The Trouble With Vampires

by Sands, Lynsay

  Eyebrows rising, Santo ambled calmly to the door, but then paused and gestured for Lucian to lead the way. He’d learned long ago never to turn his back on a threat, and he suspected Lucian was about to threaten him. He wasn’t surprised when, once they were on the porch, the man turned his ice-blue eyes with their fringe of silver his way, and went on the attack.

  “I do not know how it is done in Italy, but here in North America, when you turn them, you train them. You are not abandoning your life mate and flying home.”

  “I will not risk hurting her by remaining,” Santo responded, expression tightening. “And my position here was voluntary. You are not my boss and cannot order me around.”

  “But I am the head of the North American Council,” Lucian responded in a smooth, cold tone. “And as such, anything that happens in North America is under my purview.”

  “There is no law that says I have to train her,” Santo growled. “Only that I have to see that she is trained. I will arrange for her training.”

  Lucian opened his mouth to speak again, but Santo forestalled him, saying, “Do not bother threatening to kick my ass. You are only about five hundred and seventy years older than me, Lucian. Which means there is very little difference in strength between us.”

  Lucian’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he warned, “I could still have a 3-on-1 done on you, Santo. The agreement made between you, Julius, and myself was that you would allow Greg to counsel you. If you try to fly home, you are breaking that agreement.”

  Santo shifted grimly, his gaze sliding over the quiet neighborhood, and then he turned back. “I will speak to Greg before I leave. That is all I will promise, though. And I will not go near Pet in the meantime. I will not risk hurting her.”

  “One more.”

  Pet grimaced at Marguerite’s order as she tore the empty bag of blood away from her mouth and exchanged it for the full one the woman was holding out. Raising the new bag, she thrust it up quickly, relaxing a little when it slid smoothly onto her new fangs and didn’t burst and send blood flying everywhere like two of the last six bags had done.

  After Santo left, Pet had pulled on the overlarge T-shirt she’d woken up in and headed out of her room. Only to encounter Marguerite in the hall. The woman had turned her around and urged her into the bathroom for a shower, promising to bring her some clothes to wear. Pet’s shower had turned into a nice relaxing soak since the bathroom she’d found herself in didn’t have a shower. She hadn’t minded too much. She’d always loved bubble baths and Mrs. Caprelli had the loveliest smelling vanilla bubble bath. Conscious that it wasn’t hers, she’d used it sparingly, but still got a lot of bubbles from it.

  Marguerite had popped her head in while she was soaking and set a tank top, shorts, and a belt on the sink counter, and then smiled at her before disappearing again. By the time Pet had managed to drag herself out of the cooling water, she’d been starved. She’d dressed in the clothes provided, relieved to find that while the shorts were large on her, the belt helped with that, and the tank top had at least fit. She wasn’t exactly a fashion plate, but didn’t look too bad.

  Her stomach had been aching with hunger when she’d come below. It was only when she’d found Marguerite and J in the kitchen with several bags of blood in hand that she’d realized what her hunger was really for. Well, Marguerite had been holding the blood. Her big dog, J, had been lying by the table looking lazy.

  As Marguerite taught her to feed on the bagged blood, she’d explained that the men were all next door plotting their raid on Purdy’s house. Then four bags in, Julius appeared in the kitchen with the announcement that the raid was starting now, and he was to stay with them in case Dressler gave the men the slip and headed this way.

  Now Pet was waiting anxiously to hear what happened with the raid.

  “You will need to take in a lot of blood for the next little while,” Marguerite announced as she deposited the empty bag in the garbage. “Your body is still changing. In fact, you came out of the worst of the turn rather quickly.” Marguerite said that as if Pet had done something clever, when she didn’t think she’d had anything to do with it at all.

  “Perhaps it is because she is so petite,” Julius commented as he walked by the kitchen door, no doubt headed for the dining room and the window there. He’d been pacing back and forth, checking the front and then the back since returning to tell them that the raid was on.

