“Maggie,” she said and clasped his hand.
“Pleasure to meet you, Maggie. Where to?” heasked as Saxon opened the passenger door and climbed inside.
Aiden looked expectantly at her, and shegave Declan her address. She held her breath as they drove throughthe streets of Boston. She was half afraid they would go in thecomplete opposite direction, but Declan headed toward her apartmenton the far outskirts of the city. She lived in a quiet sectionfilled with brick apartment buildings, row houses, and family-ownedbusinesses. Cars lined the streets, but she directed Declan aroundthe back of her building to the small parking lot there.
CHAPTER 20
Before Declan had the car in park, shegrasped the door handle and flung it open. Leaping into the night,she inhaled the crisp air before jogging around the building to thefront door. She could enter through the back if she had her keys,but she didn’t. She punched a code into the keypad beside the outerglass door.
A buzzer sounded, and she pulled the dooropen as Aiden climbed the stairs toward her. He stepped off thelast stair and into the vestibule with her. The door was closingwhen Declan grabbed it, and he and Saxon stepped inside too. Sheknew it had been too much to hope they would drop her off and leaveher alone.
The three large, male bodies crammed intothe vestibule made her feel claustrophobic. She glowered at all ofthem. “I don’t need an escort to my door. I’m perfectly capable ofgetting there on my own.”
All of them conveniently chose to ignore heras she punched numbers into the second keypad. The solid wood,inner door buzzed, and she pushed it open. The familiar aroma ofcats, cigarette smoke, and pizza greeted her. Her landladychain-smoked and had half a dozen cats. The pizza scent came fromthe Italian restaurant next door.
Maggie was halfway up the gray, carpet-linedstairs, and more than halfway asleep, before she recalled shedidn’t have her keys. She turned and trudged back down. Saxon andDeclan leaned against the outer railing to let her pass, but Aidenfollowed her.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“My landlady has my spare key.” She stoppedoutside the first door and knocked on it. “Don’t you have somewhereelse to be?” she asked when he leaned against the wall next to thedoor.
She didn’t like the idea of him leaving, orthe realization she would most likely never see him again when hedid leave, but she needed time alone right now. She wished she hada landline so she could call to find out where Roger was and made amental note to get one as soon as possible. Never again would sherely solely on a cell phone.
“No,” Aiden said.
She didn’t have time to argue with himbefore Mrs. Mackey opened her door. Maggie forced herself not torecoil from the cigarette and cat aromas bursting out the door.Mrs. Mackey materialized through a haze of smoke. A shower capcovered her gray curls, the pink bathrobe she wore was threadbare,and a cigarette dangled from the corner of her wrinkled mouth. Mrs.Mackey’s watery blue eyes surveyed her before going to Aiden. Shesmiled and pulled the cigarette from between her lips.
“Magdalene,” Mrs. Mackey greeted though shedidn’t take her eyes from Aiden.
“I’m sorry, but I left my keys at work, Mrs.Mackey,” Maggie said. “Could I please have the spare?”
“I hope no one else can find them.”
“They’re locked safely away,” Maggielied.
“Hmm,” Mrs. Mackey grunted and nudged one ofher cats back with her foot when it tried to escape the smoke.“Just in case, I’m calling a locksmith to replace your locks andthe building’s locks, on your dime.”
Maggie didn’t argue with her. She didn’thave much extra money, but she’d prefer her locks and the ones tothe building changed anyway as she had no idea where her keys wereright now. However, she highly doubted locks and keypads would stopany vampire trying to get into this place. They were good securityagainst humans, not so much against the supernatural.
“Of course,” Maggie replied and kept hersmile in place. Mrs. Mackey could be difficult, but she also bakeda mean chocolate chip cookie, which she handed out to the tenantsshe favored. Maggie refused to be kicked off the cookie recipientlist.
The door closed, and Maggie listened to thedrone of the TV in the background as she waited for her landlord toreturn. “She’s interesting,” Aiden said.
“Hmm,” Maggie replied and rubbed at herneck.
Aiden’s hand covered hers. She should knockhis hand away, but when he started kneading her aching muscles, sherelaxed into him. Distance was what she needed from this vampire,yet one touch from him had her melting like butter in a hot fryingpan.
It’s been a rough night, cut yourselfsome slack, she told herself.
Yes, please cut yourself some slack forlusting after the vampire who might prefer prostitutes and who bityou!
Maggie knocked his hand away as Mrs. Mackeyreturned with her key. A gleam lit Mrs. Mackey’s eyes when shelooked at Aiden, and Maggie realized not only had she removed hercap, but she’d also applied a layer of lipstick. Apparently, evensenior citizens couldn’t help themselves around Aiden.
That didn’t make her feel any better abouther lack of self-restraint.
Maggie took the key from Mrs. Mackey’soutstretched hand as the woman batted her lashes at Aiden. “Have agood night, Mrs. Mackey,” Maggie said. “And thank you for thekey.”
“Of course, dear,” she replied.
