Wicked Sunset (Sunset Vampire Series, Book 4)

by Primo, Jaz

  “Okay, so why aren’t I studying Hugh instead of Oliver?” I asked.

  “Because Oliver took some of his father’s research and advanced it in remarkable ways for the late 1800s,” Alton said. “And I believe there’s much there worthy of delving into. You’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg.”

  “Look, you apparently already know way more about this than I do,” I said. “Why don’t you do the research?”

  “Because you need a dissertation topic; one that hasn’t been overdone again and again. You need something unique,” he said. “And frankly, I don’t have the spare time to delve further. I need someone like you, someone who has a sharp mind and enjoys historical research, to find out what I need to know more about.”

  “Okay, that all makes sense, I suppose,” I said. “Then why didn’t you just tell me that to begin with?”

  He turned to look at me. “Because I needed to see if you had an aptitude for this sort of thing, dear boy.”

  I stared at him.

  “And you do,” he said. “So, carry on with that, and call me from time to time on your progress.”

  “I could simply email you,” I said.

  “I’d rather you didn’t,” he said. “It’s not terribly secure, and I’d rather that prying eyes were kept at bay for now.”

  That seemed strange. Who would even care about some obscure physician from the 1800s?

  “So, this is why you flew out to see me?” I asked.

  “Can’t an uncle stop by to visit his nephew from time to time when he’s on the same continent?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Of course.”

  Then an important topic triggered in my mind; one that I’d given a great deal of thought to in recent weeks.

  “I hope you realize how very grateful I am to you for all of this; even more than that, actually. I mean, I know Kat’s paying for my room and board, but it’s you that’s paid for my education here, as well as practically assured my acceptance into the program.”

  He used his arm across my shoulders to pull me into a momentary hug, our shoulders pressing against each other. “You’re quite welcome, dear boy. I’m just happy to be of assistance.”

  “Still, my time here serves a dual purpose for you, doesn’t it?”

  He sharply glanced at me. “Really? How so?”

  “You need Kat to handle things in Europe for you, though I still have no specifics what those things might be. And you realize she’s less likely to help unless I’m safely preoccupied elsewhere,” I said.

  I watched as the corners of his mouth upturned slightly. “You’re a very perceptive young man,” he said. “However, my motives are not entirely calculated. I do want to assist in your endeavor to regain a professorial position, and your being here is an important part of that goal.”

  That’s nice to know.

  “But you’re also correct; Katrina was more agreeable to assisting me once you were busy with college. Suffice to say, this serves each of us in useful ways in the end,” he said.

  We sat in silence for a few minutes.

  “There’s something else I’d like to talk to you about,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve noticed Katrina has been burying herself in her endeavors, which I appreciate for the most part,” he said. “But I’m growing concerned. How are the two of you getting along? It must be difficult for you, being so displaced from each other at length.”

  “Funny you should mention that,” I said. “I noticed she became awfully distant after her last visit here. At first, I thought she was just busy, but I’m starting to wonder…”

  “Yes?” he asked as he stared into my eyes.

  “Well, this is probably just me being overly sensitive,” I said. “It’s like she’s pulling away from me or something.”

  “Ah,” he said, maintaining what I could only describe as a poker face.

  “When she was here a few weeks ago, I caught moments, glimpses really, when she seemed sort of colder, more distant,” I said.

  It was hard to put into words, but I’d definitely felt it.

  “I thought perhaps that was the case,” he said.

  “What? So, you’ve noticed something?” I asked.

  “Marla picked up on first, actually,” he said. “But once I took more notice, I had to concur.”

  Okay, that really bothered me.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “She’s overworking herself, I think,” he said. “I need her to be at her sharpest, but she can’t do that if she’s obsessing. It’s dangerous, in fact.”

  “Okay, now you’re worrying me. What can we do about it?”

  He appeared introspective, almost thoughtful, as he stared back at me. “How do you feel about coming to London?”

