“Hello,” I said, absorbing the way their long hair twisted behind their head in tidy braids. Amish style. Or Quaker maybe.
“Rebecca, fetch these two a refreshment.”
“Yes, Papa,” one replied and disappeared quickly.
“Sit, please,” Abraham said, pointing to a small couch in the front room. “Miles contacted me and said you were looking for some information. I don’t get off the farm much these days but I’ll help if I can.”
He sat across from us, his long legs extended in front of the antique rocking chair. I had little doubt the items in the house were even older than the ones Grant had collected over the years. How old was Abraham?
Grant cleared his throat and said, “We’re looking for a vampire that was known to travel the country in the early 1930s, specifically making a stop at the James Jones Exhibition Show, in upper New York.”
Abraham rubbed his beard. “That information is a bit vague.”
“I don’t have much to go on, other than the fact he liked to exploit and torture humans—women in particular. He freely transitioned and abandoned his fledglings to adjust on their own.”
Rebecca reentered the room carrying a tray with a white porcelain pitcher and three clear glasses. She placed the tray on the coffee table. The coppery tinge of blood hit my senses and I nearly lunged from my seat. Grant’s hand clasped around my arm holding me steady. I swallowed as Rebecca poured thick, dark blood into the glasses and handed one to each of us.
Grant sniffed the glass and said quietly, “Cow.”
“Yes, I keep a herd,” Abraham declared. “Slaughtered fresh. I don’t usually have animal drinkers around but I know Miles has been a teetotaler for life. I’m happy to oblige.”
“Thank you,” I said, attempting not to make a pig out of myself. My hand shook like an alcoholic waiting for a drink. The first sip beat back a little of the ever-present hunger. I quickly consumed the rest.
Rebecca stepped forward and refilled my glass before I had a chance to set it back on the table.
“Uh, thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome, dear,” she said, giving me a sly wink.
Huh.
“The young are always hungry.” Abraham laughed. “So are the rest of us, I guess.”
“So this vampire,” Grant said, prodding him back on track. “Any one like that ever board here?”
Abraham leaned back his seat, thinking. “Back in the day things weren’t so civilized, as you well know. Before television and the internet, kills were easier to hide. I’ve had my share of wayward vamps cross through here over the years. Most just lonely—looking for company. Occasionally a particularly twisted one will come in.”
He paused and the room fell silent, allowing me to hear the sounds of the house. A creak on the stairs, the coil of a spring. Running water. There were guests upstairs even now. I closed my eyes and inhaled.
Sweat and something sharper tickled my tongue. The light thunder of a pulse. Humans?
There were humans in this hotel. I looked to Grant, but he was absorbed with his conversation.
“Had one fellow come through here a couple decades back and rough up one of my girls badly. Killed two ranch hands on the way out. That’s when we put the guard at the gate.” He looked toward the women. “Amy, dear, show them.”
Amy, a small blonde who looked no older than fifteen, walked into the room. She moved to Abraham and leaned over. With a gentle hand he lowered the high collar on her neck to reveal and deep, jagged scar.
“Oh,” I gasped. It looked horrible. And familiar. The image of Sebastian’s disfigurement settled to the front of my mind.
Grant exhaled softly. “From the transient?”
Abraham nodded and the girl spoke. “Yes, sir. I worked upstairs back then. He cornered me in the middle of the night, slipping into my room without permission. He, uh, took advantage and slit my throat.”
“You were a human,” Grant stated.
“Yes. Abraham found me in time.”
“I had a choice. Save Amy or go after the bastard.” He smoothed the collar back in place and adjusted it carefully. “She was one of my best workers. I wasn’t ready to let her go. I sent the boys out instead.”
As horrifying as the tale was, details confused me. Humans and vampires coexisted here? Grant had implied our relationship was beyond abnormal. Suddenly I felt the urge for some air.
“Do you mind if I use your restroom?”
“Everything okay?” Grant asked, a worry line appearing between his eyes.
Rebecca stepped forward and said, “I’ll show you.”
“Yes,” I told him, while standing. “Just habit I think. Be back in a minute.”
I followed Rebecca out of the room and she led me down a long hall to a small bathroom. Inside I took a moment, splashing water on my face, trying to steady myself on the influx of sounds and smells. Even from the bathroom, my super new hearing amplified Grant’s voice as he vaguely explained what we were doing—that we were searching for a friend in trouble.
When I opened the door again, Rebecca was waiting for me. She smiled and asked, “You’re a fledgling?”
“Yes, a couple months now.”
“So this must all be very new for you.”
“Yes, sort of. I knew Grant before my transition so I had a concept of what to expect.”
She raised her eyebrows. “So you chose to become one of us?”
“I guess you can say I chose eternal life over immediate death. Those were my only two options,” I replied.
Laughter carried down from the second floor, and I looked toward the sound. Rebecca asked, “Would you like a tour of the house?”
Curiosity got the best of me. “Sure.”
I followed Rebecca up the stairs. The hem of her long dress brushed over each step. At the top she said, “Abraham runs the ranch, but I operate the boarding house.”
“How long have you been together?”
