Authors: Lisa Rayns
“What exactly are you saying, Tina?” I asked suspiciously.
“He’s asked me to marry him and…be Coty’s mother.”
“He doesn’t know you very well, does he?” I snickered.
She frowned, appearing hurt by my response. “He knows me better than anyone,” she insisted.
I stared at Tina and wondered if an alien being had taken over her body. “After one night?”
She nodded. “He’s very perceptive. You don’t know what my life is like. When men see my face, that’s all they care about. Yeah, I act easy, and they buy me things but it
is
all an act. Armando sees that. He thinks I’m beautiful inside.”
When a tear came to her eye, I straightened, perplexed by the person who looked like my cousin. “Did you say yes?”
Her eyes ballooned, and her face heated with a light red hue. “Are you kidding me? Who could turn down a man like that? He’s so…perfect! I really do love him.”
“And you’re ready to become a mother?”
“I don’t know about that, but you should hear the way he talks about Coty. He makes me want to wrap the boy up in my arms and keep him forever.”
I didn’t buy it. “This is a real child, Tina. Once he gets attached, you won’t be able to just change your mind and move on.”
“I know that,” she said seriously. “You’ve always had a family, Elizabeth, and I admit I’ve been jealous of that. My parents divorced when I was born, and I’ve felt abandoned my whole life. This is my chance to have a real family.” A new spark of purpose appeared in her eyes. They seemed softer, kinder.
I felt dumbfounded. Had one night with Armando completely transformed her into…a real person? After a deep breath, I smiled at her and held out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Elizabeth and this is Candy.”
Tina laughed and shook my hand. “You know, Candy, knowing what you do gives your name a whole new meaning.”
Candy curtseyed. “You see, Milady, I was made for this job.”
A wave of laughter filled the room as we laughed like three old college buddies.
After our showers, Candy and I met in the kitchen wearing T-shirt and jeans. Tina waltzed in in a fancy red dress––the flirty type I’d worn when I wanted to make Draven jealous. She smiled brightly when she sat down at the table to eat with us.
“So why do you stay in a haunted house?” Tina asked nonchalantly.
“I was only kidding about the ghosts, Tina.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. It’s haunted and your ghost wants you dead.”
Candy and I both turned to stare at her.
“What?” I exasperated, feeling uneasy.
“Yeah. I had a few hours to try to sleep after the boys left, but her voice kept suggesting that I kill you. Is that freaky or what?”
“What exactly did the voice say?” Candy asked.
“She kept repeating, ‘kill her, she’s not good enough for him.’”
I dropped my fork, my heart quickening as Krista’s dream came back to me.
“You’re not good enough for him,”
the smooth female voice had said. I shook my head and buried it in my hands, wincing at the memory of the stabbing. Again, I tasted the blood in my mouth and started to gag.
Tina laid a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dear Cousin, I told her to fuck off, of course.”
For once, she didn’t use sarcasm when she called my by the pet name, and I could hear that she actually meant it; I was dear to her because we were family. I smiled at the gesture but didn’t feel reassured. History was trying to repeat itself, and if I died again, this time Draven would die too. I had to get to the mansion to do whatever it was Lissa wanted me to do.
I watched the time tick by as the girls finished their breakfast and cleaned up. Impatience built inside of me until I thought I’d implode.
When will you be back?
I finally thought.
I need to go to the mansion.
“As soon as we can. His surrogate had gone missing and we just found her…she’s dead, I’m afraid. She took her own life.”
Gasping, my eyes widened.
Is Armando all right?
“He is upset,”
Draven continued,
“and he wants to make the arrangements to ensure she gets a proper burial.”
Whenever you get here is fine. Tell him…I’m so sorry.
“I will. I love you.”
I love you too with all my soul.
Candy went to work in her room while Tina babbled excitedly about Armando, Coty, and the wonderful life they would have. I didn’t tell her about the surrogate. If she were going to be my sister-in-law, I thought it best to let Armando handle that how ever he saw fit.
At sunset, the vampires finally came down the stairs, and I ran into Draven’s arms, hugging him like he’d been gone for an eternity. I hugged Armando too and whispered how sorry I was. He thanked me and smiled before he took Tina into an embrace. He whispered into her ear, and when Tina’s eyes filled with horror, I knew he’d been honest with her.
“Let’s give them a minute,” Draven said, leading me into the kitchen. “Did you want to go to the mansion now?”
I gazed sadly toward the living room and shook my head. “I better wait to make sure she’s okay.”
“You are so compassionate.” He smiled before his lips met mine.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I returned his kiss until I felt pleasantly content. “Did Krista ever say anything about ghosts? I mean, was she being haunted?”
That pained look gathered on his face as he closed his eyes. “No. She heard voices but they were in her head. She knew that.”
My mind tossed his words around while I grabbed a soda from the fridge.
If they were in her head, how had I heard them in the dream? I’d only been a bystander.
“Where is this coming from?” he asked suspiciously. “What happened?”
Tina heard a voice this morning, and it wanted her to kill me. Maybe it is a ghost, Draven.
I couldn’t say the words out loud, considering how crazy they sounded but if vampires were real, why couldn’t ghosts be?
“Will she harm you?” he asked gravely.
“Tina? No.”
“Let’s go to the mansion anyway.”
“All right. Just let me check on them.”
“Sit down,” Tina yelped, her eyes aglow when we walked into the room. “Armando was just about to tell me how he became a vampire!”
Even though the two had apparently worked through the death and were feeling better, I found myself too interested to leave so I pulled Draven down beside me on the other leather sofa. He didn’t object.