  Wasn’t that what I asked to do in the first place back in Atlanta?

  “I’ve mentioned that, but she either changes the subject or says ‘maybe sometime later’ or asks me to be patient a little bit longer,” I said. “It sort of pisses me off.”

  He arched one of his eyebrows at me, almost similar to the way Kat did at times.

  I nearly laughed over the similarity. “It’s really starting to bother me.”

  “Colleges still have periodic breaks, don’t they?” he asked in an odd tone, as if it were the most foreign of topics to him.

  “Yeah. Fall break’s coming up next week, in fact,” I said. “It only lasts four days, though.”

  “That should be sufficient,” he said. “I’ll make some arrangements for you and Paige to fly over.”

  “That’s great,” I said. “But Kat---”

  “Let’s keep this as a surprise between you, me, and Paige, shall we?”

  I frowned. Kat hated surprises.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll handle the details, as well as any repercussions,” he assured me.

  He knows her all too well, I see.

  “Thanks, uncle,” I said.

  I was growing fond of my new title for him. Regardless of the self-proclaimed nature of it, I relished the opportunity for having at least a semblance of family ties again.

  “Think nothing of it, nephew,” he said, sitting back against the bench.

  I also felt better about the plans for the London trip by the minute.

  Alton’s awesome, and I can’t wait to see Kat again.

  “So, how long are you in town?” I asked.

  “Just for this evening, I’m afraid,” he replied. “My flight leaves just after midnight.”

  Then he rose to stand. “It’s a nice campus, Yale. But you would’ve enjoyed Oxford, too, I think.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Don’t even go there.”

  Imagine me at Oxford. Don’t students have to wear some kind of uniforms there?

  Lame.

  As we continued our walk, two attractive young women jogged past us.

  “Although I can see obvious advantages to being here, as well,” he said.

  “Uh, yeah,” I agreed.

  “Have you eaten this evening?” he asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Come on, I’ll buy you dinner,” he offered. “You look like you could use a meal, and I noticed a nice Italian bistro not far from here.”

  “What about the heavy garlic smell?” I asked.

  “I’ll endure on your behalf,” he said.

  That’s a considerable concession from a vampire.

  I texted Paige with an update on our plans as we walked to the restaurant, a place named Sapori d’Italia near the corner of Chapel and College.

  The food and service were excellent, and I appreciated the time with Alton.

  In particular, I enjoyed the stories he discreetly shared from his experiences in feudal England.

  If only Kat could’ve been there with us, the experience would’ve felt complete.

  I missed her terribly.

  Her absence aside, it was a wonderful evening spent with
my quasi-adopted uncle.

  Despite everything, life is really good sometimes.

  Part III

  London and Back

  Chapter 26

  Caleb

  Our Sunset Air charter flight touched down in London on a Thursday morning, my first day of fall break. I had slept relatively soundly on the flight over, though I felt tired once we landed.

  Despite Kat’s reticence about surprises, I looked forward to her reaction when she finally saw me. Not only was I was anxious to see her, but maybe I’d discover why she’d acted so distant toward me recently.

  Alton arranged for two vampires to meet us at the terminal, as well as a shiny limousine to pick us up. As we rode through the city, my cell phone rang.

  It was uncle Alton.

  “Welcome, my boy,” he said. “How was your flight?”

  “Just great, thanks,” I said. “The limo’s awesome, too, thank you.”

  “And Mr. Moneybags finally sprung for satellite radio, I see,” Paige said loudly. “Snarkety-snark.”

  I gave her a wan look.

  “What was that last bit about?” he asked.

  “Oh, she’s all about snarking lately,” I said.

  She stuck her tongue out at me.

  “Snarking?” he asked.

  “It’s like—oh, never mind,” I said.

  “Ah, today’s faddish colloquialisms. I’ll simply ignore her, what say?” he asked. “I instructed the driver to take you to a pub where Katrina checks in frequently. With luck, you won’t have to wait long before she arrives.”

