He had to show up at the meeting with his daughter, the clan’s first member of the next generation. Without her, he could very well be replaced by one of his distant cousins as the presumptive heir.
More than ever, he wished he’d choked the life out of Megan Perez with his bare hands even if poisoning her with an iron supplement had been a safer choice. After all, everybody needed a certain amount of iron in their diet. Who could have guessed that a healthy chancellor would’ve had such an adverse reaction?
But instead of dying, she’d fled the city. Her parents were more angry than concerned. He’d quietly hired an investigator to dig into Megan’s life to see who she knew that might offer to help her. The file had been remarkably fat, which only emphasized how little he’d really known about her. One by one, he’d contacted her friends and coworkers, expressing his heartfelt concern, and almost gagging on the words. Most of them clearly had no idea where she was, but he was convinced at least a couple had been lying to him.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t leave a trail of dead or damaged humans and chancellors in his wake as he continued his search. Once he’d eliminated all the possibilities in her more common haunts, his search had expanded to the areas outside the city. In the end, that had led him to Rafferty O’Day’s estate. There was no indication that Megan had been in contact with her cousin Joss, but he suspected she’d grown desperate enough to risk the trip.
If she’d taken refuge here, though, he’d yet to find anyone who would admit to having seen her. Granted, Rafferty’s lax standards had attracted a lot of new residents, making it easier for a recent arrival to blend into the crowd. His gut instincts were screaming he was on the right track.
So tonight, he’d visit a few more possibilities. Being limited to the night hours was a problem, but he’d do what he could. He stopped in front of a squat, ugly building—the infirmary. Before making his approach, he watched several people walk out of the building.
Even though the new medic was a vampire, he’d set his office hours to accommodate all three species. How noble of him. It made Banan sick to see one of his own kind catering to the needs of the two substandard species. A vampire should have more dignity than to play nursemaid to humans and chancellors.
But Banan couldn’t afford to let his disdain show once he stepped through the door. He rolled his shoulders to ease the tightness that came from too many days away from the comforts of home with nothing to show for it. As ready as he’d ever be, he’d walk through the door and flash his practiced smile at the receptionist. With luck he’d be able to charm her into letting him have a peek at their record-keeping system on the pretext of seeing how it was set up.
That idea tanked as soon as he walked in the door. What was Joss Rafferty doing working at the infirmary? Charm wasn’t going to work with her.
Without looking up from what she was reading she held out stack of forms. “Here, have a seat and fill these out.”
When he didn’t immediately take them, she looked up. “Oh, Banan, sorry about that. Thought you were another patient. You’re not, are you?”
“No, I’m not.” He smiled and glanced around the crowded waiting room. “Seems like a popular place.”
She nodded. “This is only the second night the clinic has been open, so our medic has a lot of catching up to do for even the routine stuff. I’m here to help with the crush. Once we know more what the real demand is, we’ll know how to staff the clinic.”
“I was hoping to look around.” Especially in any areas they were reluctant to let him see.
One of the humans approached the desk to hand Joss his papers. “Here you go, boss lady.”
Joss grinned at the man. “Thanks, Will. It shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Tell the doc to take his time. I don’t mind sitting on my backside for a couple of hours.”
“Well, it is one of your better talents.”
Both Joss and the human laughed. Their easy familiarity was offensive. Something of his thoughts must have leaked into his expression, because Joss was staring up at him with her own dose of disapproval. It was a good thing he planned on leaving at sunset tomorrow. His welcome here was clearly coming to an end. Charm wouldn’t work with Joss, so he went for businesslike.
“I know you’re busy. Would you mind if I just poke around? If your medic has time, I’d love a chance to talk to him.”
“As long as you don’t interfere with the flow of patients.” She shot a look across the small room to where Will sat, his head tipped back and his eyes closed. “And just so you know, Banan. According to Rafferty, Will over there hasn’t missed a single day’s work in ten years except when he broke his leg saving the lives of three young vampires.”
Her fangs showed over her lower lip. “So, if the fact that I treat him as an equal and a friend offends you, too damn bad.”
A human hero. Big deal. It was only right the fool sacrifice himself for the benefit of his superiors, but now wasn’t the time to share his opinion on that subject. “If I’ve offended you, I apologize. I also promise not to get in the way while I look around.”
“Fine. The hall to the right leads to Seamus’s office and the one designated to be used for the office manager and as the record room. To the left are the exam rooms, the operating room, lab and X-ray. Seamus can tell you more about that area when he has time.”
She smiled, but it wasn’t at all friendly. “If he has time. By the way, the door past his office leads to his private quarters, which are off-limits. We respect the privacy of our friends.”
Which he took to mean humans and chancellors as well as the vampires on the estate. Yeah, he couldn’t wait to get back to his home where the stench of humanity knew its proper role in the world.
He checked out the office with Seamus Fitzhugh’s name plate taped on the door, and crookedly at that. How could the man breathe amidst such clutter? Every horizontal surface was piled high with papers and books, including the floor. The office across the hall, on the other hand, held nothing more than a desk, a chair and a couple of empty shelving units.
