by Parker Blue
“No, genius, I’m part demon.”
Micah and I unsuccessfully tried to hide our smiles.
Fang danced a step. I LIKE HER.
Micah cocked an eyebrow at Tessa. “I’d like to give him a little demonstration of my powers, if you don’t mind.”
Tessa grimaced. “Is that necessary?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Okay, go ahead.” She stiffened, as if preparing herself for battle.
Micah grinned. “First, tell him how it is to work for me.”
She shrugged. “You’re an okay boss. You pay well, you’re not judgmental, and you don’t chase me around the office.”
Sounded like she had some history there.
“Thank you.” Micah rose and took her hand, despite the apprehensive expression on her face. “Now for the demonstration.”
I felt his incubus rouse and reach for Tessa. All of a sudden, her face relaxed into a goofy smile, and she stared adoringly at Micah.
Micah smiled down at her. “Now, tell him, Tessa, how it is to work for me.”
She reached up to stroke his cheek with one hand and snake her other arm around his waist. “You’re the best, the sexiest man alive. But you never chase me—”
“Now it ends,” Micah said, releasing her hand and taking a step back.
His incubus flowed back into him, fully under his control. He made it seem effortless. I wished I could do that.
Tessa backed off, wiping her hand against her jeans. “I really hate it when you do that—it’s demeaning.”
Surprisingly, Micah didn’t seem offended. “There will be a bonus in your next paycheck.” He turned to Dan. “You see? She is only attracted to me when I am consciously using my power. When I am not, her mind and her feelings are her own.”
Ooookay. Real subtle there, Micah. Just what kind of discussion had he and Dan been having before I came in?
Tessa backed away, and Dan looked thoughtful as he glanced at me. “If it works even on vampires, then that’s how you can find out if Alejandro is telling the truth—use your powers on him, Val.”
“No way.” Did he even realize he was asking me to do something he hated having done to him?
“Why not?” Dan persisted. “It will help you find your sister.”
“If I do that, then I am no better than the vampire who has enthralled her mind.”
“Not exactly. You’d be doing it to help free your sister, not enslave her.”
Maybe. But it would also let Lola loose, and the last time that had happened, I’d enjoyed it way too much for my liking. I shook my head. “You of all people should know better.”
Dan shrugged. “Maybe we’d better go.”
We said our good-byes, then on the way out the door, I accidentally brushed against Tessa.
She grabbed my arm as her eyes flashed purple. Shutting them tight, she furrowed her brow in concentration. After a moment or two, she said, “To obtain what you most desire, you must accept what you most hate.”
I pulled away. “What does that mean?” Had Micah been coaching her?
Tessa opened her eyes. “What did I say?”
I repeated it.
She frowned, muttering, “Why do I always have to sound like a stupid fortune cookie?”
Micah smiled. “The message sounds pretty obvious to me.”
Did it? Well, I didn’t get it.
“Thanks, guys,” Tessa said. “It’s been real.” She seemed a little shaken, but tried to hide it with a casual wave of farewell as she left.
“That’s Tessa’s gift—prophecy,” Micah said. “You’re lucky. She rarely shares it with anyone outside the inner circle. But trite as her predictions may sound, Tessa is always right.”
His phone rang then and Micah answered it. When he hung up, his look at me was part sad, part pitying.
Fear leapt through me, like a wildfire. “What is it? Has something happened to Jennifer?”
“Not your sister. Your stepfather.”
“Something happened to Rick?”
“Yes. He’s missing.”
No, it couldn’t be. I couldn’t lose another one. And Rick had always treated me well—better than my mother sometimes. “What do you know?”
“That’s all. I’ve had people watching your family, but he hasn’t been seen since last night. Your mother seems worried.”
And she hadn’t called me? That hurt. I turned to Dan. “You coming?”
“You bet. Let’s go.”
Dan stopped the truck in front of my childhood home and turned off the engine. I hesitated, unsure if I really wanted to deal with my mother. Dan just waited, allowing me to gather my scattered thoughts, but Fang nosed me, looking anxious.
