“Definitely. He’s a shady one and looks out only for himself. Where are you now?”
“At the airport.”
“Do you need some help?”
“I could use it.”
“I’ll call Sean and Jimmy. We’ll meet you in a few.”
“Thanks.”
After we hung up, I charmed my way past security and headed toward the flights leading to the U.S., and began searching for signs of Chelsey, Lucian, and the others. Not seeing anything, I walked over to one of the Check-In attendants, and began asking questions. Unfortunately, it did me no good. There weren’t any tickets issued for a Lucian Tepes or Frazer. Nor was there anything for Talia Mayerich or Chelsey Fairfax.
“Is there anything for a man with the last name of Shephard?”
“What’s his first name?”
“I don’t know. He’s a doctor, if that helps?”
“We’ll see. Could you spell the last name?” asked the woman.
“S-H-E-P-H-A-R-D,” I replied with uncertainty.
“Hm. No. I’m not finding anything. Let me try spelling it another way. You didn’t seem too sure about the spelling,” she said, with a little smile.
“Sorry, I’m not.”
After a few more minutes, the attendant looked back up at me. “I have a Patrick Shepard who is on a flight leaving London. The spelling is different.”
“London?” I asked, thinking that it seemed like a long-shot.
“Yes. His plane leaves in an hour.”
“Is he alone?”
“I’m not sure. The ticket was purchased by itself, though.”
“Where is the plane headed?”
“The JFK in Queens, New York, with one stop along the way. Here.”
My eyebrows shot up. “The plane’s going to stop here?”
She smiled. “Yes.”
“When?”
“In about two-hours and fifteen minutes.”
She gave me the flight information.
“There will be about a two-hour layover,” she replied. “So, that should give you just the right amount of time needed to look for your friend.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “I appreciate it.”
“Is there anything else?” asked the woman.
“No.”
“Are you sure? I get off in an hour. I could help you look for your friend,” she said, smiling flirtatiously.
I smiled back. “You’ve already been more than helpful. Thanks for the offer, though.”
“You’re welcome. Good luck,” she said, as I walked away.
“Hey, Slade!”
I turned around and there they were. Bradan, Sean, and Jimmy. A sight for sore eyes.
“You find anyone yet?” asked Bradan, as they walked over to me.
“No, but I might have a lead.” I said and then told them about the flight.
“You think that’s the same fella?” asked Sean, crossing his arms. “That name is pretty common.”
“I don’t know. It may or may not be. He’s headed to New York, though. It’s worth checking out.”
“I agree. What about Aiden?” asked Bradan. Have you heard from him yet?”
“No, not yet. I’d better check in, let him know what I’ve found, and see what he thinks,” I replied pulling out my phone. “In the meantime, if you could split up and look around for Chelsey? I’m not sure if she’s here, but you never know.”
“You bet,” said Bradan. “Where do you want to meet up?”
I gave them the flight information for Patrick Shepard. “The plane should be arriving in just over two hours.”
“We’ll meet you there,” said Sean.
“Okay. Thanks for showing up,” I said. “I owe you guys.”
“You don’t owe us anything. We know you’d do the same for any of us,” said Jimmy, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Like I always say - we’re not just a band. We’re family and we need to support each other whenever we can.”
“You’re right,” I replied, grateful to have such good friends in my life. “And if any of you ever need me, don’t think twice about asking for help.”
“I certainly wouldn’t,” said Jimmy. “Hell, none of us would. Now, let’s go get to finding your girl.”
“We’ll call you if we find anything,” said Bradan.
“Same here,” I said.
As they walked away, I called Aiden and told him what I’d learned.
“What is Shephard’s first name?” I asked.
“His card said Richard, but, I don’t think that Richard Shephard is his real name either. I think they’re both bogus.”
“What do you think? Would they go to London?”
“It’s certainly possible.”
“Why?”
“To throw us off. To be honest, I doubt they’re heading back to the states. Not right now, anyway. Lucian snatched Chelsey and had to take her someplace quiet and unassuming. A place out of our reach. London would be a good choice.”
“You don’t think he just… killed Chelsey, do you?” I asked. Something told me that Lucian wanted more than her life or her blood, though.
“No, I don’t. The more I think about it, the more I’m starting to believe that Lucian charmed her so that she’d go away with him willingly. To be honest, I think he wants to use her for the project.”
I clenched the phone tightly. Aiden was usually right, when it came to gut instincts. I’d also been thinking the same thing. Lucian needed another guinea pig and had already bitten her once. If it were just for blood, he wouldn’t have come back for her. “You really think he’s planning on turning her into a vampire and impregnating her?”
“It sounds pretty logical. He came back to the castle for her. If he wanted to strike back, for what happened last night, he’d have come after me directly. Instead, he took her.”
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I’ve been thinking the same thing but didn’t want to believe it.”
“Sorry, Slade. I wish we were pulling at straws with that theory, but I just don’t believe we are.”
“We need to find her quickly. Did you get someone to check their addresses in New York?”
