Frey and I are seated in deck chairs, glasses of wine sitting untouched on a small table beside us. I feel the heat from his body, hear his soft breathing. His presence is a balm to my soul. This afternoon with John-John was all I’d hoped it would be. It felt like a beginning and an ending. The beginning of our becoming a family and the end of my being alone.
Frey’s fingers brush mine.
“The room is wonderful. I can’t thank you enough.”
“I didn’t overdo it? I wanted everything to be perfect for him. I love John-John. I’m so happy he likes me.”
Frey pushes himself off his chair and perches on the end of mine. “He more than likes you. Do you know he talks about you all the time when we’re in Monument Valley? He sees you the way I do, Anna. He wants you to be a permanent part of our life.”
Frey reaches into the pocket of his shirt and pulls out a small box.
“Another gift from Sani?” I ask, holding up my left hand where the moonlight reflects off the silver band of turquoise the Navajo shaman made for me.
Frey doesn’t answer with words. He takes my hand, slips the silver ring from my finger and replaces it with another.
A white-gold band with a single, sparkling stone big as the tip of my little finger.
For the first time in my life, I’m speechless.
As if from far away, I hear Frey laughing. “You should see the look on your face. I hope what I’m seeing is ‘oh my god yes’ and not ‘no are you out of your mind’?”
I can’t seem to form words. My throat is suddenly too dry, my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth. My heart hammers against my ribs until I think it will burst.
Frey pulls me to my feet. “Talk to me, Anna,” he says. “I’ve never heard of a vampire having a heart attack, but you look as if you’re about to have one.”
I rest my head against his chest. Where do I start? My thoughts and feelings are churning like a maelstrom, my mouth still so dry, I don’t think I can speak.
“Anna?” Frey tilts my chin up, his eyes clouded with worry. “Did I overstep? Did I misinterpret your feelings?”
Come on, Anna. Get it together. I swallow hard and reach up to touch his cheek. “You hear about girls who have fantasies about how this moment will be. When the man they love proposes.”
Frey strokes my hair. “Was I not romantic enough?”
I look into his face. “I never had a fantasy like that. Ever. I always thought I’d be alone. Even during the love affairs I’ve had, I knew deep down I wasn’t destined for a happily ever after.
“Then I became vampire and the idea that I might someday marry, have a family, seemed even more unattainable.”
“And now?” Frey’s tone is still unsure, hesitant.
“Now, I’m not so sure.”
Frey’s arms tighten around me. “That’s the nicest declaration of love I’ve ever heard,” he says. Then we’re kissing and I’m so happy, my heart soars.
* * *
IT’S MORNING AND ALTHOUGH FREY AND I INTENDED that we’d get up before John-John and make ourselves presentable, a timid knock on the door brings us both straight up in bed.
“Does John-John know that you were going to propose last night?” I whisper, frantically scrambling to throw on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
Frey is doing some scrambling of his own. His suitcase is still downstairs so he has no choice but to slip back into the same clothes he arrived in. “Yes. I thought we’d wait a little while, though, to let him see us—” He gestures at the rumpled bed. “Together in bed. I don’t know if he knew of the affair between his mother and Kayani.”
But Frey forgot the powerful abilities of his shape-shifter son. A small matter-of-fact voice sounds in our heads.
Mother explained that two people who love each other often sleep in the same bed.
I throw open the door and scoop him into a hug. “Your mother was right. Your father and I love each other. Very much. And I love you, too, and I hope you’ll let me become a real part of your family.”
John-John throws his head back and holds out his arms to his father so that in the next instant we’re tangled in each other’s arms.
I can’t remember ever being so happy.
* * *
IT TAKES HARRIS TO BRING US BACK TO EARTH.
After breakfast the three of us trek to the office so I can officially introduce Frey and John-John to David and Tracey. A fishing boat is coming back to port and we’re all on the deck, watching seagulls dip and swoop for chum, when the front door to the office opens.
