weather’s been great here, hasn’t it?”
     Evonne leaned against a washing machine. “I haven’t had a chance to get out yet.”
     “Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name’s Maggie.” She extended her free hand.
     Evonne took her hand and replied, “I’m Abigail. ‘Abby’ for short.”
     “Your hand is really cold,” the woman exclaimed. “That’s the thing with these places down here. Gotta run that AC twenty-four seven. They forget that there’s some of us without any extra insulation.” She patted the top of Evonne’s hand. “Ten minutes in here will warm you right up.”

Emery sat in the bed beside Micki. He used the remote to flip through the channels, stopping at a familiar cartoon show. “If they’re under the sea,” he commented, “how can they have water in a bathtub?”
     Gabriel left the bathroom, carrying the damp towel he used to clean up the floor. He sat the towel in the kitchenette sink as he replied, “It’s a show about a talking sponge that wears clothes. You do the math.” He returned to the bathroom.
     Losing interest in the cartoon, Emery looked over at Micki. Nothing about her moved; not her chest, heart, or eyes. The sleep she was in would be the last real peace she would know for a while.
     Emery left the bed, readjusting his towel as he walked to the bathroom. He stood in the doorway and watched Gabriel wiping down everything.
     “This happened close,” he began, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. “Perhaps within blocks from here. I’m almost certain her sire is trying to contact her. If he is able to locate her here, he may pay us a visit.”
     Gabriel stopped was he was doing. “How long ago did Evonne leave?”
     “About an hour, I think.”
     Dropping the small towel in the tub, Gabriel left the hotel room.

Evonne sat at the table within the laundry room. The woman, Maggie, had already left.
     The dryer wasn’t hard to figure out. Remembering what Maggie did with the washing machine, Evonne began the long task of waiting while the clothes dried. As she waited, she replayed the lengthy conversation she had with Maggie. At times, she wanted to cringe at her own responses. She sounded silly in retrospect. Spending the lengthy time in this room also toyed with her hunger. Quick little visions sprang forth as they talked, showing Evonne leaping on the woman to feed. Her gums ached as she held back her fangs. She was relieved when Maggie’s laundry finished.
     Sitting alone was the way Evonne preferred it. The constant humming from the dryer was the only thing she wanted to hear. But another sound came to her ears. The voice was outside and faint. She heard, what she assumed to be, a radio. Her stomach sank. Wait, she tried to calm herself. Hotel staff use radios. Certain this was the case, Evonne settled back into her chair, listening to the faint voice. As she picked up on a name, her stomach sank further. Robert Stone? This wasn’t a hotel staffer.
     Robert Stone, brother of Ian Stone, was a top official for the Atlanta branch of SEVEN. Ian Stone was the leader of the Los Angeles branch. If she heard this voice correctly, and Robert Stone was in town, then the whole place was in SEVEN’s crosshairs. But why would SEVEN be patrolling this area?
     Micki.
     Curious to know if this were truly SEVEN, Evonne stepped into the dark breezeway, heading toward the beach. Bushes lined the exit along the concrete path, a perfect place the hide. Calling upon her new instincts, she lowered her body and moved through the shadows.
     The radio came on, giving away the man’s location. But instead of responding, the call went unanswered. Evonne heard the sound of rubbing fabric. Instead of looking toward the sound, she rushed for the bushes. A muffled pop rang out. Evonne felt the pressure in her chest as she was struck by something. Trying to sit, she looked down and saw the silver stake protruding from her chest, missing her heart by inches.
     A man in dark clothing stood over her, aiming the short rifle.
     This was Evonne’s fault. She gave away what she was with her movements. Any hunter in the field knew how to pick out a human from a vampire. It was the ones like Keelan who had a real advantage when it came to blending in. Evonne, however, wasn’t granted such an ability. She was beginning to believe that her only talent was finding trouble.
     “You’re not her,” the hunter said. “But I’ll take your head just the same.”
     Evonne placed her hand to the stake.
     “Don’t move!” he ordered.
