“I want it.” They were laughing as they walked around the property. “The land back here, it is rich smelling. Also, it looks as if at one time there was an expansive flower and rose garden.” He moved along the stone wall that led him to a large tree with several benches under it. “I’m sure this will be a beautiful setting come next spring.”
The two of them walked around for about half an hour. Don was tempted to break into the place just so he could make sure the inside was just as impressive as the outside. CJ pointed out that if the house was shit, they could simply build. But he had a feeling that whoever had cared so well for the land had done so with the house as well.
“We’d better get going. I was thinking of taking my nieces and Pfeiffer out to dinner. You know, to sort of have her in a place where she won’t make a scene. But that’s not going to work with her. If she’s upset, which doesn’t happen all that often, she doesn’t care who is around.” They pulled up in front of the home Pfeiffer was renting for now and were greeted by a couple of dogs coming out to see them. Shifters, she realized. Big ones that seemed to know they weren’t human and stayed back. CJ just didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just stay with them. It was much safer than living alone out here. “They were sent here by Melisandre, I’m thinking.”
As it turned out, the dogs didn’t take long to warm up to them. As they entered the house to see if they could talk to Pfeiffer, she met them in the living room with the most terrified look he’d ever seen on a woman’s face.
~*~
Pfeiffer sat down on the couch. She hated the thing, really, but it was that, or she was going to go back home. It scared her to no end that while she was looking for something to snack on before her dinner, the carrot sticks and peanut butter appeared on plates. Plates that she knew she didn’t own. Looking at CJ, she asked her to explain.
“Okay. How do you want this, Pfeiffer? Straight up or a little at a time.” She wanted it slowly but thought she’d be better off getting it right up front. At least until she was overwhelmed. She told her that. “All right. I’m not really your sister. I’m a faerie.”
Pfeiffer looked at Don, then back at CJ. After laughing just a little to let the tension she was feeling slide off her, she nodded. Then she told her what she knew.
“I’ve known that for years, CJ.” Good, she thought. She’d thrown her off if the look on her face was any indication. “I knew you weren’t my little sister when Mom and Dad came back, and you were…how should I put this? You were different. I saw you doing magical things that— Something has happened, hasn’t it? Something important, and you’ve shared some of what you have with me. That’s why there were carrot sticks on the table.”
“Yes.” CJ leaned back on the couch and looked at her. Pfeiffer took her hand into hers. “I thought for sure you were going to leave me here. That you’d be so pissed off that you’d never have anything to do with me again.”
“That would be stupid. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t my blood relative—you’re still the sister of my heart. I love you. Nothing is going to change that.” She smiled at CJ. “Tell me why I have carrot sticks.”
“You need to tell me why you’re all hung up on carrot sticks first.” Pfeiffer told her what had happened in the kitchen. “All right. That is something I didn’t know you’d be able to do. There might be more. I’m not at all sure what you might have gotten. I can make you immortal, for one thing. And the girls.”
“I know what that word means, but I have a feeling it’s something entirely different when you tell me this.” CJ told her it meant she could never be killed. By any means. “All right. And Rachel and Sally? They’ll be the same?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, Rachel is healed now and will be returning to you soon. I did that until I can talk to the three of you about being around forever. Also, the two of them will have magic.” She asked her what sort. “Think of something you’d like to have on other than what you’re wearing. Not the size or anything, just something you’d like to have.”
The dress appeared on her and fit her so well she had to touch it. The soft material made her skin feel lovely, her body nicely trimmed. When she looked down at her feet, there were heavy socks, the kind she liked to wear when she didn’t care what she had on. Looking at Don when he laughed, Pfeiffer asked him what was so funny.
“That is exactly what I pictured you in. Something beautiful yet serviceable. You and your sister have excellent tastes when it comes to clothing. Beautiful women need to be in beautiful clothing, I’ve always thought.”
Pfeiffer couldn’t remember the last time someone told her she was beautiful. Not even Robert had ever told her that. He would usually put her down for— Stopping that train of thought, she asked what else she needed to know.
“We’re going to buy you a home close to where we’re living. In fact, there is a house on the property we’re looking at that has six bedrooms, as well as a full kitchen. I don’t know why, but I’m assuming it was a butler’s home. I want you to live there so I can go and see you when I want. If it needs to be remodeled, you won’t have to worry about that either.” She asked if she was going to work for CJ. “No. Never. I want you to live a life of leisure. I want you to be able to come and go as you please and have your own life. However, like I said, I would like for you to be close to me. I need you like I need air.”
“So long as I can have furniture that doesn’t feel like I’m sitting on a bail of hay when I’m sitting in here, I’m fine with that.” She heard the dogs barking and got up to look outside. “They just showed up an hour ago. I know nothing about them, but they sure are noisy when someone is here.”
“They’re wolves. Shifters. They were sent here by Melisandre, I think.” She asked Don if he thought she might need protection. “Yes. That’s something else we need to talk to you about. The reason you need the magic too.”
The dogs were going wild, and she stood at the front window to see who they were barking at. Just as she was ready to tell the dogs to come to her, a man got out of a car. The glass shattered in the front window just as CJ took her to the floor.
