“What did Joshua tell you?” Ricard asked.
“Nothing. It wasn’t Joshua. Years ago our father told us of vampires living in the city and working at the lab.” She nuzzled Canella. “He talked of you as if you were heroes.”
Jessie remembered nights of her father peering from behind a heavy curtain to look out the window, watching and hoping for a savior to arrive.
“On his deathbed he promised you’d come. He’d been delirious for days, talking about experiments on vampires and the genetics of vampire bloodlines. I thought he’d lost his mind, but apparently he knew the truth. Vampires are real.”
Chapter Nine
“Who was your father?” Ricard had a very strange feeling he already knew the answer, and if he was correct, Jessica might have a lot more information than she realized.
“Matthew Stevens.”
“Panthera’s lead geneticist was your dad?” Hunter whistled low. “No wonder Rollins was so interested in helping Joshua.”
“Matt was a very smart man. I admired him a great deal.” Ricard remembered working side-by-side with Matt on what they had believed was a cancer project. Hindsight being what it was he now knew they had provided Tyrone with the basis for his revenant serum.
“My father loved his work, even in the end,” Jessica said.
“How many years has it been?” Ricard asked. He’d heard of Matt’s death well after it had occurred.
“Fifteen.” She sighed. “He didn’t last but a year after Mom, and it was a tough year.”
“I’m sorry. Your parents were good people.”
“They were. They loved each other so much and everything they did, they did with the other in mind.” She smiled. “Joshua and I grew up in a very loving home.”
“Your mom was a real wonder. Patricia’s ability to calculate complicated equations in her head before anyone else could do them on a calculator was astounding.” Ricard chuckled. “We held competitions with her to see who was faster, her human brain or hundred year-old vampire brains.”
“How’d she do?”
“Beat us more times than she didn’t.” Ricard smiled. “We were sad to see her give up the lab. We missed her.”
“She hated to do it, but she had a hard time with…” Jessica shrugged. “Who knows? If she hadn’t quit, she might have been at work the night of the fire. We’d have lost her four years earlier.”
The inhale of Jessica’s breath was jagged. Losing parents was never easy. Watching them suffer must have been debilitating.
“Were your parents and Joshua your whole family,” Alice asked.
“Yeah. I’m the only one left now.” Her voice was a hollow whisper. “They were all I had.”
Ricard rubbed her back. “But you are not alone. You’ll never be alone.”
With her lips pressed tight as if to stop a sob, Jessica nodded.
“We’re sorry about this situation, Jessica, but like Ricard said, you’re not alone. You don’t know us yet, but we’re your family now, and we’ll keep you safe and help you with anything you need.” Alice pulled Jessica from Ricard and hugged her tight.
The two women whimpered and cried.
Ricard’s eyes darted to the side to see if Hunter had any reaction to his mate’s newly public demonstrations of teary kindness.
Hunter shrugged again and mouthed, “I have no idea what’s up with her.”
Such odd behavior left both men confused by what to do next. The women remained in an extended hug and Hunter and Ricard watched and mouthed a conversation.
“Is she all right? Did she hit her head?” Ricard mouthed.
“No. She was fine up until you guys came in.”
“No previous crying?”
“No. Nothing. No yelling. No crying. Normal Alice.”
Alice hiccupped and sniffled. Jessica squeezed her closer. “It’s all right, Alice.”
Ricard glared at Hunter. “Get her out of here. This is the last thing Jessica needs,” he mouthed.
Adopting a new best friend who was clearly having an emotional breakdown was not going to make his mate’s night any easier.
“Alice, honey, let’s go home.” Hunter gently pried the women apart. “We should let Ricard work his scientist magic on this situation and Jessica probably needs—”
“Call me Jessie.” She held Alice’s hands and both women nodded and smiled at each other.
“—Uh, right. Jessie, probably needs some rest. I know I’m suddenly very tired and confused.” His voice trailed off to a low resonance. “And worried my wife is losing her mind.” He turned Alice toward the door.
“If you need anything, Jessie, Ricard knows how to find us.” Alice leaned around Hunter. “Ricard, you’ll call, won’t you?”
“Of course. I’ll be sure to keep you informed, if anything is needed.”
Alice lurched forward and hugged Ricard, startling him so he nearly forgot to embrace her. “Thanks. Take good care of her and remember we’re just down the hall. Well, down the hall in the residences. You know where.” She released him. “Good night, Jessie.”
“Good night, Alice.”
Thankfully, before Alice could start another round of call me, if you need me, Hunter ushered her out the door.
“That was an interesting and completely unusual experience.” Ricard pulled a chair out for Jessica to take a seat. “Alice is not known for her public demonstrations of kindness toward anyone who isn’t a dog or her mate.”
“No, she wasn’t ever known for that, but she’s changed,” Jessica said.
“Changed? You’ve met before?”
“We attended the same high school. She was a tough girl. We didn’t spend time together. I had Joshua to care for. She moved onto the streets or something.” Jessica petted the head of a German Shepherd who rested his snout on her leg. “I’m glad to see she survived and is happy.”