     A ever expanding torrent of anger filled Evonne. She grabbed the stake and removed it, crying out through clenched teeth.
     “I said, don’t move!” The hunter reaffirmed his grip, preparing to fire.
     Evonne spoke, her words slurring. “I doubt you would pull the trigger if you knew who I am.”
     The man didn’t reply.
     She continued, her eyes locking on him, anger still boiling. “I’m Alexander’s daughter.”
     Staring at her, the man’s eyes widened. “You’re Evonne?” He regained his composure. “We’ve been ordered to bring you in—to return you to your father.”
     Surprising herself, Evonne moved fast and grabbed hold of the man, pulling him close. She acted on instinct as she bit into him, a rush of blood filling her mouth. In heat of the attack, Evonne forgot the rifle. Another muffled pop rang out, this one entering her right lung. The hunter pushed her off of him and held a hand to his neck.
     Evonne fell to the concrete and rolled, ending on her side. The hunter stood over her stunned body.
     “Fuckin’ shit!” he called out. “I don’t understand why he wants you back. You’re not even the same girl he’s searching for.” He aimed the rifle.
     “If so,” whispered Evonne, challenging him, “then shoot.”
     The man slowly lowered the gun and removed the radio from his belt. His expression of anguish turned to spite. “18 to Stone.”
     Robert replied, “Go ahead.”
     The hunter found himself grinning. “I found Eden’s most wanted.”
     The radio was ripped from the hunter’s hand and his body thrown into the air, striking the wall. He landed on the concrete not far from Evonne. The hunter coughed at the breath leaving him. He looked around, frantically searching for who attacked him. His eyes landed on the form of a vampire, one that frightened him more than any he had known.
     Gabriel kneeled beside Evonne. “Can you stand?”
     “I…” She tried to speak, but the air she tried to gather wouldn’t fill her lungs. Her hand wrapped around the stake. She wanted to pull it free but was more afraid of the pain it would cause.
     Gabriel pushed her hand to the side and yanked out the stake. Evonne screamed.
     The hunter sat up, his back against the wall. “Gabriel… I’m only doing as I’m told.”
     The old vampire looked at him, the cruel glare panicking the human even more. “Why are you here?”
     The human answered fast. “Routine protocol. You know the drill.”
     “Yes, I do. Why are you here?”
     The man glanced at Evonne as she struggled to sit. “Ingram is still looking for her. He doesn’t care about all that has happened. He just wants her back.”
     Gabriel asked him again, voice raising, “Why are you here?”
     “I told you!”
     Before the hunter could react, the vampire was on him, lifting him up and pinning him to the wall. The monster sneered, teeth ready to finish what the younger vampire started.
     “We—we’re looking for this girl,” the hunter stammered.
     “Why? Who is she?”
     “We were clearing out this nest not far from here. We lost sight of her in the confusion. The sire said she was still alive.”
     “Where is her sire now?”
     The hunter hesitated with his answer. “He was terminated earlier this evening. This girl, she has to be found.”
     “Why the urgency?”
     “She… she has to be destroyed before—”
     “She realizes what she is,” Gabriel finished for him. “Is that all? A simple stray?”
     “They’re the most reckless, you know that. She has to be dealt with.”
     Gabriel looked at Evonne. “He knows you are here. To your father, you remain in England. If he manages to inform them—”
     “He already has,” she said, fighting off her shortness of breath.
     The hunter’s eyes went to her. “He misses you, Evonne.”
     Gabriel pressed him harder into the wall. “She will never return to that place.”
     “This has nothing to do with Eden,” the man choked out. The look on his face changed. “Are you afraid he’ll take her away from you?”
     Lips tightening, Gabriel stepped away, releasing him. “Evonne, this one belongs to you.” He twisted the hunter around, holding his arms behind him with one hand and gripping his hair with the other. “Kill him quick so we can leave.”
     Evonne’s eyes centered on the man. Gabriel didn’t need to ask her twice. She planned to kill him even without his permission.
