Trina closed her eyes remembering the sounds and smells of the accident. She remembered the screaming and the smell of burning fuel, and the horrible crushing sound of metal against metal—then nothing until she woke up in the hospital.
She was the only one who had survived the crash. Her great-grandmother came to collect her after that, and Trina had been with her ever since. She owed Nanita for everything. For her very life.
Trina squeezed her eyes shut squelching the queasy feeling that always accompanied her unpleasant memories. Sleep. She needed sleep, not a memory lane minefield. Sighing, she rolled over one last time and tried to coax whatever rest she could.
Trina yawned as she walked into the kitchen, the midmorning sun streaming through the windows making her squint. Dirty dishes and other remnants from yesterday’s project, including the power drill, were still evident on the table and in the sink. Trina’s shoulders slumped. God what a mess.
Eyes barely open, she pulled out the strongest Colombian blend she could find and filled the coffee pot. While it brewed, she cleared the table and emptied the sink, stacking everything into the dishwasher. The first few delicious wisps from the coffeepot tickled her nose, and she felt better immediately. She closed the door to the dishwasher, and with a half-smile picked up the phone and dialed.
“Hello?”
“Good morning, Nanita. Did you have a good night?” Trina asked brightly, pouring herself a cup of coffee.
“Fine…and what about you? I didn’t expect to hear from you this early. Didn’t you work last night?”
“Mmmhmm. I worked a double shift.”
“Covering for Susan, no doubt. You do realize she’s taking advantage of you. I know she’s your friend and all, but it’s much too much.” Nanita said with a bit of a sniff.
“No, Nani, she’s not…not really. Besides, it’s extra money and it’s not like I had plans or anything.”
“As usual,” her great-grandmother pointed out. “I’m worried for you, Trina. You are too young to be alone so much.”
“And you shouldn’t worry so much. I’m fine.” Trina could hear the familiar sounds of the old woman puttering around in her kitchen. “What are you doing? It’s a little early in the day for you to be cooking. Besides, can’t Jeannette help you with that?”
“Jeanette does enough. How was work last night? I hope you didn’t get home too late.”
“Work was…fine,” Trina hedged, taking a sip of her coffee. “Nanita…I met someone last night.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, mi niña!” she replied, a smile in her voice. “It’s about time! Is he nice? I’m sure he’s good-looking because I could practically hear you blush through the phone.”
“Nani! Yes, he’s nice as well as handsome, and I’m seeing him again tonight. He’s picking me up around seven thirty,” she said, wiping down the table. A million things buzzed through Trina’s head that needed to get done before then, but talking with her great-grandmother made none of it seem important.
“Hey, why don’t we do something together today?” she asked, flipping the dishtowel over her shoulder. “How about going to the salon like we used to? You know, hair… nails…the works?”
The old lady just chuckled. “Trina, my days of pampered beauty are long gone, but you go ahead. You’re the one with the big date.”
“Come on, please? It’ll be fun just the two of us. Between my school and work we haven’t had a lot of time together lately,” she coaxed, trying not to let the guilt she felt about her moving her to assisted living bleed over into her voice.
Nanita laughed. “Oh, mi niña, you keep me young! Okay, but nothing too fancy.”
“Great! I’ll call for an appointment and pick you up in a little while,” Trina said, pouring more coffee into her cup, actually looking forward to a day off for once.
***
Trina held the front door open for her great-grandmother, laughing as she brought in the shopping bags. “Nani, you should be ashamed of yourself. That poor hairdresser had no idea what to make of you!”
“Trina, I may be old, but I’m not dead. Besides, he knew I was just kidding.”
“By the look on his face, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Thank God he didn’t have a pair of scissors in his hand at the time! And just where did you learn that move anyway? What movies are they showing in the dayroom here…porn? The way he jumped when you slid your hand around his thigh, I thought he’d hit the ceiling!” Trina laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
“What? Do you really think your generation invented sex? I’ve been around a long time, and your great-grandfather, God rest his soul—”
“Oh, no! Nanita…stop,” Trina said, waving her hands in front of her. “Let’s not go there, okay? I can’t. My ears will start to bleed.”
Striking a pose, Nanita put her hands on her hips. “Well, if you ever want to know, you know who to ask,” she said with a snap of her fingers before sauntering down the hall toward her apartment.
After she left, Trina laughed, thinking that maybe she should take her great-grandmother out more often. They’d hit Macy’s and about ten other stores until she found the perfect dress for tonight. Nanita had more energy than she did this afternoon, practically racing from rack to rack and store to store until they found the perfect outfit.
No one had taste like her Nanita. She always knew exactly what worked and what didn’t. Trina took the beautiful copper dress out of the bag and held it up in front of her. It was perfect. The color showed off the honey highlights in both her hair and her skin and skimmed her every curve. The shoes she found to match were slinky, with spiked heels and little amber stones on the straps.
She laid the dress carefully on the bed and prepared to get in the shower. She’d have to hurry if she was to going to be ready in time. The phone rang, and for a moment she panicked that it was Carlos calling to cancel, but caller I.D. said it was the club. “Hello?” she answered brightly.