David glances in, then gives a low groan. “Shit. It’s Harris again. Remember what I said, Anna, tell him you’re about ready to sue for harassment.”
I leave everyone on the deck and go inside. “What is it now?” I ask.
He’s looking through the slider to the group outside. “Good. I see Daniel Frey is here. I have some questions for him.”
“How did you know he’d be here?”
But even as I ask the question, I can guess the answer and the idea of a harassment suit becomes more appealing.
“You’re having me watched?”
He holds up his hands. “All legal and aboveboard. After all, we’re investigating two open cases and you admit you and Frey were around for both.”
John-John bounds in and runs up to me. “Anna, Anna—come back out, the birds are catching fish right out of the air.”
Harris bends down. “And who is this?”
I have to fight the impulse to physically place my body between Harris and John-John. Instead, I do the next best thing. I pick him up. “John-John, this is Lieutenant Harris. He’s a policeman. Lieutenant Harris, this is Daniel Frey’s son.”
Harris looks surprised. I guess the fact that Frey has a son slipped his mind. I set John-John down and turn him back toward the deck. “Go get your daddy, will you, John-John, and ask David to come here a minute?”
When he’s scampered off, I direct my fury to Harris. “I’m going to ask David and Tracey to take John-John for ice cream. Don’t you ask a single question until they’re gone, do you understand?”
Harris returns my glare but does as I ask. I tell David what’s going on and he and Tracey leave to take a giggling John-John to the ice cream shop at Seaport Village. Then Frey and I face Harris.
“Does he know why I’m here?” Harris asks, jerking a thumb at Frey.
“He does,” Frey answers, and I’m suddenly glad I took the time last night to fill him in. “So if you have questions for me, ask them.”
Harris plops himself down on David’s desk chair. I take my own. Frey pulls the visitor’s chair to my side of the desk.
“Judith Williams,” Harris begins. “What do you know about her?”
“Nothing.” Frey leans back in his chair. “Anna and I ran into her in Monument Valley. Anna introduced us. It was the first time I’d ever seen her.”
“So you didn’t know her personally?”
“No. Should I have?”
“What were you doing in Monument Valley?”
I wonder how Frey will answer but he doesn’t even hesitate before telling his story. “Anna and I went to visit my son. He lived on the Navajo reservation with his mother. While we were there, John-John’s mother was killed in an accident. I stayed on to care for him. Anna came home.”
Harris’ eyebrows jump. “Another accident?” He makes a show of taking a notebook from his pocket and scribbling a few words.
I shake my head. Our friend, Kayani, will be getting another call, I’m sure. Harris’ next words confirm my suspicions.
“While you were both there something else happened, too. Judith Williams went missing. I understand you were questioned about her disappearance by an Officer Kayani of the Navajo police.”
Frey nods. “I was. Briefly. But since I couldn’t help with the investigation, Officer Kayani didn’t question me again.”
Harris shifts in his chair. “What about Warren Williams?”
&nb
sp; “What about him?”
“You knew him.”
“Not well. Met him once or twice through Anna.”
“His body was found outside of Palm Springs. You and Anna had been at the Palm Springs home of Anna’s boyfriend, Lance Turner, at the very same time. In fact, according to our reports, Williams was killed coming back to San Diego just hours after you two left to come home.”
Frey’s expression remains neutral, betraying neither interest nor surprise at the revelation.
His detachment seems to trip Harris’ temper. “So you and Anna are in the vicinity of two murders at two different locations and times, know the victims and are alibi witnesses for each other. Is that about it?”
At that, Frey registers shock. “Do we need alibis, Detective?” he asks.
Harris lumbers to his feet. “You two have it all figured out, don’t you?” He shakes his head at us, then his eyes widen as they settle on the diamond ring on my left hand. He looks from the ring to Frey and shakes his head again.
“Better be careful with this one,” he says. “Her track record with men is lousy.”