YOU OKAY, KIDDO?
I scratched his ears. “It’s okay. I just need a moment.” But no amount of time could prepare me for the scene I was sure I was about to endure. Sighing, I got out of the truck and headed for the front door. Dan and Fang followed but I didn’t stop them. I’d take a cue from the cops and accept backup.
Boy, it felt weird to knock on the door I’d used so freely throughout my childhood.
Mom answered the door, looking hopeful. But when she saw me, her face fell. “Why are you here? Have you found Jen?”
Gee, way to make me feel welcome. “Can we come in?”
She waved us into the living room, looking a bit distracted. A small, ginger-colored cat wandered out, saw me, and bristled up to twice its size. Fang curled his lip, took one step forward and snarled. The cat took off like hell itself was nipping at its heels.
“You have a cat now?” I didn’t mean to sound accusing, but Mom knew how animals reacted around me. Always before, she’d been careful to keep them away, to avoid hurting my feelings. What did it mean now that she had one in her house? Had she thought I’d never come here again? Or did she just not care?
I hadn’t thought anything else Mom could do would hurt me, but for some reason, this did.
Mom looked slightly embarrassed. “Jennifer was always bugging me for a cat. I thought if I got her one, she might come back . . . .”
“Uh-huh,” I said doubtfully, though I had to admit I felt a little better for the explanation.
Mom made an impatient gesture. “Why are you here? Have you found Jen? Is she okay?”
“Not yet,” I said soothingly. I’d never seen my mother look so fragile, so worried. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“I don’t want to sit down. I want my daughter back. You said you’d find her.”
My daughter. The words were like a spike in my heart. Did Mom think of Jennifer as her only daughter now?
Fang nuzzled my leg. SHE DOESN’T DESERVE YOUR LOVE.
Fang was right. Every time I saw Mom, she killed a little more. But it was difficult to stop loving someone all at once, no matter how badly they treated you. And it was clear now that no amount of wanting would make Mom love me. I just had to accept it and move on with my life.
Something inside me hardened, walling away the hurt, forcing me to grow up a little. Taking a shaky breath, I said, “I’m doing what I can—”
“Well, it’s not good enough. God only knows what those creatures are doing to her.”
Dan stepped forward and opened his mouth, probably to defend me, but I stopped him with a look and an upraised hand. Mom was understandably upset, and I was willing to cut her some slack. “I will get her back,” I promised.
“Then what are you doing here? Why aren’t you out there looking for her?”
Couldn’t I have just come to see my family, to be there for her, have her be there for me?
Apparently not. “Because I heard Rick is missing.”
“Rick isn’t missing. He’s out there actively looking for his daughter, and he won’t come home until he finds her.”
That’s what I’d feared. “Damn it, I told him not to. I told him I’d take care of it.” Why couldn’t he have trusted me?
“What do you expect? His little girl is gone
. He had to do something.”
I closed my eyes in disbelief. Rick was usually the smart one, not the macho type. Sure, I understood his reasoning, but why couldn’t he have waited? I opened my eyes. “He hasn’t called?”
Mom shook her head. “He won’t until he finds Jen.”
Maybe. Then again, maybe he couldn’t. Rather than add to Mom’s worries, I asked, “When did you last see him?”
Mom pushed her hair aside, looking extremely weary. “Last night. He went looking for Jen right after the store closed. But he hasn’t been home. He’s probably sleeping in his car or something.”
She sounded more worried than she let on. “Do you know where he went?”
“A friend’s daughter heard at school that Jen was working at a different vampire blood bank, had just moved from one to another.”
“Did she say which one?” Dan asked, leaning forward.
“Yes—the one out by Fort Sam.”
“Good,” I said. “That gives us a place to start looking.”
Mom raised her head, her expression apprehensive. “You don’t think Rick is dead . . . or enthralled, do you?”
