Authors: Lina Gardiner
He smiled at her stiffly, turned and, snatching the phone from his employee, stalked off, no longer trying to hide his irritation.
"I thought he'd never leave,” she said and slid off the bar stool. “Catch you two later."
Jarrod sputtered but didn't get a cohesive word out before she was out of his range. Jess grinned. He was such a straight arrow.
Public washrooms were down a hall toward the back of the building. That gave her an excuse to explore. She found three office doors locked with electronic key codes. That alone, was enough to pique her already escalating curiosity about Mr. Vaslov's business and his interest in her and NYC's finest.
She could easily rip the doors open and break the locks but decided against it. She'd come back after the club closed and take a really good look.
Slipping through the rear exit door, she found herself in a garbage strewn alley. She wrinkled her nose. Sometimes, having superior olfactory senses didn't pay off. Especially at times like this.
A scuffling noise near the end of the alley gained her attention.
"A pleasure to see you again, Jess."
Startled by the unexpected voice, she grabbed for her dagger, tucked into a sheath in the small of her back. What the hell? Her dagger wasn't there. She always had it with her.
With feet balanced for attack and her arms extended, she scanned the alley for the unseen bearer of the voice. It would be an understatement to say she was pissed that she had let someone get this close—again. Proof that she wasn't quite right tonight.
Then, without warning, a wave of dizziness sped through her. She reached out and grabbed the side of the nearest Dumpster. With waves of nausea twisting her insides and the world tilting, she finally saw someone standing on the opposite side of the alley.
She blinked and tried to focus. Not a vampire as far as she could tell, but then her senses weren't working very well. No way could she be sure what species he belonged to. Vampire or mortal?
"Do we know each other?” There was something not quite right about his features. His skin had an unnatural sheen. The color was off, and his facial features barely moved when he spoke.
"I've waited a long time for this,” he said. Even though his tone remained casual, there was an underlying terseness that gave his true emotions away.
She took several deep breaths and tried to shake the weird feelings catapulting through her. She was a vampire, for God's sake. She never got dizzy, or queasy.
What if getting too close physically to Britt had made her weak? After all, she'd had the dream when they were in bed. If only they'd had enough time to make love before she'd gone into stasis. Britt had wanted her to stay. Wanted to be with her when she woke up. Staying with him had proven how much she trusted him and loved him. At least it should have—before she tried to drain him of his precious blood. It couldn't happen again.
"You shouldn't be nasty to me, Jess, especially after all we've meant to each other,” the strange person said.
Jess laughed, hoping it would make him angry. “If you know what's good for you you'll piss off, right now.” She worked up as much strength as she could muster and pushed herself off the Dumpster, straightened her back and walked toward him, projecting an image of strong vampire.
Another wave of dizziness wormed through her. After fifty years of perfect health she was at a disadvantage. Unable to stop herself, she moaned and felt the earth tilt again.
Dear God, it wasn't possible for her to pass out!
Everything went black.
An hour later, when Britt got home from his meeting with Sampson, he pulled Jess's dagger out of the evidence bag and turned it over in his hands. How the hell had it surfaced at a crime scene? And why hadn't Jess noticed it missing? She never went anywhere without it.
If she found out about her dagger being discovered beneath a victim, there'd be no dissuading her from believing she killed that woman. Especially since she was sure she must have slipped out of his apartment when she had the nightmare.
A dull ache began to build behind his eyeballs. His cell phone rang and he grabbed it off his belt. “Lieutenant Brittain speaking."
"Britt, it's me, Regent. Can you come to the Rectory immediately?"
It seemed someone was always phoning him with bad news lately, and by the tone in Regent's voice, this call was no different. “What's up, Regent?"
"Something's wrong with Jess. I'm not sure how to handle it by myself. She needs you here right away. After all, you're her protector now."
Jess had never agreed to Britt being her protector, but it wasn't the time to quibble with her distraught brother. “What's going on? Is Jess okay?"
"I think so. But, Britt, there's something you should know before you get here.” Regent sucked in a shaky breath. “She's unconscious."