CHAPTER 6
WE WAIT FOR HARRIS TO CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND him before I explode. “I don’t think he’s ever going to let go of this.”
Frey’s expression remains cool and undisturbed. “What can he do? He has no evidence to link us to either crime. He thinks by pushing he’s going to get us to crack. He doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”
“Or what he’s dealing with,” I growl. “But I want you to know that if it comes down to it, and somehow he finds out it was you who shot Judith Williams, I’m going to take the blame. I’ll confess. I won’t have you punished for something that was my fault.”
Frey smiles one of those cat-and-canary smiles that really means, I’d never let you do that. But on this, I would insist. Frey shot Judith Williams because I told him to. It was a complicated situation and she was a rogue vampire, but he shot her at my insistence nonetheless.
Frey catches up my hand. “Let’s go get John-John, shall we? Enjoy this beautiful day?”
I call David and tell him to wait at the ice cream shop, that we’re on our way. I lock the office door and we stroll hand in hand down the boardwalk to Seaport Village. Soon, I feel my irritation dissolve like snow in sunshine.
Frey has my right hand, the one where Sani’s ring now sits after being displaced by the brilliant diamond that I can’t keep my eyes off.
Frey catches me glancing down for the tenth time and laughs, squeezing my hand. “So you like it? It’s not too old-fashioned?”
“God, no, it’s gorgeous.” The words pop out before I can censor the reply. After all, I am Anna Strong. Vampire. Bad ass. Getting sentimental over an engagement ring is out of character. But it’s so beautiful. My eyes seek Frey’s. “You’ve made me happier than I thought possible. I almost feel human again.”
He drops my hand and puts an arm around my shoulders. “You are human, Anna. More human than ninety percent of the mortals I know. You just happen to have another aspect to your nature. It’s a big one. But it’s only one part.” He holds up my left hand and lets the sun play on the ring, sending sparks of rainbow light dancing. “You’re like this diamond. It takes all the facets of this ring to make it brilliant. It takes all the facets of your nature to make you who you are.”
I’ve never been a sappy romance-novel type of gal, but I swear, Frey may turn me into one. We’ve known each other from the very beginning of my existence as a vampire. Has he always felt this way about me?
Frey tugs on a strand of my hair. “Too much? What are you thinking?”
I pull him over to guardrail, out of the way of other boardwalk strollers. I pull his head down and wrap my arms around his neck. “I’m thinking I’ve wasted too much fucking time.” And then I kiss him, putting all I am, all I hope to be for him and all I promise our life together will be into that kiss.
I must have done a good job because the way he kisses me back makes my face flush, my blood heat and my toes curl.
* * *
DAVID, TRACEY AND JOHN-JOHN ARE SITTING ON A bench watching a mime, big double-dip cones melting in the bright spring sunshine. John-John spies us and thrusts his cone out toward Frey.
“Want some, Azhé’é?” he asks.
Frey leans his head down and takes a lick. “Good stuff.”
David looks over his head at Frey and me. “How’d it go?”
Tracey rises from the bench, digs a hand into her pocket and pulls out a dollar. “Why don’t you put that in the mime’s tip jar?” she tells John-John.
He happily complies. While he’s gone, Tracey says, “I’ll take him to see that clown over there. Give you three a chance to talk.”
David gives her cheek a kiss. “Thanks, Trace.”
John-John bounces back and he and Tracey leave to visit the clown making balloon animals farther down the boardwalk.
David moves over so Frey and I can take a seat. “What did Harris harangue you about this time?”
“The same,” I reply. “Warren Williams’ death. Judith Williams’ disappearance. Things Frey and I know nothing about.”
I wonder how Frey feels about the easy lies that spew from my mouth. At the same time, lying to mortals is what our lives as supernaturals are all about. I know he understands that.
Frey has his arm around my shoulders again and he squeezes. “Harris has two major open cases that he can’t close. It’s no wonder he’s grasping at straws.”
