They got into the ’69, and he took off.
She shifted in her seat so she was turned slightly toward him. “Are you going to tell me who we’re about to see?”
“Ivan Tsvetkov. I don’t think you know him.”
“No, I don’t. Should I?”
“He’s a good guy. Worth knowing. So yes, you should. You might even try to be friends with his wife. She’s very nice. She’s a Will-o’-the-Wisp.”
“Interesting.” Kora seemed unmoved by that. “I take it from his name that he’s Russian?”
“Yes. He can translate. And he can keep a secret.”
“Good. Because I need him not to say a word of this to anyone.” She faced forward again.
But Greyson wasn’t done talking. “How many times have you been contacted by the person who sent you the locket?”
“Just once. He calls himself the Fox.”
“And you contact this Fox via the burner phone?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t mean I’ll get an answer. I’ve texted a few times since getting the package and not heard back. I’m guessing he’ll reach out again when I get closer to the prize. If I get closer.”
He nodded, thinking. “Why you? Just because he has information on your mother?”
“That’s a question I’ve been asking myself.” She stared out the window as the town went past. “I’m aware I could have been chosen because of my old reputation for being willing to break laws and that the promise of information about my mother could be a ruse just to get me to do what he wants.”
He almost laughed. “Your old reputation?”
She glared at him. “You might not believe it, but I’m working hard to be a different person. More responsible. More aboveboard. More adult.”
He shot a quick look at her. “Well, you look different, but as for the rest of it, good luck.”
She huffed out a breath. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“You forget I’ve seen you at your worst. Several times. And the leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
“Just because that’s a saying doesn’t mean it’s true. And I’m not a leopard. If I want to change, I can. And I will.” She shook her head. “I am changing. I already have. I’m working a steady job, taking on responsibilities. I have a pet, for crying out loud.”
“True.” Maybe he should cut her some slack. But he still wasn’t sure he believed all this new-leaf business. Didn’t mean he wanted to rile her up right before they saw Ivan, though. He changed the subject. “How did you end up with Waffles, anyway?”
She leaned an elbow on the door, sliding her fingers around the back of her neck. “You know Chet?”
“The doorman at the club.”
“Yes. He called my office one night and said there was a wounded animal in the warehouse entrance and asked what he should do with it. I went up to see what it was and found Waffles. He was a mess. He’d gotten into a fight with something and had a gash on his side. He was skin and bones, covered in fleas, fur matted up and filthy. Really struggling. But somehow he’d made it into the warehouse.”
She put her hands in her lap and stared at them. “I think he was looking for a safe place to die.”
A knot formed in Greyson’s throat. He’d never considered himself an animal person, but the suffering of any innocent creature was hard to take. “Yeah, maybe.”
“I’d never cared for another creature in my life at that point. Animal or otherwise. Not outside of my mémé, anyway. But I’d just made things right with my dad and been spending time with my mémé—”
“Hattie is amazing.”
“Yes, she is.” Kora smiled for a moment. “Something inside me kind of broke when I saw that poor cat. I couldn’t let him die. Maybe…because I’d just gotten a second chance, and I thought he deserved one, too.”
Greyson’s brows lifted, but he stayed quiet. Was it possible Kora had changed? He’d never imagined that she had this side to her.
“I don’t know if he sensed that I wanted to help him, but he let me pick him up, and I rushed him to the twenty-four-hour emergency vet.” She let out a dry laugh. “Long story short, nearly two grand later and he’s doing great. I had to borrow the money from my dad, but I paid him back.”
Greyson chuckled. “That must have been some conversation.”
“It was. He didn’t believe that I needed the money for a cat until I put the vet on the phone. And even then, I think he was skeptical. Not that I blame him.”
Greyson didn’t either, but he kept that to himself. “How did you end up naming the cat Waffles?”
“He was at the animal hospital for four days while they got him stabilized and healthy enough to have a fighting chance. When I went to pick him up, I put him in the new carrier I’d just bought and had him sitting by my feet while I paid the bill. There was a little girl there with her parents. Their dog was getting spayed, I think. They were picking him up, too. Anyway, the little girl came over to look at Waffles.”
Kora’s smile returned, a little distant and dreamy with the memory. “She was sticking her fingers through the front gate of the carrier, and he was leaning in, letting him pet her. Then she looked up at me and said, ‘Waffles is a nice cat.’”
Kora shook her head. “I hadn’t named him. I hadn’t even really thought about keeping him at that point. I mean, I hadn’t been sure he was going to make it. And me with a cat? Anyhow, I looked at the little girl and asked her how she knew his name was Waffles. She said that’s what he told her.”
Kora shrugged. “So that’s how he became Waffles. Kind of fits him. He is warm and comforting.”
Greyson smiled. “How about that? Not only did you gain a cat, but you met a certified cat whisperer.”
“Right?” Kora laughed before staring at her hands again. “It’s weird, though, isn’t it? Me having a cat?”
“It is, but I like it. Makes you more…human.”
She didn’t react like he thought she would with some kind of outrage. Instead, she just nodded. “Yeah, I suppose it does. I’m even thinking he could use a feline friend.”