“We’ve lived on this land since we procured it from the natives.”
“That’s a long time.”
She smiled again, revealing her teeth. “We live a quiet life. Renting rooms to travelers. Providing companionship to the lonely.”
We passed a door and the same female laughter as before floated into the hall. A man’s voice responded and I touched the wall. “There’s a human in there.”
“Yes. Humans and vampires alike stay here.”
I listened again. I heard the ruffling of bed sheets, the sound of flesh against flesh. Only one heartbeat responded. “And they know?”
“It’s why they come. The humans work here, seeking a heightened experience. The vampires come for a human one.”
“They have sex. With humans.”
“Or drink.”
Suddenly my relationship with Grant didn’t seem so taboo. “And there are no accidents?” Because Grant had struggled to keep his composure with me and my blood. How can these people just drink for the pleasure and walk away. My stomach twisted with unease.
“Rarely. The story Abraham told earlier about the traveler harming Amy was unusual.”
“Wow.”
Rebecca walked down the hallway and knocked on a door, opening it before there was a reply. She gestured me to look inside. “Take a peek.”
I peered in the room, curious despite myself. A brown-skinned woman straddled the hips of a man, handsome and muscular. She wore nothing but a black lace bra and panty set. None of that mattered to me though as I zeroed in on his throat, on the pulsing blood flowing through his veins. He was shirtless, spots of blood dotting his chest. She’d been feeding on him. And from the look of things under the sheet, he liked it.
“This is Calvin,” Rebecca said, ignoring their compromised position. “Say hello to our visitor, Amelia.”
Calvin moved up to his elbows. “Hello, Amelia.”
I tried my hardest to hold eye contact. “Hi.”
God, things had gotten weird. The girl slipped off the bed,
adjusted her top and disappeared into an adjoining room.
“Would you like a taste? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Rebecca said. “Our treat.”
The thought gave me mixed feelings. Hunger ruled my emotions but nausea wasn’t far behind. The heartbeat—Laurel’s soul, kept me from succumbing to those needs. Plus, Grant waited for me downstairs. I had no need for other physical outlets.
“No thank you,” I replied, edging out the door.
I felt a soft touch on my neck.
“Tell me, how does it work? The heartbeat I hear coming from you.”
“I don’t know.”
“You would make for an interesting addition to Nevermore Ranch for both humans and vampire, alike.”
Addition. Like a novelty on display. “Thank you? I guess, but no. I already have a family and a job.”
“Does he drink from you? Even now? The blood of an immortal must be exquisite. No wonder he’s so possessive.” She sniffed my neck.
Calvin watched the whole scene with interest and even the girl had peeked her head back into the room. I moved to leave but Rebecca grabbed my arm. I fought back, tugging it away. With my fledgling strength I easily got away.
“Don’t touch me,” I said in a low voice. “Or you’ll find out exactly how possessive Grant Palmer really is.”
She hissed low and I pushed past her, rushing down the stairs. At the bottom I calmed myself, doing what I could to steady my heart and anger. Passing Amy and the remaining woman at the entrance of the living room, I made eye contact with Grant who stood quietly.
“Oh good,” he said, stepping toward me. “I was just coming to check on you. Abraham and I have finished our talk. You ready?”
“Sure you don’t want to stay over for the night?” Abraham asked, just as Rebecca stepped into the doorway.
“Ms. Chase seems eager to get back on the road, Papa,” she said, her name for him giving me chills. We needed to get out of there. Fast.
“I’m ready when you are,” I said, inching toward the door. “Thank you for the hospitality—and the refreshments.”
Abraham stood and walked us to the door. “Sorry I couldn’t give you more details on Amy’s attacker. Never saw or heard of him again. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”
“Thank you,” Grant replied. The two men shook hands.
“Give Miles my regards.”
“We will.”
The door shut behind us and I reached for Grant’s hand. “What happened?” he asked before we reached the top step.
“Nothing. I’ll tell you later, but God, that place is a freak show.”
Chapter 27
Grant
It was fully dark as we drove past the gate and off the property. Amelia’s hands clenched in her lap. I stopped at the first deserted four-way stop and asked, “Seriously, what got you so spooked? Your heart is racing!”
A flash passed the side of the car and we both looked up. In the headlights stood Amy, hair sticking out from her once tidy braids. She held her hands up.
“Amy?” Amelia asked, opening the door. I looked around for anyone else from the farm, but the night was quiet and still.
“I wanted to stop you before you left.”
“Did you remember something helpful?” I asked, walking to the front of the car. The lights brightened the whole intersection, casting us in a shadowy glow.
Amelia stood near the car and waited—hesitant for some reason.
“There’s more about what happened that night. Something Abraham doesn’t know.” She twisted her hands and looked at the two of us. “It didn’t end that night.”
“What didn’t end?” I asked.
“Him. The ’transient’ or whatever you called him. He’s come again. He’ll corner me when I’m alone. Walking the property or working in the garden. He’ll come to my room through the window and he makes me…” Her voice wavered.
“What does he do?” Amelia asked the question I was too stunned to verbalize.