David is like me—not so generous in his appreciation of Harris’ predicament. “I told you, Anna, you should file a harassment suit against him. He has no right to keep bothering you.”
“Well,” Frey says. “Maybe this is the end of it.”
David takes my left hand and holds the ring so he can examine it. “This is one beautiful ring. You’ve set the bar high for the rest of us bachelors.”
“Are you thinking of asking Tracey—?” I stop in mid-sentence, remembering what David said yesterday, remembering that Gloria may still be in the picture.
“No.” He lets my hand drop, fixes me with a steely gaze. “Just saying, if I was thinking of asking anyone to marry me, I’d have to go some to top this ring. How many carats is it—two, three?”
“Two and a half,” Frey answers.
I look at my ring again. I knew it was a good-sized stone but two and a half carats?
“The stone was my great-grandmother’s,” he continues. “I had it reset for Anna. The original setting was pretty ornate.”
I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask about the ring. Frey is a schoolteacher and it never occurred to me to think how much a ring like this would cost. “Your great-grandmother’s stone? Frey, I’m honored. I’ll treasure it always. And when John-John finds someone to marry, we’ll pass it to him.”
David chuckles. “What about when you and Frey have children? There may be a daughter you’ll want to have it. Or another son.”
Of course, David would assume there might be children in our future. It’s obvious Frey can procreate and we’re certainly young enough. It’s the other biological imperative, that I’m vampire, that makes it impossible. Something unknown to David.
Frey picks up the thread smoothly. “Maybe. We’ll have to let nature take its course.”
David stretches his arms over his head. “Well, judging by what a good kid John-John is, I’d say you’re a great father.”
I see a subtle shift in Frey’s expression, sadness clouds his eyes. “I can’t take much credit for that,” he says. “John-John was raised by his mother.”
David’s expression changes, too, sobering. “I’m sorry. I know Anna told me that John-John lost his mother recently.”
Frey shrugs. “Yes. An accident. But Anna and I hope to make a good life for John-John. No one can take the place of his mother, but he’ll always know he’s loved.”
There’s a brief pause, a kind of silent acknowledgment of John-John’s loss, and
then David says, “On a different note. When’s the date?”
Frey and I look at each other. We hadn’t discussed it yet.
David smiles. “Just remember—if Tracey and I aren’t invited, there’ll be hell to pay.”
Frey holds out a hand to David. “Might even have to tag you for best man duties.”
David returns the handshake. “It would be my pleasure.”
A squeal of laughter from down the boardwalk captures our attention. John-John is running back toward us, a balloon animal clutched in his hands.
“Look,” he says. “It’s a horse. Just like mine at home.”
And Frey and I exchange another look. Another question we’ve yet to answer. Home. Just where will that be?
Frey kneels down to examine the “horse” made from brown and yellow balloons while I sit back to watch them. It occurs to me that I can’t wait to let my folks know about Frey and John-John. That we’ll have to call them when we get back home this afternoon.
That it scares me how much I love Frey. And how perfect my life seems at this very minute.
That I wish I believed it could be like this forever.
My cell phone chirps. I dig it out of the pocket of my jacket and glance at the caller ID.
“You must be psychic, Mom,” I say. “I was just about to—”
“It’s your dad, Anna.” His voice is sober, serious.
My back stiffens.
“Dad? Is everything all right?”
There’s a hesitation, dead air on the line as ominous as any threat of peril. My heart races. “Dad?”
His breath catches. “It’s your mother, Anna. I think you need to come to France. Now.”
“What’s wrong?”
Frey looks up at me. He must see the fear and uncertainty in my face because his pales. He stands up and steps close.
I listen to my father’s next words. Tell him we’ll leave right away and disconnect.
“What is it, Anna?” Frey asks, touching my arm.
I don’t recognize my own voice. “My mother. She’s dying.”
Blood Bond asc-9 Page 4