“The addresses we found on Lucian and Talia, were old. I did find an address for a Dr. Richard Shephard. A condo. Unfortunately, it appears to have been vacated, quite a while ago.”
I rubbed my forehead. “Shit.”
“One of my contacts, in the CIA, has been trying to help me track Talia’s cell phone, via satellite, but she apparently turned it off or just got rid of it. He’s going to keep checking on it for me, though. In case she turns it back on.”
“Something tells me that it’s gone. She tossed it.”
“You’re probably right but, you never know. They might get sloppy at one point or maybe Chelsey will get her hands on it and call one of us.”
“I hope so.”
“Don’t worry, Slade. All is not lost. In fact, Torin has some shady contacts who’ll do anything for the right amount of money. I have a good feeling that he’ll find us something.”
“I hope so.”
“So, what are you going to do? Wait for that plane?”
“Yeah. Bradan, Sean, and Jimmy are here now, too. They’re checking the airport for Chelsey. Just in case.”
“Good idea and… good luck. We’ll keep digging around on this end for more information. When we find out anything else, you’ll be the first to know.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Don’t lose faith.”
“I won’t,” I replied, although I felt a horrible sense of doom wash over me as I hung up with Aiden. We weren’t any closer to locating Chelsey and chances were, the guy flying over from London wasn’t our guy. For every hour that she was lost, I could feel her slipping farther away from me and closer to immortality.
WHEN VANESSA LEFT, I flipped through the television channels, hoping that she’d been wrong and that maybe the Roamers had been sloppy this time. It seemed pretty hard to conceive that th
ey could kill such a high-profile group of people, without nobody noticing. Aiden was constantly on the phone and it only seemed reasonable that someone, somewhere, would start looking into his silence. Unfortunately, at the moment, there was nothing to report on the news and I soon found myself getting sleepy again.
“CHELSEY,” WHISPERED LUCIAN, shaking me gently awake.
Groggy, I opened my eyes. “I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep again. I don’t know why I’m so tired.”
“It’s probably the shot you received earlier. Or, it could be the fact that you were bitten by a Roamer. Whenever it happens, a toxin is released into your bloodstream.”
I stared at him in horror. “What?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t do much. It sits dormant in your bloodstream, waiting for more of it to arrive.”
“This is the same toxin that changes a mortal into a vampire?” I asked, sitting up.
“Yes. Three hearty doses and it’s all over but the biting,” he joked.
“I wish I found that funny.”
“I’m sorry. It isn’t. My bad.”
“It’s okay. I know you’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“I wish that I could do more.”
“You’ve already done a lot. You’ve saved my life.” I groaned. “I’ve been saying that so much lately. I’m grateful but it’s frustrating at the same time.”
“I understand. You’ve had a lot happen to you in the last week. More than most and you’re so young to be going through such tragedy.”
“It’s definitely been a rough week,” I said, smiling sadly. “But, I do appreciate everything you’ve done. I just wish you wouldn’t have had to do it. You know what I mean?”
“Believe me, Chelsey, I know.” Lucian sat down next to me and cleared his throat. “So, Vanessa tells me that you want to become a vampire?”
I sighed. “Yes.”
“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “You know there’s no turning back, once it happens.”
“I know, but I want to protect myself. From Faye and her monsters. Slade always said that they were still a threat but even he underestimated the lengths they'll go to find us.”
“It appears that way.”
I nodded.
“If this is what you want, what you really want, I’ll make it happen.”
“It is. I don’t want to be vulnerable to an attack again. At least not as vulnerable as I was.”
“I don’t blame you. We’re not always going to be around either. Talia and myself.”
“You mean Vanessa?”
He smirked. “She told you?”
“Yes. We talked a lot while you were gone.”
“Apparently. What did she say about me?” he asked, his face turning serious.
“Nothing bad,” I said, amused. “She told me how you came to her rescue and have been there for her, all of these years. You’re a good man, Lucian.”
His face relaxed. “I try to be.”
“From where I’m sitting, you most certainly are. Anyway, back to the vampire thing - I don’t want you to have to babysit me Lucian.”
He leaned forward and grabbed my hand. “To be honest, I don’t mind being your protector and you’re certainly not a baby,” he said softly.
“No, I’m not but you know what I mean.”
He began rubbing my knuckles with his thumb. “Yes.”
It felt strange, the way he was caressing my hand, but I was too embarrassed to pull it away. I also didn’t want him to get angry.
“You’re very beautiful,” he whispered, licking his lips.
I blushed. “Thank you.”
His eyes left my face and lowered to my hospital gown. “We should get you out of that.”
I pulled my hand away. “What?”
He laughed. “That sounded bad. I’m sorry. I need to find you some new clothes.”
I relaxed. “Where are my old ones?”
“They’re being cleaned. Obviously, when the Roamer went after you, there was blood.”
I tried thinking back. “It’s very strange but… I just don’t remember that part. I only recall you coming to my room.”
“Your mind is blocking out the horror. It was obviously terrifying. It’s much better this way. Not remembering everything.”
