Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance) (17 page)

“She
attacked
you?”

“She drove me from the sanctuary and had someone else attack. They must have been mortal otherwise they could not have left the present.”

“Remind me not to invite her to my birthday party,” Louis said.

“I need to find her well before that,” Alex said. He tried to make his voice stern, but the tiredness kept him weak and it came out slightly above a whisper. He held his bare hand up for their inspection. “She took my ring.”

Louis’s eyebrows shot up. Hadn’t he believed her when she said the ring was gone?

“I would imagine it would be pretty easy to trace,” Lisa said.

Both men turned to look at her. “You’re thinking like a mortal,” Louis chided her, then chuckled when she lifted her chin.

“There are things…about the ring…” Alex seemed to have trouble getting out the entire sentence. Lisa and Louis looked at him again.

“What else was there?” Louis asked as he came closer to his friend.

Alex leaned his head back against the chair. “The bar. Pure silver.”

Louis frowned again. “How long did you have it? The blood should have helped.”

Lisa gasped, then covered her mouth quickly.

Alex tried to grin in her direction, but the effort was nearly too much. “What did you think?” he managed to gasp out.

“You need more,” Louis said sternly.

Alex nodded once. “Get ... more.”

Louis stood and braced his arms on the chair, staring down, so Alex had no place to look, but at him. “More potent, Alessandro. Something fresh.”

Slowly, Alex started to shake his head, but Louis grasped his cheeks, stopping his movement. “You have no other options.

Lisa looked at both of them. She could barely make out the words they were saying, but she wondered if she were really heard them correctly, and if she did, were they saying what she thought.

Her gaze flicked to Sandy. They wouldn’t dare! She moved closer to the sleeping child, when Louis turned to face her.

“You can help.”

“No.” Alex’s voice sounded weaker than earlier.

She gulped. He was this way because of her and Sandy to begin with. Didn’t she owe him something? But her blood? She was going to be sick.

“What do I do?” She took a step closer to the men. She couldn’t stop the shaking, and didn’t know if it was visible to them or not.

Louis gave her a reassuring smile. She wasn’t sure she trusted it. “First, you must wash the silver off.”

She closed her eyes. Then she would be vulnerable to both of them. Lord, she didn’t know if she was ready for this.

“Little. Just a little…off,” Alex said.

Louis nodded and translated for her. “Alex doesn’t want you to wash all of it off, just a little. Though frankly, I don’t see how that will help.”

They both heard Alex give a low growl from where he sat, and Louis chuckled. Lisa didn’t see what was so amusing. She started to pull her hair to the side, but Louis stopped her.

Walking over to the bar sink, he beckoned her over, and reached for a clean towel kept there. “Rub some soap and water on your wrist, just above the vein.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Alessandro wants you to stay as protected as possible, so he wants you to leave the silver on where you can.”

“That part I got.”

“About the wrist?” At her nod, Louis extended his own wrist and showed her precisely where she should wash. He stopped and really looked at her. “You know what we need, what Alessandro needs, right?”

“I have to admit, I’m frightened.”

“Don’t be.”

A giggle escaped her then. “Easy for you to say. I thought vampires bit people on the neck.” She moved her hand to indicate that.

“There are times…” he let the sentence trail off, then turned more serious. “Alessandro needs this, you understand?”

She concentrated on washing her skin, trying to do as he requested and not wash off too much of the silver. Right now, she wished she could leave it on.

“That is enough,” Louis stopped her. He started to walk towards Alex then stopped to make sure she followed.

“What do I do?” She asked when she got there, her voice a whisper.

Alex turned his head away, then back to look at her. She could have wept at the shame she saw in his eyes. She didn’t need to hear Louis’ instructions. She wasn’t stupid. She held her arm out, wrist side up, close to Alex’s lips. She watched in fascination as he opened his mouth and she saw his incisors were really longer than she thought. What he had done before, she thought that was all there was, except for the immortality bit, of course, but now she watched as his entire face transformed to frightening proportions. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. She held her arm closer to him. He reached out to grasp her arm, but Louis stopped him. Instead, he placed his hand in hers and guided her wrist to Alex’s mouth.

