Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance)

by Tara Manderino

  He closed the door behind them when he entered her room. She stood in the center of it, apparently surprised by his action. When he walked closer to her, she stood her ground, but he sensed her fear. He didn’t let it stop him. He didn’t stop until their bodies nearly touched. Ignoring the sensation of her nearness, he leaned his head toward her ear to talk to her.

  “I don’t want Morgan to hear. Will you come with me?”

  A nearly imperceptible nod of her head was his only answer.

  Taking her arm, he led her to the window. He felt a momentary stiffness when he opened the sash, but she didn’t pull away. He wrapped his arms tightly about her and jumped.

  She buried her head in his neck to stifle her scream.

  Switching positions, so she was cradled in his arms, he swiftly moved through the streets. In a matter of moments he was at his home.

  She was still shaking when he released her in the great room. Leaving her, he poured a shot of whiskey and carried it back to her. She turned her head away.

  With a near sigh, Alex again wrapped his arms around her and sank into one of the chairs, bringing her down on top of his lap.

  “This will help,” he insisted, pressing the glass against her mouth. This time she did take it in one go and started sputtering. At least she had stopped shaking.

  “Was all of that necessary?” She tried to push away, to sit on her own, but he held her in a firm grasp. “And let me go.”

  “Yes to the first and no to the second.” He had no intention of releasing her anytime soon, although he feared he would have to do so.

  “We don’t have much time before Morgan notices you’re not there, so listen closely. You and Cassandra are in great danger.”

  “You said that already. Couldn’t you have just said it again at the house?”

  Her tone plainly announced she was getting annoyed. “I want to know about Barbara Morgan. Where does she spend her days, who does she see?”

  “Mrs. Morgan?” She pushed a bit away from him to study his face more closely. “You suspect Mrs. Morgan has something to do with this?”

  More than suspect. “She may not even be aware she is involved.” He wouldn’t mention how unlikely that was.

  “Nothing’s changed. She goes out the same amount of time, which is rather a lot, you know. She gets her hair done, runs some charitable events and,” She stretched out her hands, palm upwards, “I don’t know. There’s always some club or meeting she has to go to.”

  “Those are precisely the ones I want, I need. When does she go?”

  Lisa scoffed. “She’s at one now. That’s why Mr. Morgan was home so early.”

  Hardly early. He nodded once. “First thing in the morning, and I mean at first full light, I want you to take Cassandra out for the day, at least that is what you are to tell the Morgans. I want you to go to Philip’s and I will meet you there as soon as I can.”

  “Wouldn’t we be safer here?”

  “I’m not sure anything I have is powerful enough to help at this point.”

  “What do you have?”

  “Any type of protection or security I could devise simply will not be strong enough at this point. Philip has a variety of things we can use, aside from the fact the room you are staying in are also part of the church and will itself offer some protection.”

  “How long will we be gone?”

  “I really have no idea. It could be a matter of hours or days. You will have to tell the Morgans you are taking Cassandra somewhere, a friend’s house.... Tell only Mr. Morgan, preferably while Barbara is not in.”

  “You do suspect her of something.”

  “Something, yes.” He was hardly ready to put his suspicions into words, not that he could.

  She struggled to sit up, but is arm locked tighter around her. He liked her this close, something he shouldn’t be considering at this point.

  “No matter what, do not tell them where you are taking her. If you are pressed for an answer, you can say you are bringing her here and give this address.” The Morgans wouldn’t recognize it, but Janelle would and Carlos might. “Now, I need to get you back.”

  She looked at her watch, amazed she had only been gone for ten minutes.

  They entered the same way they had left. He pressed his car keys into her hand, insisting she use it. “I left it parked around the corner so Morgan won’t notice.” He stopped when he heard Jason Morgan’s heavy tread walking up the stairs.

  “Does he visit often?” Alex heard himself asking, surprised the words escaped his lips without conscious thought.

  She pushed away from him. “That is sick. No, he doesn’t visit here often, not at all. This is a first. “

  So, was the man protective? Or was there another reason? Alex stood in front of her to greet him when he entered without knocking.

  “Just checking everything is all right,” he said as he entered the room. He craned his neck to see Lisa behind Alex. “No problem, is there Nanny?”

  Alex felt himself relax at the other man’s use of her title, though he knew anyone could use it.

  “I’m fine.” Lisa moved to the side, not totally away from him he noted, but enough so the other man could have an easy view of her.

  His attention shifted back to Alex. “Do you have everything you need, Detective?”

  Ha! Not nearly. “For the moment,” he said. He turned to Lisa and gave her a warning look then motioned with his hand that Morgan should precede him from the room. He closed the door behind him.

  ~*~

  Lisa sank into the chair after the men left and raised a trembling hand to her head. That was a mistake. She picked up the scent of Alex’s aftershave with it. Of the man himself, she could detect nothing. She couldn’t decide if that was reassuring or not.

