“Why wouldn’t I be? Have you forgotten that I’m as tough as they come?”
Glen laughed. He handed her father the apple and tossed the skin in the small bin by the bed. With another professional smile, he motioned for Abigail to come with him. “We’ll be right back, Neil.”
“I’ll be here. Not like I get to leave this place without the nurse.”
Abigail extracted her hand from her dad’s and followed Glen outside of the ward. He led her to a window that looked out at the small park beyond.
“What happened here? He seems okay,” she hissed.
“Of course he is. I killed the hunters before they could do any damage.”
“You did what?” Her voice rose, so she covered her mouth.
He patted her on the shoulder. “I hid their bodies in the morgue freezers. Don’t worry.”
“How am I supposed to do that? How can I believe what you’ve said as well?” She shrugged his hand off and folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t know anything about you.”
“In all honesty, you know nothing about Alexander and are willing to listen to him. Put some faith in me, Abigail. I’m not someone who throws my words around.”
She considered his statement, letting her shoulders relax. “What now? It’s not like I can move my dad out of the hospital whenever I please.”
He nodded. “I know. I’ve spoken to the nurse and your father. And I do believe that moving him out of here, for the time being, may be the safest route to take. If you were to hire bodyguards, it would cause a commotion I’m sure you don’t want.”
“I don’t think I can afford bodyguards…”
“Alexander can. It may be a path he would eagerly take while he keeps you under lock and key.”
“He wouldn’t do that.” She glared at him.
Glen raised a brow. “Wouldn’t or it’s not something you believe he’ll do?”
A heavy sigh escaped her. “You’re right, and I can’t rely on his money. This is a personal problem that I have to deal with on my own.”
“I can help you. We can bring your father to my suite where I can hire a personal doctor to look after him. He will have a nurse on call at all times. That way, you can rest easy by his side.”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “And why would you do that?”
“Because I want to help you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Uhuh, and I’m the Mona Lisa.”
Glen chuckled and offered his hand in a form of a handshake. “Hello there, Mona. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.”
“Oh, for goodness sake,” she grumbled, slapping his hand away. “You’re not serious about this, are you? I don’t know if I can trust you yet.”
“You don’t know or don’t want to know?”
“It could be both. I’m not sure.”
His playfulness vanished. “Abigail, I am here today as a friend, nothing more and nothing less. Sure, I would love it if you could get Alexander to tell me more about that fate, but that is a topic for another time. Right now, you have to decide. If you and your father come with me, I will protect you. If he stays here, he will be in danger.”
Abigail thought for a long minute about his words. In reality, she wanted to keep her father out of danger as much as possible. She also knew that whatever she ended up choosing, her father would also question her as to why she was acting so strangely. How am I going to tell him that my boss is an incubus and my maybe-boyfriend is a vampire? She pinched the bridge of her nose while her brain sluggishly turned its cogs. What on earth am I supposed to do in situations like these?
“Just come with me,” he pressed, keeping his twinkling hazel eyes on her. “I promise no harm will come to you if you do.”
“Fine. Until we figure something out, I will accept your help. But I don’t want you to pay out a fortune for my dad’s stuff. I will pay every cent back that I owe you. I’ll work multiple jobs till I’m sixty if I have to.”
“Noted.” He smiled, taking her hand. “Let’s get your dad out of here then.”
After they helped her protesting father to Glen’s rental car, she wished the leather seat below her would swallow her whole when her father’s stern gaze landed on her in the backseat.
“Abby, what have you gotten yourself into?”
She cringed at her dad’s tone, feeling like a scolded child. Her fingers twisted in her lap, and she wished for courage. “I…” The words stuck in her throat. Vampires and other supernatural beings were definitely off the list of topics she could pick from. She had to go with a half-truth. “I witnessed a shooting at the airport a while ago and one of the bad people saw me there.”
His face paled a shade as Glen started the car. “Did they hurt you? What about the gards? Can’t you go to them?”
“I can’t because…they may be helping them cover it up.”
Her father glanced at Glen. “Is that why you came to the hospital to see me? To keep an eye on me?” Her dad’s eyes narrowed. “Why is her boss involved in something like this unless you two are—”
“No!” She frantically waved her hands in denial.
Glen added, “That’s exactly how it is, Neil. I couldn’t leave her alone because we’re dating. No matter what, I decided to keep her safe.”
Abigail glared at the back of his head, willing him to shut up. When he did, she let out a breath and took hold of her dad’s shaking hands. “It’s going to be okay. I just need to figure a way out of this.”
He gave her hands a squeeze. “You’re my daughter, Abby. I will stand by your decision even if you want us to go to another country right this instant.”
“You would do that?”
“Of course, I would. Your safety comes first.”
She couldn’t hold in her emotions any longer. She scooted closer to her dad and hugged him, allowing her frustration and worry to escape in the form of tears. As he patted her on the back, she buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling the scent of his cheap washing powder.
