Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance) (18 page)

His house seemed empty without her there. It hadn’t taken long for her to fill a space he hadn’t even known was there.  Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he headed to the basement. A full night’s rest did wonders for him. He awoke at sundown, having slept longer than he had in many weeks. Briefly he wondered about Lisa and Cassandra, but assured himself Louis and Philip would have contacted him had there been any developments, good or bad. And the rest had been welcome. He felt rejuvenated.

Walking into the department that evening served as a reminder this was not the only case he was pursuing.

“About time you joined us,” his partner said.

He gave the man a brief nod as he headed to his side of the desk and sat down. “Found the little girl.”

His partner slowly put down the phone receiver that he was holding, to better look at him. “You didn’t call me.” His voice was definitely accusing.

“No. Sorry about that, but it all happened so fast.” If it had been a normal case, he would have called his partner, would have made everything seem as commonplace as possible, but what could else could he have done under the circumstances?

“Did you find the people who did it?”
“Not yet. The kid and the nanny need some rest.” There had been no way he could have sent anyone in that room to deal with Carlos. He and Louis were going to have a difficult enough time of their own.

The evening was quiet, giving Alex time to connect to the Internet to track any reason Carlos – or anyone, if he wasn’t working on his own – would suddenly show an interest in his ring. And how was that connected to the child?

Several online libraries had records of documents he thought might be of use. The difficulty was getting them in the time frame he needed. If anyone would understand if there was anything to be had from them, it would be Philip. He quickly hit the send button to give Philip the information he would need, pitiful amount that it was.

Shutting down his computer, he heard his partner calling out for his report on the kidnapping. He had written something plausible, and it now sat in a folder on the corner of his desk. Scooping it up, he tossed it to Nick.

“I have to run, but it’s all there.”

He was at Louis’s in a matter of moments, asking for his own report on Lisa and Cassandra. It disturbed him that he couldn’t decide which was more important to hear.

“No one else was around,” his friend assured him. “They must be busy with some other plot.”

“Definitely something.” He eased himself into one of the chairs. He refused to recall it was the same one he sat in the night before when he was forced to take Lisa’s blood.

He flexed his fingers before letting them rest on the arm of the chair. That the one was bare still rankled.

“It must be the stone, but what they can hope to gain, I have no idea,” Louis said. “How closely related to the child’s disappearance do you think this is?”

Alex pushed himself out of the chair and started to pace. “It must be even more vital than the girl; otherwise they would not have released her.”

“Or maybe they aren’t worried because they know where to find her.”

Alex stopped and stared at his friend. He scoffed at himself. “That actually had not occurred to me. Should I thank you for pointing it out?”

Louis shrugged.  “For whatever reason, you don’t seem to be thinking clearly. Maybe the silver confused you more than you thought.”

No, he knew exactly what occupied too much of his thoughts. And this was the outcome. If he didn’t focus soon, it could be disastrous for all. He wasn’t young, and certainly was familiar with the hideous workings of human nature. He ran his hand across his forehead, trying to think clearly. “Perhaps I need to visit Janelle.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Louis shook his head in disbelief. “You just proved you’re not thinking straight. There are crazy things going on here, Alessandro. Janelle is much too powerful to just walk up to her and demand to know what she’s about. It’s evident she needs or wants you for some reason.”

Alex gave a depreciating smile. “No reason to be insulting about it, but truthfully, I suspect she does not need
me
.”

“What powers does the ring hold?”

“None that I know of.” That was the truth as he knew it. “No one has ever shown an interest in it before.”

“Exactly. So whatever it is must be a recent discovery, or is relevant only to something that can occur at this time.” He cocked his head to one side. “This really is

not like you to not draw these conclusions.”

Alex agreed. The man was dead to right, and he had no idea why it was so now. Had the silver truly addled his brain, or was he so occupied with Lisa he could think of little else? Everything Louis said was true, but he still had a niggling feeling Barbara was somehow involved. He just couldn’t imagine how so or if she would be capable of actually sacrificing her daughter to achieve whatever her goal? “I have to go,” he told Louis, and was already out the door.