Either was possible, and I wasn’t going to lie. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, God.” Mom wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, “I can’t lose him, too. I just can’t.” She turned a ravaged face to me. “I-I love him so much.”
“I know,” I said softly. “So do I.” I’d heard horror stories about other stepfathers, but Rick had been nothing but kind to me. In fact, he supported me more than Mom had. I didn’t want to lose that . . . or him.
“So you’ll bring them back to me?” Mom persisted.
I wouldn’t lie and make promises I might not be able to keep. “I’ll try.”
I would find Rick and Jen, one way or the other. I just hoped they were still alive and unharmed when I did.
“What about Val?” Dan asked, but there was steel beneath his deceptively quiet voice. “Aren’t you worried about losing her, too?”
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WONDERING.
It was nice to hear some people thought I was as important as Jen and Rick, but I wasn’t certain I wanted to hear Mom’s answer. I tugged on Dan’s arm. “It’s okay,” I whispered. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Val can take care of herself,” Mom said defensively. “Besides, it’s her lifestyle that got us into this mess. It’s her responsibility to clean it up.”
Was she singing that old tune again? Okay, damn it. Mom had just reached the end of her allotted slack. I was tired of being the scapegoat for every problem in the family, tired of being the one who always tried to smooth things over. I couldn’t make things okay anymore, couldn’t buy my way back into the family by playing nice. It was time to give up old habits that didn’t work. It was time to let go.
I released Dan’s arm, giving him tacit permission to let loose.
He took it. “Her responsibility?” he repeated incredulously. “What about your responsibility as a mother? When did you abdicate that?”
“I didn’t—”
“The hell you didn’t,” Dan bit out. “Val has done nothing but try to help you and you treat her like crap.”
“I do not.” But her protest was faint. Was that because Dan wasn’t the kind of guy you argued with when he was so righteously angry . . . or because Mom knew he was right?
“Yes, you do,” Dan insisted. “Not only have the lot of you continued doing idiotic things when she expressly warned you against them, but then you blame her for your own stupidity! You can’t even trust her to do her job, the one thing you know she’s damned good at. And what the hell happened to unconditional love?”
I’M BEGINNING TO LIKE THIS GUY.
My eyes stung. Damn, it felt good to have a champion for a change.
Mom seemed to crumple. “Val has always been the strong one. She never needed me as much as Jen did.”
That’s what she’d like to believe, but I knew better. However, I realized Mom needed a scapegoat and her eldest daughter was the chosen sacrifice. Maybe once all this was over, she’d be more sensible. But for now, there was no sense trying to reason with her. “Let’s go,” I said to Dan.
Dan and I turned toward the door. I just wanted to leave, get away from all this emotional bloodletting. Fang snarled at Mom, then followed.
As we exited, Dan turned around for one parting shot at Mom. “You’re just damned lucky Val is decent enough to ignore the way you’ve treated her and help you anyway.”
Mom just shook her head, looking sad, and closed the door.
I sighed. It was no more than I expected. But no matter what Mom thought, I was going to find her missing family members and bring them home . . . to the home where I suspected I’d never be welcome again.
Well, to hell with them. I’d just carve out a new life for myself—better than anything I had in the past. I deserved the kind of love and respect the Sullivans seemed to have for each other, and damn it, I was going to find it, no matter how long it took.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
As we drove to the blood bank, the injustice of Mom’s finger-pointing nagged at me until I was totally pissed. It woke the dormant Lola, and lust began to sizzle beneath the surface. I deliberately focused it away from Dan and into the anger fueling my quest for Jen and Rick.
When we arrived at the blood bank, I climbed out of the truck and slammed the door, not knowing or caring if Dan and Fang followed me. I shoved open the door to the building and glanced around. The place was full, but no Rick, no Jen. I stalked toward the desk and the young man sitting there. He paled when he saw my expression.
I glanced at his nametag. “Hello, Jerry.” It came out as more of a threat than a greeting.
He gulped and scooted backward, out of range. Smart guy. “H-hi,” he stammered.
