“Did he say who this bad man was?”
She shook her head rapidly.
“Okay.” He reached out and rubbed her arm. “You go back to the house and wait for me there. I’ll go out and look around for him.”
“Thank you.” Along with her mother, they sent themselves back to the castle.
If anything had happened to Dusty…she didn’t know what she would do.
Chapter Eighteen
Wasn’t it interesting that sunlight didn’t kill him. Though, the boils on his skin weren’t easy to overlook. Tying off the last knot, Dusty stepped back from his work and was satisfied that his prisoner was secured enough not to be able to break free, should he wake. And now that he was done with that, he really needed to find something to put on his burned skin.
Rummaging through the many cupboards and drawers, Dusty finally found some lotion he hoped would help. Heading to the washroom, he applied it to his blistered face and hoped to God it didn’t scar. He really should have thought before running off to the nearest town. But he’d been so preoccupied with the plan to get blood that he hadn’t thought the sun would be out. It certainly wasn’t in Jacob’s Cove, though it was nice to know the sun still shone somewhere.
Even if it did hurt like a bitch to be under it.
He applied more lotion to his hands and arms and was glad it hadn’t burned through his clothes. He didn’t think there would be enough lotion in the place to deal with an entire body rash. Tucking the tube in his pants pocket, Dusty headed back to the lab to check on his prisoner. He’d stuffed enough sleeping pills into the guy to knock him out for a week…he hoped.
He also hoped the blood he was able to grab would be enough. The small town hospital hadn’t had much of a supply on hand. His scrubs had come in handy, that was for sure. The lab tech hadn’t even balked when Dusty had told him he was there to grab blood for an emergency surgery. He hadn’t even as much as looked up when Dusty had entered the room. Bonus on his part. Still, he hoped the three quarts he’d managed to grab would do.
Seeing that his prisoner was still out like a light, Dusty decided he should go back to Felicity’s parents’ place before she woke. Checking the watch he’d taken from the vamp lying on the gurney, he saw that he’d been gone four hours. He hoped she hadn’t woken yet. He knew she’d be worried where he had gone.
And…he rather missed her.
Wasn’t it odd that he would miss someone he’d only met days before, yet he didn’t miss his family as much? It had been nice talking with them. Dusty had made up his mind to just call his parents after grabbing the blood. He hated having lied to them, but telling your mother that you’d become a vampire over the phone wasn’t a good idea. And besides, if things went the way he planned, he might just be rid of this stupid vampire life before the week’s end.
Until then, his parents could be pissed at him for deciding to take a detour and have a bit of a vacation before attending school.
Yanking the door open to leave, Dusty nearly shit himself. There before him was Felicity’s father, and he looked even more dangerous with a scowl on his face.
“You’re back.”
“I…uh…yeah… What are you doing here?”
“I came looking for you. Felicity’s worried sick and because I love my daughter I told her I would look for you. Let’s talk.”
He was hustled back into the clinic by his shirt and promptly set down in a chair. Dusty prayed the vamp tied up in the back room didn’t wake up while he was being interrogated by an angry father.
“Where were you? And obviously it was somewhere with sun by the mark of boils on your face.”
“I…went to the nearest town to call my family.” Stiffen your back, Dusty, and be a man for once. “Not that it’s any of your business.” Oh sure, now you’ve really pissed him off. The heated glare Basil sent Dusty was enough to make him wish he could shrink into a tiny dust ball and float away.
“It is my business because my daughter likes you. You’re not from here?”
“No, sir.” He swallowed hard. Please don’t let him kill me.
“How did you come to be here?”
“I… was abducted on the highway several months ago.”
Basil released him, straightened, then took a step back. “By whom?”
“A bunch of vampires. They locked me up for months before turning me. I finally managed to break free the day Felicity came here so, really, she saved me. If she hadn’t made those men disappear, I wouldn’t have been able to help her and I would probably—maybe even both of us—be held captive.”
Basil paced the floor and Dusty wished he would just accept what he told him so they could go on their merry way.
“Was one of the men who held you called Fritz?”
“Yes.”
Basil rubbed his chin. “When were you turned?”
Dusty sat a little straighter, feeling marginally better now that Basil’s face wasn’t screwed up in a deep scowl. “I think it was a few weeks ago. I have no idea what day it is or what day it was when I was turned.”
“Was it Fritz who turned you?”
“No, he ran off somewhere a while back. Everyone said he was afraid Chaos was going to kick his ass and frankly—”
“You know Chaos?”
Uh oh, that look was back. “He’s the one who turned me into this and please don’t tell me you know him because there is no damn way I am going back to him and if you make me—”
“I’m not sending you back to him, but…” Basil came right up to him again, “you are going to tell me where he is.”
“Why? Seriously, man, I will not go back to him. I will fight you—”
“Oh, relax.” Basil laid a hand on Dusty’s shoulder and pressed him back down into the chair when he stood. “I have no intentions of giving you to him. I only want to kill him.”
“Really?” Maybe the guy wasn’t so bad after all. “Can I watch?”
