“The other things you’re having me look into—I’ve found the vampire in your lineage. He’s still around, but he’s not out much anymore. I didn’t speak to him, but I have found him.” Lizzy asked Clyde where he was. “In the States. That’s all I can tell you until I actually hear from him. That’s the way finding someone works. Not for the dead. I can find dead vampires, even those that have turned to dust, immediately. That’s how I know that Fergus is still alive. He didn’t come back to me as a dead vamp.”
“Fergus?” Clyde said he was a descendant of a great warrior vampire in Glasgow. “I had no idea that there were warrior vampires. What is it they do other than fight?”
“It’s not ever used anymore, the term. It brings up all sorts of memories of them going out onto a field of the dead and dying and killing what was left. However, that wasn’t their main job. They would sneak into their camps at night and murder a great many of them before the fight would even begin. Sometimes, just for fun, they’d only make them weak, so fighting wasn’t possible.” Lizzy asked if they changed some of them. “Yes. But they’d never know it until they were burning to ash when they came into contact with the sun.”
“That is very cruel, isn’t it? I mean, it must have worked too, but it just seems unfair to have vampires doing all your dirty work.” Clyde only had to glance in Remy’s direction before Lizzy understood and turned to him. “You were a vampire warrior?”
“Yes. For many years. So was Bancroft. However, he didn’t stick with it as long as I did. It was harder for us to get enough to feed on when most of the cities were on high alert. It was an easy way to keep myself alive.” She didn’t comment more, so he thought it was a good time to change the subject. “There are more things we have to look at if that’s what Lizzy wants. If those things were stolen, I’m assuming the rest of it was as well.”
“Yes. I’m all for that.” Lizzy smiled at him before addressing Clyde again. “I’m to understand you know how to fence this stuff, so no one knows who it belongs to. I don’t want you to get into trouble, but we’re using these things for several projects. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
“I have a better idea. You can have an auction. One of the bigger houses would take this stuff off your hands in a heartbeat.” She asked him about receipts. “That’s going to be easier than you think. I’ll get in touch with Robert. He’s been around enough to know how to fake a receipt. Because you went to the bank to collect it, you can say that is where you were instructed to find it. A fake will won’t be hard to do either. So, as your attorney, I’ll say you recently had someone pass in your family, after a long search to find them, and he left this all to you.”
“That sounds incredibly too easy.” Remy told her the simplest ideas usually had the best results. “Okay, we’ll do that then. I don’t know what to expect in the way of money from the sale, so I’ve decided not to count on it very much.”
Remy had a feeling she was going to have more money than they could spend. But that was all right too. Whatever they got, it was certainly going for a very good cause. He glanced down at the blueprint and decided they needed large walk-in freezers put in. He figured if they didn’t use them at the beginning, that was going to be all right. However, putting them in later would be not just costly, but also hard to do because the walls would be up. Handing it off to Lizzy, he told her what he thought.
This building and the one that had been torn down had been donated to the city by Bancroft. They could well have purchased them, but this way, the city would be able to own it and help out with the pantry’s other expenses, such as electricity and water.
Lizzy went to find the foreman to tell him what they’d decided. As soon as she left, Remy asked Clyde what he’d not shared with her. He only had to grin for him to know there had been something.
“There are a few pieces in the lot that have something attached to them that she’s not going to like.” Remy asked him what that might be. “There is a diamond and ruby necklace that was worn by a woman who was murdered on her wedding night. Nothing that didn’t happen a lot. To be honest with you, I just wanted to see her with it on. I think with her coloring and the color of her hair, she could pull it off.”
“Are you hitting on my wife?” Clyde said he wished that were true, but he was only stating a fact. “She is stunning, isn’t she? We’re talking about children too. What else?”
“The vampire in her lineage is alive, as I said. His name is Fergus. However, he’s not just in her lineage; he’s her father. Ferguson Patrick Strickland used to be called Paddy.”
It took Remy a moment to figure out what Clyde was telling him. “You mean Paddy Ferguson, the black beard pirate, is her father? I thought for sure he was dead.”
“I think a great many people thought that. However, not only is he alive, but he’s a very quiet man that now owns a ranch out west where he raises animals that can be bought by shifters.” Remy thought of the man he knew about compared to the picture of the one Clyde was talking about. “Another thing you might want to know is that he hasn’t any idea that Lizzy has been born. When word got around to her mother that Fergus was dead, she took the baby to a place to leave her, then joined him in death. Or so she thought.”
“Her father? I certainly didn’t see that coming. How did he not know she had given him a child? I mean, I thought it was something he’d have been able to feel.” Clyde said he had no idea, but he had thought the same thing. “Where was he when this was all going on? I mean, to have a mate carrying your child would be something that would put anyone over the edge.”
“That would be something you’ll need to ask him, I think. A lot of the things about this are a little off. He’s older, too, like your grandma’s age. When I found that out, I thought that could have been it. He might have thought he had waited so long there wasn’t anyone out there for him, much less him having a child with her.” Remy watched Lizzy as she walked with the foreman to show him what she wanted. “Remy, she’s going to have to know. I’ve already put out that I’m searching for him. If he comes here, I’m thinking—because honestly, I don’t know with this—but he might well know who she is immediately.”