“Trina. Good, I’m glad I caught you. Can you come in tonight for a little while? Susan can’t get here till later and I need someone to help me set up for the night. It won’t take that long, I promise,” her boss Rick said in a cajoling tone.
“I can’t, Rick. I have a date. He’s picking me up at seven thirty. Can’t you get anyone else to help?”
“I guess I could try to see if Louie could come in till Susan gets here, but I still need you to stop by. I need your keys to the wine cellar. Mine have gone missing again and you’re the only one with another set. Can you drop them by?”
Chewing on her lip, Trina mentally figured time. If she went in now, she could give Rick a hand so she wouldn’t owe him for cutting out early the night before. But she’d have to get in touch with Carlos and tell him to pick her up there instead of here at the house.
“Tell you what. I was just jumping in the shower, but I’ll bring you the keys and give you a hand for a bit. I can bring my clothes with me and change there for my date. That’s if I can get in touch with Carlos and tell him there’s been a change of plan. Can I call you back?”
“That would be great, because I know Louie can’t get here till around nine. If you can give me a hand till, say, eight, I can handle the rest on my own till he gets in. You have no idea how big a solid this is, and trust me, I won’t forget.”
She hung up the phone and stood there for a moment. “You are nothing more than giant marshmallow, Trina Markham. A total pushover,” she said aloud. Shaking her head, she dialed Carlos’s cell number.
Chapter Seven
Carlos hadn’t gotten to bed until almost noon. Even then he tossed and turned, with images from his past drifting in and out of his consciousness, filling his dreams with unrest.
It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that he finally fell into an exhausted slumber. He managed about two hours of real sleep before the noise from Julian’s adjoining bedroom woke him completely.
Carlos cocked his head, watching his solid, oak armoire shak
e in time with the rhythmic pounding coming from the wall directly behind it. Julian could use a few lessons in propriety and discretion, he thought wearily. No doubt, the whole house was now privy to the many interesting, if not slightly pornographic sound effects, courtesy of his brother’s sunset romp.
Carlos sat up and slid his legs over the edge of the bed. Even from behind closed doors he could smell the residual scent of Melissa’s blood coming from Julian’s room, and his teeth tingled. He had gotten so caught up with Trina the night before that he hadn’t thought to hunt. At his age he could literally go for weeks without feeding, but for some reason Trina had stirred his instincts.
He stood up and stretched. Walking over to the blackout curtains, he pushed them aside, gazing out at the red haze of the setting sun still visible on the horizon. It would soon be twilight. The evening star glowed, the sky turning shades of crimson on its way across the spectrum of light toward indigo, and the inevitable blackness of night.
He loved this time of day almost as much as he loved the dawn with its streaks of pink and gold. In these two moments every day, he held his breath at the profound nature of the universe, when the entire world could actually see time advancing in a blaze of color. It was in these moments that he felt sure there was some reason for his existence, some purpose to the course of his life. At other times, not so much.
Carlos took a deep breath. The house was quiet, with one very irreverent exception, and Carlos chuckled to himself as he picked up one of his shoes and threw at the far wall. He could hear Julian’s booming laughter in response to its indignant thud, but just the same the noise quieted soon afterward.
In the meantime, the rest of the house would soon be waking for the night. He slipped on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face before making his way downstairs. He couldn’t help but chuckle at what Hollywood would make out of vampires practicing oral hygiene.
The grandfather clock chimed as Carlos stepped onto the landing. Three bells—three-quarters past the hour. It was five forty-five, sunset exactly. The day shift ended at six o’clock and the staff would most likely be finishing up with dinner.
Barefoot, he hurried the rest of the way down the stairs to catch them while they were still in the kitchen. He liked to sit with them and hear the events of their day, mediating any issues that arose while he slept. Rosa usually handled it all for him with the precision of a five-star general, and he chuckled at the thought of his little Patrona. But he liked for his staff to know he was available to them as well.
As he approached, Carlos paused for a moment in the hall just outside the kitchen. He loved the sound of their camaraderie and he waited, drinking in the pleasant hum from behind the closed door.
“Did you hear the noises coming from Mr. Julian’s room? Madonna! That boy either broke the bed this time or broke that poor girl’s back!” their chauffeur, Jack, said laughing as he slapped the table.
Michael, the day valet, chuckled. “I know! I was preparing Mr. Trevor’s and Miss Margot’s room for this evening when I heard the commotion. They’re coming in to see a show, but if you ask me they might want to stick around for the fireworks when el Jefe gets a hold of Mr. Julian! The whole house was a rockin’ and a rollin’, if you know what I mean. If it wasn’t for Miss Melissa’s laughter I would have thought—”
“That’s enough!” Rosa yelled, cutting Michael off mid-sentence. “Mr. Julian may be capable of many things but he’d no sooner harm a hair on Miss Melissa’s head then he would on any of you. He’s much taken with her, if you must know,” she sniffed.
Carlos had to stifle a laugh. Rosa might be one to complain to him about Julian, or any of them for that matter, but she certainly kept the others in line when it came to household gossip.
Without preamble he walked straight into the kitchen and both men nearly choked on their laughter as he stepped up to Rosa and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Buenas noches, Patronita,” Carlos said with a smile as he ran one finger down her plump cheek. “And how was your day?”
