Amanda Ashley - [Children of the Night 02]

by Night's Touch

  He was still pondering those things when he pulled up in front of DeLongpre’s house. The place was dark save for a light in one of the windows downstairs.

  Brenna opened the passenger-side door almost before the car came to a stop. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, although for a while I thought we were going to be spending the night in jail,” Cara muttered. “Honestly, do I look like a kidnapper to you?”

  “Of course not,” Brenna said, smothering a grin.

  “How’s Dad?” Cara asked, following her mother into the house.

  “Resting. He’ll be fine in a few days.”

  “Can I see him?”

  “He’s not here.”

  Cara’s eyes widened. “Where is he?”

  “He’s resting where he won’t be disturbed.”

  “But…”

  “No more questions tonight, dear,” Brenna said. “You need to get some rest. Frank’s in the kitchen. He’ll be staying in the house tonight.”

  “Where was he?” Cara asked. “We went by his place, but he wasn’t there.”

  “He was out taking care of a few loose ends,” Brenna said, her eyes twinkling. “Vince, you’re welcome to stay, too, if you like.”

  “Thank you, but I’d best be getting home.”

  Cara squeezed his hand. “I wish you’d stay.”

  “I’ve got a few things to do, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Promise me you won’t go anywhere alone.”

  “Promise me you’ll still be here tomorrow.”

  “I promise. Now you.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t go anywhere.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said with a wink. He looked at Brenna. “If there’s anything I can do…”

  “Could I see you for a moment, alone?” Brenna asked.

  “Sure.” He followed Brenna outside and waited while she closed the door. “Is something wrong?”

  “Have you told Cara the truth yet?”

  “I’ve been meaning to, but…” Vince shrugged. “I’m afraid I’ll lose her.”

  “The longer you put if off, the harder it will be,” Brenna said. “Believe me, I know.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t told her.”

  “Her father already did,” Brenna reminded him, “but she didn’t believe it. Maybe she just doesn’t want to believe it.”

  Unable to think of a suitable reply, he remained silent.

  Brenna regarded him curiously for a moment. “You’re different from the rest of us, aren’t you? Roshan says it’s because Mara brought you across. He said you aren’t trapped by the Dark Sleep, and you don’t seem overwhelmed by the need for blood, the way most new vampires are.”

  Vince shrugged. “Sometimes I don’t feel like a vampire, either, but I’m vampire enough to know I can’t live with my family and expect them not to notice the changes in me.”

  “I want you to promise me that you’ll tell Cara the truth before things go any further between you,” Brenna said, and then paused, her eyes narrowing. “Things have already gone too far, haven’t they?”

  “You’ll have to ask Cara about that,” Vince said.

  Brenna shook her head. “You’re going to break her heart; you know that, don’t you?” She blew out a sigh. “At least you can’t get her pregnant.” Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep, calming breath. “I want to thank you for your help tonight, and…”

  She turned as the door opened and Cara stepped out on the porch. “What’s going on out here?” she asked, looking from Vince to her mother.

  “Nothing, dear, I was just thanking Vince for his help.”

  “And you had to come out here for that?”

  “Didn’t anyone ever tell you what happened to the curious cat?” Vince asked, tweaking her nose. “Anyway, it’s late and I should go.”

  Drawing Cara into his arms, he kissed her; mindful that her mother was watching, he didn’t make the kiss as long or as deep as he would have liked.

  “Sweet dreams, darlin’.” He gave her a quick hug and a wink before letting her go.

  With a nod in Brenna’s direction, Vince descended the porch stairs.

  He paused a moment, and then he walked the perimeter of the grounds before settling down in the shadows to keep watch until the sun came up.

  The creature wandered aimlessly through the night, its mind as dark as the sky overhead. Now and then it saw something that looked fleetingly familiar, but before he could make sense of it, the memory was gone.

  Keeping to the shadows, the creature lumbered up one street and down another until it came to a large house located on a hill. A high wrought-iron fence surrounded the yard. No lights shone in the windows.

  The creature stood there for a long time. There was something oddly familiar about the house, something that drew it up the hill, through the gate, and up the stairs to the front porch.

  Chapter 35

  Cara slept late Sunday morning, but that was only to be expected, she thought, after the horrors of the night before.

  Rising, she pulled on a fluffy pink robe, stepped into a pair of furry pink slippers, and opened the French doors that led to the balcony, only then realizing that it was raining. She stood there for a few minutes, listening to the rain and the thunder, watching as lightning streaked across the lowering sky. She had always loved storms and loved the rain, as long as she didn’t have to drive in it.

  After closing the doors, she left her bedroom, glad that she didn’t have to go to work. In the hallway, she paused outside her parents’ room. Remembering her mother’s words the night before, she wondered where her father had gone to rest where he wouldn’t be disturbed. Was it somewhere in the house? Had her mother gone to join him there?

  She reached for the door, her hand closing around the knob; then, with a shake of her head, she went downstairs. She had never violated her parents’ privacy; she wouldn’t start now.

  She found Di Giorgio in the kitchen, the Sunday paper spread out on the table. He looked up when Cara entered the room.