“She’s done quite well, finding her niche in life and excelling at it. Bonding with a mate who loves her implicitly seems to agree with her.” In review Alice had faired far better than Jessica to this point.
“I have rarely thought of finding my niche, or a husband, or anything more than a cure for my brother.” Her fingers tapped the countertop. “Once in a great while I hoped those things would happen, but something else always did and that little thread of hope seemed foolish.”
“Even the little thread of foolish hope is worth having.”
Chapter Ten
“You’ve had a terrible night, and for that I am sorry.” Ricard’s deep, accented voice was soft and gentle. Something about it made Jessie relax whenever he spoke to her. “It is probably best for you to get some rest.”
Jessie couldn’t argue with him. Exhaustion caused every part of her body to ache, from her muscles to her mind. She needed sleep. A night of resting wouldn’t change what happened, but it might help her to be able to make sense of what lay ahead.
“I know you are worried about my behavior earlier and my…” Ricard scrubbed his hand through his hair. “Again, I apologize. I did not intend to behave like a caveman.”
Jessie smiled at his boyish display of embarrassment. His cheeks were tinged a slight pink, and she noted the way he struggled to make eye contact.
“Please, rest in my home. I have a guest room, and you’re welcome to stay there with my complete word you will remain unmolested. I will stay in the lab.”
“Unmolested?” She hadn’t considered his behavior in such terms.
“Absolutely. You have my word.” This time he looked directly at her. “I will never do anything to harm you.”
Jessie chuckled. “It’s just an odd way of saying you won’t do anything to me. Stop panicking. I can tell you’re being truthful. Lead the way.” She motioned toward the door, wanting to drop into a bed before the conversation launched into a scientific dissertation on vampire attraction.
Without a word Ricard led her back through the first door, whistling and waiting for Canella to follow before closing the lab door
and opening the one leading to his home.
Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and wearing one of Ricard’s shirts, Jessie collapsed into the bed in his guest room. She barely had time to pull the blanket up over her body before falling asleep.
Waking in a darkened strange room would generally have been shocking. But today she awakened aware of where she was, why she was there, and what had occurred that landed her in this place.
Lying in bed, she thought of Joshua and the last thing he said to her about Dr. Tyrone and Mr. Rollins and how they’d never have to worry about food again, how he was no longer sick, but would live forever. The sound of him begging her for her blood, and the wretched noise he made when he vomited before dying in her arms all came crashing back.
Her world had literally ended. Her life as she had lived it all these years was changed forever, never to be the same. All that she loved, every person had been stolen from her.
Now she considered how Panthera had been in her life from the beginning, involved in every aspect. The lab had employed her parents, put food on her family’s table, and tricked her and Joshua into believing they were helping him.
Mr. Rollins was a sick liar who prayed on her fears and hopes. He must have known he wasn’t helping Joshua. As plain as she could see Joshua growing sicker, he must have known what was really happening to him.
In her heart she knew Raymond Tyrone, the old man who pretended to be so kind to the Stevens family was behind their demise. He pulled all the strings from behind the safety of Panthera.
“Rollins is just a low-level henchman doing his boss’s work,” she whispered into the dark. “Dr. Tyrone. That bastard. I hope he died in agony.”
In the end they had taken everyone she loved and left her with no one.
“I want Rollins to pay, too,” she growled. “I want them both dead.”
If it was the last thing she did, Jessica Stevens would find a way to kill Mr. Rollins and to stop Panthera Laboratories once and for all.
Gentle tapping at the door preceded Ricard’s voice. “Jessica, are you all right?”
The words caressed her skin as though probing for an injury or some point of pain. The sensation of being cared for enveloped her body, delving right into her being.
“Fine.” She breathed the word and caught her breath against a beautiful wave of love.
The door opened a few inches. A sliver of light from the outer room sliced through the darkness and was quickly cut off by the imposing shadow of Ricard’s body. “I asked Alice to bring clothes for you.” He stepped into the room and placed something on the dresser by the door. “When you’re ready, there’s food in the kitchen. I’ll be in the lab, if you’d like to join me.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He stepped out of the room and the door began to close.
“Ricard.”
“It’s eight in the evening,” he said.
“How did you…” She sat up, pulling the covers up to her neck. “You said you weren’t a mind reader.”
“And I am not. However, your desire to know was great enough for me to guess. My apologies.” The door closed.
Jessie listened as several sets of dog toenails clicked on the floor outside the room. Then the door to the lab opened, Ricard’s muffled voice said something, and then vanished after the click of the knob.
The strange way he knew her wants or needs perplexed and entertained Jessie. There was not one thing about this man that frightened her. And that fact made no sense.
Everything about him should be terrifying, yet not a damn thing was. At least not when it came to her. She sensed an underlying danger in him. It was as though a cunning and masterful animal waited to pounce. But as sure as she knew a vampire was deadly, she knew Ricard would never hurt her.
Wasting no time Jessie dressed and went to the kitchen. It occurred to her she hadn’t eaten in more than twenty-four hours. To her surprise the pantry was fully stocked and an omelet sat waiting in a pan along with potatoes. Cranberry juice had been poured and coffee waited in the pot.