“That’s how it starts, you know.” He turned onto the dirt road that led to Ivan’s long paved drive. The paved section didn’t start until after the bend, something Ivan had done as a way of disguising the entrance to his home in the hills. “Before you know it, you have twelve.”
She raised one brow and looked at him. “Well, I have the room.”
They both laughed, and for a moment, Greyson was so charmed by her he almost forgot how many times she’d nearly gotten him killed.
Kora hadn’t intended to reveal so much to Greyson, but besides the sartorial advice she’d received from Hattie, her mémé had also told her to stop putting up walls. To let people get to know her. To be willing to be vulnerable.
Not only was that hard, but Kora had no idea why she’d chosen Greyson to practice on. Maybe because after all these months in Nocturne Falls, she still didn’t have any real friends. Acquaintances, yes. People who said hello to her because they knew who she was, or really, who her father was.
Beyond that, her circle of friends was her father, his wife, Imari, and Hattie. The only other numbers in her phone’s contacts list was the vet’s office, some of the club’s distributors, and Salvatore’s delivery line. Even vampires had pizza cravings on occasion.
That contacts list proved she was living a pretty sad existence. But she was determined to change that. Just as soon as she put this mission behind her. In fact, finding out the truth about her mother felt like the perfect way to close out the final chapter of her old life.
With that information, she could stop looking behind her and focus on the future. On making real changes.
And with those changes, she hoped that she could make friends. As pathetic as that sounded. She was tired of being alone. Tired of being lonely.
A second cat wasn’t going to solve that. Although Waffles could definitely use a buddy.
Greyson parked, and she lo
oked up at the big log cabin in front of them. “I knew there were cabins in these hills, but this is my first time seeing one. Pretty impressive. Looks more like a chalet than a cabin.”
“This one is sort of the cream of the crop. Most of the rest of them are more standard fare.”
She got out of the car. “Compared to this, how could the rest not fall short? It’s really beautiful.”
She was used to wealth. Her father was one of the richest people she’d met in all her years. But knowing she was about to meet the man who lived in this house suddenly intimidated her a little. After all, she needed his help. And he needed nothing from her. Would he even agree to do the translation? Would he want payment?
She judged everything by her past. By what she would have done. It colored her world. How on earth was she supposed to move forward when she was so flawed?
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced at Greyson. “I don’t have anything to offer him. And I can’t afford to pay him.”
Greyson’s brows bent. “Van won’t want payment. He’s just reading some Russian. We’re not asking him to do anything crazy.”
“You’re sure?”
Greyson nodded. “Absolutely.”
That made her feel a little better, but some of the nerves remained.
Together, they walked up the stairs to the front door. The porches on the house ran all the way around it, providing incredible views of the surrounding hills and the town below. The lights made it seem so inviting.
One of these days, Kora was going to have to play tourist, take a night off, and see what Nocturne Falls was all about. More than she had, which wasn’t much.
The door opened before Greyson could knock.
A huge man stood there, smiling at them. “Hello.”
Behind him sat a large Doberman, tongue out.
“Hi, Van.” Greyson shook hands with the man. “This is Kora Dupree. Lucien’s daughter. She’s the one who needs the translation.”
“Nice to meet you, Kora.” Van’s accent was subtle, but very present.
She nodded at him, remembering to smile. “Nice to meet you, too. Greyson speaks very highly of you.”
Van’s smile broadened. “He is a good man. Come in.” He patted the dog on the head. “Do not be afraid of Grom. He does not bite unless commanded to do so.”
“Good to know,” Kora said with a little laugh.
They went in, and Kora couldn’t help but look around. “Your home is really great.”
“Thank you very much.” Van led them into the kitchen, where a gorgeous redhead was cleaning up. She was in leggings and a tunic-length T-shirt, showing off a very trim figure, and sneakers.
He put his arm around her. “This is my wife, Monalisa.” Then he spoke to her. “This is Greyson’s friend Kora.”
Kora smiled. “Hello. Thank you for letting us come over.”
“Nice to meet you, Kora.” Monalisa folded the towel she held. “Van is always happy to help, and it’s always nice to meet new people. I understand you haven’t lived here very long?”
“No, not that long. I really need to meet new people, too.” As hard as that was.
“Can I get either of you something to drink?” Monalisa asked.
“I’m fine,” Kora said.
“So am I,” Greyson added. “But thank you for the offer.”
“No problem. And I know you have work to do with Van, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take Grom out for a walk. I hope we see you again, Kora.”
“Thank you.”
Monalisa headed for the door and took a leash off a hook on the wall there. Grom got to his feet instantly, his tail wagging excitedly. She hooked the leash to his collar, and the pair left the house.
Kora almost sighed in relief. With Monalisa gone, she wouldn’t see the locket. Of course, there was nothing to stop Van from telling her all about it, but Greyson had said the man could keep a secret. Whether or not that included keeping it from his wife, Kora didn’t know. But she imagined Greyson had made it clear that this was a delicate situation.