She didn’t k now what to expect but the sharp piercing was less than she anticipated. Then she felt – actually felt – the blood leave her body. It seemed too much. Evidently, Alex thought so too because he tried to push away, but Louis had put his other hand behind Alex’s head and held him there. The next moment, she felt a strong pull and realized Alex was drawing more blood, more quickly than he had before. Louis must have realized it at the same time.

“Stop, Alessandro!”

Lisa felt herself growing weaker, but in actuality or from fear, she couldn’t tell. She watched him in fascination then lifted her gaze to Louis when she realized he was pulling Alex back, away from her.

“Enough!” The command was sharp and Alex heeded it, instantly stopping. He released her wrist and allowed Louis to hold it in place as he laved it with his tongue, instantly healing the wounds.

When Louis released her hand, she sank to the floor at Alex’s feet.

Sitting up straighter, Alex reached out a hand and ran it down the length of her head, stopping short of her neck. “Thank you,” he said simply.

She merely nodded and resisted the temptation to turn into his hand. Not that she had the energy.

Louis moved around from behind the chair and perched on the edge of the coffee table, looking at her. “You don’t have enough silver to really protect you for long,” he said, “but in Alessandro’s weakened state, what do have is too much.”

She turned her head, resting in on Alex’s knee as she looked at the other vampire. She supposed that was to mean something to her, but she couldn’t fathom what.

Alex ran his hand over her head again. “I could not touch you,” he said softly.

She merely shrugged.
What did it matter?
“Did it help?”

“More than you know,” Alex chuckled softly.

They sat quietly for a moment, at least she did. The other two carried on some conversation in a level of voice only they could hear. It could not have been pleasant, as she felt the muscles in Alex’s legs tense as if he was keeping himself from springing into action. Slowly, the words penetrated and she began to feel more herself. Noticing that, Louis went to retrieve an apple from the counter and handed it to her, saying simply that it would help.

She nodded her thanks and bit into it.

“Now that you are both recovered, what is your next step?”

“First, I must report to work today. As for Cassandra and Lisa, I believe they shall have to return to the Morgans.”

That’s what she wanted, wasn’t it.
“I thought you weren’t sure of the Morgans’ motives?”

“There is more at risk here than I anticipated. I believe it would be best if you both returned, and you kept a close watch on the child.”

“Do you think someone will come after her again?”

“I am certain of it,” Alex said. “In fact, I’m counting on it.”

“Wouldn’t she be safer with Philip?”

“Perhaps,” he agreed, “but I see no reason to endanger Philip at this point.”

Did that mean there would be another time he would have to? She didn’t care for the sound of that.

“She will be safer at home than anywhere else,” Alex reassured her.

“I will be available,” Louis said.

Lisa slowly got to her feet and looked about for a trash can to dispose of the apple core. “I don’t understand how you fit in with this,” she addressed her comment to Louis, as he pointed to a waste basket.

Alex stood and both of them exchanged glances before focusing on her. “They stole my ring,” Alex finally said. “That, and the notes, lead me to believe they are concerned with things other than gaining ransom for the child.”

“You don’t think they want her for ransom?”

“No, I don’t. They want her for a purpose, but right now they are too busy to worry about it.” He didn’t sound particularly certain. “She will be safest at home.”

“She will be, and so will you,” Louis said.

She had thought she had been helping him, evidently not; he had just been too polite to say so.
Were vampires polite
, she wondered idly.

As they headed for the door, Louis motioned to Sandy, still sleeping on the couch. “You carry the child,” he told her.

She gave him a sharp look. So much for polite.

As if he could read her mind, he gave her a mocking smile. “Neither Alessandro nor I can touch the child if she’s covered in silver.”

“But you moved her earlier.”

“For a moment, and even that burned.” He held his hands up and she could see they were indeed reddened. “They are healing.” He again pointed to Cassandra with his chin.