“I’ll talk to her tonight. It’s doubtful she’s going to be really excited about it. But then, I have no idea anymore.” He looked at his friend. “Last night, when we were finished talking to Josh, she told me she was finished with him. I thought she’d go find him again and perhaps slip him some cash. Nope. She said she was finished, and she was. He’s on his own from now on.”
“He’s that fool that keeps sitting on the bus bench?” He said one and the same. “Is he planning a trip, or is he really just that lazy that he won’t go across the street to get himself a job?”
“That lazy and more so. She even offered him a job. He told her she’d have to provide him with a car if she expected him to work it.” Remy laughed. “I have a feeling he’s going to end up just as she told him. A frozen human popsicle that a snowplow hits.”
Clyde told him he was going to find him some digs. Meaning, he hoped, that he was going to stick around for a while. He hoped they all did. It was nice having someone around to talk to. He did have Lizzy, but he knew having the men around that had shared a bond of friendship for as long as they had would be nice too.
~*~
Lizzy hadn’t had this much free time in a while, and she was enjoying it. Of course, she was working. What self-employed person didn’t work every second? She was going to be able to catch up on some things, as well as perhaps get a little ahead on a couple of others.
Just as she was putting away one of the many files she’d been working through, the front doorbell rang. She knew it was being answered, but didn’t pay any attention. Remy was out with the other guys tonight to find out what they’d all been doing for the last hundred or so years. It boggled her mind each and every time she thought about how old Remy and the others might b
e.
“Mistress, there is a person here to see you.” She nodded. “You need to invite him in. I cannot, as the house isn’t mine.” Justin, their butler, smiled at her. “I would like to tell you he’s harmless, but I know better. However, he will die for you.”
That was certainly a strange way to put it, but she got up and went to the front door. The man standing there wasn’t anyone she’d ever met before. All she could think about was that he was a vampire, and he was ancient. Like very ancient.
“May I help you?” He smiled at her, not even bothering to hide his fangs. “I don’t know you, nor do I care to if you’re not going to be at least a little polite. I was extremely busy. State your business and be gone with you.”
“I’m here to find Stanley Remy. I was given this address to come to. You’ll need to invite me in.” She crossed her arms over her breasts and stared at him. “Listen, little girl. I don’t have time for your little show of temper. Just— Who are you?”
“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way with me. Who are you?” He told her. “Yes, well, Mr. Ferguson, I still don’t know you. Also, you might find this hard to believe, but whatever reaction you thought I might have by hearing your name, I don’t care. If you want Remy, you’ll have to figure out where he is on your own.” She started to close the door.
“You look like your mother.” Lizzy asked him what he’d said. “Your mother. She even had a little bit of a temper too. Not that she ever used it on me, but she could make a man cry when she was upset.”
“I don’t believe for a minute that whoever you think my mother was never used her temper on you. You’re a rude man. How did you know her? I mean, so far as I was told, both my parents are dead.” He said only her mother was. “Then tell me, how do you know her?”
“I’m your father. I might not have believed it except for the color of your eyes. They’re the exact color of hers. Are you all right?” Lizzy called for Justin. He came to her so quickly that his movement made her slightly ill. Or at least more ill. “Invite me in, Elizabeth, please? I need to know that you’re all right.”
Justin closed the door after telling Mr. Ferguson where Remy was. Lizzy asked Justin how he knew who the stranger was. He told her his scent was the same as hers—faded, but the same.
“Did you know he was coming here?” He said only that he knew he’d been found. “I’m assuming Remy knew. As well as...let me see. Clyde. He was searching for him, so he actually found him too. That man, is he still at the door?”
“Yes.” She stood up. “I’m sorry, mistress. I thought you’d been told he might show up. Are you going to let him in?”
“I wasn’t told shit. Justin, call my husband on the cell he has and tell him that a great vampire is at his home and that I’ve invited him in. Then hang up. I want him to think about what he’s done to me. Oh, and then call Clyde. Do the same thing.” He nodded and moved toward the kitchen area. She opened the door. “Would you like to come in this one time, Mr. Ferguson? There will be no biting anyone that lives here, or your invite will be your last to any home.”
“Yes. Thank you.” She could see the smile tugging at his mouth, but chose to ignore it. Whatever was going on, she was positive there was going to be a lot of head rolling when the others showed up. “Are you always this violent?”
“You have no idea. Have a seat. I don’t believe you’ll have time for refreshments even if you were to say that you would like them. You’re not going to be here that long.” He just grinned at her. “Right now, you might want to wipe that shit off your face. I’m not in a mood to be charmed right now. I’d just as soon pick up the poker by the fireplace and ram it through your head.”
“You are quite violent, aren’t you? If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t know about you. Not even that your mother had conceived.” She told him it didn’t make her feel better. “I thought not. Would you like to know a little about me?”
“No. Not just yet. I have questions. You will answer them truthfully and not half-truths either. I want answers, not a digging expedition on figuring out the heart of the matter.” He laughed again, and she found herself charmed even though she had told him she didn’t want to be. “Where have you been?”