“I don’t know about that. I hate not remembering. As far as I’m concerned, that is more terrifying.”
“When you become a vampire, everything will be clearer,” he replied and then smiled grimly. “Whatever you might have forgotten, will return to you.”
“That’s a relief.”
He tilted his head. “You say that now…”
It almost sounded like he didn’t want me to become a vampire. I knew that Slade hadn’t either. This gift would also be a curse. “When can we do this?” I asked, deciding that it was better to just get it over with before I talked myself out of it.
“Whenever you’d like. But, before we begin, I do have a couple of questions for you. Medical ones, I guess you could say.”
My eyes widened. “Okay. Go ahead. Ask away.”
He pulled out his cell phone and began scrolling through his Apps. “When was your last menstrual period?”
I laughed. I hadn’t been expecting that one. “What?”
“When did you have your last period?”
I snorted. “Does it really matter?”
He chuckled. “Oh yes. It really does. I know it sounds weird, but I need to know.”
“Um, well, it’s been almost two weeks, but to be honest, my period is very irregular.”
He frowned. “So, you don’t know exactly when you could be ovulating?”
“Ovulating?” I repeated, even more surprised by that question. “What does that have to do with becoming a vampire?”
Lucian shrugged. “I’m just trying to make sure that you’re not pregnant. It would be a shame to lose your baby.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not pregnant,” I replied.
“We’ll make sure of that. I’ve sent Talia to the nearest drug store to purchase a pregnancy test.”
“Okay. I guess it’s good to be certain,” I replied, although I thought it was a waste of money.
“She should be returning any minute. In fact,” he said, glancing toward the door. “I believe she’s back already.”
Just then Talia walked into the room carrying a small white bag.
“That didn’t take long, my dear. Did you find what we needed?” he asked, standing up.
“Yes,” she replied, looking troubled.
Lucian frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes,” she replied, her smile appearing forced. “Everything is fine.”
He took the bag from her and pulled out two boxes. “Here you go, Chelsey. Take these into the bathroom and follow the directions.”
“Okay,” I replied, getting out of bed.
“There are two separate tests here. One is to see if you’re ovulating. Take that test first. The other is to see if you’re pregnant.”
“Why can’t I just see if I’m pregnant?”
“Because if you got pregnant yesterday or the day before, it would be too soon to tell,” said Vanessa. “If you’re ovulating, the test will confirm that there’s still a chance of you being pregnant. Have you had sex in the last two days?”
I nodded.
“With your fiancé?” asked Lucian with a smirk.
“With Slade,” I replied, blushing. “But, he couldn’t get me pregnant, could he? He’s a vampire.”
“It’s highly unlikely, but, there’s always a very slim chance,” said Lucian. “I think that the odds are close to one in two million.”
Those odds were staggering but the thought of carrying Slade’s baby suddenly brought a tear to my eye.
Could I be pregnant? And if I was, what would that mean?
“I’ll be right back,” I said, now curious as to what the tests would say. I got out of bed quickly and went into the bathroom.
“Do you need help?” asked Lucian.
“No,” I replied, shutting the door and smiling. I’d never used one of the tests but I knew how to. I certainly didn’t need help peeing on a stick.
As I was opening up the box to read the directions, I could somehow hear Vanessa and Lucian through the door.
“Okay, what is the problem?” he whispered.
“I don’t want you turning her into a vampire,” she whispered back.
I stopped what I was doing, surprised that I could hear them so clearly.
“Why not? It’s what she wants.”
“No, it’s what you want.”
“Isn’t it what you wanted too?” he whispered angrily.
“Yes, but… I’ve changed my mind.”
“Too bad. Things have been set in motion. There’s no turning back. You’re just going to have to get over your…your…”
“My what?”
“Whatever jealous fantasy that’s going on in your head,” he said sharply
“It’s not a fantasy. I saw the way you were looking at her, Lucian. You want her for yourself.”
He laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
Having heard enough, I opened the door. “Excuse me, but can I say something?”
They both stared at me in surprise.
“For the record, I want to become a vampire. Me. Anyway, I’m not sure why I can hear you, when I’m in the bathroom, but I feel uncomfortable listening in on your conversation. If you have want to talk privately, I recommend you go into the hall.”
“You heard us?” asked Lucian. He looked at Vanessa. “It must be because of the vampire toxin in her body. Her senses are already accelerating.”
“Apparently,” she replied, frowning.
“Go and take the tests. Vanessa and I are done bickering. Aren’t we, darling?” he asked, a hard smile on his face.
“Yes,” she said quietly.
I pulled a strand of hair away from my eyes. “Okay. I’ll be out after I figure the tests out.”
“Are you sure that you don’t need Vanessa’s help?”
“Yes, I’m quite sure.”
Vanessa snorted. “Like I’d know any more than she would about taking the tests.”
“Maybe not, but you could always offer her moral support,” he said, sounding as if he was getting angry again.
Toxic (Venom Series) Book Three Page 17