The girl stares at the ground. “He gets in my head. Says things… horrible things. He’ll make me do things to him, or worse, for him.”
“Like what?” She bit her lip and didn’t answer Amelia. From the set of her shoulders, I don’t think she planned to. Amelia stepped forward and said, “What are you telling us, Amy?”
“If Emmanuel hurt someone you know, or transitioned him, odds are he hasn’t left him in peace.”
“You think he comes back to his victims?” I asked, frowning at the thought—at the implication.
“I know he does. He’s a sick fuck who can’t let go.”
“Why don’t you stop him? Why haven’t you told Abraham?” Amelia asked, her voice rising.
“Because Emmanuel will kill them all.”
“Is that what he tells you?”
“I know he will. There’s no doubt in my mind,” she said with conviction. “He does this thing—has an ability. He gets in your head. Like deep in your head. He can see your mind as well as pick up on nearly anyone else. He finds your weak spots and exploits them.”
“What are yours?” Amelia asked.
Amy didn’t answer the question, but she said, “So your friend? The one you’re looking for? I’d place bets that he’s protecting you—or someone else.”
I glanced at Amelia and found her already looking at me. Amy’s story wasn’t the answer we were looking for, but certainly part of the puzzle.
“Did you say his name was Emmanuel?” She nodded. “Anything else?”
“He’s dangerous. Be careful.”
“Thank you,” I said, giving her a grateful look.
Amelia moved to open her car door but stopped short of getting in. She paused and asked, “If you’re so afraid, why are you telling us?”
The girl swallowed and looked even younger than before. “Because someone needs to kill the bastard, and I think God may have sent you here to do it.”
~*~
“So Emmanuel has a thing for sex-workers, specifically.”
I glanced at Amelia and tried to follow. “Specifically how?”
“The boarding house is a brothel.”
“A brothel.”
“Yes. Rebecca gave me the grand tour after my stop at the bathroom,” she said. “Did you not smell the human?”
“Vaguely. I thought maybe they were there, you know, as food. I wasn’t there to cause trouble.”
“So you would have let an unsuspecting human become dinner?” Her question was sharp.
“I’ve staked out the area in North Carolina. That’s my territory to protect. Every vampire within five hundred miles knows it. But out here? I don’t get to meddle in other people’s affairs. Just like they don’t get to meddle in mine.”
She crossed her legs and tapped a finger on the window, thinking.
“Will you tell me more about the house—brothel? What did Rebecca say?”
“Just that people stopped there because they were lonely. The humans are working there—giving their blood, their bodies. Amy must have done that at one point too, when Emmanuel got her.”
I nodded. “You may be right. Sebastian’s mother was a prostitute. Amy was, too. But the story about him coming back for her…”
Amelia looked at me quickly then turned her face toward the window. “Do you think?”
“I hope not, but I have no real way to know. Ryan must not know, or any of the others. But that doesn’t mean Emmanuel hasn’t been making contact.”
The thought chilled the both of us and we were quiet the rest of the way home. I counted the trees passing by and lost my thoughts to the taillights of other cars. We pushed over the Appalachians until we got to the steep driveway on Black Mountain. The house was quiet and empty when we arrived. From the scattered objects around the rooms, I assumed they’d gone hunting.
“Are you hungry?” I asked Amelia, leaving her bag on the floor by the entry. She’d been quiet since we’d left Amy, in her long, awkward dress, on the road.
&nb
sp; “Well, yes.” She looked around the house as if seeing it for the first time.
Of course. She was always hungry, for either food or sex. I was happy to provide either. Or both.
“Would you like to go out? Dawn will hit soon—there’s time.”
Her eyes lingered on the hallway, down to where the basement door led below. Ignoring me she walked in that direction, stopping at the newly sanded floor and freshly painted door. Her fingers touched the knob.
“I’ve never been so scared,” she said, when I stood behind her.
“You were brave.”
“Twice now I’ve had to face evil in its purest forms. Twice it’s beaten me.” She’s thinking of Sasha. Of Caleb.
“You were strong then. You’re invincible now.” I wrap my arms around her stomach, holding her tight.
“We’ll stop him, right?” she asks, her voice hard.
“Emmanuel? Yes.”
“I don’t want evil existing out there like that. Not in the same world we live in.”
She turned in my arms and I pressed her back against the door. I laid my palm next to her head and leveled my eyes to hers. “Eradicating evil is what I do, Amelia. I’ll find him.”
Her head tilted and I saw the faint ring of blue around her dark irises. She tugged a hand on my belt. “We’ll find him. It’s what we do.”
I nodded and kissed her, sealing that promise of our future. I needed my girl strong. I needed her steady. But most of all, I needed her by my side. Always.
Chapter 28
Amelia
The knock on the bedroom door was quick and steady.
Grant left the bed, T-shirt covering his pelvis, giving me a solid view of his firm behind and the sleek muscles running down his back. He opened the door a crack.
“What?”
“We have visitors.” I heard Genevieve say. “Downstairs. Now.”
I stretched on the bed, naked, and felt the scratchy sheets on my skin. “Sounds important.”
Creature of Habit (Book 3) Page 15