  “Got it,” I said.

  “Oh, we love pubs,” Paige said.

  “Eavesdropper,” I said.

  “Uh, vampire hearing,” she said, pointing her finger at her ear.

  “Rude,” I said.

  I heard Alton chuckle over the phone. “At any rate, I’ll have your luggage delivered to the hotel. I hope you have a nice time while you’re in London,” he said. “And I’ll attempt to keep Kat’s agenda clear while you’re visiting. You could both do with a break.”

  “Thanks, Alton. I sincerely appreciate it,” I said.

  Paige’s hand darted out and grabbed my phone from me.

  “Oh, and I’ll be sure to have a nice time too, thank you,” she said.

  She listened to his retort with a smirk. Then her jaw dropped. “On call? Hey, I need a break, too, you know.”

  I watched with amusement as she rolled her eyes and shook her head back and forth in disgust.

  “Oh, whatever, you old fuddy-duddy,” she said, clicking off the phone and tossing it back to me.

  “Richie Rich gets what Richie Rich wants, I suppose,” she said.

  “Well, snarkety-snark-snar---” I began.

  “Oh, can it, twerp,” she said. “I’m all snarked out tonight.”

  “Maximum snarkage exceeded?” I asked with narrowed eyes.

  She swatted at my body with a flurry of slaps, so I slapped back at her until we both spontaneously agreed to a cease-slap.

  Before long, our limousine pulled up before a pub called the Red Griffin. It had an Old World appearance about it, complete with its own hallmark banner suspended from a pole above the entrance; a gold painted griffin on a red background.

  “Hey, what a cool-looking place,” I said.

  “Yeah, well, if it’s Alton’s, I’m sure its way more Ye’ Olde than yee-haw,” she said.

  As soon as we crossed the threshold, I could tell the place had character. The interior was decorated in rich wood paneling, old style lighting, polished oak tables, and a combination of open-styled seating in the main area and enclosed booths along one wall. The central fixture was a long span of polished wood bar lined with stools.

  The walls were lined with old photos of people, places, cityscapes, and events. Old wooden casks and barrels sat atop periodic wall partitions, adding to the rustic setting.

  The place appeared busy with patrons who barely looked up at us as we entered.

  “Wow,” I said.

  I’d been in pubs on my first visit to London, but I’d never seen any place quite the Red Griffin before.

  Paige’s cell phone rang and she glanced down at it.

  “Gotta’ take this,” she said. “I’ll be back.”

  She quickly exited the pub to stand out on the sidewalk.

  When I turned back around, a tall man with wavy red hair who appeared to be in his mid- to late-thirties stepped up to greet me.

  “Hello, guv’nor,” he said. “Please do come in.”

  “Thanks.”

  He frowned. “Have we met somewhere before?”

  “Nope, don’t think so,” I said. “Just got into town, in fact.”

  He gestured grandly with his arm in a welcoming fashion. “Well, welcome to the Red Griffin.”

  “Nice,” I said. “I love the place.”

  “And so you should,” he said. “We’ve got the finest taps in London. I’m your host, Gavyn.”

  I reached out to shake his hand. “Caleb.”

  “Nice to meet you, Caleb,” he said, frowning slightly. “Won’t you come in and have a seat.”

  I sat down at the nearest unoccupied table.

  “You look thirsty, Caleb. What can I get you?” he asked.

  “How about a pint of something local?” I asked.

  “I’ve got just the thing,” he said.

  He quickly returned with a frothy-topped mug of beer.

  “Looks good, thanks,” I said.

  A series of hoots and hollers sounded from a small room separated by a set of frosted glass doors to my left, and I looked up with interest.

  “It sounds like there’s where the party’s at,” I said.

  “Ah, do you like a bit of sport then, Caleb?” he asked.

  “Me? Um, sure, from time to time,” I said.

