Jamie felt the drugs float over him. The nurse told him that he’d feel better in a few minutes, and he did. Dead, or whatever this was, did have its perks, he thought as he drifted off to la-la-land.
Chapter 6
Chase wasn’t sure what he needed to get done today. He’d been working on a couple of projects for a job site that he’d been trying to get going. Then there were the two things that his dad and he were working on that he needed to get started. But all he’d been able to do was stare at the computer screen that had long since gone black. He looked up, happy for a distraction, when the new cook, Dustin Harper, came in with a tray.
“This is a sampling of the foods that the missus asked me to make. She didn’t tell me what to make, but asked me to make a sampling of whatever I could cook. So I did this. I hope you like it.” He looked at the small plates and felt his mouth water. “Miss Emerald, she has tasted them and said that she can’t decide. That you had to make the decision. I wasn’t sure what I could whip up, but it was sort of fun just cooking for a couple of people instead of hundreds.”
“What is it we’re making a choice for? I mean, this all looks good, but I’m thinking that I can only have one.” Dustin laughed and told him that it was for the dinner party they were having with his family in a few days. “And we can’t just have this all?”
“You can. I would need more help though. Which means more money, sir.” He nodded and waited for what the but was going to be. “I don’t spend money, not unless you approve. If you say you don’t want it and take it out of my own pocket, my empty pocket, then those people are going to be real upset with me. Not you, but me. I know I’m babbling, but I think this is either going to be the best legal job I’ve ever had or the shortest employment. Either way, I’ve had a good time today.”
“We’re not going to fire you for needing more money spent. Nor are you going to have to take any out of your pocket because.... Really, I don’t know why you’d think we’d want you to do this all on your own. We have a large and usually hungry family. Dustin, hire anyone you wish.” He hesitated just long enough for Chase to understand. “I know that you aren’t really trusting of us, and that isn’t what we want. You were hired because you had a good set of skills that we needed. The fact that you have a record doesn’t mean anything to any of us, because as far as we’re concerned, you’ve paid your dues for it.”
“No one just wants to hire an ex-con simply because I know the difference between clotted milk and sour milk.” Chase smiled at him. “You don’t know the difference.”
“I wasn’t even aware there was such a thing as clotted milk.” He was really; Chase had been around for a long time. And he’d heard of a great many things that this man would be surprised he knew. But he was putting him at ease, and if a fib would help, then he’d do it. “You were checked out, Dustin. And I was told that you know that we’re not human, nor are the rest of the people you might encounter here. That being said, you must also be aware that we’re way scarier than you are, and if you tried to hurt one of us, you’d be dead before you were able to get the job done. Right?”
“Yes, sir. I know that.” He rubbed his head; it was a habit that Chase had noticed the man had when he was nervous. “Why me? I mean, I know that there are any number of people out there that can cook as well as, if not better than, me. And you have to know that I’m not really good at anything but food that sticks to your ribs. Not the fancy stuff that people with money like.”
“Okay, I can see that. But I want to tell you that whatever you fix that we don’t have to is going to go over well. We’re a big family. I have five brothers, a dad, and sister-in-law. Usually, as a vampire, we’d not bother with a cook, but we’ve been made special in that we can eat when we want or not. Comfort food, it’s something that we all need, and a great deal of it. You were chosen because Emerald—and she’s a good judge of character—said that not only were you trustworthy, but that you could be a good addition to our family.” Dustin nodded. “Now, we’re trusting you to do a good job. You can trust us in paying you a good wage, giving you a place to live, and keeping you out of trouble. Okay? So, you tell us who you want to hire and, as was done with you, a background check will be made for them as well. As I said, we want you to be happy to be here as much as we’re happy that you’re here.”
Dustin nodded, then left, but he returned a few minutes later, taking the uneaten tray of food with him. Pausing at the doorway, he grinned at him. Chase couldn’t help but grin back.
“I’ll be cooking up some comfort food for you all come dinnertime. And pies. I make a good cherry and apple.” Chase said he loved cherry pie. “That’s good. Also, I have bread rising in the kitchen. It’s what I do, knead some dough when I’m thinking about something. You see me making bread, then I’m thinking. All right?”
“Yes, and as much as I’d like to see bread every day, I don’t want you to be thinking too many stress related things. That could kill you.” Dustin laughed as he left the room. Chase said his name. “Welcome to the family, Dustin.”
Opening up his computer again, he smiled. This wasn’t so bad, he thought, having a house, staff, and a mate. Chase thought about all the things he’d done to Emerald last night, and nearly forgot what he was doing again. Burying his head in his work, Chase knew that if he got distracted again, no one would get paid that was on his payroll, and his family would miss out on a few opportunities that might be out there.
They didn’t need the money. Over the decades, not only had they invested well, much thanks to him, but they had saved as much as they could. Even going as far as to go without things so that there was money in the bank.
