The Vampire (THE VAMPIRE Book 1) (72 page)

I can’t believe my family made holiday plans without me. But, then, I guess it is my own fault. I was so distracted with my own misery I didn’t even know what was going on around me
. He had managed to leave them all with the impression he was ambivalent, or had already decided, about returning home again.

He parked the car in the garage and then found Augere sitting in the library. He did not look up as Jason entered. Jason stood at the desk, waiting for Augere to acknowledge him. It was several long moments before he did so, with a slow glance upward.

“The car is back in the garage. Oil is changed.”

Augere nodded once. A frost hung in the air between them.

“I’ll have my phone with me, if you need to reach me and it might take me just a little longer to get here but I will come as soon as possible.”

Augere gave him a wary look. “Why? What do you mean?”

“It’s just for a few days.” Jason was nodding in reassurance. “I won’t be far. I can get back here in thirty minutes, or less probably.”

“From where?”

“I just need to be at a hotel for a few days, but I will have a rental car so it should not be a problem at all. It will be okay.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth—he wasn’t sure how or why but he just knew—there was going to be some kind of vampire trouble.

“Hotel…rented car…why?” Augere asked with a stern expression, his eyes narrowed in angry suspicion.

“It’s just—it’s a personal—something came up. It’s nothing serious, really. No cause for concern.”

“There is more,” Augere said after regarding him for a few moments.

“Uh…well—” How much should he say? As little as possible, probably. “A family member showed up here unexpectedly. We are at a hotel.” Jason felt even that was too much information.

“As opposed to staying here with you?”

“Yes. It’s fine. Well, I have to get going—”

“How many? Who is it?”

“Pardon?” Jason had been about to turn and leave.

Augere made no comment but continued to regard him with a stern expression.

“One.”

“Is it because of me”—Augere paused a moment, looking at Jason intently—“that you are uncomfortable to have someone stay here?” His lips were pressed tightly now, his brow furrowed. He seemed—annoyed. Bothered. That darkness, again.

Well of course it is because of you. I can’t have my dangerously inquisitive and extremely determined sister running around the house with an alluring vampire on the premises. Finding out a secret that could get us both killed
.

“I’m not saying that,” was Jason’s reply.

“Then why?” Augere demanded.

“Okay, really, I just didn’t want to disturb you. It would not seem right. This is your house.”

“You live here also.”

“Yes, but it is your home. I was concerned for your privacy. I shouldn’t just invite people here, at any time.”

“People? It is your family.”

Jason stared at him for several moments.
I can’t believe this. It’s like the two of them are double teaming me
.

“Yes, but still.”

“I can be absent, if that is your concern.”

“No, no. You can’t do that.”

“I assure you I can,” Augere said with some surprise. “Have you not noticed my absence?”

“No, I mean it’s your house. You should not have to leave your own house.”

“I do not intend to.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have to hide out then.”

“I do so all the time,” Augere replied solemnly.

Jason tilted his head slightly; he had a tight kink in his neck now. His back was starting to hurt too. Stress. He frowned, looking past Augere, as nervous tension began to take hold throughout his body.

“Is it your mother?”

“No.”

“Your father?”

“No.” Jason was picking up Augere’s taciturn ways.

“Do not make me guess,” Augere said sharply.

“My sister,” Jason blurted his quick reply.

Augere paused to reflect. “You have…a younger sister—she is…eighteen…”

“Sixteen.”

“You are planning to have a sixteen-year-old child stay alone in a hotel room?” Augere looked incredulous.

“No. Nope. No, not at all. And she’s very mature for her age. I’ll be there with her—most of the time—I’m on my way back there right now—unless you need anything while I’m here—?”

Augere’s expression was inscrutable.

“—she really hasn’t been alone that long. It won’t take me long to get back there or to return here if you needed something.“ He just wanted to end this discussion and leave now.

“She is there already?”