Once again his sense of propriety was sorely offended. Why would a vampire accept such inequity? Especially when he was in charge of the clinic. It wasn’t as if the space in the other office was being used. And what was that smell? It went way beyond the usual medicinal smell he associated with a doctor’s office.
He wandered into the manager’s office and looked around. Normally, his sense of smell told him a lot about who had been in a given area, including their species. But the acrid odor that permeated this room interfered with that. Interesting. The spill may have been accidental, but it could also have been a deliberate attempt to hide something—or someone.
There were also faint scratches along the wall, as if another piece of furniture had been there. Also very interesting.
“Oh, there you are.”
Banan whipped around to find a vampire standing just inside the doorway. “You must be the medic. I’m Banan Delaney.”
“Seamus Fitzhugh.” He immediately backed out into the hallway. “Joss said you’d like a quick look around the infirmary. I’ve got a few minutes right now, but that could change any second. It’s the nature of the business.”
Without giving Banan a chance to respond, Seamus walked away. As Banan followed him back toward the waiting room, he heard a noise coming from behind him. Or at least, he thought he had. He stood listening with his eyes closed to focus all of his attention on the locked door at the end of the hall. But all he heard was a heavy silence.
Reluctantly, he followed the medic as he considered just what it was he’d heard. It could have been nothing or it could have been the muted cry of a youngling. For the first time, his predator instincts went on full alert.
Seamus clenched his teeth and silently cursed Delaney and his whole family. There was no way Banan’s vampire hearing would’ve missed that soft cry coming from Seamus’s apartment. The damage was already done. Short of throwing the bastard out
on his ass, there wasn’t much Seamus could do but pretend it hadn’t happened and continue on with the tour.
He led the way into one of the exam rooms with the unwelcome vampire. “We have regular examination rooms, but also a fully equipped surgical suite.”
If Banan was truly interested in how Rafferty was managing his estate, it didn’t show. Right now, Banan was staring at Seamus rather than looking around.
“Do you have any questions?”
“What brought you to Rafferty’s door?”
Not exactly the question he expected Banan to ask, or maybe he should have. “The turbo, same as most of the people who come here.”
Banan’s laugh sounded forced. “Sorry, it was rude of me to ask. You’re entitled to your privacy.”
Banan trailed his fingers across the counter, picking up one of the scopes and holding it up to his eye. “What’s this for?”
As if he’d never had his ears or eyes looked at by a doctor. “To check for ear or eye infections.”
He held out his hand for the instrument. Banan handed it to him and moved on to study the chart on the wall that showed the comparative bone structure of the three species side by side. Studying medicine quickly stripped away any illusions about the nature of the three species. Although Banan probably didn’t care, only a very few differences at the DNA level separated them. Granted, those variations in genetic makeup gave vampires their superior strength, their extended lifetimes, but also their dependence on blood.
The chancellors got the strength but also inherited the humans’ ability to tolerate a wider variety of climates, not to mention daylight. Most folks thought the humans got short shrift, but Seamus wasn’t so sure. They could live anywhere, under even the most extreme conditions, including freezing cold as well as the burning heat of the midday sun.
Banan turned back toward Seamus. “How late do you plan to work tonight?”
Where was he going with that question? “Office hours officially end at midnight, but I stay until the last patient is seen. Why?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me at the O’Days’. I’m sure they’d hold the meal long enough for you to get there.”
“I wouldn’t like to impose on their hospitality.” True enough. He was having an increasingly harder time socializing with his employers.
“I’m sure they won’t mind. I’ll be leaving soon, and I’d like more time to talk to you about your plans for the clinic.”
Banan’s smile looked so sincere. If Seamus didn’t know the truth about the aristocratic vampire, he might have actually believed that the man really wanted to spend time with him. If they had met in Seamus’s prior life, they might have even been friends, but he’d like to think not. What kind of bastard tried to murder the mother of his own child?
Personal honor should count for something, especially among their kind. Their lives were too long, their memories too sharp to allow for lax morals. Even a hundred years from now, Seamus would still want to hold Banan accountable for his actions against Megan. When grudges could carry on for centuries, one had to be extra careful in the decisions that were made.
Seamus was aware that Banan was still waiting for an answer. “If they have room for me, I’d be glad to join you for dinner.”
“Perfect. I’ll talk to Joss on my way out.” Banan immediately walked away, all pretense of interest in the infirmary gone.
More than ever Seamus was convinced the vampire had heard Phoebe’s cry, and that could lead to disaster. He’d finish his rounds as expected, but then he’d have to talk to Megan. She might not like it, but she was going to have to stay in his apartment until Banan left the estate.
If somehow he planted someone to watch the infirmary to see if Megan and her daughter came out, Banan could attack before they could stop him. At the very least, if he knew Rafferty was harboring them, his influential family could cause the O’Days a great deal of trouble. Ordinarily Seamus would’ve been all for that, but not at Megan’s expense.
