Only, after Uriel returned to his angelic form, he’d brought her back—still as a vampire. Lucky her.
That painful experience wasn’t something she wanted to repeat in a hurry, but she’d do anything to save her brother.
Vasilli had dressed in black pants and short-sleeved shirt with a white priest’s collar tonight. His eyes were sharp, but she wasn’t fooled. Deception lay behind their crafty depths. He put one foot on the first step, with a hand on his hip. “I would have thought, given the mess your brother is in right now, you’d be a little kinder to me. He could lose his job.”
For a second, she thought that meant Vasilli knew Regent had gone missing, but she sensed he didn’t.
She narrowed her gaze on him, standing there all smug and righteous on her doorstep. “That could only happen if the Church actually knew he was here,” she said, forcing Vasilli to tell the truth about her brother’s assignment.
Vasilli’s eyes widened in shock for two seconds before he covered his expression with disdain. “What exactly are you referring to?”
“The fact that Regent is here for reasons we haven’t figured out yet, although we are sure the Church didn’t send him. Why don’t you just tell us and save us the trouble?”
He held a hand in the air as if to stop her comments. “Have you lost your mind, Vandermire?”
“Have you lost your cowardice?” she said, letting her eyes darken and her teeth grow while she approached him. Practically nose-to-nose, she stared deeply into his now watering eyes.
In a dangerous move, both of his hands flew up between them. He would have actually tried to shove her away if Britt hadn’t yanked him off the step and out of her face.
“Don’t do anything foolish, Vasilli. It’s not like you to grow a backbone,” he said.
Cardinal Vasilli hissed out an irritated breath. “I don’t understand why you people are saying such derogatory things about me. I saved that angel from hell itself. You’d think he’d be grateful. You’d think you’d be happy I asked you to help.”
“Let’s get something straight,” Britt said. “We’re not fools. And you’re not going to pull any more scams on us, so why don’t you just slip back under the rock you slithered out from. We’re not interested.”
Vasilli ripped his arm from Britt’s hold and adjusted his collar. “You’ll come creeping back to me for help before this is over. If Father Vandermire ends up in trouble again, there’ll be no one to protect him. He’ll be in grave danger, and neither of you will be able to help him.”
Jess’s blood froze in her veins. “You did this, didn’t you? For some self-serving, dirty-dealing reason, you want Regent out of the way.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you think that’ll benefit you in any way, you’re wrong. Because if anything happens to my brother, I’ll come for you and I won’t leave you with that smug look on your face. You won’t even have a face!”
“What do you mean, if anything happens to him?”
Damn it, she’d given too much away in her anger.
She turned and finished mounting the stairs without looking back. She’d attack the bastard if he as much as smirked at her. Britt followed. It gave her great satisfaction to see Vasilli’s confused expression just before Britt slammed the door shut and locked Vasilli out.
“Between the two of us, Vasilli is the evil one,” she said, the minute they got inside. “And did you see the look on his face when I called him on the fact that the Church doesn’t know Regent is here? He’s the one who orchestrated Regent’s time in Paris; I’d bet my last breath on it.”
“I agree. His reaction could mean nothing else,” Britt said. “But why would he do it? It doesn’t make sense. Especially since this is our last month in the city and it’s the first time he’s shown his face.” Britt fisted his hand and looked at his knuckles. “And, unless he’s a better actor than I’d peg him for, it appears he knows nothing about Regent’s disappearance. If he’s not involved, then who is?”
Jess dropped onto the sofa and put her head in her hands. “I just want Regent and Sampson out of danger. Even if I have to force Regent to leave Paris, we’re going home the minute we find him.”
When the doorbell rang ten minutes later, Jess said, “If that’s Vasilli again, I’m going to make him sorry for being such a prime pain in the ass.”
Britt started toward the intercom, but before he could press the button, Jess beat him to it. “Get lost!” she growled.
“That’s a nice welcome,” Vlad said through the com, his voice highlighting his irritation. “I thought you’d want to hear how things went tonight?”
“Wrong person. Come in,” she said, clicking another button for the front door to open.
Vlad entered, dressed in a suit and tie and looking every bit the lawyer, in a vampire sense. “Who did you think I was, by the way?”
“A jerk named Vasilli,” Britt said through clenched teeth.
“Cardinal Vasilli?” Vlad asked. “Why would he come here?”
“We have a bit of a history with the man,” Jess said. “It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, he can’t be trusted.”
“You can say that again. He has his nose everywhere it shouldn’t be. I don’t know what he’s up to, but it seems that the olde ones are keen to have him around.”
“What did you say?” Jess could barely breathe. “He’s involved with the olde vampires? How long has this been going on?”
“So long that I’m not even sure when it started.”
Britt blew out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“No, that’s me,” Jess said.
Britt looked confused.
“The damned one?” she said. “Never mind, bad timing for a bit of dark humor.”