“Are you hurt?” Pfeiffer just stared at her. “Are you hurt? Tell me before I have to strip you down to figure it out. Pfeiffer, please tell me you’re not—”
“I’m all right. What was that?” Don was gone, and she could hear someone screaming. She started to get up, but CJ told her to stay down, that someone else might be out there. Just as she was feeling the pain of being thrown to the floor, a little bitty person stood on her chest and asked her if she was all right. “I think so. I’m a little sore from being pushed out of the way. Are you a faerie?”
“Yes, mistress. I am at that. My name is Matt. I’ve come to be with you. I only just arrived, so I was unable to warn you because we have no connection, but I told Lady CJ, and she acted quickly.” She asked him how they could get a connection. “The usual way, my lady. I just take a wee bit of your blood, and we can talk all the time. I will warn you. I’m not one to empty my head just to hear my teeth clanking together. I will talk to you when I need to or if we’re talking, but not all the time.”
It didn’t startle her at all that there was a faerie on her chest. Nor that he had wings. She was not even that upset that what she thought had happened was that someone had shot at her. And right now, Don was out there doing something…well, she didn’t want to think about what he might be doing to the person. The cut-off screams had given her enough terrible thoughts.
While she lay there, she gave her blood to the little man. It really didn’t take all that much for him, and she didn’t need to take his. She wasn’t even sure how that would work, so she didn’t bring it up. Getting the okay to sit up, she did feel a little sore, but almost as soon as she felt the pulls to her body, they were gone. CJ was sitting on the floor with her when Don came back into the house.
“I’m assuming he’s gone.” Don no
dded and smiled at her. “Don’t tell me, please. I’m at that overwhelmed part right now, and I can’t take much more. How about we go into the kitchen, and I figure out how to get the window fixed?”
“I’ll fix it.” Pfeiffer didn’t ask. She didn’t want to know how it was going to be fixed by CJ but offered Don a cup of her homemade tea. Her sister joined them a few minutes later. “I reinforced the window this time. You won’t have to worry about standing in front of any of the windows now. All right?”
“Am I really in danger? Because someone wants you?” CJ nodded and told her everything, including the part where she was related to the queen of faeries. “So, because you were given to our parents to be hidden away, some jackass thinks we’re going to be all right with you being taken from us. I don’t think so. I’ve raised two girls all the way up into adulthood. No one will mess with me and be able to walk away unscathed.”
Both CJ and Don laughed. It was just what they all needed. Pulling down her cookie tin, she laid the cookies on the table while she brewed the tea. There was something so very calming about having to make tea with the leaves. Steeping the tea in hot water and then adding sugar or lemon to it. When she sat the cups in front of the other two and then sat down with her own, she not only felt calmer but less overwhelmed as well.
“This person out there today. I’m assuming he was a human.” Don told her that he had been hired, but yes, he’d been human. “What sort of person is coming for you? I don’t want to get it wrong here if someone comes calling for you. Will I have to be on the lookout for anything abnormal?”
“I’ll give you a little more magic that will help you tell when a person is a human or a shifter. Also, if they have any kind of ill-will in their hearts.” The touch was light to her arm, but the magic that CJ gave her seemed to make her head swim just a little. “What do you see when you look at me, Pfeiffer?”
“Wings. Do you have them?” She nodded. “I thought you might. Also, you have a glow around you. White. Like there isn’t anything impure in your soul at all. Is that what I’m going to be looking for when I look at someone?”
“Look at Don. Remember, he’s not human either.” She turned and looked at the big man. She could see him in two different ways. When cocking her head, she could see his beast, the monster side of him. But he didn’t look at her like he wanted her hurt. It was as if he was showing himself to her. Letting her see the real vampire. “Do you see him?”
“I do. I can see both of him. Your monster, or whatever you call him, he’s right there so I can see him as well. While I understand he can be a killer when necessary, he is showing me that he can also be calm.” She looked at CJ. “You do that for him. You calm his inner monster so that he, Don, can control him better, I think.”
“That’s exactly right, Pfeiffer. She does calm me.” When Don put his hand on top of CJ’s, the colors for them both changed. The white was gone, this time turning a lovely shade of lavender. They were in love. “Yes to that as well. I am in love with CJ. And she with me. As soon as we can, we’re going to get married and live a long and happy life.”
She knew they would too. They were made for each other. She was going to have to make some changes in her plans, she thought. Not just for the couple in her kitchen, but for life in general. Pfeiffer wouldn’t have to worry about her daughters soon either. There wasn’t any way for either of them to leave her. It was selfish, she knew that, but she thought it was perfect. It was, she thought, about time things started to fall into place for her.
“I’ll take whatever you give me in the way of support. I’m not stupid enough to think I could do this on my own. However, when I sell our parents’ home, I’ll make sure you get half of it.” Don told her they had plenty of money for several lifetimes. “Then I’ll put it away for my lifetimes. And I’m going to have a life now. No more taking life one day at a time, damn it. I’m going to hit it head-on and have some fun.”