Once again, he found himself siding with his enemy against a common foe. Of course, as long as Rafferty and Joss thought that Seamus was firmly on their side, his ultimate betrayal would be that much sweeter.
Or so he hoped.
Three hours later Seamus let himself into his apartment. He was not looking forward to breaking the news to Megan that she was under lockdown for at least another twenty-four hours. She was likely to tear into him but good for making a decision on her behalf without consulting her first.
She was waiting in the living room. He’d hoped that she would’ve dozed off so he wouldn’t have to talk to her, but that was cowardly. Besides, she needed to know what was going on.
“Did Banan leave?”
“Yes, but I’m supposed to have dinner with him at Joss’s in a few minutes.”
“So it’s safe for us to go home now?”
“Not exactly.”
He headed for his bedroom to grab a clean shirt. Phoebe was curled up in the middle of his bed surrounded by pillows to keep her from rolling off the side. Megan had followed hard on his heels.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Even though she whispered because of Phoebe, her anger came through perfectly clear.
“I’m afraid he heard Phoebe when he was sneaking around in your office. If so, he might very well watch this place to see if you come out.”
“So I’m supposed to hide in here until you decide that it’s safe for me to leave?”
“Joss thought it was a good idea, too, especially after I told her he’d poisoned you.” Oh, yeah, that really helped. Now she’d think they were ganging up on her.
“Megan, I don’t like this any more than you do. But we can’t risk Banan finding you. If I knew a way to get you home without impacting your safety, I would do it in a heartbeat.”
“Sorry to inconvenience you so much.” She retreated to the living room.
Damn it, that’s not what he meant. “Megan, that came out wrong. I don’t want to see you hurt by him. It’s only twenty-four hours, give or take. Surely we can handle staying here together for that long. You and Phoebe can have the bedroom. I’ll take the couch when I get back.”
“Fine. You do that.”
He didn’t have time to talk her down off the emotional ledge she was on. He was holding up dinner as it was.
“We’ll talk more when I get back.”
It was hard to tell if she heard him. She was too busy closing the bedroom door in his face.
Chapter 8
The atmosphere around the dinner table had been brittle, as if the wrong word, the wrong look would’ve shattered the peace. Joss had made a valiant effort to keep the conversation rolling, but the four males had definitely failed to hold up their end of things. Finally taking pity on his hostess, Seamus had launched into a description of how his first two nights at the clinic had gone. He aimed his remarks toward Banan, but he showed remarkably little interest in anything Seamus had to say on the subject.
Considering the clinic was the reason that Seamus had been invited to dinner, the motives behind the Delaney heir’s visit to the O’Day estate were even more suspect. Judging by the hard looks Conlan shot in the vampire’s direction, the security officer had his own qualms about the vampire.
Seamus made his excuses right after dessert was served. He’d walked to dinner, wanting the chance to see if he was followed on his way back. It was an iffy proposition because of the risk of Banan offering to accompany him, especially given the vampire’s habit of roaming the estate at night. There was no way Seamus could refuse, but he’d make sure that Banan understood that Seamus was heading home to his bed.
His bed. Where right now Megan was probably curled up sleeping. Damn, that was not an image he needed in his head at the moment.
Definitely time to get moving. “Dinner was great, Joss, but I need to get back to my quarters. It’s been a long couple of days.”
Rafferty followed him out onto the porch. “Thanks for c
oming, Seamus. I was glad to hear Conlan gave you his approval, and I’ve heard great things from Joss about the job you’re doing over at the infirmary.”
“I appreciate their vote of confidence.”
“Well, I sleep better knowing you’re here for our people. We’ll still have to evac anything major, but they’ll get the right care beforehand when each minute counts. The wrong decision can cost lives.”
Yeah, there were lots of ways lives were lost when people made the wrong decisions, just like when Rafferty had broken his word to Seamus’s sister. He stepped down off the porch. “I’d better get going while I still have the energy to move.”
“I can run you home, if you’d like.”
He wanted no extra favors from his employer. “That’s all right. I can use the exercise as well as the fresh air.”
“It’s a nice night for it. Don’t be a stranger.”
Seamus walked away, forcing himself to take it slow and easy no matter how badly he wanted to put some distance between himself and Rafferty. It was getting too easy to forget that this wasn’t his real life, that Rafferty was the villain, and that being a medic where one was desperately needed wasn’t where Seamus was supposed to be.
As soon as he was out of sight of Rafferty’s house, he cut across country. He’d circle back when he reached the cover of the trees to see if Banan followed him. So far there was no sign of Delaney, but then vampires didn’t have to depend on their superior night vision. Their sense of smell worked even better when it came to tracking their prey.
Seamus strolled into the trees and stopped, breathing deeply of the earthy scents. He couldn’t remain there long, though. There was always the chance Banan wasn’t coming, but Seamus didn’t think the vampire could resist the chance to look for Megan. It was imperative that Seamus be there to keep her safe. He tried not to think about why that was.
Vampire Vendetta Page 10