Canella zipped over to a bowl of food on the floor and ate with the gusto of a big dog.
“Wow. We are on the same page.” Jessie devoured breakfast, only stopping to toast a bagel.
Thinking about the mystique of calm and analyzing her body’s involuntary reaction to Ricard sent internal alarms on edge. A small piece of her wanted to run, but her heart and soul told her to stay.
The horrendous memories of what had transpired the previous evening from the gruesome details of Joshua’s death to the newfound friendship with Alice combined with the intense feelings this strange man stirred within her. She’d only met Ricard hours before and hardly new a thing about him, yet there was a familiarity about him she could not explain, nor could she fear it.
This recognition that she was having no reaction to a situation that should provoke extreme terror worried her. She wondered if she were not having some sort of psychological episode, a break from reality.
“There’s only one way to get answers to what’s happening. Let’s go.” With Canella on her heels, she entered the lab to find Ricard working on some long and complicated equation at a white board.
“Did you like the eggs?” He turned, and Jessie did a double take.
He wore dark rimmed glasses, a button down shirt with the sleeves cuffed a couple times, and black pants. His face was shaved smooth, giving a clear view of his strong jawline. He looked so damn smart and sexy she couldn’t look away. He was absolutely gorgeous.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
He smiled. “My first omelet. I was worried, but I can read and follow directions. To be honest I picked the simplest recipe.”
“Why are you wearing glasses?”
“You don’t like them?” He removed them.
“No. I mean yes, but I didn’t think vampires had vision issues.”
“We don’t, but…” He scratched his head. “This is odd.” He put the glasses on again. “I had bad eyesight as a human. Wearing these makes me feel human again. That probably sounds foolish.”
“No.” Jessie’s heart melted. The idea Ricard strove to feel human again was so sweet she nearly went to hug him. Instead, she reminded herself they’d only just met.
“To remain in touch with one’s human side is, for me at least, imperative. I must remember to feel all the wonders and emotions of my life in order to stay attuned and to never lose my connection with humanity.”
“Do all vampires believe this?”
“I do not know. The Guard is made of vampires who have sworn an allegiance to protect humanity. Everything we do, we do with the intent to keep Central City safe.” He placed the marker on the lip of the white board. “It helps to have you nearby. Because of you, I want to be a better man. I want nothing more than to do what is right and good for us, for you.”
Here she sat with a strange vampire who espoused his undying devotion to her. That alone should send any woman screaming from a room.
But it did not. Instead her body relaxed. Until that moment she had not realized how tense her shoulders were or that she was clenching her teeth. Deep inside something released. Her shoulders lowered. She wiggled her jaw, and the throbbing that had become a dull, ever-present background pain shooting up to her temple, vanished.
Jessie could not explain the lack of logical response to this vampire other than to blame it on him and his condition.
“Is it a vampire skill, using your voice like?” she asked, shaking off the effects and stealing herself against another wave of relaxation.
“I don’t understand the question. Using my voice like what?” The softness faded a touch, though there was not one ounce of irritation in his tone. In fact, Jessie sensed a hint of worry.
“The way you and Rafe made me relax. How do you do that?”
Ricard’s back stiffened. His jaw tensed. “I am not doing what Rafe did. But, to answer your ques
tion, yes, what Rafe did is a skill, one that every vampire has, though we must work to perfect it over time.”
The muscle directly below his left eye ticked.
“How is what Rafe did different from what you’re doing?” Jessie reached for Canella, wanting to hold something warm and real, something she understood without question.
“I am not doing anything,” he said.
“I feel it. You’re doing something. I’m not crazy. I know you’re doing it.” There was no chance in hell Jessie would let him deny he was up to something. He carried her off from the infirmary like Tarzan rushing through the trees with Jane. Clearly, he meant to control her.
“I am worried our conversation will become more confusing than helpful.” Ricard bent to examine the pig, then nestled the four puppies together against the sow’s round belly. “Vampires have the power to influence humans.”
Four large dogs gathered around Ricard, tails wagging and waiting for him to play with them. The commotion that occurred when they entered the room was gone. Mama pig lay with the sleeping puppies and all the grown dogs circled Ricard as though he was some vampire dog whisperer. They waited for him to sit cross-legged on the floor and then one by one they lined up in front of him for affectionate inspection before trotting off to the empty beds stationed around the room.
“Jessica, I am not able to do what Rafe did to you.” The expression on his face was one of confusion. “As far as I can tell it is impossible.” After giving the fourth dog a good ear rubbing he stood and walked several feet. With his hands behind his back, one hand clasped around his wrist he paced. When he reached the counter across the room, he turned and walked back. He proceeded to walk this path several times.
“A vampire does not possess the power to influence his mate.” He shook his head. “It’s a wonderful security measure and a confounding torture all wrapped into one profound point.”
Jessie would have sworn he’d forgotten she was with him by the distant look in his dark violet eyes. Watching him lost in thought, trying to work out the answer to a question that must have plagued him for quite some time, she could not help but be drawn to him.
A Vampire's Purgatory (Romance In Central City Book 8) Page 5
