Endless Chase (15 page)

Katya studied him. He was tall and lanky, with sandy-colored hair and blue eyes.

All in all, Niles was unremarkable in looks, although there was no mistaking the intelligence and determination in his eyes. But it wouldn’t matter what he looked like.

He wasn’t Chase. And Chase Deveraux was the only man she wanted. Now and forever.

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“I don’t know where I’m headed.” Which was sort of true. She didn’t know where she was spending the day, but she did know where she’d be by sundown tonight.

“Maybe we’ll meet again.”

Niles’ eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when Olga bustled into the hallway, broom in hand. “Good morning. You are all up early this day.” She saw Katya’s bags and sighed. “You are leaving us?”

“Yes.” Not offering any more information, she waited for Olga to tally her bill.

She’d paid cash upfront so she wouldn’t have to use a credit card. The less people knew about her, the better. Olga actually owed her money, but she shook her head when the older woman told her to wait. “Keep the rest. It was a pleasure staying at your inn.”

Olga beamed. “Thank you. You come back again and visit.”

“Perhaps.” Katya was very aware of Niles watching and listening to the entire proceedings and he was beginning to annoy her. Fatigue pulled at her and she barely bit back a yawn. She had to get somewhere safe where she could sleep.

She sensed Niles following her to the door and hoped he didn’t follow her. Not that she couldn’t shake him from her trail, but it would take time, and time was something she was running out of.

Tugging her sunglasses out of her jacket pocket, she popped them on. The sun wasn’t overly bright, but with her sensitivity to it, it was strong enough that her eyes were already beginning to water and it was hard for her not to squint.

Hoping to head him off, she turned and gave him a small wave. “See you around.”

Not if I can help it
, she thought, but she kept all traces of her distaste from her face, offering him a polite smile.

“Count on it.” His voice was low, but she heard it all the same.

Pretending she hadn’t heard him speak, she headed down the road to the edge of the village, paying no attention to the quaint houses and shops. She sensed his eyes tracking her until she was out of sight. Once she was certain no one was watching her, she ducked into the woods, breathing a sigh of relief when the cool shadows enveloped her.

Veering back the way she’d come, she doubled back and headed toward the church.

It would be quiet there during the day. Her body needed rest and her soul needed peace.

It was hard going. The farther the sun rose in the sky, the harder it got for her to press on. The only thing that kept her going was the certainty that, one way or another, it would all be over tonight.

She might not know who the leader of the vampire hunters was, beyond his first name, but she knew how badly he wanted the Dalakis family. He wouldn’t let this opportunity slip through his hands, no matter what it took to get him here.

Katya had checked the phone number she’d been given to contact him. She couldn’t trace it to an exact location, not without her computer, which she’d left in storage in 77

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Bucharest in favor of speed. She’d felt time running out on her, plus in such a remote village internet hookup hadn’t been something she’d expected to find. It should have occurred to her that the Dalakis family would have paid to have it put in and shared it with the village. Olga had boasted that the tiny schoolhouse had internet.

Not that it mattered now. She knew that the leader of this unholy society was already in Romania, which meant that either he’d already suspected where the Dalakis family was or he was having her followed. She thought the latter was the most likely case. Trust wasn’t high on the list of any member of this depraved society. Vasili was close. Close enough to get here by tonight.

She stumbled over a branch. Her bags dragged on her arms, making it impossible to catch herself. Falling to her hands and knees in the dirt, Katya barely caught herself before she ended up flat on her face. Lowering her head between her shoulders, she sucked in several deep breaths. She was perspiring heavily now, her breathing strained.

But she knew she couldn’t stop. Not yet.

Grabbing on to the trunk of a tree, she used it to pull herself upward. Hefting her bags over her shoulder, she squinted through her sunglasses, checking the path. The church was close.

Putting one foot in front of the other, she plodded along. The woods ended suddenly and she stumbled into the graveyard that sat adjacent to the church. Hurrying as fast as she was able, she made her way to the stone steps.