“I love you, Dad,” she mumbled, sniffling.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” he whispered in her ear and hugged her closer to him.
Glen turned on the radio in the car, giving them some privacy while he hummed along to the music.
ALEXANDER
Alexander sat outside of the cell they were keeping Andrew in. He could hear the young man’s agonised pleas to let him go. His heart ruptured at his inability to help Andrew. He never wished a descent upon anyone. In the vampire community, the chances of anyone getting themselves out of it were fifty-fifty. Most sires would not bother wasting their energy on getting their childe under control once they overfed and became consumed by the thirst. And, even if Andrew was partially conscious of his actions, he was too young to undergo such an arduous process. As much as Alexander wished to ignore that fact, he no longer could. He needed to reach out to Lucious and tell him what had happened to his childe.
He climbed into a standing position and took out his new phone from his pocket. Once he held it in his hand, he tried contacting his friend, but as before, Lucious did not take his call. Then, he called the Council building—no one answered. Grumbling cuss words under his breath, Alexander called one of his acquaintances.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your voice gracing my phone line, Alexander?” Garett Trent, an information broker from Essex purred down the line.
“I need to know what is going on in London. I can’t seem to get in contact with the Council.”
Garett snorted. “Oh? You didn’t hear the latest gossip?” He let out a laugh. “Apparently, no one can contact them. They’ve gone dark.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The Council members called for a summons of all vampires. It has to be linked to the arrival of the rumoured Royals.”
Alexander wasn’t certain of what he had just heard. The Royal vampires were a myth in their community, even though he had come in contact with one recently. “I’m sorry, did you say Royals?”<
br />
“Have you gone deaf in one ear? Yeah, the Royals! Can you imagine? I wonder what they look like. I bet some of them are ravishing.”
“What about Lucious? Any word from him?” Alexander demanded to keep Garett on track.
“I haven’t got a clue, mate,” Garett replied. “If you push some money into my account, I’ll find out for you.”
Alexander groaned. “Are you seriously telling me you will not work unless I pay you? When was I ever known as someone who could not afford your services?”
“These are tough times we live in. Just last week, I was swindled out of some info by a good friend of mine. I’m not making the same mistake again. Send the money, and I’ll get back to you once I’ve got something.”
“Fine.”
Alexander used his phone to transfer twenty thousand pounds into the informant’s account. He combed his hand through his hair as he stared at the stone walls. What was happening in London to make the Council go dark? Without their control over Europe’s vampires, who was in charge? More importantly, what stopped the vampires who used to fear the Council from getting out of line?
While Alexander pondered the possible reasons for this terrible situation, he didn’t notice Tanya creeping up on him. She nudged him on the shoulder. “Can we talk for a second?”
“Yes. What is on your mind?”
Tanya pressed her palms together. “I was thinking about Andrew’s situation. What if I help him in the same way Zafira helped Lucious?”
He stared at her in disbelief. Although he had not told Tanya about the state Lucious was in after that experiment, he certainly was not going to allow Andrew to follow in Lucious’ footsteps. “No! You are not to even consider that as an option.”
“Why not?”
“Because it did more harm than good. We will have to wait it out.”
She grasped his hands, her body trembling. “What if he can’t overcome it? He’s like family to us. I don’t want to lose another friend!”
“None of us do, Tanya.” He tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “We simply have to be here for him and let him know that. Trust me, childe, he will pull through.”
She bobbed her head as her sapphire eyes filled with tears. “I will trust your judgement on this.”
“Good.” He drew her into a hug and kissed the top of her head. “Stay strong, for all of us.”
Letting her go, he assessed her worried expression. What he saw on her face had confirmed his initial suspicion. She had gotten emotionally involved with Andrew since he turned. Alexander did not wish to see his daughter heartbroken again. Not like it was his place to tell her otherwise.
He gave her a tentative smile. “Keep watch over him. I am going to cancel all of my appointments for the next two weeks.”
CHAPTER 24
ABIGAIL
A week had gone by without a word from Alexander. At least, Glen was true to his word. He hired a great private doctor and a nurse to look after her father. Glen even asked the hotel staff for a different room, so he wouldn’t impose on them, which she found to be extremely kind considering the situation she was in.
He went shopping with her last Wednesday because she needed to get some clothes for herself and her father. Now, it was Tuesday, and she stared out the window at the water droplets as they chased each other to the bottom of the windowpane. She missed going to work, having a normal life, and hanging out with Ursula. Even when her life took a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, her affection towards Alexander hadn’t diminished.
Having spent so much time with Glen, she realised that he was easy to talk to. Not once had he asked her to do anything she didn’t want or made any moves on her. He stayed a perfect gentleman.
“Abigail,” Glen called from the entrance to the sitting room. “Are you alright?”
She peeled her gaze away from the raindrops and faced him. “Yeah. Sorry, I got distracted.”
He rounded the sofa and collapsed into the plush seat across from her. “Anything in particular on your mind. You’ve been very quiet for someone who is hunted by the hunters.”