Lisa scooped her up and turned her so she could rest her head on her shoulder. Sandy instinctively wrapped her legs around her. Lisa nearly staggered under the weight. She felt Alex’s steadying hand on her back for a moment, then a hiss as he removed it.

Chapter 18

Once they were in his car, Alex slid the police light from its compartment and attached it to the vehicle’s roof. It was near dawn, and in his current state he preferred to be home before full light. As it was, he wouldn’t make it into the station this night. He didn’t turn on the siren, but did flash his light, allowing them to easily move through what little traffic there was.

Lisa had tried to put the child from her, but Cassandra clung to her so tightly she was forced to hold her on her lap for the ride.

“What are we to do?” she finally asked.

“What you always do,” Alex said in some surprise. “Don’t change your schedule. Know that Louis, or I or Philip will be close by at all times.”

“No one else from the department?”

“Can you think of how I could explain any of tonight’s happenings?”

She gave a rueful laugh. “I guess not.” She was silent for a few moments then asked the question that she needed an answer for, but was reluctant to ask, “Do we wash the silver off?”

“For now.” He seemed to be thinking, then turned to her and quickly told her about the silver brick that had been placed in his pocket. “They left me in the covered stairwell of the church. It’s near the door you exited,” he explained. “The brick should still be there. Find it and take it to Philip. He will know what to do with it if we need it.”

“You mean if he has to mix more of this lotion?” She ran her hand along her arm.

“That, among other things. Let’s just say it’s safer in our possession than Janelle’s.”

Turning off the police light, Alex pulled into the Morgan’s driveway.

Lisa shook her head. “For some reason, I expected to see a police car here.”

Alex shifted in his seat and turned sideways to face her. “I didn’t call them.”

“Why ever not? There are so many people--” She stopped abruptly when he placed his finger over her lips.

He lowered his voice and glanced at the restlessly sleeping child. “I wanted to gauge the parents’ reaction.” He slid out of the car before she could ask another question, and came around to open the door for her.

Sandy blinked sleepily when Lisa got her to stand on the sidewalk. She had a feeling the Morgans, no matter what Alex thought, would be delighted their daughter was back, and would like to see her walking in instead of being carried.

Jason held his arms out welcoming them, he spared a moment from hugging his daughter to fling an arm about Lisa. Alex had to tamp down the jealousy that sprang instantly to life. He had no reason to feel that way, nor should he.

Barbara patted her daughter on the back and gave her a kiss on the cheek declaring she had given them all a scare, as if the kidnapping had been the child’s idea. She leveled a hard gaze on Lisa and stepped closer. Lisa instinctively took a step back toward Alex who put a steadying hand on her waist. A move, Barbara honed in on. “I wondered why the detective was so sure you were not involved.” Her gaze flicked to his. “Perhaps he is in on it too.”

She couldn’t mean that!
In the time it took her to inhale, Alex’s grip on her waist tightened in warning. She swallowed convulsively, but didn’t say anything.         

“I would tell you to leave immediately,” Barbara continued, “but it’s late, and I wouldn’t even turn a dog out in the middle of the night.”

~*~

Alex watched Lisa’s face blanch even further. He would gladly take her to his home, but he needed her here. He trusted her to watch for Cassandra, to be as close as the other two could not be.

“I think you misunderstand,” he found himself saying, cutting off anything her husband had intended to say. “If it were not for Lisa, Cassandra would not be here with you. She has been of immense assistance.” He put his hand lightly on Lisa’s back and propelled her to the stairs. “I strongly suggest a hot bath, a drink and bed.” He quickly removed his hand.

It angered him tremendously to have to leave her with these people who did not value her, at least the woman appeared to not have any set value.  For her to think Lisa was the problem itself was ludicrous.

“You will be safe.” He leaned in close and whispered in Lisa’s ear, never taking his gaze off Barbara Morgan. She didn’t try to disguise her distaste.
Too bad.
Right now, he was only intent on reassuring Lisa. He only wished he could keep her with him, but that was an impossibility. In his present state, he would prove more of a liability than protection. As much as he hated to leave her, there was little option.