Sanctuary was within her grasp.

She reached the top of the stairs and grabbed the handle. More and more churches locked their doors these days, but Katya was banking on this being an old-fashioned, isolated community that lived by the old rules where a church was never locked.

Not that she couldn’t get in if it was locked, but that would take concentration, something she was short on at the moment.

The handle turned easily. Sending up a prayer of thanks, Katya stumbled inside.

After the brightness of the day, the inside of the church seemed as dark as a tomb.

Removing her sunglasses, Katya blinked several times to clear her vision. She sent her senses soaring outward, something she should have done before she stepped foot inside the place. Exhaustion was making her sloppy and that was dangerous.

Luckily, there was no one about.

Dragging her tired body farther inside, she made her way to the altar. For a moment, she stood and stared at the large cross. Looking away, she moved to the left, searching for a safe space. Off to the side, she spied several pews that, at one time, might have been reserved for the choir. She doubted they had much of a choir these days given the size of the village.

Dropping her bags to the floor between them, she raised a small cloud of dust as she lowered herself to the floor and scooted beneath the one receding farthest into the shadows. Not the most comfortable of beds, but not the worst place she’d slept this past year. The stone was cool beneath her and she sighed with relief. Pillowing her head on 78

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her duffel bag, she wrapped her arms around her pack and crossbow. Her nose twitched as some of the dust floated down around her. She sneezed several times before the dust settled. All was still.

She was safe for now. Or at least as safe as she ever was.

Closing her eyes, she tried not to think of her parents or the Dalakis family. Most of all, she tried not to think of Chase. Unable to stop herself, she sent a mental message of love winging his way. She knew he wouldn’t hear her, since only mated couples could communicate that way. Still, it made her feel better.

She would protect Chase and his family and kill her parents’ murderer. There was no other option. Gradually her breathing slowed until, to the naked eye, it would appear she wasn’t breathing at all.

Chase paused in mid-sentence and cocked his head to one side. For a second, he was certain he’d heard Katya’s voice. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Cassidy tensed and his gaze shot around the room. His eyes narrowed as he turned back to Chase.

Maybe it had been in his head, but for a moment, he thought he’d heard Katya saying that she loved him. He shook his head. Obviously it was wishful thinking on his part. “Nothing. I’m guess I’m just jumpy.”

“We all are. I can’t believe I slept through all this.” Cassidy hadn’t been pleased when Lucian had banged on his door just before sunrise this morning, demanding that he go and talk to Chase. Unfortunately, Chase was the one left to deal with Cassidy’s bad mood.

“I still can’t believe I didn’t suspect anything.” Chase felt torn in half. No matter which way he turned, he felt as if he were betraying someone. His family was everything to him. For years, he’d kept his relationships superficial to protect them.

Somehow, Katya had gotten through his defenses and become special to him in a very short period of time.

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. You couldn’t have known what Katya was up to or the fact that she’s a vampire.” Cassidy scrubbed his jaw. “I still can’t wrap my head around that one. It goes against everything I’ve learned about the species.”

“Maybe you should look at this from her perspective.” Blythe, her blonde hair bouncing with each step, strode into the room, a tray filled with mugs of coffee, a plateful of scones and a pot of jam in her hands. She laid the repast on the table, swiping her hands on her faded jeans before picking up two of the mugs.

“What do you mean?” Cassidy leaned down and kissed his wife’s forehead as he took the mug of coffee she offered him.

“I mean she didn’t have to tell you anything.” She handed Chase his coffee and then went back for the other one for herself. Curling up in one of the large comfortable chairs, she tucked her bare feet under her bottom. “She could have just left here without 79

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telling you about this unknown enemy. We’d never have known. If we’d uncovered him ourselves, we would have assumed it was somehow connected to that mess years ago.”

