“Seems like a long time ago,” Tessa murmured. “I wish Andrei would get back here.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. You really do love him, don’t you?” Jilly’s voice held a note of wonder. “Even though he’s, you know, not human?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Assuming there comes a day when the vampire problem is resolved, do you see the two of you getting married? Settling down? What about kids? He probably can’t have any, can he?”
“I don’t have answers to any of your questions, Jilly. All I know is that I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Jilly shook her head. “You’ve got it bad, girlfriend. You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you? I mean, you wouldn’t let him turn you? Tell me you wouldn’t.”
Tessa stared into her cup.
“Tessa?”
“He suggested it earlier tonight. He said if I was a vampire, the fledglings would probably stop coming after me.”
“Probably?”
“Well, there are no guarantees in life, you know,” Tessa said, repeating what Andrei had said earlier.
“So you are thinking about it?”
“Sort of,” Tessa said, choosing her words carefully. “I mean, it just seems like the easiest solution to everything.”
She wouldn’t have to worry about getting older when he never would. She wouldn’t have to worry about getting sick and becoming a burden to him. On the other hand, she would have to give up so much—all her favorite foods. Her job. Being able to go for a walk on a sunny day, going to church on Easter morning. Getting a tan in the summer. And what about a family? Since vampires couldn’t reproduce, she would never have children of her own. And what about her parents? What would they think?
“Would we still be able to be friends?” Jilly asked, her expression doubtful. “Or would you always be thinking about biting me?”
“I don’t know about the biting part, but I hope we’ll always be friends.”
Jilly nodded, then smothered a yawn.
“It’s late. Why don’t you go to bed?” Tessa suggested.
“Will you be all right?”
“Yeah. I think I’ll go wait for Andrei in my room.”
“Okay.”
Tessa bid Luke good night, hugged Bailey, then went into her room and closed the door. After changing into her nightgown, she brushed her teeth, then sat on the bed, her back against the headboard, wondering what was taking Andrei so long.
* * *
“You sent the three of them, didn’t you?” Andrei glared at Katerina. She sat on an elegant Louis XV armchair upholstered in burgundy silk, her back rigid, her expression icy. He couldn’t help thinking she looked every inch the queen she had always wanted to be. “Why?”
“My reasons are my own. I would have shared my thoughts with you, once upon a time. That time has passed. You are no longer welcome in my home. Begone.”
Andrei stared at her, his eyes narrowed. “So, we’re through with this charade?”
“I had hoped to rekindle the passion between us,” she said, her tone glacial. “I’ve come to realize that is impossible.”
“It always was,” he retorted, his voice as frosty as her own. “One word of caution. Leave Tessa and her friends alone. If you harm any of them, I will hunt you down and I will destroy you.”
Chin lifted defiantly, she glowered at him. “You may try.” Her power filled the room, skittering over his skin like the fingers of doom.
Andrei smiled inwardly. She was not as indomitable as she would have him believe. In spite of her haughty expression and bold words, he had seen the barest hint of fear reflected in the depths of her eyes.
* * *
Andrei found Tessa in her room, staring off into space. She smiled when he appeared on the bed beside her.
“You were gone so long, I was beginning to worry,” she said.
“No need.”
“Where were you?”
“After I disposed of the bodies, I went to see Katerina.”
“Oh.”
“We’re through.”
Tessa stared at him wide-eyed. “Really? No more playing house?”
He nodded. “I guess she realized my heart wasn’t in it. Listen,” he said, taking her hands in his, “I want to try a little experiment tomorrow.”
“What kind of experiment?”
“We’ve been going on the assumption that Madame Murga was right, and that your blood makes fledglings stronger, that it enhances their powers, because it added a little kick to mine.”
“So?”
“Hell, what if she made it all up? What if she’s wrong? What if it doesn’t work the same on every vampire?” He paused, his brow furrowed. “What if it makes some stronger and weakens others?”
“What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know. Just a hunch. We need to learn more about exactly what your blood can do.”
“We know it healed you.”
“Yes, but at first I didn’t think your blood had any other effect on me. I’m starting to believe I was wrong. Katerina used to be a lot more powerful than I am. But that’s not true anymore. I can feel the difference, and I think she can, too.”
“So, this experiment? What does it entail?”
“I want to use you as bait to lure four or five fledglings. When I have them under control, I’ll give a couple of them a little of your blood and see what happens.”
“You want me to let them bite me?” Good grief, that was almost as revolting as the idea of letting him turn her.
“Of course not. I’ll use a syringe to extract it and then have them drink it.”
“I don’t know . . .” Was there no end to this nightmare?
“It’s up to you, of course,” he said, squeezing her hands.
“How’s that going to help keep other vampires away from me?”
“I need to see what kind of reaction they have to your blood. If it doesn’t actually strengthen them, word that it failed will spread through the vampire population pretty fast.”
“And if it does?”
He shrugged. “We’ll see if we can come up with a Plan C.”