“It happened a year before I turned Draven. I wasn’t exactly a church-going boy back then so when a beautiful woman asked me to her home, I accepted. After she had her fun, she held me down and sucked the life out of my neck. She was surprisingly strong for a woman. As I lay there dying, she fed me her own blood out of her wrist. I didn’t tell anyone, of course, but it was a very confusing time for me. I hadn’t yet come to grips with outliving my family, and I felt alone it the world.”
“A woman?” Draven asked apprehensively.
“Yes. A woman who takes what she wants, regardless of the consequences. I believe you know her as Anna.”
“Who’s Anna?” I asked.
Draven looked at me uneasily for a moment and then stood. “You wanted to go to the mansion, didn’t you?”
“No,” I insisted, shaking my head. “I want to know who Anna is.”
“Me too,” Tina said.
After an irritated glance at his brother, Draven sat and pulled me close to him. “Armando and I met Anna in Argentina. She was a worldly woman who fancied impressionable young men. I went on one date with her before I ever met you, and she was rude to everyone we encountered. She hung around, and I tolerated her until I met you.” He kissed my forehead before he turned to Armando. “I, however, did not know she was a vampire.”
“Was she upset…when you broke it off?”
“Hardly,” Armando interjected. “She was your…Alicia’s bridesmaid.”
“Oh!” I exclaimed, remembering the two women in the room with Alicia. “Was she blonde?”
“How did you know?” Armando asked.
“She was beautiful enough to be a vampire.”
Tina beamed. “Does that mean I’m beautiful enough to be a vampire?”
“Of course you are,” Armando insisted, leaning over to kiss her. Lust flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to forget the conversation and the other people in the room.
I shook my head and hugged Draven. “I’m ready––”
When a guitar solo interrupted me, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. Unknown caller. Frowning and wanting to get away from the make out session, I stepped into my room beside the fireplace and closed the door. “Hello.”
“My God, Elizabeth! Are you all right?” a frantic male voice asked.
“I’m fine. Who is this?”
“I can’t believe you’ve survived. Did that vampire hurt you? I’ve been searching for you for over a week. I’ve been worried sick!” he said with a familiar yet fake French accent.
“Ben?”
“Yes, it’s me. Not to worry though, I’ll be there shortly.”
Alarm seeped into my skin, and my pulse sped up. “Be where?”
“Beware of what? I’m well prepared for that fiend, I can assure you.”
I shook my head nervously. “No, I mean, you’ll be where shortly?”
“Your home in South Dakota.”
Dropping the phone, I threw open my door to warn the vampires but no one remained in the room. I took the steps two at a time and luckily found Draven peering out the attic window. “You and Armando have to get somewhere safe!”
Draven turned to me gravely. “It’s too late, Elizabeth.”
“No!” I ran to the window, finding no sign of a vampire hunter. When he took me into his arms, I realized he wasn’t talking about Ben. “What is it? What’s happened?”
Draven let out a defeated sigh. “I believe the Elder’s have called for Armando.”
“No. This can’t be happening! We have to stop it. We can’t let them take him!” Panic gripped me when he hugged me as though he were saying goodbye.
“Shhh. You have to listen to me now, Elizabeth.” He put his hands on my cheeks and pulled my face to his, calming me instantly. “Candy has your access to everything. If something happens to me, it’s all yours. She’ll take care of you.”
“What do you mean if something happens to you?” I demanded, my body instantly paralyzed with a fear that grew stronger when he didn’t answer right away. “What do you mean if something happens to you? Draven!”
He closed his eyes, his face shadowed with regret. “I don’t know but I was there when Armando revealed himself so I am just as guilty as my brother. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“No!” I denied his words, but tears started to fall uncontrollably. “We can teleport out of here right now. We can leave. They can’t teleport. We could…”
“No. I must stand with my brother or he won’t have a chance.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you saying there’s a chance?”
“Small, but nothing is set in stone. They may take us now and let us go. Maybe if we explain––”
“You can’t leave me now,” I interrupted. “You promised!” I regretted saying it the instant I saw the pain in his eyes. My chest ached because I knew I couldn’t take it back.
“Forgive me, Elizabeth. This is beyond my control.” He gave me one last kiss before he closed his eyes and disappeared.
Out the window, a black limousine rolled into the yard, and Draven appeared on the step. Terrified by the sudden absence of his touch, I raced outside and wrapped my arms around him. I couldn’t let go.
By the time I made it down the steps and outside, three large men stood in the yard, each dressed in black suits like they were on their way to a funeral. One, a redhead, stood away from the car as if he were in charge while the other two, a blond and brunette, held Armando’s arms behind his back near the door of the limo. Everyone’s attention, however, was on the woman yelling at the top of her lungs.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing with him?”
“Is this vampire your husband, ma’am?”
“Not yet! Why?” Tina demanded.
When the redhead nodded, the blond stabbed Armando in the stomach with a metal bar. He went unconscious, and then they shoved him into the car and shut the door.
“Draven Blackrayne has a bounty on his head, and as of now, you may consider him in our custody.”
“He’s not Draven!” she screamed.
“I am,” Draven said. “If it’s me you want, let him go, but tell me, who holds this bounty?”
“Draven!” the redhead called with delight as he moved to hold out a hand, “and is this lovely woman your wife?”
“She is my fiancée,” he answered suspiciously, not taking the offered hand.
The man smiled and nodded to his brutes who started toward Draven.
“No!” I screamed, burying my head in Draven’s chest.
Draven wrapped an arm around me and began pleading in my head.
“Once I find out what this is about, I’ll fix it, and I’ll come back to you. Please, don’t try to find me, Elizabeth. It’s too dangerous. Promise me that you won’t. Elizabeth, promise me!”