Van held his hand out toward the other half of the house. “Let’s go to the living room, and you can show me this inscription.”
They followed him into the next room and took seats on the overstuffed leather furniture. The sofa and chairs would have looked gargantuan in any other space, but in Van’s home, with his size, they seemed perfect. Perhaps even custom made.
Greyson and Kora took the chairs while Van sat in the middle of the couch opposite them, making the thing look more like an oversized chair.
Greyson leaned back. “Really appreciate you doing this, Van.”
“You know I am always happy to help.” He scooted to the edge of the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together. He looked at Kora. “Greyson tells me this matter must be kept quiet. I assure you, I will tell no one. I understand such matters, so you may trust me.”
She nodded. “Thank you. That’s good to hear. I’m really glad you’re doing this for me, too.”
He shrugged, his mountainous shoulders rising. “This is what friends do for friends.” He held his hand out. “What would you like me to read?”
She reached into her purse. She’d put both halves of the locket into a small jewelry box. She took it out and opened it, then removed the two pieces. “There’s an inscription on this locket that can only be read completely when the pieces are joined.”
Van took his hand back. “You join them. My fingers are too large and not so nimble.”
“Sure,” she answered. She’d examined them earlier and had seen how they fit together. She held one piece perpendicular to the other and slid them together, then turned the first piece to align with the second.
They snapped together so seamlessly it was hard to tell they’d ever been separated. She tested the hinge to see how the locket opened. It worked perfectly. The locket hadn’t been broken, but deliberately separated.
She left it open and held the now complete sun shape out to Van. “Here you go.”
He took it from her and studied the words inside for a moment before looking at her again. “You have no idea what this says?”
“None. That’s why I need you.” She got her phone out, ready to type in the translation for safekeeping.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly before his gaze returned to the inscription. He cleared his throat. “Seek the witch’s heart in the dragon’s hoard, but beware the pain of untrue love.”
Greyson looked at Kora, whose thumbs were flying over the phone’s screen. “What on earth is that supposed to mean?”
Van frowned. “I do not like this.”
“Why?” Kora asked.
“Why do you think?” Van retorted.
Greyson shifted forward in his seat. “Van, she doesn’t know what you are.”
A little niggle of panic set Kora’s inner alarms off. “Why does what he is matter?” It was clear Van was some kind of supernatural, but she hadn’t bothered to ask. What mattered to her was his ability to read Russian.
Van’s scowl creased his mouth and brow. “I am a dragon. But no one is seeking anything in my hoard. If I had a hoard. Which I am not saying I do.”
Kora leaned back. “Okay, I don’t know anything about any hoard. I just needed the translation. I don’t think it really means—wait, do you have a hoard?”
Van glared at Greyson. “Vampire, this is not what we bargained for.”
Greyson sighed. “Everyone just relax. Van, we had no idea what the inscription said. None. And, Kora, a dragon’s hoard is a very private, personal thing. You don’t just ask about a thing like that.”
“Okay, I’m not asking. But the inscription does make it seem like I should be.”
Van held up the locket. “Where did this come from? Who wrote this?”
Kora shook her head. “I have no idea who wrote it, but the locket’s provenance says it’s connected to the Romanov dynasty. Legend claims it may have belonged to one
of the daughters. Perhaps Olga.”
Van’s expression changed to something much more haunted. “The Romanovs?”
“Yes.”
He handed the locket back to her, then sighed heavily. “That was not a good time in Russian history.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Greyson said. “And from a supernatural side of things, we know they were vampires. Turned by Rasputin. But I’m sure you know that since you’re Russian.”
“Da,” Van said. He frowned again. “I mean to say yes, but sometimes my tongue slips. I also know of the line of Rasputin. And of the vampires turned by him who claim him as their sire. But I have not thought of such things in many years.”
Kora’s curiosity ticked up a notch. “Do you know anything else about them? The Rasputin vampires? Any stories you might have heard growing up?”
“What I know, I will tell you.” Van rubbed his chin. “They say that Rasputin turned the Romanovs and a few of their servants right before they were murdered by the Bolsheviks. But the murders were successful anyway, because the Bolsheviks suspected they’d been turned. The Bolsheviks drenched everything in holy water and made their bullets out of blessed silver, etching crosses into the metal.”
Kora cringed, realizing a second later that Greyson looked equally as ill.
Unfazed, Van continued. “Legend also says Rasputin foresaw the Bolsheviks’ plan and informed the family, but also told them that because of his power, they would remain unharmed. The legend goes that one of the maids overheard all this and went running before the Bolsheviks came for the family. She took with her untold wealth in jewels and the source of Rasputin’s power and protection over the family.”
He held up a finger. “She was not supposed to take that source. Because of her, the family was left vulnerable. Because of her, the family died.”
Kora shuddered. “That’s a horrible story.”
Van sat back, almost looking pleased. “It is. But in Russia, these things happen.”
He said it as though murdering whole families was commonplace. But then, they were talking about vampires and Bolsheviks, so maybe he had a point.
“Do you have any idea what that source of power was?”
The Vampire’s Priceless Treasure Page 6