The laughter that came out of Basil was highly unexpected. “You might not be so bad after all, kid.”
“I’m not a kid. I’m a man,” Dusty insisted with a jut of his chin. “If you want my help finding this Chaos guy, you had better remember that.”
Basil’s dark brows lifted and Dusty was sure that was a look of amusement on his face. “And,” the amusement disappeared, “you had better remember who you are talking to.”
Oh, he knew. “Yes, sir.”
“Now, tell me where Chaos is.”
“He’s in a warehouse building, but I don’t know the location.”
“That’s okay, I do.” He lifted Dusty by the shirtfront, then smoothed it out before responding. “Hurt my daughter and I will have you drawn and quartered. Got it?”
With a look such as the one Basil had in his eyes now, Dusty wasn’t about to challenge him. He was pretty damn sure the guy would follow through with the heinous form of punishment once used on criminals. He simply bobbed his head, knowing any words that came out of his mouth now would only sound weak and probably squeaky.
“Good. Let’s go.”
***
Felicity was beside herself with worry. Where had Dusty gone off to and why wasn’t he back yet? It was also taking much too long for her father to return since stating he would go out looking for Dusty.
“I’m sure he’ll be back soon, sweetie.”
She wished she could believe what her mother stated. Still, she worried. “What if that evil man took him again? What if he is harming Dusty now as we speak?”
“I’m sure he just had something he needed to do. Come with me. Let me introduce you to something I like to do when I’m nervous or scared or worried or just because.”
Her mother led her through the huge house to an area near the back and to the kitchen. She’d been given the tour of the
entire house when she and her mother had returned, but Felicity was still astounded by everything around her. She took a seat at the table as her mother instructed and when her mother set a large, dark tower of something on the table, Felicity looked up at her in confusion.
“Cake. Chocolate cake, to be exact. I once nearly ate an entire chocolate cake when I was first pregnant with you. I might have eaten it all if your father hadn’t stopped me.” She began slicing into the cake while she spoke. “I hope you like chocolate.”
“What is cake?” The gasp from her mother startled her.
“You’ve never had cake?” Felicity shook her head reluctantly. “How is that possible? Didn’t you ever get a cake on your birthday?”
“I received a doll on each of my birthdays.” She had to admit the scent coming from the cake was intoxicating.
“Never a cake?” Once again, Felicity shook her head. “Unbelievable. What did you eat?”
Her mother laid a slice on a small plate before handing it to her. Felicity took the utensil, responding before she sampled the cake. “I mostly drank blood but occasionally my—Rajana would supply me with meat and vegetables.” Using her fork, she sliced into the thick dark cake, then cautiously lifted it to her mouth. The instant it touched her tongue, she moaned in delight.
“Good, isn’t it?”
She swallowed, licking the sweet taste from her lips. “It is heavenly.”
“I have so much to make up for and this is just the start. We need to take you shopping for your own clothes. Mine are a little baggy on you. Also, you need to tell me how you would like your room decorated.”
“I like my room the way it is,” Felicity added before shoving more cake in her mouth. She was going to make sure and eat plenty of this sweet delight.
“Well…that might change as you get used to living here. Were you given an education?”
She swallowed, licked her lips. “I have knowledge inside my head, though I have no idea how I came about it.”
“I am going to kill her for what she did to you.”
Felicity dropped her fork and gasped. “No! You mustn’t kill her. Please.”
“It was a figure of speech…mostly,” Trinity muttered the last under her breath.
“Dusty said the same thing when I asked him to join me in bed unclothed.”
“Uh…”
“What is this…figure of speech you both enjoy using?” It was baffling to her.
“It’s when you say something you don’t really mean, a metaphor or an exaggeration of what you feel.”
“Why would you not just say what you mean?”
“Well…sometimes people like to exaggerate things. For instance, I could say that cake was to die for. I don’t really mean I would die for it, but it is just that good that I may contemplate it.”
Felicity looked down at the cake on her dish and frowned. “It is delicious, but I would not give my life for it.”
“Right, which makes it an exaggeration.”
“Seems silly to me.” But she enjoyed the cake nonetheless.
“Yeah…well…” Trinity cleared her throat. “I need to ask you something and…well…it’s a little touchy. Are you having sex with Dusty?”
“Yes.”
“Oh…okay.”
“Do you have sex with my father?”
Trinity nearly choked on her cake. Swallowing, she took a breath before responding. “Um…yes, but uh…that’s not something I really want to discuss with my daughter.”
“Why not? Is sex not a natural act between two individuals who desire one another?”
“Yes, it is, but…most kids don’t like to know their parents have sex and, well…parents don’t like to know their kids have sex.”
“Yet you asked me if I was engaging in sexual activity with Dusty.” Felicity was very confused now.
“Yes…true, but only because it’s my job as a parent to talk to you about sex. Since you’ve had sex, I take it you don’t need the talk. Rajana did give you the sex talk, right?”