He nodded. “I only found out a few hours ago she was on her way here. She did this on her own. This was the best solution, with such short notice. I did not want to intrude on you. It will be fine, really. It’s just for a few days. It can’t be otherwise: what if she were to find out—then what? We both know I cannot allow that to happen.”

A sad, almost wounded look seemed to settle on Augere’s features.

“That is not going to happen,” he said very softly. “She will not…see me.”

Jason was relieved. Augere completely understood. Thank goodness. This really was the best solution, for all concerned. Augere knew it himself. Everything was going to be okay. Manageable.

“You must go and fetch her and bring her here.”

Jason quickly looked up at him, stunned.

“No—no! She can’t. You don’t understand. She
will
find out. She will be curious. She will want to meet you. She is extremely tenacious. Even as a child, she was able to—no. No.” He shook his head. “She will be fine at the hotel. Seriously.”

“And will your parents be
fine
with that?” Augere over-emphasized the significant word.

Jason pictured the expressions on his parents faces when they learned—and they would—that their daughter was, and might continue to be, for indeterminate intervals, alone in a hotel room in a suburb of Boston. Carrie would call and be sure to mention it. Maybe she had done so already. His mom could be calling him any moment now. He mentally began to rehearse his speech: ‘but Mom, she has a learner’s permit and a job. She’s old enough to be alone for a little while…to babysit herself…’

“I thought not,” Augere said in response to Jason’s silence. “What if something happened to her?”

Jason shook his head.
I have to win. I can’t let him beat me down on this. I can’t let him force this on me
.

“Go and fetch her and bring her here.” The authoritative voice suggested an end to the discussion.

No. He can’t do this
. Jason sighed.

“But, Mr. Augere, really—”

“This discussion is ended,” Augere said sternly as he stood abruptly and then exited the library, leaving a stunned Jason standing at the desk.

I really think I would prefer to be between a rock and a hard place, than between that vampire and my sister. This will be a disaster of titanic proportions
.

If he went back to the hotel, and forced her to fly back home—no matter how long he lived, he would probably never be able to undo that damage. Not with her, not with the rest of his family. They weren’t mean and vengeful people; far from it. But they might just turn on him and blame him for the eventual family Christmas that wasn’t. And it would look to them like he had changed and become mean spirited, uncaring and selfish. Toward Carrie; toward all of them.

And if he defied the vampire? Simply refused to let her come to the house? At the least his relationship with Augere could become even more strained and uncomfortable than it was now. Or things might come to an abrupt end. Maybe in more ways than one. Who knew what could happen.

And if things would never be good between the two of them ever again, then what would be the point of staying? This was horrible. The situation depressed him now and made him feel trapped. He looked for some spark of hope to light his way out of this.

Augere said she would not see him. Did that mean he was really leaving the premises—? Or that he would just be as absent as if he really were not there? Jason hoped for the former. Because it was the best choice. The safest one, surely. Augere needed to be gone for this to work.

I don’t think you’re allowed to just volunteer to go into hiding, into—say, the witness protection program,
Jason speculated.
They would probably become really suspicious as to why “I just wanted to join up.” And they probably aren’t the kind of people who could accept “I really can’t go into it” as a reason
. Jason rubbed his forehead and his temples.

Back in the car on his return to the hotel, Jason now lacked any confidence in the arrangement. He kept thinking:
this isn’t happening…this isn’t happening…you’re having a bad dream…wake up, Jason…

“Well, Carrie, I had a chance to speak to my boss,” he said as he entered the hotel room, finding Carrie exactly as he had left her. “Apparently, he is going to be away for most of the weekend, and so he sort of indicated it might be okay if you came and stayed at the house.”

“Woot!” she said, jumping up and hugging him tightly. “Awesome! Let’s go!’

They put all her stuff in the car and then Carrie accompanied him to the front desk so he could check out.