“Is Jennifer Anderson here?” I didn’t even try to soften my voice. I finally had a lead and I was going to follow it until I found Jen and Rick, or someone was going to pay.
“Not tonight.”
Dan appeared by my side, along with Fang. Jerry glanced down at the terrier. “You can’t bring dogs in here—”
Fang and I both snarled at him, and Jerry backed off even more. “Okay, okay. So long as he’s good, I’ll overlook it this time.”
“When will Jennifer be here?” I demanded.
“Wh-why do you want to know?” He looked terrified as he glanced back and forth between Dan and me, but still had guts enough to defy us.
“She’s my sister.”
“Oh.” He gulped. “I-I’m sorry, but even so, I’m not allowed to give out that infor—”
He broke off when I came around the desk after him. Holding up his hands to fend me off, he said, “Please, I can’t. You have no idea how much trouble I’d be in.”
But the lust within me needed an outlet, needed someone to pound on. Clenching my fists, I restrained it, saying, “You’ll be in more trouble if you don’t tell me.”
“But . . . they’re vampires,” Jerry said, as if it trumped my threat.
I shoved my face into his. “Yeah, and I’m the vampire slayer.” As the anger surged within me, I saw my purple eye-flash reflected in his pupils.
“Oh, crap.” Jerry’s voice was a mere squeak and he closed his eyes as if death were imminent. Too, he must be really confused by the lust that surged through him with my proximity.
Dan appeared behind Jerry looking amused. But he kept his voice serious as he said, “I don’t think Jerry knows enough to be helpful, do you, Jerry?”
Jerry’s eyes flew open and he grabbed on to Dan’s words as if to a lifeline. His fear overcame his lust as he blurted, “No, no. He’s right—I’m totally ignorant.”
Fang snorted. If I weren’t so ticked off, I’d find him amusing, too. I glanced at Dan to see where he was going with this. This was the best lead we had to find both Jen and Rick.
Dan came around the chair so he could smile down at the kid. “But I bet you know wh
o can give us the information.”
“Su-sure. One of the bosses.”
I backed off and the relief on Jerry’s face was almost comical.
“Okay,” Dan said. “You let us talk to one of the bosses and she’ll let you live.”
“They’re all accepting personal donations.” Ick—he meant the fang to neck kind. “You’ll have to wait in line—”
I took a step forward and Jerry raised his hands again. “But for you, I’ll make an exception,” he babbled.
I relaxed and glanced around the waiting room. About ninety percent of it had cleared out during our little altercation, and I raised an eyebrow at the remaining men and women. “Anyone mind if we go first?”
There was a chorus of hasty no’s, except for one irate middle-aged woman who said, “I do—”
But the man sitting next to her clamped a hand over her mouth and said with a sickly smile, “Please, go ahead.”
Fang growled and I glanced over to see what he was staring at. A vampire and his latest drooling “customer” had come out of the back room.
The vamp looked like a smirking college frat boy playing dress-up in a costume of a flowing white pirate shirt and tight black leather pants. He glanced down at Fang, then stupidly ignored him, dismissing the dog as no threat. “Who’s next?” he asked arrogantly.
“Lorenzo . . . ” the woman who had objected said with a sigh of longing.
Ignoring her, I smiled a predator’s smile and focused on Lorenzo. “We are.”
“We?” Lorenzo looked back and forth between Dan and me. “It’s a little kinky, but what the heck.”
As he led us back to a suite of rooms, Dan muttered, “You okay? You look like you’re about to lose it.”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Chill. I’ll handle this part.”
I nodded, realizing he was right—I needed to calm down.
Lorenzo gestured at three doors. “What’s your fancy? Victorian bordello, woodland scene, or dungeon?”
I gaped at him for a moment until I realized he was asking where I wanted to experience the pleasure of his “kiss.”
“Woodland,” Dan said.
Good. I didn’t want to think about the sort of person who chose the dungeon. Besides, we needed to question him in private, not out here in the hallway, but didn’t need to be too distracted by our surroundings either.