Already halfway down the hall and jogging towards his car, Britt yelled, “Unconscious?” His blood began pumping in his ears. “How could that happen? Another vampire?"
"I'm not sure. There are no marks on her."
"I didn't think vampires could pass out without a reason.” A reason like being burned with holy water. Britt cringed when he remembered how badly he'd inadvertently burned Jess once.
"Neither did I,” Regent said.
Those words terrified Britt. Regent had stood by Jess for fifty years. He'd been her protector, and he understood her condition more than anyone, except Jess, herself. “I'm on my way."
"Right.” Regent hesitated. “One other thing, Britt. When Jess comes to, don't tell her I called you.” He hung up.
Britt slapped the siren onto the roof of his car and nearly broke the sound barrier on the way to Saint Eugenia. He slammed the brakes on at the Rectory and tore inside as if the hounds of hell were after him. He didn't bother to knock but made straight for Regent's office. They'd be there. It was their safe place.
As he opened the office door, he saw Regent leaning over Jess on the settee. Dear God! Was Regent delivering last rights?
The old priest twisted around when Britt barreled into the room.
"Oh, hi, Britt. What a coincidence that you stopped by right now,” Regent said trying to sound surprised by Britt's entrance, but failing miserably. Thank God, Jess's eyes were open, even if she was scowling at Regent.
"Jess isn't feeling very well,” Regent continued. “I found her unconscious on the couch in my office a few minutes ago. She woke up shortly after. I've been able to get a little sustenance into her to help her come around."
Jess held an empty packet of blood the size of a frozen ice treat in one hand. She shakily ran the other one over her hair. “She's also in the room so you can stop talking about me as if I'm not here."
Britt's heart tightened painfully. He'd never seen her look so physically weak, but she still had the capacity to crank up his interior thermostat and set his libido on overdrive with just one look. From the sable hair dusting her shoulders, to her beautiful ivory skin and blood red lips, she made his insides twist with a mere glance.
"Oh for Lord's sake, you two. Will you stop looking at me as if I'm about to turn into a pile of dust? I'm fine,” she said.
Regent sighed. “She's as cantankerous as ever, if that's any sign.” He didn't smile, but the relief in his faded, old eyes told Britt what he wanted to know. Jess would be okay. If anyone could judge that, Regent could.
As soon as Regent moved, Britt sat on the end of the couch near Jess's feet. She instantly pulled her legs up so she wouldn't touch him. He clenched his teeth. Obviously, she still hadn't forgiven him and he couldn't blame her. He'd acted like an idiot when he thought she'd bitten him.
"How'd you say I got here, Regent?” Jess asked.
Concern etched Regent's forehead and his worried gaze flicked to Britt. “I don't know. I found you lying on the couch a few minutes ago."
Jess pushed herself up as if she'd had enough of being under the weather, only this time her lips drained of their color, and her pallor got worse.
"Forget pretending you're okay, Jess. Lie back down before you pass out again,” Britt said.
"I do not pass out. I'm a vampire, for God's sake."
"Yeah, I know, but even hard-asses have times when they have to listen to others. Regent, do you think we should call Sampson? Have him come over and take a look at Jess?"
Regent sucked in a loud breath. “Sampson! Of course. I should have thought of him right away."
Jess frowned. “Okay, this is ridiculous. I do
not
need a doctor."
Regent held up a hand and she stopped her rant mid-sentence. “Jess, I think Britt's right, but I'll go along with your wishes. Just be warned, if you don't want Sampson, I consider it my responsibility to make up something to help you. A drink or a poultice? I have no idea how to make up a concoction for this situation, since it has never happened before, but maybe something for you to drink would be best?” He tapped one finger on his upper lip pensively, then began to rummage in a drawer in the corner cabinet.
"Oh God.” She slapped her hands on her forehead and cast Britt an urgent, pleading look. “Call Sampson quick, Britt, before Regent makes me take one of his vile concoctions that do absolutely nothing but make me gag.” She made a face. “And, I might add, it takes a lot to make a vampire gag."