The two clerks at the desk, a fortyish woman and a guy about Jason’s age, looked them over, and the guy smirked at him. Puzzled, Jason took a quick glance at Carrie as the woman checked for incidental charges. Even in her tough punk attire, Carrie managed to look the picture of youth and innocence. Then the woman gave him a slightly disapproving look as she handed his credit card back to him. And then Jason realized what they must be thinking: they had only had the room about two hours. It must have appeared this was some illicit meeting, with an underage girl. The sudden realization of their probable suspicions angered him. As they were about to leave, he thought of turning around and offering the unneeded and undeserved explanation: “She’s my sister!” But he caught himself in time when he realized if they truly did believe him, how much worse that would make the assumed tryst seem: and the dirty looks and raised eyebrows would be that much more. He just wanted to get out of there.

Carrie commented again on the luxury and comfort of the car. Already her mood had improved dramatically.

I still have to rent us a car though,
Jason thought.
It will just make things easier. Augere will have access to his own car, and I won’t have to interact with him again. Besides, I’ll need to have access to a car, in case I have to make a quick getaway—like, over the border to Canada…

“So—your apartment—it’s in this building?” She asked as they pulled up to the refined, elegant two story home on Beacon Street. He nodded as he pulled into the garage and they entered the house through the kitchen. “I don’t get it,” she said as they emerged into the large foyer. “This looks like just one big house.”

“It is,” he stated as they proceeded to the entrance to his quarters. As they entered, she stopped, staring all around and taking in the view of his large living room. Then she ran from room to room, exclaiming how much she loved this and that.

“A fireplace! Does it really work? I love this great little room with the bay window!”

He trailed behind as she dashed out the French doors in his bedroom, entering his private patio area and then checking out the rest of the large patio that encircled the house, bare as it was in early winter. She came back into the house and fished her camera out of her bag and then dashed around the apartment again, taking photos of everything that caught her interest in every room.

“Oh my god, this is so cool! I just love this place! I could totally live here. Damn, Jason—your living room is huge but practically empty!”

He nodded. “I found I just liked having some empty space for the first time in my life—after always being so crowded.”

“Oh…yeah. I get it. Wow, you must really love it here.”

He nodded again, smiling. “It’s great. Look—you can sleep in my room; I have a sofa bed in the other bedroom, or I can take the couch if I want.”

She shook her head. “I’m going to be here for four nights, Jason. We can switch back and forth.”

“Oh—four nights.” He hoped that didn’t come across as sounding as dismayed as he felt.

“I know—but I can’t stay longer.” She misinterpreted his sentiment. “We have to be on the plane to Fort Lauderdale a week from today, and Mom said I have to be home by Monday night to help her pack for the cruise. As if it would take us four whole days to pack.”

“No, seriously. You take the big bedroom. More privacy and more comfortable for you,” Jason assured her.

While she settled in and freshened up Jason made calls about a rental car. He arranged to have one pick them up the next morning.

“Okay,” he announced. “I know you have never ridden the subway before, so we will do that first. It is just a few stops from here to Copley.”

They wandered around Copley Square and Newbury Street, into different shops that caught her eye. She took lots of pictures, and he was enjoying just being with her and feeling her excitement. Eventually they made their way to Government Center and then to Faneuil Hall Market.

“Wow! What is this place called again? I’m so glad you brought me here.” She wandered into every little booth or store that drew her interest. She had some money of her own, but Jason would not let her spend any of it. He was glad to buy her the few things she wanted—a skull patterned scarf, a Boston T-shirt, a leather and silver bracelet—and would have spent more if she had let him.

They wandered through the extensive food court with its seemingly endless variety of delectable things to eat and made many small purchases of treats to take home and enjoy later: stuffed mushrooms, bagels, cannoli and cupcakes and candy apples—more junk food than either of them would eat in months. Jason realized now he had very little food at home; they would need to go grocery shopping. In the meantime, Chinese food was selected for dinner and they found a place to sit in the crowded dining area.

“I am really loving Boston so far. It is kind of different from what I expected. But it’s so cool.”

Jason nodded, expertly using his chopsticks to savor bites of lemon chicken.