  “Morning, Miss DeLongpre.”

  “Good morning, Frank. Have you been awake all night?”

  “I caught a few winks on the sofa.”

  “Oh, I was just going to make some breakfast. Would you like…” Her voice trailed off when she happened to glance at the morning headline.

  FIRE DESTROYS ABANDONED BUILDING BODY OF UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN FOUND INSIDE FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED

  Leaning over Frank’s shoulder, she quickly read the story, which stated that the fire department suspected arson and the police department suspected murder. At present, the police had no leads and no suspects.

  Cara stared at Frank, her mother’s words echoing in her mind: Someone should burn that horrible place down, Brenna had said. And Frank had replied, Maybe someone will.

  “You did it, didn’t you?” Cara said. “You burned down the lab.”

  Di Giorgio looked up at her, his face impassive. “Who, me?”

  “Yes, you.”

  Di Giorgio tapped on the newspaper. “No leads,” he said with a sly grin. “No suspects.”

  Cara shook her head. She should be appalled by what he had done but all she felt was relief that she would never see that lab again, coupled with a faint sense of sadness for Anton. His mother had died a horrible death, her body burned beyond recognition in the fire. Of course, Cara thought, there was no one to blame for Serafina’s death except Serafina. For a moment, the horror of all that had happened flashed through her mind: the mind-numbing fear of being strapped to a metal table, her concern for her father, the sharp prick of the needle as Serafina drew her blood, the icy terror that had chilled her to the marrow of her bones when Anthony Loken’s body rose from the coffin…

  She shook off the memories. What was done was done, and she was glad the building was gone. She hoped the city would level whatever was left of it.

  “So, Frank, would you like something to eat?”

  “Sure.”

  “French t
oast and bacon okay?”

  “Anything you want to fix is fine with me.” He reached for the coffee cup on the table. “You got any plans for today?”

  “Not really.” Opening the refrigerator, Cara took out a carton of eggs and the bacon and placed them on the counter, then she pulled a frying pan from the cupboard. “Although I might go out later and see if Vince is home.”

  “I’ll be driving you anywhere you want to go today.”

  Out of habit, she started to insist she didn’t need a babysitter, but the words died unspoken. After last night, she was lucky to have Frank around. In fact, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to go anywhere alone again.

  After breakfast, she went upstairs to shower and dress, and then Di Giorgio drove her over to Vince’s garage, but the place was locked up tight.

  Disappointed, she asked Frank to take her back to her parents’ house. After walking her to the door and seeing her safely inside, he told her he was going to his place for a quick shower and a change of clothes.

  “Don’t be running off without me,” he warned. “Your folks will have my hide if anything happens to you.”

  “Don’t worry,” Cara said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Anton woke with a start. Disoriented for a moment, he glanced at his surroundings, relieved to find that he was at home. Apparently, he had fallen asleep on the sofa.

  Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair. He’d had the most horrible nightmare. He shuddered at the memory. His father had been terrorizing the city and his mother’s burned body had been at his father’s side. It had been like every horrible zombie movie he had ever seen. The two of them had had him backed into a corner, their skeletal hands reaching for his throat, when he woke up.

  Rising, he went into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face. Leaving the bathroom, he paused outside his mother’s bedroom. She had never let him into her room, insisting she liked her privacy. Well, she wasn’t there to stop him now. It took only a moment to force the lock.

  Stepping inside, he hit the light switch, then glanced around, wondering what she’d had to hide. He saw nothing out of the ordinary: a double bed with a flowered comforter, a pair of nightstands, a lamp with a fancy shade, a six-drawer dresser littered with yellowed newspaper clippings. He wondered how many times she had read the story about his father’s death.

  Moving farther into the room, he went to her closet and opened the door. Her dresses took up one side; the other was filled with men’s clothing—all new, with the price tags still in place.

  Going into his mother’s bathroom, he opened the medicine cabinet, where he found an assortment of men’s toiletries.

  Regret burned deep in his soul. His mother had been certain her incantation would work. And it would have, he thought, his anger rising, except for DeLongpre’s daughter. But for her, his father and mother might be here with him now.

  Anton clenched his hands at his sides as he remembered how it had been, growing up without a father, listening to other guys talk about playing football with their dads and going camping and hunting and fishing. Their fathers had taught them how to drive and mow the yard and bait a hook. Their dads were there to cheer them on at Little League games. Other boys had fathers they could talk to about things that a guy couldn’t discuss with his mother.

  Anton sighed. He had never had a father, and now his mother was gone, too, and it was all that tramp Cara DeLongpre’s fault.

  Going back into his mother’s bedroom, he stood there a moment and then, not certain why, he went to his mother’s dresser and opened the drawers one by one. The right side was filled with his mother’s under-things. The left side held neatly folded T-shirts, shorts, and handkerchiefs intended for his father. It occurred to Anton that it all belonged to him now: the house, the cars, and the contents of the house. He picked up one of the T-shirts, then rummaged through the others, noting that there were a variety of colors—red, navy, green, and black. Under the last shirt he found a wand wrapped in a sheet of tissue paper.