And if not, she thought, they were back to Plan A—turning her into a vampire. Plan B was definitely the lesser of two evils.
“All right,” Tessa agreed with a sigh. “I’ll do it. When?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
When Tessa awoke in the morning, Andrei rested beside her. He had never stayed all night with her before. Always, in the past, he had been gone when she woke. For a moment, she lay there, studying him. In the movies, vampires always looked pale and dead at rest, but he looked the same as always—amazingly handsome and all too sexy. The sheet was pooled around his hips, offering a tantalizing glimpse of his broad shoulders and bare chest. Did he dream? If so, what did he dream of?
“What do you think?” His voice, as deep as ten feet down, slid over her senses like liquid heat, settling in the deepest part of her being.
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was.” His lips twitched in a wicked grin. “Your lustful thoughts woke me.”
“You stayed the night.”
He gazed at her, one brow arched in inquiry. “Would you rather I had left?”
“No. Won’t you kiss me good morning?”
“My pleasure.” His hand curled around her nape, drawing her closer.
His kiss sent a shiver of delight down her spine. “I could get used to this.”
“Then we should do it again,” he murmured.
Desire unfolded inside her like a flower opening to the sun. He turned on his side, his arm drawing her closer so that her body was aligned intimately with his. She sucked in a deep breath when his hand slid under her sleep shirt to stroke her bare skin.
Andrei paused. “Do you want me to stop?”
“No,” she said, her voice husky, “but I think we’d better.”
“I was afraid you’d
say that.”
She grinned when her alarm went off. “Saved by the bell,” she muttered as she rolled over to turn it off.
Andrei loosed a heavy sigh.
“I’m sorry,” Tessa said, “but Jilly and I decided to go to work today. I was wondering if you’d be willing to spend the day in my office. You don’t have to if you don’t . . .”
He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her soundly. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
She sat up, her eyes widening with feminine appreciation when—clad in nothing but a pair of black briefs—he rose and padded into the bathroom. She almost hated to see the door close behind him.
Moments later, the shower came on. She had no trouble at all imagining him in the stall, his broad chest and flat belly covered in soapy water.
With a shake of her head, she pulled on her robe and went to see about breakfast.
* * *
On her way into the kitchen, Tessa noted that the front door had been repaired. Jilly, Luke, and Bailey were already there—Bailey making waffles, Jilly pouring coffee. Luke sat at the table, the morning paper spread before him. Andrei appeared a few minutes later, his hair still damp from his shower.
“There was another killing last night,” Luke remarked grimly. “Some homeless guy going through a Dumpster found the woman’s body.”
Tessa noticed that no one asked if the body had been drained of blood. Like everyone else, she assumed that, if Luke had mentioned it, it was a vampire kill.
“Luke, I want you to stay here with Bailey today,” Andrei said. “I’m going to work with Tessa and Jileen. The fledglings won’t be out and about until nightfall, but Katerina . . . You never can tell. I don’t think she’d be stupid enough to try anything in a crowded workplace in broad daylight. But I wouldn’t bet on it. And that’s why I’ll be there.”
* * *
Tessa glanced at the fall decorations that adorned the lobby of Milo and Max. Pumpkins and sheaves of Indian corn made a colorful display on one of the tables. Life-size mannequins in Pilgrim garb flanked the entrance.
“Thanksgiving is Thursday, isn’t it?” Tessa remarked as she followed Jilly through the revolving door.
“I think I mentioned that last week,” Jilly reminded her as they headed toward the elevators.
“I know. It’s just hard to think about celebrating the holidays when people are being found in Dumpsters, drained of blood.”
“I know. You’re right. I’ve just always loved Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe we could plan a small celebration for the four of us.”
Tessa glanced over her shoulder at Andrei.
“The five of us,” Jilly amended.
Andrei shook his head. “I don’t want to ruin your holiday.”
“Don’t be silly,” Tessa said. “You have to come. You’re practically family.”
“In that case,” he said, smiling, “I’ll bring the wine.”
* * *
Sitting at her computer, Tessa tried not to think about the experiment Andrei had mentioned the night before, but she couldn’t put it out of her mind. Tonight, he’d said. He wanted to do it tonight.
Change your mind?
It was disconcerting, hearing his voice when she couldn’t see him. But she knew he was in her office. She could sense his presence, knew he was sitting in the chair across from her desk, even though no one could see him.
“No, I haven’t,” she whispered. “I’m just not looking forward to it.”
You’ll be fine.
“I know. Be quiet now. Mr. Ambrose is coming.”
Somehow, she made it through the day and the drive home, and even managed to eat a little dinner.
Her heart was pounding like a bass drum when, hours later, Andrei drove them to the next town.
“Just walk down the street as if you’re on your way home from a date or a late movie,” he told her. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Tessa nodded. Nerves strung tight, she took a firm hold on her courage and strolled down the street, pausing now and then to glance into one of the store windows.
When she reached the end of the block, she crossed the street and started back the other way.
