“Always stay near Camden. He will protect you. You are the most precious thing in my world, and THE DAY YOU WERE BORN was the best day of my life.”
Why was that one statement all in capital letters when the rest wasn’t?
Is there something that I’m not seeing?
“Got some info on the guy we were scoping out at the club the other night,” Camden said, breaking the silence.
Rayne glanced up at him, her eyebrows furrowed in question. “Really? How?”
He kept his eyes on the road. “I had Connor follow him. Looks like they’re holed up in a warehouse by the docks on Red River.”
Rayne nodded as if the location meant something. “So what do we do about it?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’m going to have Paul and Connor check it out tonight, see what they come up with.”
Rayne nodded. It didn’t seem like anything to get too hopeful over, but at least it was something. Maybe they were one step closer.
They pulled up outside of an antique-looking bank in the heart of downtown Alexandria. Camden grabbed his shades and fixed the collar on his leather jacket before coming around to open the door for Rayne.
“Ok. You’re going to have to fill me in on the leather jackets. Is there some vampire club you’re privy to? I’ve only seen vampires wear them.”
He glanced around. “Extra protection from the sun. If the blood wears off, it will protect us just enough to increase our chances of getting to shelter.”
She nodded. That made sense. What better way to protect skin than with another layer of what once was skin, even it was of the animal type?
With her driver’s license, the note, and the key tucked securely into her pocket, they entered the bank and cautiously glanced around. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just people milling about and workers moving here and there busily.
Rayne approached the counter with Camden just a few steps behind her, and the clerk smiled warmly at them.
“How can I help you today?” she asked cheerfully.
Rayne produced her ID and the key from her pocket. “I need to access my safe deposit box.”
The blonde-haired woman smiled and took the items from her. She typed a few things into her computer, and her expression changed as she read the screen. “Ms. Slade,” she said almost nervously as she handed the items back to her. “Let me get my supervisor and he will escort you to your box.”
Rayne tucked them back into her pocket and nodded. She glanced up at Camden with a questioning look.
“I know. I saw it too,” he said quietly.
It was but a few seconds before a tall, intimidating male in a finely-pressed suit approached them and extended his hand. He was smoothly shaven with a thick head of black hair, styled perfectly. “Ms. Slade!” he said excitedly. “Such a pleasure to meet you. I’m Gerald Mixon, the manager.”
She smiled and firmly shook his hand. “Thank you.”
Gerald turned and motioned for her to follow him, but stopped as he saw Camden.
“I’m sorry Ms. Slade. Only the holder of the box is allowed to access it. Your friend will have to wait here.”
She gave a nervous glance to Camden, who nodded and moved to take a seat in one of the cushiony chairs placed around the lobby of the bank. “I’ll be here,” he said reassuringly.
Rayne nodded and allowed him to lead her down a hall off the lobby, through a series of locked doors and a security guard. They finally stopped in a large room that was floor to ceiling with filing-cabinet-style drawers, each one with a lock and numbers.
Mr. Mixon made his way around the room, searching the numbers until he found the one he sought. “Aha! Here we go!” he said, and pulled a key from his pocket.
The front of the drawer had two keyholes. He placed his key in one and extended his hand to her. “May I see your key please?”
She handed it to him and watched as he placed it inside the other. He turned both at once and opened the drawer just enough to pull out his key. He handed the other back to Rayne. “I will be right outside the door. The box will lock automatically once it’s closed. Just let me know when you are finished,” he said with a smile, and then left the room.
Rayne stared at the drawer almost nervously. She had no idea what to expect or what she might find inside. A sense of excitement flooded her and she stepped forward to open it the remainder of the way.
There, nestled snuggly in the drawer, was a small wooden box, and on the front was a combination lock. She pulled it out and stared.
A combination…How am I supposed to know what the numbers are?
After what felt like a lifetime of staring at the dial, it hit her. She dug in her pocket and pulled out the note she’d found inside the book.
“THE DAY YOU WERE BORN was the best day of my life…”
She stared at the lock.
That couldn’t be it…Could it?
She began turning the dial.
Two…ten…eighty-nine…
She heard a clicking noise, and the lock fell open.
Rayne could only stare at the wooden box in disbelief before she snapped out of it and slowly opened the lid. Inside was another folded piece of paper and a large, bulging manila envelope. She carefully unfolded the paper and began to read.
Rayne,
I knew that you would figure it out! I am so proud of the woman that you have become, and I only wish that I could have met you for myself.
I will get right to the point. There is more to this whole ordeal than anyone could have ever imagined. It is not just your life that is in danger, but quite possibly the world as we know it.
The only information that I can give you is the name and address listed below. Be warned, this person will not be happy to see you, and it will be difficult to get any information from him, but please be patient and do not take no for an answer.
This will be my last note to you. There is more that I wish I could tell you, but I cannot risk the information falling into the wrong hands. A part of me hopes that you never figure it out, because then, it will be too late.
I love you Rayne, with all my heart. Take care of Camden. He may be a very old vampire, but remember, he was once human, too.
With all my love,
Grandpa
Rayne could feel the tears begin to well up and quickly swallowed them down.
At the bottom of the paper was the name Dr. Marshall Brennan and an address in Seattle Washington. Folding the note and placing it in her pocket, she picked up the heavy envelope and peeked inside.
Her heart nearly stopped beating, and she had to blink several times to ensure she was seeing clearly. Holding her breath, she reached in and pulled out several large stacks of cash, all one-hundred-dollar bills.
She wasn’t sure what to do.
Should I take it with me
?
Leave it in case of emergency
?
Do the last few days qualify as an emergency
?