  It wasn’t his mother’s, and it wasn’t his.

  Curious, Anton picked it up and felt a faint vibration of latent power flow from the wood up his arm. He ran his fingertips over the satin finish, knowing it must have belonged to his father.

  Taking the wand with him, he left his mother’s room. Now that Cara’s parents knew who he was, it was unlikely that he would ever be able to get close to her again.

  Frowning thoughtfully, Anton ran his thumb over the wand. If he could find a way to control the creature, he might be able to avenge his mother’s death before sending the creature back where it belonged.

  Going down to the basement, he began rummaging through his mother’s spell books, searching for an incantation that would enable him to control the creature inhabiting his father’s body.

  Vince woke late in the afternoon to find Cat sitting on his chest. “What do you want?” he muttered irritably. “Go on, get out of here.”

  Cat yawned, displaying sharp white teeth, then, tail sticking straight up in the air, he padded to the edge of the mattress where he sat down and began washing his face.

  With a shake of his head, Vince sat up. He had kept watch outside the DeLongpre’s house last night until the rising of the sun had forced him to seek shelter.

  As always, his first waking thought was for Cara. Drawing on his preternatural power, he concentrated on her and after a moment, as if there was a tangible link between them, he knew she was at home and that she was thinking of him.

  Vince smiled, pleased that he had apparently mastered a new vampire skill. If it wasn’t just a fluke, it meant that he would always be able to find her. Thinking of what Brenna had said to him the night before, he decided maybe that wasn’t such a good thing after all. If he was going to sever his ties with Cara, it would be better if the break was clean and permanent.

  Damn! How was he going to tell her the truth after all this time? Would she hate him for waiting so long, or simply for being what he was? And yet, why should she hate him? She loved her parents. He tried to tell himself there was no difference, but, of course, there was.

  For a man who had resigned himself to spending the rest of his existence alone, he had fallen hard and fast. Damn and double damn. He never should have come back here. Nothing had changed. He couldn’t just walk out on her without a word this time, not when he had promised her that he would see her today, even though that would probably be easier on both of them. He would see her tonight, he thought, and then he would never see her again. He shook his head, thinking he had promised himself the same thing only a short time ago.

  He swore softly, remembering how Cara had looked with that baby in her arms, the light in her eyes when she had talked about having a big family. Leaving her again would be like ripping the heart from his chest, but he loved her too much to ask her to give up a normal life and the family she longed for and deserved.

  Cara stood in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing her hair. She had spent the day cleaning house, not that there was much to clean. Her parents were very tidy people. Still, dusting, vacuuming, mopping the floors, and washing her few dishes had kept her busy. Changing the sheets on her bed had made her think of Vince. It seemed like years since they had last made love. She had clutched her pillow to her chest, closed her eyes, and imagined that he was there with her, that his hands were caressing her, that his mouth was hungrily kissing her, that he was lowering her to the mattress, his body covering hers…

  In the midst of her daydream, he had called to say hello. Hearing his voice had put a smile on her face, a glow in her heart, and a flush of embarrassment on her cheeks. Thank goodness he couldn’t read her mind! She smiled at the memory as she pulled the brush through her hair.

  “My, my, what put that smile on your face?”

  Cara turned to see her mother standing in the doorway. “Mom! You startled me.”

  “I’m sorry, dear. You’re not planning to go out, are you?”

  Cara n
odded. “Vince called a little while ago. He’s picking me up in twenty minutes.”

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “I’m just going over to Vince’s for a few hours.”

  “Why don’t the two of you stay here?”

  Cara turned back to the mirror, a faint blush warming her cheeks. How could she tell her mother she wanted to be alone with Vince, that she wanted to curl up in his arms and stay there forever?

  But no words were necessary. “I see,” Brenna said quietly.

  “Have you heard from Dad?” Cara asked, hoping to change the subject.

  “No, but he’s fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just do. Cara, please don’t go out tonight.”

  “Mom, I’ll be fine. Frank will…”

  “Frank was there when Anton kidnapped you, remember?”

  “Are you saying you think I’m in danger with Vince?”

  “No, of course not. Do I need to remind you that that creature is still out there, and so is Anton? Both of them are dangerous.”

  Cara bit down on the inside corner of her lower lip. Her mother was right, of course. As much as she wanted to be alone with Vince, going out suddenly seemed foolish.

  “I’ll stay in my room if you and Vince want some time alone,” Brenna offered, thinking it might be wise for her to be nearby. If Vince chose tonight to tell Cara the truth, her daughter might need consoling later.

  Cara blew out a sigh. “All right, we’ll stay here.”

  “You promise?”

  “I promise, Mom.”

  Relieved, Brenna gave her daughter a hug. “Call me if you need me,” she said, and left the room.

  Cara stared after her mother. What an odd thing to say, she thought, and then forgot all about it when she heard the doorbell ring.

  Hurrying down the stairs, Cara looked through the peephole before opening the door, felt her heart somersault inside her breast when she saw Vince standing on the porch.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly.

  “Hi yourself. Are you ready?”

  “I’m afraid I can’t go. I promised my mom I’d stay in tonight.”