When they’d first been turned into what they were after the fire, it had been difficult for them. Being out in the daylight had afforded them so much, but it had also made it so that humans were more aware of them. And that they were jobless and lived forever. It had cost them a great deal of money to move around all the time, get identifications as well as new lives. But they’d settled here, and were having a good life. Not that there weren’t problems, but for the most part, they had done well for themselves.
So, when the money started to come in, very little at first, they each had given a great deal of thought to how long forever was. And they didn’t want to be without anything ever again. It was the starting point for him, to find things that they could put their money into and have a good return on it. Thus, Chase had become the money man for the family, and it had served them all well. Each of them were billionaires several times over.
He was just inquiring about the two businesses they had in the downtown area when Emerald joined him. Chase had noticed that while she was brilliant, she was also a thinker. If she spoke about something she really had it figured out, but wanted someone to either verify it or to tell her where she’d missed something. Which wasn’t all that often.
“We have a visitor.” He leaned back in his seat, asking her who it was. “Mr. Harold Bates. He’s in the hotel that Kristie and Jamie were staying in. Not that anyone is going to give him information, but he’s asking around about Jamie, and me. I’ve had him investigated too. I figured that since he was here, we should know just what we’re up against.”
“He’s Jamie’s boss.” She nodded and stood up to go to the window that looked over the back yard and pool house. “You think he’s here to cause trouble, or just to find out if Jamie is really ill? Either one of those aren’t going to be a problem, I think. We can easily kick his ass or bury him out back.”
“We might have to before this is done, but I think he’s here for both. I called in a favor this morning to find out what I could about what his job function is. Bates is no longer working for Homeland, or any other branch of that kind of service. He’s been dismissed. Jamie is on medical leave as of yesterday, with full pay and benefits. He will also have to see a company doctor, but I don’t foresee a problem coming from that either.” That was news to Chase; he’d thought that Bates was a forever
kind of worker. “He wasn’t supposed to be looking into finding me. Bates had been told, several times as a matter of fact, to drop the case. It’s why Jamie has been working on this all on his own from the basement of the building. He was there so no one would ask about it. Nor was Bates very nice to a few employees, much worse than he was to Kristie. Who I like, by the way.”
“Me too. What have you done to ensure that they’re both safe?” She glared at him, then looked out the window again. “Emerald, what is it? This isn’t just about Bates and his treatment of a few people, is it?”
“He’s off his rocker. I mean, he’s not just obsessed with finding me, but he thinks that I’ve somehow gotten with someone, a male someone, because I’m just too stupid to have done this without help. I talked to his boss today. He told me that he was sorry that I’d been dragged into this mess, and that he hoped that I’d let him know if Bates tried anything. Bates seems to think that a person can give him this formula that can make him younger. Why would he think that? And that as a female, I can’t do things on my own? Because he’s stupid, that’s why.” Chase was worried. Not for Emerald, she could take care of herself, but for the man. He was walking on dangerous ground if he thought she was stupid. “There are men here with him as well. Men that don’t care who they hurt to get what they want.”
“And what is it they want? You?” She nodded, but didn’t look at him. “You’re worried about them? Or is it something else?”
“Worried for the rest of you. Like I said, they don’t care who they hurt to get me.” He nodded, not so much worried as he was concerned why she was so upset with this. “You’re known to them. What you are. How you can be killed. They’re armed with silver and with stakes.”
“They can’t hurt us with those things.” She turned and looked at him, and asked him why not. “The queen, as you know, she gave us a great deal of power when we saved her and her people. And some of the power is our inability to be killed by a stake in the heart or silver. It will hurt, I’m not saying that it won’t, but it can’t kill us as it would another vampire.”
“Who else would know this?” He said that they didn’t share that sort of information with anyone but mates. “So the townspeople, they have no idea that their benefactors can’t be killed. Do they know what you are?”
“Yes, for the most part. I mean, we’ve been here since the town was erected, so they’d have to realize something was off. But from the beginning, they were told so long as we’re safe and not harmed, they won’t be either. And we’d make sure that they had all they needed to be a very good community.” She sat down now, and he could see her mind was working this through. “Honey, you’re scaring me right now.”
“The townspeople, they’ve known for a few days that you and I are mates. I wondered why they’d never said anything to any of these people coming around here.” He told her that he’d never asked them to do that, but that they liked her. “Sure, I’m so loveable. But these men, there are five of them not counting Bates. What will happen to the people in town if they start hurting them to get what they want?”
“Then we step in and make them regret being born.” She looked at him for several seconds, then nodded. He wasn’t sure if she was saying she agreed with him or that she thought he was off his rocker too. But when she stood up and told him she was going hunting, he laughed. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t. And if you have to, make sure that you can hide the bodies.”
She was still laughing when she went out of the house. He thought about joining her, just to watch what she was doing, but he had to see Jamie again, and try to make the man understand what was going on.
~~~
Kristie watched her husband. He wasn’t doing well, she knew it. His health was fine, but it was the information that he was getting that she thought he wasn’t doing so well with. When she started to tell him, again, what had happened in the restaurant, he put up his hand to stop her.