By the time she reached the point where they had left Andrei’s car, she decided it had been a waste of time.
“Not at all,” Andrei said, materializing beside her. “I’ve got five fledglings locked up at my place.”
“Your place?”
He grinned at her. “Don’t you want to see where I live?”
* * *
Tessa stared at the big, old house. The outside—a weathered gray—was in desperate need of a coat of paint, but the house itself looked sound. Funny, she had never noticed the place before. Had Andrei put some kind of spell on it to make it invisible to passersby?
She gasped when she stepped inside. The living room was large enough to hold her whole condo with space left over. The walls were papered in a navy-and-gray stripe, the floors polished wood. She wasn’t much of a connoisseur of furniture but she would have bet her 401K that all the furnishings in the room were antiques. And gorgeous ones at that.
“Would you like to see the rest?” he asked.
She nodded, eyes wide with wonder as he took her through the rest of the house. Every room was furnished with exquisite antiques in a variety of woods—oak and walnut, cherry and ebony.
The kitchen was the only room not furnished. No table. No refrigerator or stove. No dishwasher or microwave. But then, he really didn’t need any appliances.
In the library, Tessa noticed a small cherrywood secretary with a drop-down writing desk on one side and three glass-fronted shelves on the other. She fell in love with it immediately.
“You like it?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful.”
“It’s yours.”
“I’m sure I can’t afford it,” she said, remembering that he sold furniture for a living.
Drawing her into his arms, he kissed her lightly. “I’m sure you can.”
“Where do you sleep?” Tessa asked. The bedrooms upstairs were furnished, but none of the beds—whether brass, sleigh, or Victorian—included a mattress. All the closets were empty.
“My lair is in the basement.”
“Oh?”
He regarded her a moment, then took her by the hand and led her through a narrow door that had been painted to look like part of the wall. It opened onto an equally narrow staircase that led to the basement. Lights came on when they reached the bottom of the steps.
“Oh, Andrei, it’s lovely.”
And so it was. A thick burgundy-colored carpet covered the floor. A dozen paintings adorned the beige walls. A king-size bed with a walnut headboard and a matching wardrobe dominated the room. A comfortable-looking chair and footstool stood in one corner, a bookcase crammed with paperbacks in the other.
Andrei slid his arm around her waist. “I’ve never brought anyone else here.”
The thought pleased her beyond measure.
“Now to business,” he said.
“What? Oh.” The vampires, she thought, shuddering.
“It won’t take long.”
“Where are they?”
Gesturing for her to follow, he led her back upstairs, through the kitchen, and out the rear entrance.
The backyard was large and empty save for what looked like a small storage shed. When he unlocked the door, she saw that it wasn’t a shed, but a cage. Three men and two women huddled inside, their hands shackled to one of the bars over their heads.
“The restraints are made of silver,” Andrei remarked. “It renders them powerless.”
The vampires paid him no attention. As one, they stared, unblinking, at Tessa. One of the males hissed at her and she took an involuntary step backward. They all appeared to be in their early twenties or thirties. Just looking at them, so close, was frightening. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that, if it were pos
sible, they would attack her without mercy. And yet she couldn’t help feeling sorry for them. They had been turned in the prime of life, all hope of a normal future—of home and family—forever lost.
“Are you ready, Tess?” Andrei asked, pulling a syringe from his coat pocket.
“Not really.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
She lifted her head defiantly. “Yes, I do.” If this would stop these creatures from hunting her, it would be worth it. She removed her jacket, tried to roll up her shirtsleeve, but her hand was shaking so badly, she couldn’t manage it.
Andrei did it for her. “Look at me,” he said.
She felt his power move over her, a pleasant tingle; a moment later, the needle was filled with her blood. She hadn’t felt a thing.
Andrei filled three shot glasses—pulled from another coat pocket—and offered them to two of the men and one of the women. “Drink.”
They didn’t hesitate.
The two who hadn’t been given anything watched with blatant envy as the other three drained the glasses and licked the drops that were left.
“Why didn’t you give it to all of them?” Tessa asked.
“We need witnesses.”
“Oh, right. You mentioned that before. What if nothing . . . ?”
“Happens? I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Andrei said as all three of the vampires went limp, held upright only by their restraints.
The other two vampires stared at them in horror.
“What happened?” the male demanded, face dark with anger. “You poisoned her blood, didn’t you?”
Andrei shook his head. “You saw me draw it from the woman. I didn’t alter it in any way. If you don’t believe me, I’ll let you drink from her directly.”
Tessa stared at Andrei. Was he serious?
The vampire shook his head. “No way, man.”
“What are you going to do with us?” the female asked.
“I’m going to let you go,” Andrei said. “And you’re going to spread the word that this woman’s blood is deadly to all but the ancients. And I want you to tell the vampires here in town to leave. Tonight. If I find any of them here tomorrow, I’ll destroy them. That includes the two of you.” He glanced from one to the other. “Understood?”