  “Perhaps,” Marguerite allowed. “But I do not recall Livy’s turn being especially quick.”

  When Pet turned raised eyebrows to her, Marguerite explained, “Livy is Olivia. My niece, Jeanne Louise’s, stepdaughter. She was turned at four years old.”

  “Five,” Julius corrected as he walked past again, headed for the front.

  “Five,” Marguerite amended with a faint smile, and then added, “Much smaller than you.”

  “Mirabeau and Tiny just came out of Purdy’s carrying someone,” Julius announced from the front of the house. “It looks like an old man. I think it might be Purdy.”

  “Is he alive, dear?” Marguerite asked what Pet was wondering. Parker would be heartbroken if the old man died. He seemed very attached to the neighbor.

  “I believe so,” Julius answered. “Tiny is being very gentle with him. They’re putting him in one of the rental cars they drove from the airport. Probably taking him to a hospital.”

  “Probably,” Marguerite agreed as she tugged the now empty bag from Pet’s mouth. Smiling, she said, “That should be good for now. But you’ll need more before bed.”

  Pet murmured a “thank you,” and then glanced toward the doorway as Julius called out, “Decker is coming out now. He is headed this way.”

  “Then we shall soon find out what is happening,” Marguerite said with satisfaction. “That’s good.”

  Pet couldn’t agree more.

  “Haven’t you figured out the damned code for that phone yet, Zani?”

  Pet glanced up at Lucian’s impatient question, and then glanced to Santo’s cousin as he growled, “Do you know how many permutations there are for six number codes? One million,” he answered his own question. “And these phones lock up if the wrong number is entered too many times. We have to be careful.”

  Pet noted Lucian’s annoyed expression, and then turned back to the game of checkers she was playing with Marguerite. She’d suggested cards at first, but Marguerite had reminded her she could read her mind and would know what cards she held, so they’d settled for checkers instead. Pet just had to be sure she didn’t plan her moves ahead to keep it fair.

  “Santo seems to be taking a long time picking up Parker,” Pet commented as she watched Marguerite take two of her game pieces. Santo had returned to the house after helping to clean up Mr. Purdy’s place, taken one look at her, and turned around to head back out the door, muttering, “I’ll go pick up Parker.”

  On the surface, it had seemed a really sweet thing for him to do, and Pet had been grateful for it, especially since she’d forgotten all about the need to pick up her nephew from school. But Pet had a niggling worry that his performing the chore had been a handy excuse for him to avoid her. She told herself that she was being silly. Santo had told her only hours ago that she was his life mate and he wanted to spend his life with her. He’d also said that when he left, he wanted to take her with him. But for some reason, Pet had a feeling that everything had suddenly changed on that subject, and she didn’t know why.

  “They shall return shortly, I am sure,” Marguerite said, her voice soothing, and then raising her head, she gave her a sympathetic smile and added, “Everything will work out fine, Pet. You must not worry.”

  The woman’s expression and words only managed to worry Pet more. They seemed to acknowledge that there was something wrong, even if the woman thought it would work. She hesitated briefly, her gaze sliding over the pieces on the board, but rather than make a move, she glanced up to Marguerite again, and asked, “Has something happened that I should know about?�
��

  Marguerite paused, seeming to consider what she should say, and then sighed and opened her mouth to answer, only to be forestalled when Bricker suddenly stepped through the front door and said, “Hey, Pet? A taxi just pulled up next door, and a woman who looks just like you got out with a suitcase. I think your sister’s home.”

  Panic hitting her like a freight train, Pet leapt up from the table, catching the checkerboard with her hand and sending it tumbling. She didn’t even notice what she’d done or hear the clatter of the pieces crashing all over the floor as she turned in an agitated circle, her mind suddenly spinning out in several directions. The house! Was it clean, or was there evidence that more than just she and Parker had been there the last several days? None of the Enforcers were over there right now, were they? She should go over there. Would Quinn be able to tell there was something different about her? Dear God, she couldn’t go over there! Quinn would expect her to be picking up Parker. Oh, damn, she couldn’t even go over once Parker and Santo came back. Her car was at her apartment, at least she assumed it was. How was she supposed to explain how she’d picked up Parker without a car? Dammit! What was Quinn doing home? It was only Friday. She wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow. The conference—

  “Calm. Calm.”