“You know, this would go much easier if you would just listen to me and have an open mind about this.” He said that he wasn’t closed minded, but that she was delusional. “Did you just call me insane? I have to tell you something, James. I might be pregnant, but I can still whoop your butt.”
“You’re telling me, quite calmly, I might add, that a vampire opened his wrist up with his teeth, fed me his blood, and kept me from dying. Honey, I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, or what you’ve been fed, but there are no such things as vampires.” She growled at him. “Nor are there werewolves or anything else you might have thought of. It’s just not right.”
When she stood up to…well, she wasn’t sure what she was going to do to him, Chase came into the room and winked at her. Kristie had a feeling that he’d heard her husband, and was glad that he was going to deal with him. This wasn’t going to end well for her dear husband, she knew it, but she wasn’t leaving him, in case he needed her. Or he needed a bash to the head.
“How are you today, Jamie? The doctor said that you’re doing much better, and might be able to be released in a few more days.” Jamie smiled at the man as he sat down, and told him he was feeling very good. He thought perhaps it wasn’t as bad as he’d been made to believe. “It was worse than you were led to believe, actually. You were all but dead when I helped you. We’ve talked about this before, you and I, and I don’t think you’re any closer to believing me than you were then, are you?”
“I don’t know what to believe, to be honest. Kristie has it in her head that you gave me your blood, that you’re some kind of vampire.” Chase told him he wasn’t some kind of one. She started to object when Jamie looked at her. “I think she’s having issues with me being in here, and has her mind stressed out.”
“I’m not some kind of vampire, Jamie, but I am one. A very old and very powerful one. I know you find that hard to believe, but that’s what I am…my entire family is.” Jamie looked at her then back at Chase. “We’ve had this conversation before, as I said, but with you being about ready to come home, you will be around us more and need to be aware of us.”
“I thought I had died.” He said that he had, that without Chase’s blood, he would have stayed dead. “I don’t understand this. Are you saying that I’m going to be a vampire? No, no, this can’t be right. I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand how I’m a vampire, nor that you are.”
“Would you like to be?” Jamie looked at her then shook his head. “I didn’t think so. However, if you change your mind, I would gladly help you with that. Now, I want to talk to you about what is going on with your—”
“Wait, wait, wait. I don’t understand this.” Chase asked him what he needed to know. “This. All of this. Why are you both acting like this is real? I mean, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t care to be treated like this. Kristie, this has gone on long enough. I don’t like being treated this way.”
“I can show you.” Kristie stood up, not sure what was going to happen when Chase touched his fingers to Jamie’s forehead. “Just relax and I’ll be right here. This is the reality of what happened.”
Jamie cried out and she felt someone touch her. It was Emerald, who she’d not even known was in the room. And while Jamie seemed to be reliving the nightmare that she could never forget, Emerald held her hand. It was just the security that she needed. When Chase stepped back, Jamie looked at her. Disbelief or something akin to it was written all over his face. She felt tears roll down her cheeks as he came to the realization that she had been telling him the truth. They all had.
“Holy shit. Holy.... I was dead. I had a massive heart attack and I died. Why didn’t someone...? Well, you did try and tell me. Holy shit, Kristie, I was dead.” She nodded and reached for his hand. “I was dead, Kristie. Dead, and I drank vampire blood to be alive.”
“I know, love. I know. But you’re fine now. You just have to listen to the doctor and do what he tells you.” Kristie held him in her arms. “I love you, Jamie. I love you so much. And now that you’re here with us
, forever, you’re going to stop being so stressed out and take care that I don’t have to go through all that again. You understand me?”
“Yes, I understand. And I’m not going to...I was dead and given another chance, and I’m not going to mess that up. Not again.” She cried as he made promises that she was going to hold him to. “I love you, Kristie, my heart, with all my heart.”
He was her life, and the thought of losing him again was making her weak in the knees. When something touched the back of her legs, she sat down in the chair and held Jamie tighter. They had been lucky, so very lucky that the Crosbys had been there with them.
“Are you ready to listen now?” Chase sat back down, as did Emerald. Kristie held onto Jamie as Emerald continued. “A man by the name of Harold Bates checked into the hotel where you were both staying. He has men with him. All of them are well armed and ready to do whatever he tells them to. However, Chase has spoken to one of them. It turns out that this man is a friend of the family, and he didn’t realize that Chase was a part of what is going on. He said that he’d talk to Bates and see if he could change his mind. I don’t think he will. But they’re here because of me, and I’d very much like to make everyone as safe as I can.”
“You’re the woman in the pictures, aren’t you? I mean, why not, everything else that I’ve ever believed has been shot to hell.” Kristie told Jamie to be nice, they were helping them. “I’m dealing with this as best I can, honey. I think I can be a little snarky, don’t you? Besides, I have a feeling that if she has been around as long as Bates thinks, this isn’t the first time someone has been snarky to her. Am I right, Mrs. Crosby?”
“I’m sure that she has, but you don’t have to take it out on a vampire, if you please.” Jamie laughed, and she felt better about him. “Now, what about this conversation has me thinking that you’re only telling us this so we don’t get in your way?”
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