“We never spoke of sex. I witnessed sexual activity between humans when I would sneak off to scan the world to see what the humans did on Earth.”
Trinity stared at her a moment before responding. “You used to watch people…having sex?”
“I watched them engaging in all sorts of activities, sex being one. Seeing it, however, is not the same as engaging in the act. Though I was a little scared when Dusty and I first came together, the act proved to be minimally painful. I rather enjoyed it.” She grinned as she placed more cake between her lips.
“He was your first?”
“Yes, and I was his. May I have some water?”
Her mother stood without speaking, grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and poured water into it. Taking it, Felicity could see the sadness in her mother’s expression. “Why does that make you sad?”
“It’s not that…well, not just that. I feel sad about everything in regards to you. I wish I was given the opportunity to raise you. I wish I had been able to hold you in my arms while you suckled on my breasts. To watch you crawl for the first time, walk, get your first teeth. I wish I had been able to take you to school or watch you graduate. And…I wish I had been there to tell you all about boys and sex.”
Reaching her hand out, Felicity placed it over her mother’s. “Perhaps it is not too late to do some of those things.”
“I’ll never get back what I lost, and neither will you. It angers me that Rajana did something so cruel to you, to all of us. I don’t understand why she would take you from me in the first place, but how she could be so cruel as to not even allow you to grow up as a natural human being would.” She paused, drawing in a deep breath before continuing. “When I said I wanted to kill her and told you it was a figure of speech, I lied. I do want her dead, but first I want her to suffer like we all have.”
“I would think she is suffering now, with me gone and knowing I came here to be with you.” Felicity was sure of it.
Trinity smiled, giving Felicity’s hand a squeeze. “Good.”
The front door slammed shut and both Trinity and Felicity turned to the sound. She felt him then, as if he were in the room beside her. Pushing the plate aside, Felicity stood, a smile filling her face. “Dusty has returned.”
Chapter Nineteen
There was something to be said about having a woman throw herself into your arms the instant you stepped foot inside her home. Though Felicity’s father stood beside him, growling in a low, feral tone, Dusty wound his arms around Felicity. He was pretty happy to see her too.
“What has happened to you? Your face…it is red and blistered.”
Despite the fact that his skin was raw and sore, he relished the touch of her hand on his face. “I was in the sun.”
“Oh my, Dusty. Do you not know what the sunlight can do to your skin?”
“I do now. I’m sorry I worried you. I had…some stuff to take care of.”
“And now, so do we. But first,” Basil stepped between the two, breaking their embrace, “I want a hug from my daughter.”
Dusty stepped aside to allow the embrace. Though it wasn’t as warm as the one she had given him, Dusty could see Felicity felt comfort as she hugged her father. He supposed the unease came from not knowing your father all of your life.
“Just what I needed. Now, to attend to business.”
“I will leave you. Dusty, will you join me—”
“I need Dusty for this business,” Basil interrupted with a soothing smile. “There’s no need for you to leave.”
“But I was always asked to leave when my—Rajana attended business.”
“You’re not with Rajana any longer, sweetness,” Basil reminded her, carefully tipping her chin up with his fingers, then gently placing a kiss to her
nose. “In my house, everyone is one.” He turned back to Dusty, crooked a finger for him to follow. Dusty did so, reluctantly. “Where is everyone?”
“They left. What’s going on?” Trinity asked cautiously.
“We might have a lead on Chaos, but I want everyone here before I discuss it.” He took Trinity in his arms. “You know how much I hate repeating myself.”
While the two embraced, Dusty inched over towards Felicity and spoke as quietly as he could. “I got the protection while I was away.”
“Excellent!”
“What’s excellent?” Basil asked, still holding Trinity in an embrace.
“That I called my parents to let them know I’m okay,” Dusty spoke up, hoping to God that Felicity didn’t say otherwise.
“Oh…okay. Well, we should call everyone. The sooner they get here the better.”
“The telephones work here?”
“Sure.” Basil narrowed a look at Dusty. “Behave while we’re gone.”
Dusty took the warning to heart and was damn glad when Basil finally left the room. “He is a scary man.”
“My father is not scary,” Felicity defended.
“If you say so. Did you miss me?” he asked slyly, risking that he might be seen and took Felicity into his arms for a kiss. He hissed at the pain of the blisters on his lips as they embraced.
“Does it hurt a great deal?”
“I can handle it. You didn’t answer my question. Did you miss me?”
“A great deal.” She smiled and it sank right into his heart. “I would like to go to my bedroom now and have sex.”
“Shh…” He looked around to make sure no one heard. “Remember what I said about sex being private?”
She nodded as she glanced behind her. “Could we go to my room now?” she whispered softly.
“Later. Your dad needs my help with something first. You look cute when you sulk.” Despite the pain he knew it would cause him, he drew her closer for another kiss.
“Break it up, you two,” Basil bellowed as he entered the room.
“Give them a break, Basil,” Trinity chastised, giving his arm a slug. “Come with me, Dusty. Cooper has some ointments that will take the sting out of those burns.”
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