Rosa actually giggled. “Fine, Señor Salazar. I’m sorry for all the noise this evening,” she trailed off, blushing beet red to her ears.
“Don’t worry, Rosa. I heard them clearly myself and I agree they should be a little less obvious, no? I will speak to both Julian and Melissa when they come downstairs.”
“That’s if they can still walk.” Jack snickered under his breath.
“Jack!” Rosa gasped at his impertinence.
Carlos just laughed. “That remains to be seen, my friend,” he said with one eyebrow raised as he clapped the man on his shoulder. “So,” he said, turning toward Michael, “el Jefe, huh?”
The man spewed his coffee across the table and down his shirt, coughing and sputtering as he tried to breathe. Jack just burst out laughing as he got up to help his coworker, but he couldn’t help his guilty expression when he turned toward Carlos. “We meant it with all due respect, Señor Salazar,” he said sheepishly as he continued to pound on his friend’s back.
Carlos just winked at the two men, then turned toward Rosa who scowled at the miscreants. “Coffee ready?” he asked lightly.
“I just made a fresh pot. Sit and I’ll get you a cup,” she clucked and shooed him into a chair at the table before turning to glare at the other two still collecting themselves.
“Don’t you two have something else you need to do before you leave for the day?” she asked with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Scrambling out of their chairs, they both mumbled affirmatively and quickly made their goodbyes.
Rosa just hmmphed, her mouth pressed together in a thin line as she poured Carlos his coffee. “Idiots,” she muttered under her breath.
Carlos had to press his own lips together to stop himself from laughing as she handed him a mug. “Here you go. Just the way you like it, black and scalding hot,” she said with a nod.
He blew across the rim, sending the steam curling outward over his hands. He glanced at the clock on the stove. It was getting late. “Rosa, did anyone else come into town with Julian, or was he alone with Melissa?” Since he hadn’t fed, the thought of being in close proximity with Trina later on made him a little edgy. He’d have to hurry if he needed to hunt before leaving to pick her up.
“Yes, sir. Amanda and Tommy came in with him, but they’re still asleep. Do you want me to wake them?”
“Not just yet, but yes. Give them another half hour and then send Amanda up to my room.”
Rosa nodded as she turned back toward the counter to finish cleaning up. She dug in her apron for a handkerchief and wiped her mouth in agitation. Though they were clear as day, there was no need for Carlos to read her thoughts to know her misgivings. She was well aware of what went on with her boys and she loved them all regardless, but she’d never get used to the idea no matter how long she was with them.
At least they’re kind, she thought, shivering involuntarily at what she knew they could be, and silently thanked God they chose to be otherwise.
Carlos’s hand slid onto her shoulder. “You know that you and anyone who serves this house will never have to worry…ever. In this family, loyalty is always repaid with loyalty.”
Rosa nodded silently and looked at him over her shoulder. She never spoke of it—had never even hinted about the nocturnal nature of the house—but her one look told him she felt compelled to now.
“Señor, I don’t pretend to know what reasons God had in bestowing such a fate on you,” she whispered, covering his hand with her own. “But I know in my heart it must of been part of his plan, and that it was because of how good a man you must have been all those years ago. But know this, you are still a good man, Carlos, and God has not forsaken you. Be happy in your life.”
She’d never called him by his Christian name before, and he had to close his eyes against the blood tears that threatened. He cleared his throat and squeezed her shoulder gently. “How can I be otherwise when you’re around
, Patronita?” he said, and he smacked her bottom. He then quickly picked up his coffee and headed back to his room.
Carlos was just coming out of the shower when he heard a soft knock on his door. He shook his hair, sending droplets everywhere and wrapped a towel around his waist. “It’s unlocked,” he called as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.
He stepped out of the bathroom to see Amanda standing by the door, looking a little awkward. In the past Carlos had never sent for her, or anyone else for that matter, as he preferred the anonymity of the hunt.
She stood there in a plain cotton T-shirt and jeans, playing with the colored beads she had braided into her long hair, and her fidgeting reminded Carlos of just how young she was.
Both Amanda and Tommy were just barely eighteen and had been with the family for a little more than a year. Carlos remembered how he had found them huddled together under one of the Westside overpasses. Gang members had forced Tommy to his knees, making him watch as they raped and beat Amanda, leaving her for dead. Taunted and beaten himself, the thugs forced him to beg for his life before they finally slit his throat. He left a trail of blood from where he had fallen, to where he dragged himself to lay by Amanda’s side.
They were both runaways, kids that somehow bonded together as they each tried to survive the cruelties of New York’s underbelly. They had clung to each other as they scraped to get by, and would have clung to each other in death, if it weren’t for Carlos.
He found them lying there as he hunted among the dregs, and his heightened senses told him they were still alive, if just barely. Giving them just enough of his blood to heal them sufficiently to move, he brought them to his home, where Rosa took over. She nursed them until they were both healthy and thriving.
It was then Carlos had given them a choice. They could both stay with him and be part of his family or they could leave.
The Cursed by Blood Saga Page 57