She took a sip of coffee and sat her mug on the table before continuing. “It’s like when I tried to leave the message to warn the family years ago. If Cassidy hadn’t figured out who I was, none of you would ever have known anything about me. I didn’t have to try to warn you, but it was the right thing to do. Katya could easily have just disappeared without telling us anything. It would have made her life a whole lot simpler and safer.”

Cassidy went to his wife, lifted her out of the chair and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “I’m so glad I found you. You’re my life.” There was no doubting the sincerity in Cassidy’s voice. Anyone who knew him knew that his wife and family, which included all the Dalakis brothers, wives and assorted family, were everything to him and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect them.

Chase sat down heavily in a chair, the mug still clasped in his hand. He hadn’t thought about this from her perspective at all. He’d been so filled with thoughts of her betrayal, plus his own illness and how to tell the family about it, he hadn’t been able to get past them. He also kept replaying this morning’s confrontation in his mind. God knows, he’d pictured it a dozen times since, just like the phone call from his doctor in the States.

Katya hadn’t flinched from their scorn or anger, but had expected it. Still, she’d done what she felt was right. Dalakis Castle was a fortress when it was locked down tight. With vampires and humans alike, all on alert, it would be impossible for someone to take them unawares. But Katya…Katya was out there somewhere. Alone.

“I’m going to call her.” Decision made, he plunked down his coffee and went to the desk phone. Digging into the desk drawer, he found the local phone book and looked up the number. He’d been in the village hundreds of times and knew the Bratianos owned the inn.

“Are you sure that’s wise?” Cassidy took a mouthful of coffee, his expression thoughtful. Blythe patted her husband’s chest and shook her head as if warning him to stay out of it.

“Wise or not,” he said as he dialed, “she’s out there alone, and the murderer knows where to find her.” He broke off when the phone was answered. “Good morning, Mrs.

Bratiano, I was wondering if you might tell Katya Markova there is a phone call for her.” He listened to the woman on the other end and his gut churned. “I see. Thank you.”

He hung up the phone. “She checked out this morning.” Damn, he should have gone after her, but he’d been too angry, felt too betrayed, hadn’t wanted to chase after her like some animal in heat, needing his female. The analogy had hit too close for comfort. Now he’d have to live with the regret.

“So she is gone.” Cassidy shook his head as he reached for a scone.

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Chase shook his head as certainty filled him. “She’s not going anywhere. She’s out there somewhere, hiding. That man killed her parents. There’s no way she’s leaving until one of them is dead.” Even as he said the words, he sensed their truth.

She was out there, alone, thinking he despised her. That couldn’t be further from the truth. He loved her. Just thinking of her being hurt or worse was unbearable. She belonged to him, with him.

Vampire or not, liar or not, it no longer mattered.

In many ways, he understood her. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to protect his family. If that meant telling a few lies, so be it. He held on to the fact that in the end, she had told him the truth, told all of them the truth. And that hadn’t been easy.

He wanted to be with her for however long he had left in this world. She would outlive him. That was a given, but he’d take whatever time they had and thank God for every moment.

Chase wandered to the window and looked out at the sunny summer day. The stone battlements were imposing in the sunlight, a reminder of days gone by. The mountains in the distance were tall and forbidding. The forest, thick and lush, was alive with activity as the birds and animals went about their day.

Where was she?

Coming to a decision, Chase swallowed the last of his coffee. “I’m going after her.”

Ignoring Cassidy as he called after him, Chase strode to the front door and yanked it open. He’d start in the village and then he’d comb the woods. She was out there somewhere and he would find her.

The anger that had been riding him for the past few hours slipped away, revealing the underlying worry that had always been there, but he’d just refused to see it for what it was. Anger was easier, keeping the fear for her safety at bay.

Katya belonged to him, with him. No matter what else happened, he felt the rightness of that all the way to his very bones.

Ignoring the headache that threatened, he hurried his pace toward the village.

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Katya came awake in a heartbeat, her eyes flying open. She was no longer alone.