Don laughed. It was a good laugh and one that she’d bet he didn’t share often. Pfeiffer was going to do that as well. Laugh. At herself or something else, but she was no longer going to be sitting back and waiting for things to happen. She was going to make things happen.
Chapter 4
Josh wasn’t sure why he’d been arrested last night. They had entered the place he was staying and dragged him out. It had taken him some fast talking to get a nice room, and the police had screwed it up. Josh had been so happy to have been put into a nice bed and a breakfast, despite there being regular coffee with a packet of dried-up creamer. It had been like a taste of heaven to him. Even the shower had put him in a great mood.
However, today while he was sitting here in a jail cell thinking about his plan, he realized he’d have to modify things a little to get what he wanted. Money. That was it, just money so he could live the life he thought he deserved. And Josh did deserve a very full life of leisure. If only Lizzy had married him like she was supposed to.
She had a great deal of money, more than he’d thought she had when he decided that marrying him was her only option. His only one too. After they were wed, he’d planned on keeping her around for a little while, then hiring someone to kill her off. This was after he got himself set up well. Then she’d disappeared. For over a year, she’d been gone, and he’d tried to collect on the insurance policies he’d already taken out on her. Using her money to pay for them was a little funny to him. Fat lot of good it had done him. She’d been contacting her attorney all along, and they wouldn’t pay him. Her being alive had fucked him up royally, he thought.
His lunch was coming—he could smell it. Josh hadn’t had much to say about his food given to him last night, but today he wanted something nice. Something they’d get from a restaurant, not whatever the cook dreamed up with leftovers. Leaning back on his bed with his hands where they could be seen, his lunch tray was sent into his cell. Getting up, he was dismayed to find that no one had taken his needs seriously when he told him what he’d wanted.
“Hey? I thought that I ordered a steak sandwich with cheese and French fries. Also, this isn’t wine.” The man delivering his food told him it hadn’t been on the menu he’d ordered from last night. “Sure it was. I wrote it on there when the things that were there didn’t appeal to me. Can I get a better meal? I mean, come on. This isn’t going to cut it with me.”
“Isn’t that just too bad for you? Eat it or don’t. I don’t care. But that is the meal you’re getting since you thought that writing in what you wanted was going to get you anywhere. This is a jail, not a five-star hotel.” The man walked away, then returned. “Are you eating it or not? Like I said, no sweat off my balls if you don’t.”
“I’ll eat it, but I’m doing it under protest.” He opened the lid and found a bologna sandwich like the one he’d had last night, a bag of chips, as well as a dish of pudding of some kind. It was green already, so he wasn’t touching that shit. “You guys are going to kill me with this. I hope you know that.”
The man only walked away. He’d bet that no one called Lizzy for him either. It was entirely her fault he was in here. While he didn’t know what he’d done to get here, he was sure she’d done it.
Josh had been set up nicely by telling Lizzy she needed to marry him. Then she’d sat him down, telling him that in order for her to marry him, he had to have a job. Full time. He had asked her about him getting some of her money so he’d not have to find a job, and she told him in no uncertain terms that not only was he not going to get into her money, but she wasn’t going to put him on any of her accounts. Lizzy told him he’d have to sign a prenup as well, stating that he got nothing he didn’t bring into the marriage. It seemed to him at the time it was going all in her favor and told her that.
“I’m not stupid, Josh. I’ve worked very hard for what I have. And I’m not going to hand it over to you just because you’re thinking that marrying me is a way for you to be rich. I’m rich. You’re not. Not
unless you have money stashed away somewhere, and you can use that.” He’d told her not to be ridiculous. If he had money stashed away, he’d not have to marry her. “The invitations won’t go out until you have a good job and are working hard at keeping it.”
Not only had she not sent them out, but she’d not even ordered them. She wasn’t a very nice person, he found out. But she had money, and he could put up with her rudeness until she was murdered.
“Mr. Hinkley, Mrs. Remy said to tell you she has better things to do than to come here and listen to you complain. You’ve made your bed. Now you’re going to have to take care of yourself.” He asked if she was coming to see him. “No. I just told you that. She’s not coming here. None of them are. You have a court hearing in the morning. We’ll run you to the—”
“What for?” He asked him what he was talking about. “Why do I have a court hearing? I don’t even know why I was arrested. Not to mention, you’ve treated me badly here, so I think that should be punishment enough. Don’t you?”
“No. You’re a vagrant. You don’t have a place to live. No money on you. You don’t have a job or even anything in your name except the clothing on your back. Vagrancy is against the law in this town.” He said that was why he needed to talk to Lizzy. “She’s not coming. What do you expect her to do? Set you up for life while she’s living her own?”
“Yes. She owes me that for making rules about us getting married. I know she has money, but she wanted me to get a job. How stupid is that?” The guard said he thought it was very smart of her. “You’d not think that if you were me. I’ve been looking to marry her for a while, and now she’s gone and made it so I got nothing. Now I’ve been arrested for not having the things she should have been providing for me.”
Donald: Dalton’s Kiss: Vampire Paranormal Romance (Dalton's Kiss Book 3) Page 6