     “Evonne,” the hunter begged, his voice trembling, “you don’t want to do this. I’m friends with your father… and I was friends with David.”
     She stopped.
     “He’s lying,” Gabriel said. “Steven here has never been to Eden. He’s not even a high ranking hunter. He kills our kind with his underhanded tactics.”
     Evonne continued to move forward.
     “You can’t believe anything he says, Evonne,” the hunter said, wiggling in Gabriel’s grip. “He is the liar! You can’t trust him. Please, Evonne. Believe me. Don’t do this!”
     Pausing again, Evonne replied, “I might have believed your little speech if you didn’t mention two things.” Closing in, her hands grabbed the collar of his shirt. Her mouth returned to her previous bite as her teeth tore further into him, spilling the blood faster this time. The man kicked his legs in a futile attempt to free himself. He began to scream for help.
     Gabriel’s hand released the man’s hair to cover his mouth, silencing the screaming.
     Evonne drank fast, her body relishing in the heat and life it gave her. The man’s heart quieted, and then stopped. She wanted to keep drinking but found Gabriel pulling him away. He lifted the man’s body and carried him to the tall bushes, hiding him inside. He then gathered up the radio, spent stakes, and rifle, placing them with the body.
     Gabriel took Evonne’s hand and led her into the breezeway.

Emery jumped from the bed as they returned. He caught the scent of Evonne’s blood. “What happened to you?”
     “SEVEN is here,” Gabriel answered calmly.
     Emery’s jaw dropped. “The fuck? They saw you?”
     “Hurry and get her dressed,” Gabriel said to Evonne. He went over to the bed and gathered their bags.
     Setting the clothes on the bed, Evonne began to sort them. Emery joined her, picking out his clothes from the small stack. As he started to dress, Evonne began dressing Micki. They worked fast. To hide the blood on her own clothes, Evonne pulled on her coat.
     They timed their getaway perfectly. Gabriel headed down first to bring the Jeep around just as Evonne and Emery, carrying Micki, exited the stairwell. They climbed inside and were on the road within minutes. Gabriel kept his speed in check. Getting out of the city was his first priority, but attracting the police was his biggest concern.
     “How safe are we?” Emery said from the back. “Or should I ask, ‘Are they on our tail?’ ”
     “We have about fifteen minutes,” replied Gabriel, glancing in the rearview mirror.
     “But he told them I was there,” Evonne reminded him.
     “What all did he say?”
     “That he found Eden’s most wanted.”
     Emery growled and looked back at the trailing cars. “So we have about five minutes.”
     Evonne looked back, as well. “How many members of SEVEN are out on hunts like this?”
     “Twenty or so,” Gabriel answered. “More, now that they have reason to believe you’re here.”
     “This is ridiculous!” Evonne clenched her fists on her lap, keeping herself from banging them on the dashboard. “What if… what if I go back to Eden and speak to my father. Maybe I can talk some sense into him. There’s a chance I can get him to stop looking for me.”
     “No. I’m not taking that chance.”
     “He doesn’t want to kill me,” she tried to argue.
     “You show up there, he won’t let you leave.”
     “I can’t keep running.”
     Glancing at her, Gabriel saw the look of defeat showing, stronger than before. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
     She nodded. “Very much sure.”
     “You’ve gone completely mad, haven’t you?” remarked Emery. “What is he wishes to kill you?”
     “He doesn’t,” replied Evonne. “He’s too weak to do that. He had plenty of chances to kill Zachary and he hasn’t. He won’t kill me.”
     “You better be right about this,” he huffed. “I don’t want to break you out of there a second time.”
     “How is she doing?” asked Gabriel.
     Emery placed a hand to Micki’s forehead. Her eyes squinted but remained closed. “She’s already showing some signs of waking up. I hate to say it but we may need to find a haven, at least for two days.”
     Gabriel spoke to Evonne. “I have to agree with him.”
     Grumbling at the thought of leaving the beach, she slumped in her seat. “All right. If that’s what we have to do.”