She snorted. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“I have been thinking of a way out for you. To be perfectly honest, unless we figure out how to kill them all or get you to an airport”—he sighed—”it is next to impossible for you to live the way you used to without someone’s protection.”
“I never thought that these would be my problems. I mean, what are the odds of stuff like this happening to normal people?”
Glen crossed his legs and tilted his head to one side, never breaking eye contact. “It is more common than you think.”
“What? How?”
“Humans come in contact with the supernatural all the time. Some of them think that it was their imagination, some have their memories wiped by vampires, and there are also cases where the witness meets an early end because of what they saw. You are lucky you don’t belong to the last group.”
“Oh thanks. That’s really reassuring.”
He laughed. “It is, isn’t it? My apologies, I was trying to cheer you up and, obviously, I’m doing a terrible job.”
She cracked a smile. “Thank you, Glen. For everything you’ve done for me and my dad. I don’t know what would have happened if you weren’t there.”
“I have an idea, but I think sharing it with you will not lighten the mood.” He rubbed the back of his neck and leant forwards. “Abigail, listen. You need to get in contact with Alexander as soon as possible. He knows this city inside. I may have the funds to support you and keep you hidden, but I can’t solve your problem without his help.”
“I tried calling him. His phone is disconnected.”
“Yes. I’ve noticed the same thing. I thought he just blocked my number. Alright.” He stood up and offered her his hand. “Shall we pay him a visit at his club?”
She looked at the oversized grey woollen sweater she was wearing and her skinny jeans. Her clothes would never fit the look of Alexander’s club—much like the clothes she wore to the first interview with him. She giggled at the memory of seeing his reaction when she walked into the room dressed almost like Mother Theresa, covered in material from her ankles to her neck. His eyes were wider than that of a frightened deer on a road.
“Sure, let’s do that.”
In the car, Abigail couldn’t stand the silence between them any longer. She turned in her seat. “Why are you helping me so much?”
He glanced her way before returning his attention to the traffic ahead. “Does there need to be a reason?”
“Isn’t there?”
“I suppose there is,” he replied with a soft chuckle. “A hundred years ago, I was married to a woman named Charlotte Smith. She was a succubus from my clan, and we were wed with the blessing from our leader. Halfway into the century, Charlotte was…” He sucked in a sharp breath, his fingers tightening on the steering wheel as he did so. “She was coming to see me at work. Somehow, the local group of hunters found out about her. They must have noticed her feeding on a patient in the hospital she worked at as a doctor.”
“What happened then?”
He swallowed. “What you would expect. The hunters shot her and cut her head off which they later dumped on my lawn as a warning.”
Abigail’s face contorted with disgust and horror. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wish I was,” he said. “I wish it every day. As incubi, we all learn to accept the past. I continued to seek out a woman worth protecting and found you.” He smiled at her. “I guess my helping you is a way to repay Charlotte for not being there to protect her when she needed me the most.”
She caught his hand on the gear stick and patted it gently. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Does it matter whose fault it was? I was incapable of keeping someone important to me safe. I have failed her parents, her brothers and sisters. To this day, the clan members act as if I am a failure. Because of that, I wasn’t able to mate with anyone of
my kind since.”
“That’s definitely more complicated than my failed attempts at relationships in college,” she mumbled.
Glen nodded. “Maybe only a little.”
They both laughed, lifting the heavy mood that had settled between them like thick morning fog. He continued driving down the county road. It led to Alexander’s club, and he parked out front.
Abigail undid her seatbelt as she assessed the Victorian building. No lights were on, and it didn’t seem like the property was used in the past couple of weeks. “Do you think anyone’s home?”
“You can stay here while I go in and check,” he suggested, turning off the engine.
“No, I’d rather take a stroll outside. I’ve been stuck indoors for too long.”
“Okay, but don’t leave my sight.”
They got out of the car and walked to the property. She strained her ears for any movement other than the sound of gravel shifting under their boots. The usual noises like the music and excitement from people was no longer present.
Once they checked the front door, finding it locked, they made their way around the club to the back entrance. As Glen pulled on the handle, she strolled past the black bins lining the wall. She cursed aloud when she stumbled upon something solid. Looking down, she found a group of three men with their throats cut. Their glassy eyes and empty expressions made her stumble backwards until she fell hard on her ass.
Tiny sharp stones dug into her palms, and Glen rushed to her side.
“What’s wrong?”
She pointed to the bodies with a trembling hand. “They’re dead, I think.”
He started helping her up when something bit into her neck. She automatically reached up and tugged on a small dart lodged there. A second later, she noted a similar dart peeking over Glen’s shoulder.
She blinked to clear the fog that started invading her vision. He grasped her by the elbow, pushing her in the direction of the car. She could tell he was also affected by whatever they were shot with. His steps were beginning to waver. A minute later, as they were about to reach the car’s doors, Glen fell, and she tumbled to the ground after him.
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