Free Shadows in Savannah by Lissa Matthews Page A

wrong. He didn’t sleep in a dank and dark dungeon away from the light. He slept in a wonderful bed in a room full of windows that faced out over the river. He slept later than he imagined most people did, but he awoke, cleaned up, dressed, and fixed coffee, just as a normal person would.
    He loved coffee. It was dark, rich, and the bitter taste when made strong enough, was heaven on his tongue.
    He was about to step inside the restaurant, when a feeling of being watched settled over him. He lowered his hand from the door and glanced from side to side. Nothing stood out, no one seemed to be paying him any attention at all. After a few more moments, he shook the feeling off and moved inside.
    “Richard,” he said, settling a hand on his manager’s shoulder. “How are things tonight?”
    “Couldn’t be better. The surf ’n turf tartare was a surprising hit. I know I didn’t think it would go over, but once again, you seem to know the palates of the customers better.”
    Dane smiled. “I do have a way with that, don’t I? But you? You have a way with the bar crowd. They are in good spirits.” Richard beamed under the well deserved praise. Dane had lured him away from one of the more prominent restaurants in Charleston and though Richard had been skeptical of the move and the money he’d been offered, the move had turned out to be one of the best business decisions either of them had made.
    “Bachelor party. They’re on their way to a club later.”
    “Well, don’t let them get too drunk. I don’t want to be liable if something happens between here and there because we fed them too much alcohol.”
    “Always concerned. I don’t know many men like you.”
    You don’t know any men like me , Dane thought. “I’m headed upstairs. I’ll be up for a while still, so call me if you need anything.”
    “Will do.”
    There was an exit through the kitchen he could use to get into the hotel kitchen, however, he chose to retrace his steps outside again. That feeling of being watched washed over him as soon as he emerged into the night air.
    He didn’t fear whoever it was. He hadn’t feared anyone in more years than he could count. In fact, he felt no fear about anything at all.
    No, he was curious. Who would watch him, and why?
    With deliberate movement and exact intentions, Dane climbed the spiral, wrought iron staircase that would lead him to the street level balcony of the hotel. Facing the river, it was a second story, but to reach the third, fourth, and penthouse levels, Dane would need to enter the building.
    But he didn’t. He sat in one of the rocking chairs that lined the balcony and stared out over the water, all the while keeping an eye, or ear, out for the one who watched him.
    He wanted to call out that he knew the person was there, but he didn’t want to seem like a nut, in case… No, there was no in case . He wasn’t imagining things. There was someone there. In the shadows.
    He waited until the air began to lull him into a sense of calm. He never quite reached tranquility, but there were times he came close. Being watched by a stranger, for some inexplicable reason, made him feel that he mattered. Maybe the person meant him harm, and maybe not. But something about Dane mattered to the eyes that didn’t stray from him and for the first time in what seemed forever, he was not invisible. He was not just another resident of Savannah. He was not faceless.
    And he longed for it. To matter. He hadn’t ever realized it before that moment, but as he stood from the chair and walked inside the hotel, he knew it did matter.

Chapter Two
    Jorge liked the man. The pale one. The one who was just like he was, only more beautiful, elegant. Younger. He could sense the vampire’s confusion at being observed and not being able to see who was doing it. Jorge could also sense a measure of elation coming from the man just before he’d disappeared into the building.
    He slid his hands into his pockets and turned down