The only person who would or could possibly have some idea of the information he needed was either someone older than himself, and familiar with his scion of society, and it was evident Louis was as puzzled as he. His other option was someone who made it a study; Philip.

The man was poring over the print out of the notes Alex had sent when he entered the room.

“Alone tonight?” Philip asked, not seeming surprised to see him.

Briefly, Alex nodded. He had been alone most days and nights for the past two and a half centuries, but it never bothered him until recently. Until Lisa, he admitted to himself. His voice was more curt than he intended. “Find anything new?”

Chapter 19

“Actually, something quite, quite old.” Philip stood at the table and motioned Alex to join him as he pointed out a passage from the original note which had been copied. “That line is most likely inscribed in your ring. Here’s a description.”

Alex’s hand instinctively fisted.

“Do you trust me to see it?”

“It’s gone,” he said flatly.

Philip looked up, shock evident in his expression. His eyes widened as he glanced back to the passage, and then to Alex’s bare hand.

“How... how can that be? What have you done with it?”

“I have done nothing!” He tamped down his fury. It wasn’t his fault, and certainly not Philip’s. Quickly he outlined the sequence of events.

Philip used the table for support then sat down heavily, looking up at Alex in bewilderment.

Dread ran through his veins, and his sense of survival kicked in. He forced himself to relax, to push away the increasing sense of alarm.  
Surely the news could not be so bad.

‘Lisa and the child? Where are they?”

“Safe enough for now,” Alex said. “They’re at the Morgan’s.”

Grasping Alex’s arm, Philip insisted he remove them from there at once. As if realizing he had actually grabbed the other man, something he had never done, he quickly released his arm.

“That doesn’t make any sense. They’re safe for now. I doubt Carlos or Janelle will try anything at the moment. In fact, Louis is watching them tonight. Among other things, I wanted to make sure you could watch over them during the day.”

“I can watch, but there is nothing I can do. It appears the trouble is from within.”

“Within? Within what? The vampire community?”
Tell him something he didn’t already know.

“I fear it may be a bit closer to the child than that.”

“Barbara.” Her name escaped his lips before he was fully conscious of it. He almost missed Philip’s agreement, concerned that the only person between her and the child was Lisa. Philip was right; they would have to be removed. He turned on the ball of his foot, ready to leave immediately, but Philip stopped him. “Alex! You need to know what is going on here.”

“Is there anything to make a difference at this moment?”

When Philip didn’t answer, he made to leave again, in a speedier manner.

“We will need to talk when you return, Alex. The potential for unleashed evil is tremendous.”

Alex raised his brow at the comment. He was a vampire after all, evil was something he was quite familiar with, what he saw even when he did not want to be acknowledge it, when he tried to hold himself distant. But this was personal, extremely so.

He had no trouble getting to the Morgan’s. He drove, since he might either need the vehicle to move them, or Lisa might if they couldn’t leave immediately. He had to admit, Philip’s words rather jarred him. He would love to know about the inscription in the ring, but would have to wait until he returned to Philip’s. For now, he merely recalled there had been an inscription. He had looked at it when he was given the ring, but once it was placed on his finger he had no need to remove it. Was it truly the same phrase Philip had now discovered? And how, by all that was holy, did Barbara fit into the puzzle?

Pulling into the Morgan’s driveway, he sensed no one about when he exited the car. Jason answered the door, seemingly surprised to see Alex, but invited him in. “Is there something wrong, detective?”

How to answer?
“I came to make sure everything was all right here.” When it appeared the man had nothing else to say, Alex told him he had a few more questions he would like to review with the nanny.

Jason ran his hand over the back of his head. “If it will help catch whoever did this, by all means, ask away.”

Alex raised one eyebrow and gave a quick perusal of the room. It was apparent Lisa was not present.

“She just tucked Sandy in. She should be down in a moment, or you could go up.”