  Pet turned to Marguerite as she finally heard that soothing word repeated.

  “There are no Enforcers at your sister’s house,” Bricker assured her, moving up to the table and eyeing her with concern.

  “And we cleaned up before we left and locked up. It’s all good,” Zani assured her.

  “Here.” The tall dark beauty named Eshe approached her suddenly and took off the reflective sunglasses that had hidden her eyes since Pet had first watched her enter the house with the other Enforcers after they’d cleaned up Mr. Purdy’s place. Turning them, the woman slid the glasses onto Pet’s face and stood back to nod her approval. “Now she will not be able to tell there is anything different about you.”

  Pet gazed into the woman’s gorgeous gold and black eyes and whispered, “Thank you.”

  “Now, just sit down and relax,” Marguerite suggested quietly. “You cannot go over there until Santo returns with Parker and then takes you both to collect your car anyway.”

  “Right,” Pet breathed, and settled back in her seat. Noticing then that the others had bent to pick up the board and pieces she’d knocked over, she started to get back up to help, only to be waved back to her seat by Marguerite.

  “We have it. Sit.”

  “You and your sister are twins?”

  Pet glanced around at that quiet question, and smiled crookedly at the woman who had spoken. Marguerite had introduced her as Jo Argeneau. The brunette was attractive, only a couple inches taller than her, and wore her brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. Pet knew she was married to the dark-haired Enforcer named Nicholas and thought they made a lovely couple. They’d both broken off the conversation they’d been having about what they’d found at the house in favor of offering her kind smiles as they’d entered, and been introduced.

  “Yes,” Pet sighed finally, as she realized she was just staring at the woman.

  “I have two older sisters, but used to wish I had a twin,” Jo told her with a grin. “Is it as awesome as they make it seem in TV shows and movies? Did the two of you switch places and stuff?”

  “Never,” Pet admitted wryly, knowing the woman was just trying to distract her, but appreciating it. “Quinn and I might look a lot alike, but personality-wise we’re polar opposites. Besides, she’s always worn her hair shorter while I prefer longer.”

  The sound of a car made them all turn toward the front window and Bricker moved over to look out before announcing, “Santo’s back with Parker. He’s driving your Toyota instead of the SUV he left in, though,” he added with surprise, before continuing, “He parked it beside the RV, and your car is lower than the hedge. I don’t think your sister will see it if she happens to look out.”

  “Right,” Marguerite said, sliding her arm around Pet and urging her toward the door. “So, you just take the keys from Santo, drive Parker next door, and act like everything is normal. Then come back here after.”

  “But don’t tell Parker his mother is home,” Eshe suggested, following them. “That way at least one of you will look surprised to see her.”

  Pet was nodding at that advice when the screen door opened and Santo ushered Parker in. Her gaze moved hungrily over the man before dropping to Parker as he suddenly rushed forward, shrieking, “Aunt Pet! You’re okay. Santo said you were, but I was so worried. You were screaming all night and I thought for sure you were dying.”

  Pet smiled down as her nephew slammed against her, his arms reaching around her upper legs to hug her. She slid her own arms around the boy and hugged him back. “I’m fine, sweetie.”

  “But, Parker, you understand that when your parents come home, you should not mention anything that happened while they were away, do you not?” Marguerite said now, eyeing the boy with concern.

  “Yeah. Santo already warned me that this was secret spy stuff and I can’t talk about it. I won’t tell,” he assured her earnestly as he let his arms drop and stepped back from Pet. He then added, “But he said I could tell her about the night the police came, and our staying here. Right?”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” Marguerite assured him.

  Nodding, Parker turned back to Pet and said, “We stopped and got your car on the way back. Santo said you’d want it, and he could pick up the SUV later.”