She really wished Camden was there to tell her what to do. He wasn’t, so she had to make an executive decision. Stuffing everything into the envelope, she hid it inside her jacket and closed the drawer. A few minutes later, she emerged from the room to see Gerald waiting patiently for her.
“Find everything OK?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled. “Yes, thank you.”
There was no other conversation as they made their way back to the lobby. Camden stood as soon as he saw her.
They said a quick thank you to the manager and exited the building.
“Well?” Camden asked as they climbed into his vehicle.
Rayne laughed nervously and pulled out the envelope. “Another note and a whole lot of cash.”
She gave him the note and watched as he skimmed over it all.
“What does it mean?” he asked. “Maybe Dr. Brennan is the one he was getting the treated the blood from. Maybe he’ll know what’s going on.”
She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. You know more about this than I do.” She laughed. “I’m still in the vampire history and zombies stage.”
Camden rolled his eyes and returned the note.
Rayne stared at the envelope before extending it to him.
He shook his head. “That’s yours. You keep it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what to do with all this money. You keep it.”
Camden started the car. “I have more money than I will ever need. It’s yours.”
She stared at it and nodded. She was definitely thankful for it, but this amount of money scared her. There had to be anywhere from fifty to a hundred thousand dollars in there! She’d be able to pay off everything she owed, with more than enough left over.
Camden pulled away from the bank and headed back to his house. “So, feel like a trip back to Washington?” he asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.
She nodded. It was most definitely time to see home again. She missed Layla.
Chapter 17
Rayne grabbed her carry-on bag and followed Camden down the narrow aisle of the plane. He led her up the tunnel and out into the busy Seattle airport, never letting go of her hand.
She sighed to herself as the familiar scent of her home came rushing back to her. It felt like ages since she’d seen familiar territory, and she needed it. With everything the last week had brought, she should be in mental and emotional overload. There shouldn’t be any energy left to spend tracking down whoever was trying to destroy her and possibly the rest of the world.
But she was surprisingly collected.
Even the news about vampires, zombies, and someone wanting to obliterate her, through it all, she was keeping an end in sight and holding onto herself and her sanity, however briefly. Somehow, she hadn’t completely broken down yet, and she was hoping that a short trip would be just the thing to keep her from getting to that point.
When Camden mentioned a trip back home, she’d spent the remainder of the day in utter excitement while she packed. She’d called Layla and told her to expect a visit, and her friend had been just as ecstatic.
They made their way through the crowded airport, nothing out of the ordinary or unusual catching their eyes, and arrived at a taxi waiting for them at the curb just outside the doors. She was beyond excited to be home, even if it was just for a day or two. She had to make time to see Layla on top of their visit to Dr. Brennan. There was so much to do, and she felt as though she didn’t have time to do it all. The whole trip had been quieter than she had expected, but it wasn’t as awkward as she feared.
Two nights ago, when she and Camden had their movie night, she was afraid that things would get weird between them, but it really hadn’t. He was his usual, flirty self, making advances that she continually fought off, and she was the same, reserved woman that she had been. She could tell that things were changing between the two of them, seemingly for the better. They had gotten much closer, and she found herself always longing for his presence. She knew that she was beginning to fall for him and had the distinct feeling that he might be doing the same, but she couldn’t be sure. He didn’t speak much about his feelings; he only gave small little hints and advances here and there.
There was still one problem behind it all: Camden was an immortal vampire, and she was just a normal human who one day would grow old and die. She pushed the thought from her mind as the cab turned the corner into her apartment complex.
“Home sweet home,” Camden said with a smile, looking at her from across the backseat.
She laughed. “More like dump sweet dump.”
He shook his head. “Come on now, it’s not that bad.”
Rayne gave him an incredulous look. “Really? After seeing what kind of house you live in?”
He shook his head. “A single woman doesn’t need a house as big as mine.”
She shook her head and climbed out of the car. “A single v…” she caught herself before the word came out of her mouth, “man like you doesn’t need a house like that, either.”
Camden scoffed. “Bachelor, Rayne. I’m a bachelor. Of course I need a house that big. How else am I going to impress the ladies?”
Rayne tried but failed to stop the outburst of laughter. “Trust me. You could be broke and living in a cardboard box and you still wouldn’t have any trouble getting the ‘ladies,’” she said, using her fingers in air quotes.
They approached the door to her home and he waited patiently for her to unlock it, that heart-stopping smirk of his in place. “Was that a compliment?”
Rayne laughed and let him inside, locking the door behind him. “Nope, just a mere observation.”
They both sat their things on the floor and plopped down on the couch, allowing themselves a moment to relax.
“So what’s first on the agenda?” she asked, her head reclining against her ugly, musty-smelling sofa.
Camden shrugged. “I figured you’d want to see your friend before we do anything else. Dr. Brennan doesn’t know that we’re coming, so there is no specific time for us to be there.”
Rayne nodded and pulled out her phone. She dialed Layla’s number, and it was answered on the first ring.
“Are you here? Are you home?” she asked excitedly.
“Well, hello to you too, Layla,” Rayne said with a giggle.
“Well?” she asked again.
“Yes, we just made it to my apartment.”
“OK, don’t go anywhere. I’m on my way!” Layla hung up without another word.
Rayne shoved her phone back into her pocket and shook her head.
Camden looked around her apartment for a moment before he finally broke the silence. “Well, we’re only here for tonight and headed back to Louisiana tomorrow, so if there’s anything you need to take care of here, anything you want to bring back with you, now is probably the time.”
Rayne thought for a moment, and then nodded. “I wish I knew how long I’d be away from here,” she said with a sigh.