“Better than the humor I got on the intercom,” Vlad said, obviously trying to lighten the mood as well.
Jess went to the nearest chair and sat before her legs gave out. “Now, I’m really worried.”
Vlad and Britt sat opposite her. Vlad leaned forward. “First things first,” he said. “One of my teams found a vehicle that might have held your brother and Sampson. It was abandoned on a side street.” He looked directly at Jess. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but there was blood on the back seat. A lot of it.”
She slumped back against the headrest while the room spun out of control. “Oh no.” This was her worst nightmare. She’d been out all night searching for him, but when it got close to stasis time, she’d had no choice but to come home. Short of beating the information out of Morana, she’d been stymied. If anything happened to Regent because Morana wouldn’t talk, she’d hunt her down, sister or not. The only thing holding her together right now was the fact that she felt that Regent was alive. She had a strong sense that he was alive.
“Hold on. It wasn’t Regent’s blood. It might have belonged to Dr. Case,” Vlad said.
“How do you know that?” Jess asked.
“I had it tested against yours, actually,” he said.
She hoped Vlad had been wrong. She couldn’t lose Sampson, either. He was part of her family. Jess scowled at Vlad after she realized what he’d just said. “How is it you have a sample of my blood?”
He shrugged. “I took some when you were injured in the vampire trap. I wanted to know your lineage.”
“And?”
He shrugged and looked guilty. “I couldn’t find anything.”
Her shoulders sagged. “Sampson will be interested to hear that—if he survives.” She paused. “There’s something else, Vlad. Britt and I believe Regent is here in Paris under false pretenses. He’s been doing some minor work with the Church, even helped with the demon uprising, but we’re pretty sure the Vatican isn’t aware that he’s even left New York,” Jess said, hoping she wasn’t putting her brother at more risk by s
haring this information.
“How could he do Church work without the Vatican knowing?” Vlad asked.
“Especially exorcisms?” Britt added.
“Wait a minute—I think there might be a way to prove that the Vatican is unaware of Regent being in Paris,” Jess said. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of it before.
“And that would be?” Vlad asked.
“To prove that his replacement in New York is a plant. A fake.”
Britt sat straighter. “Let’s call him.”
“It wouldn’t work because he met both of us before Regent went to Paris. He’d recognize our voices. But—” She turned slowly to Vlad. “He doesn’t know your voice, Vlad. Have you got your cell phone with you?”
He nodded.
“Will you call him and ask for Regent?” Jess asked. “He won’t recognize your phone number, either, though he might be suspicious about the area code.”
“I’m not sure what it’ll prove, or how it’ll help Regent right now, but if you really want to know, what’s the number?”
Jess wrote it down quickly on a pad of paper on the table next to her. She ripped off the sheet and handed it to Vlad. “Call this number and ask to speak to Father Vandermire. See if they’ll tell you where he is.” Hopefully the fake priest wouldn’t notice the phone number.
Vlad dialed, put the cell on speaker, and waited. “St. Eugenia’s,” a voice said. “How may I help you?”
“May I speak to Father Vandermire?”
“Speaking,” the man at the other end said.
“Is this Father Regent Vandermire?” he asked in a pretty good American accent.
“In the flesh,” the man said, doing a fairly credible job at mimicking Regent’s voice.
“I’m glad to hear it’s you, Father. I’ve been out of the country and wanted to come to services on Sunday . . .”
“Wonderful, my son, we’ll welcome you back with open arms.”
“I heard a rumor you weren’t there, so I thought I’d call. I particularly enjoy your sermons.”
“Yes, well, unfortunately I’m on sabbatical, working on my PhD. I think, however, you’ll enjoy the sermon by our substitute priest in the meantime.”
“Thank you for the information, and I wish you good luck with your studies,” Vlad said, then hung up.
Jess dropped back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. “I figured it was true, but now that it’s been proven, I have even more questions. Regent has been manipulated from day one—they wanted him in Paris. But why?”
“I’m sure you’ll both find out, but the first thing on our agenda is to make sure Regent’s safe. If we get a ransom call, what kind of money can you put forward?” Vlad asked.
“You think he’s been kidnapped for ransom?” she said hopefully.
His expression told her he wasn’t optimistic about that. He was just trying to ease her fears. “It’s the best-case scenario.”
“I’ll give everything I have,” she said. “And that’s a considerable amount.”
He held up a hand to stop her from saying an amount. “For now, let’s hope they don’t ask for more than a million dollars. Could you come up with that amount?”
“Yes,” Jess said without having to consider it for a second.
Vlad tipped his head slightly. “I know it’s none of my business, but I’m curious. How’d you make your money as a cop in New York?”
“I’m a whiz at investments,” she said. “For many years I had nothing better to do than watch the stock markets. After I got the job as a cop, I continued to dabble with my portfolio. Luckily, I bought into internet and technology stocks when they were very new and very cheap.”