  He motioned for me to stand and led me into the room where a group of men and women were gathered around a game of dice. Stacks of currency were on a small table and everyone seemed to be holding varying sized wads of bills.

  A man with a scraggly beard threw some dice, followed closely by a series of groans and moans.

  “Sorry, Duffin, no Jimmie Hicks from the sticks for you tonight,” said a gentleman wearing an elaborate vest who appeared to be presiding over the game.

  Laughter ensued.

  “Oh, bollocks,” the man said before taking a swig of his beer.

  “Craps?” I asked.

  “Oh, do you like a game of hazard?” Gavyn asked. “Care to give it a try?”

  The players gathered around the table looked at me with amused expressions.

  “Here now, is he a Yank?” one woman asked.

  “Leave him be. Let the lucky young man try his hand,” said one old guy with a gleam in his eye.

  Paige appeared in the doorway and her eyes widened. “Caleb, can’t I turn my back for a minute on you?”

  I watched Gavyn’s amused expression slowly dissipate as he looked at Paige. “Wait a minute. You, I know.”

  She smirked. “You should. I beat your ass at cards the last time I was here.”

  Gavyn’s gaze shifted from Paige back to me and he frowned. “What did you say you’re name was, young man?”

  “Caleb,” I said. “Caleb Taylor.”

  “Taylor…Caleb Taylor,” he repeated.

  “As in Mr. Katrina,” Paige said with a sly expression.

  Everyone in the room fell silent, and Gavyn ran his pale right palm across his face. “Oh, bloody hell. That Caleb Taylor.”

  “Seriously, how hard would it be to post a photo of him around here?” she asked.

  He quickly ushered me from the room. “C’mon Caleb, you don’t want to mess about in here. It’s a bit too dodgy, for you, my lad.”

  “Dodgy?” I asked.

  “So, did you get those issues all sorted out with Ye’ Olde Gambling Commission?” Paige asked.

  “Now, now, no jesting about such things,” Gavyn said. “Let’
s all go have a nice chat out in the main room.”

  Moments later, we were all sitting at a cozy-looking private booth in the main area, just around the corner from the main bar.

  “Like a little something to eat maybe?” Gavyn asked. “Perhaps a nice hot cottage pie?”

  “Mm, sounds good,” I said.

  “Think big, Gavyn,” she said. “He eats like a horse.”

  He winked and caught the attention of a passing waitress and placed my order.

  “So glad to finally meet you, Caleb. I’ve heard quite a bit about you,” Gavyn said. “Though I confess, I didn’t realize you were coming.”

  “It’s kind of on the QT for Miss You-Know-Who,” Paige said with an arched brow.

  “Ah, I see. No matter,” he said. “Your secret’s safe with me. I better pass the word about that, in fact.”

  He disappeared and I turned to Paige. “Who is he?”

  “Oh, he and Alton go back a ways,” she said in off-handed fashion. “Drink your beer and relax.”

  Later, Gavyn returned to deliver a piping hot cottage pie, as well as a glass of beer for Paige.

  It tasted amazing.

  As I ate, the place filled up with people, including a sizable contingent of vampires.

  “This must be the vamp hangout, of sorts,” I said.

  “You could say that,” Paige said.

  I supposed that even vampires needed a place to hang out with their own kind.

  “Hey, who called you earlier?” I asked.

  “Ethan,” she said in a forlorn tone.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I was trying to get him to join us in London, but he had to assist on a last-minute surgery,” she said, leaning her cheek against the palm of her hand. “It seems that ever since you had your little brain surgery episode, suddenly every doctor wants him assisting on their surgeries.”

  I felt bad for her. “Sorry.”

  She sighed. “Aw, don’t be. You were worth it, I suppose.”

  I took another bite of tasty cottage pie.

  “You owe me, though,” she said.

  I frowned. “Whadda’ mean by that?”

  “Don’t chew with your mouth full,” she said.