  “I see,” Pet said, and suspected she did. Having her car meant he didn’t have to drive her home. She’d caught the part about Santo’s picking up the SUV later. He hadn’t said he’d ride back with them to get it and wouldn’t even have to buzz her, or come up to the apartment to pick up the SUV. Forcing a smile, she said, “Well, let’s get going then, shall we?”

  “Okay,” Parker said easily, and turned to move to the door where Santo still stood. “Thank you for picking me up, Santo. I’ll see you later, okay?”

  Santo grunted and smiled at the boy, then opened the door for him to head out.

  Pet followed Parker, her eyes watching Santo, but he simply held the door and stared after Parker, not even looking at her, let alone giving her a kiss or soft word.

  Swallowing her anger at the obvious rejection, she moved past him and followed her nephew to her car.

  “I’m really glad you’re feeling better, Aunt Pet. I was worried about you,” Parker said solemnly as he did up his seat belt.

  Pet smiled, some of the tension leaving her body. “Well, thank you for worrying, but I’m fine,” she assured him as she started the engine.

  “I like Santo,” Parker announced suddenly as she backed onto the road.

  “Do you?” Pet asked grimly, and thought she used to like the big jerk too.

  “Can we—hey! Why are we going here?” Parker asked with a frown when Pet turned into his own driveway.

  “I just wanted to check and be sure everything is okay,” Pet lied as she slowed to a stop. “Grab your bag there, kiddo. We’ll take it with us in case you think of something you want to bring back to my place.”

  “Okay.” He gathered his school knapsack off the floor where he’d set it, and dragged it up onto his lap before commenting, “I can’t wait to get my license someday.”

  “I can’t wait to see your mom teach you how to drive,” Pet shot back, striving for normalcy as she turned off the engine and undid her seat belt.

  “Dad will probably teach me. He says women make terrible drivers,” Parker announced as he opened his door.

  “Does he?” Pet asked dryly, as she slid out of the car. “Well, that’s a sexist comment that you should never repeat.”

  “What’s sexist?” Parker asked as they walked toward the front porch.

  “Google it,” Pet suggested.

  “Okay. I—Mom!” Parker cried suddenly, rushing forward, and Pet glanced up to see that her sister had opene
d the front door and was smiling in greeting.

  “Hi, baby!” Quinn hugged her son close and rocked him from side to side briefly, murmuring, “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” he said at once. “But everything was normal around here, except that someone tried to break into the house the first night. But the neighbors scared him off, and the police came and we had to stay at the Caprellis’ with Marguerite and Julius because Santo was so worried about us that he broke the door, and we couldn’t stay in the house without a door. And Marguerite and Julius have a big black dog named J, but he and Mrs. Wiggles liked each other, so—oh, no!” He turned toward Pet with alarm. “I forgot Mrs. Wiggles! She’s still at the Caprellis’.”

  Dropping his book bag, he fled down the porch steps and took off across the yard.

  Twenty

  “Someone tried to break in?”

  Sighing, Pet turned toward her sister and shrugged. “Yeah. The police figured it was some perv. He was looming outside of Parker’s bedroom window when I went to check on him. I grabbed Parker and took him into the bathroom with me while I called 911. But like he said, the people staying at the Caprellis’ scared him off before the police got here.”

  “But they broke the door?” Quinn asked with concern, and turned to peer at her new door. “Dear God, I didn’t even notice this isn’t my door,” she said with amazement, and then moved forward to run a hand over the wood. “It looks good, though.”

  “Yeah. Marguerite felt bad about Santo breaking the original and had it replaced.”

  “Santo?” Quinn glanced over her shoulder with interest. “Who is he? I thought it was just Marguerite and Julius staying next door.”

  “He’s their nephew. He stopped by for a visit,” Pet murmured, moving past her and into the house in the hopes of ending the conversation.

  “Yeah?” Quinn asked, following her. “Is he as good-looking as Julius?”