  Could he really think Mrs. Morgan intended to harm her own daughter? That made so sense to her. The woman had been distraught when the child was missing. Tomorrow Mrs. Morgan would have a hair appointment in the morning, then a bridge meeting in the afternoon. She would be gone most of the day. Mr. Morgan would at least be home through breakfast. Getting Cassandra out of the house would not be a major issue as far as she could see. But if she did as Alex was asked, she would need to see Mrs. Morgan’s calendar, and that might be a sticky point. Maybe she would leave that part to Alex, it was part of his job after all, and the fact he was a vampire would help. She shook her head at her own thoughts. She might have doubted it earlier, been skeptical, but there was no other explanation. She absently rubbed her hand over her wrist. Growing up the daughter of a vicar, she was closer to the whole heaven and hell concept than many of her peers. How often had she and her father had discussions on the very subject? And Alex had been correct. In the area where she grew up there were more tales of things that went bump in the night than many other places, even in England.

  Until she met Alex, she had pushed thoughts of her parents to the recesses of her mind. Now they were front and foremost. She dearly missed those conversations with her father. She hadn’t thought of him in that light for years. She had Alex to thank, or not, for that particular insight. Wouldn’t she just love to have this conversation with her father now? He probably wouldn’t believe her, even if he did believe in the concept. But to actually meet a vampire? She halted her thoughts mid-stream. What if her father had actually already met at least one of them? If she had, there was no reason the possibility wouldn’t have extended to him. Her hand itched for the phone, but she wiped her palm down her pants. She would not call now, maybe someday. She leaned her head back against the chair, and felt her eyes drift closed. She would rest for a few hours, were her last thought for what remained of the night.

  Chapter 20

  Alex walked into the room bristling with energy. Something his partner recognized immediately. “What’s eating you?”

  “The Morgan case.”

  “Thought the file was done and closed; the kid back with her parents.”

  Alex gave a brief nod. “She is, b
ut I keep thinking there is something I’m missing. I don’t understand why she was gone to begin with.” He ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. That much was true. He had just decided he needed an objective mortal viewpoint on it. Maybe he was making more of it than there was.

  “Hey, where’s your ring?”

  Alex looked at him sharply. “What?” Although he had heard him perfectly.

  “Your ruby. Never knew you wore another one. Forget to put it on today? That’ll make your edgy. Drives me crazy when I forget something like that.”

  He could hardly announce it was stolen, not in a roomful of detectives! He nodded in agreement as he flipped on his computer and slid into his chair. It was going to be a long night. Fortunately, there were no new cases so he was able to help clear the pile they had in front of them. The bad part was that he was not searching for the answers he needed. But before haring off, he better concentrate on the questions that needed asking.

  He left just before the sun rose. He would get in a few hours of rest while he could. Since he had left his car with Lisa, he relied on his preternatural speed to reach his destination, slowing only when he reached the old church.

  With his hand outstretched for the door, he froze. He was not alone. Spinning on the ball of his foot, he turned to face his attacker. Instantly a loop of rope was tossed over his neck. As he reached for it, his last thought was the rope was shot with silver. Not sure of how much time had passed, he opened his eyes, blinking, trying to orient himself. He hadn’t imagined the rope about his neck, but since he could move his head freely, it appeared gone. He tried desperately to remove the bonds holding his hands behind him, with no success. From his exhausted state he ventured to guess, they must be made of some type of silver.

  Janelle must definitely want him out of the way. Interesting that she had not had him killed. He tried to focus, to think of what purpose she thought he might serve. No matter what, it could not be imminent. Quickly, his gaze swept the blackness as he tried to identify his whereabouts. It looked like a storage room, but there didn’t appear to be any windows. That should have eased his fears, but the heat he felt through the ropes didn’t allow them to dissipate.

  What in heaven’s name could they want? They already had his ring, and Carlos made it fairly evident they didn’t actually need him, physically. Perhaps Janelle was not so certain. He moved his legs, finding them bound too, allowing him only the smallest movements. Even those movements exhausted him. He cautiously rolled about the room, trying to find something he could use to cut the silver cords, and some weapon. Neither was forthcoming.

  If he did not get loose soon, he would be of no use to Lisa – or Cassandra. Amazing how important she had become to him. With her, he felt closer to the light than he had in decades.

  What seemed like hours later the door opened, with him no closer to his goal than earlier.

  ~*~

  As she suspected, Lisa found it relatively easy to leave the house in the morning. It was harder hiding the clothing she had taken from her room and Sandy’s, but she gathered up a few items and threw them in a backpack she often used for outings. As for the calendar, she made her way into Mrs. Morgan’s office as soon as the woman was out the door. Her heart thudded so loudly, she wouldn’t have heard if the woman re-entered the house. Hurriedly, she made her way to the desk, did a frantic search through the drawers for the calendar, then scribbled down the closest dates and what the appointments were for in her small notebook. She hoped it would mean something to Alex.

  Good natured, as usual, Sandy went along with Lisa’s plans and seemed happy enough to be visiting the priest again, although she had questions on using Alex’s car instead of her father’s.

  Philip sat them at the table while he made a pot of tea and took out the milk for Sandy. “Where’s Alex?” Lisa asked after they had been there for a short time and Sandy was occupied with one of the puzzles she had brought.

  “I expected him by now,” Philip admitted, although he did not sound terribly concerned.