Alex nodded and headed for the stairs. He had picked up her scent long before he saw her coming out of Cassandra’s room. He unobtrusively sniffed the air again. He did not detect Barbara. He still couldn’t determine if that was good or not. He had a strong feeling it was the latter.

Lisa started when she saw him at the top of the stairs. “What are you doing here?” she nearly hissed the words at him.

So Cassandra wouldn’t awaken?
“I needed to speak with you and Mr. Morgan suggested I come here.”

She still looked puzzled, but turned toward the other stairs at the end of the hall, and motioned with her hand for him to follow her.

He closed the door behind them when he entered her room. She stood in the center of it, apparently surprised by his action. When he walked closer to her, she stood her ground, but he sensed her fear. He didn’t let it stop him. He didn’t stop until their bodies nearly touched. Ignoring the sensation of her nearness, he leaned his head toward her ear to talk to her.

“I don’t want Morgan to hear. Will you come with me?”

A nearly imperceptible nod of her head was his only answer.

Taking her arm, he led her to the window. He felt a momentary stiffness when he opened the sash, but she didn’t pull away. He wrapped his arms tightly about her and jumped.

She buried her head in his neck to stifle her scream.

Switching positions, so she was cradled in his arms, he swiftly moved through the streets. In a matter of moments he was at his home.

She was still shaking when he released her in the great room. Leaving her, he poured a shot of whiskey and carried it back to her. She turned her head away.

With a near sigh, Alex again wrapped his arms around her and sank into one of the chairs, bringing her down on top of his lap.

“This will help,” he insisted, pressing the glass against her mouth. This time she did take it in one go and started sputtering. At least she had stopped shaking.

“Was all of that necessary?” She tried to push away, to sit on her own, but he held her in a firm grasp. “And let me go.”

“Yes to the first and no to the second.” He had no intention of releasing her anytime soon, although he feared he would have to do so.

“We don’t have much time before Morgan notices you’re not there, so listen closely. You and Cassandra are in great danger.”

“You said that already. Couldn’t you have just said it again at the house?”

Her tone plainly announced she was getting annoyed. “I want to know about Barbara Morgan. Where does she spend her days, who does she see?”

“Mrs. Morgan?” She pushed a bit away from him to study his face more closely. “You suspect Mrs. Morgan has something to do with this?”

More than suspect
. “She may not even be aware she
is
involved.” He wouldn’t mention how unlikely that was.

“Nothing’s changed. She goes out the same amount of time, which is rather a lot, you know. She gets her hair done, runs some charitable events and,” She stretched out her hands, palm upwards, “I don’t know. There’s always some club or meeting she has to go to.”

“Those are precisely the ones I want, I need. When does she go?”

Lisa scoffed. “She’s at one now. That’s why Mr. Morgan was home so early.”

Hardly early. He nodded once. “First thing in the morning, and I mean at first full light, I want you to take Cassandra out for the day, at least that is what you are to tell the Morgans. I want you to go to Philip’s and I will meet you there as soon as I can.”

“Wouldn’t we be safer here?”

“I’m not sure anything I have is powerful enough to help at this point.”

“What do you have?”

“Any type of protection or security I could devise simply will not be strong enough at this point. Philip has a variety of things we can use, aside from the fact the room you are staying in are also part of the church and will itself offer some protection.”

“How long will we be gone?”

“I really have no idea. It could be a matter of hours or days. You will have to tell the Morgans you are taking Cassandra somewhere, a friend’s house.... Tell only Mr. Morgan, preferably while Barbara is not in.”

“You do suspect her of something.”

“Something, yes.” He was hardly ready to put his suspicions into words, not that he could.

She struggled to sit up, but is arm locked tighter around her. He liked her this close, something he shouldn’t be considering at this point.

“No matter what, do not tell them where you are taking her. If you are pressed for an answer, you can say you are bringing her here and give this address.” The Morgans wouldn’t recognize it, but Janelle would and Carlos might. “Now, I need to get you back.”