“Out west. I have a large ranch out there where I raise mostly cattle, but also horses and other animals that can be used on a shifter’s farm. They have to be around them all the time after they’re born, or they won’t be good for them. Where have you been?” She told him where she’d grown up. “I didn’t know. I’m very sorry.”
“I’ve not been a vampire for long, but I have a feeling I should have been. Was my mother human?” He said she was. “Why didn’t you stick around if she was your mate? I thought that was a terrible thing to happen to a vampire, to lose their mates.”
“I might have guessed she was my mate had I been around when she became with child. But I was pulled, quite literally, from her arms to be sentenced by the council of pirates. I was to serve a term of no less than fifty years. However, about two years after my sentence started, I was set free. I still, to this day, do not know why, but I was out. By then, your mother had died, and I had no knowledge of you being out there.” Lizzy asked him if she’d been a turned vampire. “No. She was stronger for being with one, but no, she wasn’t a vampire.”
Lizzy got up to pace. Remy did it too when he was working through a problem. She figured this was one of the biggest ones she’d ever had. Looking at the man who claimed to be her father, she didn’t know what she had to do now.
“Why did you come here?” He told her that Clyde had contacted him and told him to look for a man by the name of Remy. “He’s my mate. Husband too. What were your plans for him? Wait. You said pirate. You were a pirate too?”
“Oh, yes. For a great many years. My crew was the wealthiest in the world before I decided I’d had enough of sea life.” She glared at him. “Now, what have I done?”
“You had a crew, and you fed from them, I’m assuming. Did they know, or did you dispose of their bodies once you had your fill?” He threw back his head in hearty laughter. He didn’t stop either but kept laughing like he didn’t want to ever stop. “What the hell do you find so funny now?”
“You are a charmer yourself, aren’t you? Do you forever keep this Remy person on his toes? I bet he loves you to pieces, too. Nay, I did not toss them overboard, as you so quaintly put it, but would drink from them when I needed. I was very old even back then, so I didn’t need as much as a new vampire does.” He laughed again. “They knew who their master was, and didn’t care. I think they figured if we were ever caught, I’d just make sure we were freed quickly. Remy didn’t kill you when he changed you, did he? That’s the way it would have—”
“Remy didn’t change me. I was kidnapped and bitten, as well as raped, over a period of time by a vampire who left us all to die. I was the only one that was able to survive. I think I know why now. I had enough of you in me to keep me safe.” He stiffened with anger. It was almost so thick in the room that she could reach out and touch it. Even his eyes, a beautiful shade of brown before, were a dark color. Red, she thought. “He’s dead now. I killed him when he finally returned to check in on us.”
“You killed a vampire? My goodness, you are your mother’s child. She did the same before I met her. The monster was trying to get her to allow him to take her to a vampire party. She found out that she was on the menu and killed him for it.” She asked him if he’d had such parties. “I don’t think that is something we should discuss, Elizabeth. We, as vampires, did many things before we started to get along with humans.”
“How did you know my name if you didn’t know I was born?” He said she knew her name. “I do. If you get into my head again without my permission, I’m going to kill a second vampire in my lifetime.”
Ferguson was still laughing when Remy and the others appeared in the room. She didn’t speak to any of them, bu
t Ferguson introduced himself to them. The only one he knew, it appeared, was Bancroft, but only through his grandmother.
“I’m so sorry.” She looked at Clyde and let her anger at him show through. “We were going to tell you. I swear it. But I asked him to contact me first so I could talk to Remy about the visit. I had no idea he’d just show up.”
“But you knew what he was to me.” Clyde dropped his head and told her he was sorry again. “What if I had run him through because I didn’t know him? Huh? Did you think of that?”
“You can’t hurt him because he’s your father.” Lizzy glared harder. “That was the wrong thing to say, wasn’t it? I’m truly sorry, Lizzy. I swear to you, when Remy and I talked about it, we were going to see if he got back with us. If he didn’t, there was no reason to let you know he was abandoning you a second time.”
“But that would have been my decision to make, don’t you think?” Clyde kissed the back of her hand, and she felt a connection she’d never had before. “What did you do to me? You know, I’m sick to death of people zapping me with all kinds of shit I didn’t ask for. You’ll take it back, or so help me, I’ll put it back, and you’ll never try this trick again.”
“I did it, not the young man there.” Lizzy stood up and asked Fergus what he’d done to her. “Nothing much. Not really. I laid claim to you. I thought to be able to do it while you were distracted, but you’re much more of a vampire than I thought. Have you considered being a kiss leader?”
The growl had all the men backing from her, including her father. When Remy came toward her, she could see that he was just as upset as she was. At whom, she didn’t know, but she was still pissed off at the lot of them.
“The next time someone thinks to not tell me something important, even if you think it’s not, I will hunt the lot of your dens down and destroy them. I’m not shitting you right now. I’m so fucking pissed off that you’re just lucky we have a guest, or this room would be a hell of a crime scene.” No one laughed, nor did they think she was kidding. Looking around at the men she’d come to love, she told them to sit down. She decided she needed some fresh air and left the room.
Stanley: Dalton’s Kiss Book 2 (Dalton's Kiss) Page 11