Regent shut the cupboard and moved to the phone. “Shall I phone him then?"
She crossed her arms and scowled at her brother. “Okay, you win. I'd rather have him treating me with modern medicine than have you devise something from your stash of dried up leaves and powders."
Regent laughed. “Now, Jess, you know they help sometimes. I'll admit the process is hit and miss."
Even though she rolled her eyes, there was a hint of amusement shining in their depths.
Since she appeared to be in a better mood, Britt asked, “What happened? Were you attacked?"
Jess heaved a sigh. “Wish I could tell you. Thing is, I have no idea."
Regent stopped dialing and the room went silent for several seconds. “You're kidding, right?"
"Even though it's virtually impossible, I think I blacked out. I can't remember anything after stepping into the alley outside the Dragon's Lair Club.” She tipped her head as if in thought. “I vaguely remember that someone else was there and they spoke to me."
Britt's spine locked. “Who?"
Jess shrugged. “I really don't know. I couldn't tell. All I know is I felt funny. Since that's not something I've experienced in many decades it threw me off. He might've been a vampire, but my vampire senses didn't seem to be working either, so I really didn't pick anything up from him."
"That's worse than hearing that you fainted.” Regent forgot about the phone and dropped into his chair. He leaned forward, elbows on his old oak desk and stared at a picture of the Virgin Mary on the wall. His eyes closed and it was evident he was saying a silent prayer.
"Still think my bad dream was a good thing? Ever since I had that damned dream, things have been going from terrible to worse,” she said.
Britt reached over and took her hand before she had a chance to pull it away. “We're going to get to the bottom of this, but for now, I'm sticking as close to you as I can—whether you like it or not."
"You've got one thing right. I don't like it.” Her voice rasped over him in a way that made him shiver.
She did some amazing things with her voice. She hadn't lost
that
ability, though he preferred it when she made him shiver with longing rather than fill him with the sense of cold dread she'd once inflicted on him. Once was enough. He hoped never to experience it again.
No way would he let her know that she'd chilled him to the core. Instead he smiled at her and pretended to be unaffected.
Her eyes darkened in preparation of transforming into a vampire. She did that sometimes to try to drive him away, to show him the hard and scary truth behind her vampirism. Problem with that, he loved her both ways, so she'd be wasting precious energy.
It was apparent the unfinished effort tired her. Her irises lightened again and she looked at her watch. “You're going to be late for your training session, Lieutenant."
Damn, he'd completely forgotten about the new recruits. And even though he'd rather make them wait, Jess would never stand for that.
Jess always thought being a vampire was the worst possible thing that could have happened to her, until she realized being a weak powerless vampire was much, much worse.
Would it do her any good to dwell on the fact that she had no idea how she'd gotten home, or what she'd done in between? Probably not, because the thought terrified her.
"What are we going to do, Regent?” She watched her elderly baby brother mull over their situation. He was her rock, her salvation, and she loved him as dearly as he loved her.
"Well, I phoned Sampson just before Britt left. He's coming right over. Let him do a few tests, and see what he can come up with. In the meantime, I suggest we both add extra prayers onto our regimen to keep you strong."
"Good idea."
"Jess.” Regent hesitated. “I don't mean to scare you, but there's something else I've been thinking. What if whatever's happening to you is the natural progression of your vampirism?"
Her eyebrows knit together. Since she was one of a kind, no one knew what course her vampirism would take. Even though Jess and her partner James, had been partially saved by her brother's prayers, Jess's gift had been greater. No other vampire could go out in the sunlight. It took preparation and prayers but she had abilities far beyond those of her dark brethren. Even James's salvation had left him unable to go out in the sunlight. “Is that why you called Britt tonight?"
Regent stared at her anxiously. “What else could I do? He's your protector and you needed him here."
"No, you're my protector, Regent."
Regent looked worried—and he looked tired. Jess wanted to curse. She should've been thinking about her brother's welfare more than her own.
"He loves you, Jess. He'll protect you whether you give him the title or not."