“Good to know that you have the reserves in case we need them to keep Regent and Sampson safe.”
“Why didn’t Veronique come with you?”
“She’s gone back to the precinct to try and find out if they’ll let her inside. They should have the video feed from the Louvre at the very least. Maybe it’ll help us figure out who took your brother.”
“Isn’t that dangerous for her? Especially since they’re not legitimate cops?”
A worried expression crossed his usual stoic features. “It is. But she’s a strong woman, and I’m not about to tell her not to do it.”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you, Vlad.” She’d just crossed a threshold with him. “I see why Veronique is in love with you,” she said.
Vlad froze, his eyes widened. “We’re together, but let’s face it no human can love a vampire.”
Vampires could be so thick when it came to human emotions. “Okay, maybe I read her wrong.”
But he didn’t look convinced. She’d obviously told him something he hadn’t even considered, and now he was looking happy, yet terrified. She knew that feeling.
“But I’m a vampire and she’s a cop.”
Jess jabbed a thumb at herself, then Britt, who slid next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” Britt said. “And Vlad, don’t worry, we won’t say a word to Veronique.”
Vlad looked relieved. “Thanks.”
“What’s our next step in finding Regent?” Jess asked, feeling the weight of the impending rising sun on her body. Vlad would have to leave soon, too.
Vlad rubbed the back of his neck while considering her question. “First and foremost, we have to discover just how they were set up at the Louvre. There had to be several levels of people willing to lie in order for their disappearance to go so smoothly. Good thing someone managed to leak the closed-circuit camera info to the media, otherwise we’d have no idea what had happened.”
“Wait a minute,” Jess said. “I forgot to tell you about Regent’s friend at the Louvre. His name is Gaston Breau. If anyone leaked the video feed, it might have been him. He might be a resource for us, if they didn’t get to him, too.” She slapped her forehead. “Why didn’t I think of him before this!” Just then Jess’s watch buzzed. It was nearly dawn.
“You have to go,” she said, pointing at her watch. “Please keep us informed, and Vlad?”
He stopped at the front door and looked back at her.
“Watch your back. If you’re helping us, you’re probably putting yourself in danger, too.”
He laughed. “I’ve always had to watch my back, Jess. Just let them try to come at me.”
The door shut, and he was gone.
REGENT SAT ON the metal bed in the tiny room with his back to the wall. He could only see Sampson in the cell across the hall if he got up and looked through the tiny square of a window in his door, and then, only if Sampson looked through his window at the same time. If they were being saved, why were they in cells?
Regent hadn’t had a chance to talk to Sampson since they’d been taken by Boyer, then raced through the city. Then again, they’d been hanging on for dear life, and hadn’t had time for much discussion.
When a key grated in his cell door, Regent sat still. He didn’t want anyone to think he’d be aggressive, though he could be, if he had to be. Priest or not, he’d killed his own share of vampires in his younger days.
The door squeaked open, and Gaston Breau stepped inside. “Regent, how are you doing?” he asked.
“Gaston! How’d you get here?”
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Gaston said, shutting the door behind him.
“I’ve been better,” Regent said. “And safe? I’m in a cell. What’s going on, Gaston? Why are you here? Have you come to get us out?”
Gaston sat beside him on the hard bench-style bed in the prison cell. He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not as bad as it seems, Father. For now, as long as you’re here, you should be okay. You are being protected. When we met, I was actually ch
arged to keep an eye on you and keep you safe.”
“You set me up? You’re a spy?” Regent’s gut clenched, and his hands clasped in denial.
“It wasn’t like that, my friend. I was sent to help you, in whatever way I could.”
Regent stood and paced to the tiny window in his door. Sampson watched them from his cell. He looked awful.
The only thing Regent could do to make Sampson feel better was raise his thumb in an all’s-well sign.
Hopefully, Sampson would be less panicked. He was pale, and Regent had the feeling being trapped in a tiny room had something to do with it—not to mention his serious injuries.
“Sampson needs a doctor, Gaston. He’s been seriously injured and has lost a lot of blood.”
Gaston nodded as if he knew that fact.
“Do something, Gaston. He needs help. He’s your friend, too!”
Gaston swallowed hard. “My boss knows what’s going on and will come as soon as he can. He is only able to be here for a few hours each night,” he said.
“Your boss? Who is your boss?” Regent looked around the room. “Don’t tell me these cells belong to the Louvre?”
“No, of course not. You are currently safe from those vampires who mean to kill you. Don’t you see? This is the best place for you.”
“It’s not the best place for Sampson if you let him bleed out without getting him help!” Regent said in anger.
“We have no choice but to wait. It won’t be long now.” Gaston stood to leave, and it was obvious he meant to leave Regent locked inside.
“I trusted you with my deepest secrets. Is this how you repay me? With treachery?”
Graves of Retribution Page 20