  “I don’t understand why he thought we would be safer here.”

  “Because you will be,” Philip declared positively. “I have studied Alex and his kind for many, many years.” Leaving the table, he beckoned Lisa to follow him to the armoire in the room. He opened it and pulled out a tray from near the bottom. “This is a portion of my amulet collection. We will find something in here that will be of benefit.”

  Lisa scoffed. “You’re scaring me.”

  “You should be scared. That’s why Alex sent you here.” He let his fingers trail over some of the amulets in the collection, finally settling on a Tibetan knot. Taking it out, he held it in his hand while he closed the drawer and reached into one of the small cubby holes, pulling out a silver chain which he slipped the amulet on to before handing it to her. “Do you need me to help?”

  She took the amulet from his hand, turning it in her palm. “No, I’m good.” She fastened it around her neck and felt the weight of it against her chest. She tucked it under her sweater. “What about Sandy? Will she need one too?”

  She might not have been sure they really needed to take the steps, but she wasn’t taking any chances. That Alex thought it necessary was reason enough for her.

  It still amazed her that she was able to take the word of a vampire, but she had complete trust in him. That was not necessarily very bright on her part, she admitted to herself, although it helped to know Philip felt the same.

  Philip reached for another silver chain, then opened a lower drawer and selected one more amulet.

  “They’re different,” she said.

  Philip threaded the chain then handed it to her. “They are. This one has an additional blessing on it from Pope Clement V in 1315,” he said when Lisa raised her eyebrows in question.

  That was old indeed. “But why would a pope bless an amulet?”

  “Never, never underestimate the power of evil,” Philip pointed his finger at her, making sure she paid attention. “It is nearly as great as that of good.” He studied her, seemingly undecided on how much to say. Finally he gave her a brief history of how it indeed came to be. “Pope Clements was one of the last of the Avignon Popes,” he told her. “The power of their cardinals was legendary.”

  “But how did you end up with this amulet?”

  “Look around, Lisa.” He smiled at her as he encompassed the room with his gesture. “I have acquired many things over the years. I have always had an interest, and my archeological studies and digs have taken me about the world. When I retired from those pursuits, the church thought I would do some good here. Then I met Alex. That was a number of years ago. Still, I met him before I knew fully what he was. He, and some of my other friends, have gifted me with many items for my collection.”

  This time she looked around with a new awareness.

  “When did you know Alex was a vampire?”

  He didn’t answer her directly. “Alex does not tell many people his secrets. You are one of the very few.” He gave her a genuine smile. “Now, go put that on the child, and we will wait for Alex.”

  By two o’clock Alex still had not appeared and Lisa began pacing.

  She pulled out her cell phone and started to dial.

  ~*~

  Alex felt the phone vibrate against his skin, but there was nothing he could do about it. As he tried to free himself, one corner of his mind had constantly worried if Lisa was unharmed.

  He was glad Janelle was gone. The fewer encounters between her and Sandy, the better. He hoped Lisa had enough time to get to Philip’s, and more importantly, listen to whatever he had to say.

  Just thinking of her made him feel better. Everything about her screamed ‘good.’ He was only sorry he had only met her at this stage of his existence. At least she would be there with Cassandra if he could not. He hoped she would continue to guide the child, keep her in the light also. He could have smiled at the irony that his descendant should be so good.

  When th
e ringing stopped, he closed his eyes briefly at the loss of so minor a connection. He would have loved to hear her voice again, but it appeared that was not to be. Since no other vampire, or human, had appeared, he began to rethink their possible strategy. Perhaps Janelle did not intend him to live after all.

  The other vampire had not been very forthcoming with her statements, and she had not released his gag for him to be able to ask more questions. The answers he learned, he didn’t care for. Unfortunately, he still didn’t know why they wanted the ring, or Cassandra. In a roundabout way, she told him now that she had one she needed the other. It sounded as if she was not entirely certain of her own plans. That didn’t offer him much comfort. She hadn’t prolonged her visit. He sensed Carlos arrival, and another, but he could not tell who. He could sense them; smell them. And it was not to his benefit. Janelle made Carlos seem lily-white. If he could, he would have started perspiring from the sheer malevolence directed toward him. He had a very strong suspicion he would not be around for long. They appeared to need Cassandra, not him. And not Jason. Think, Alex.

  Now they were gone and he could concentrate. He lay still for a moment, focusing his senses on his surroundings. Warehouses were notorious for left over equipment; he just couldn’t seem to find any. Fortunately, he was not blindfolded, so he looked about, letting his gaze penetrate the blackness. The tall, abandoned metal shelves seemed his best hope, although he suspected they would not be able to release his bonds.

  ~*~

  No answer. She closed the phone and looked thoughtfully at Philip. “I haven’t known him long, but this does not seem to be a good sign.”

  “No, I would say it is not,” Philip agreed.

  Louis knew of Philip, but did Philip know of Louis? She couldn’t recall what Alex and said and didn’t want to expose Philip more than need be. If she had Louis’s phone number, she could call, but aside from a personal visit, she had no way to reach him. “I have to go out.”

  “It’s already growing darker, Lisa. You had best stay until Alex arrives.”