Dark Experiments

by Lana Campbell

  The phone on Christian’s desk began to ring. Startled, she bolted upright in her chair and stared at it, uncertain what to do. “Should we answer it or let it go to voicemail?”

  “I’ll answer it. When it double rings like that it means it’s an in house call and I have a feeling it’s not for you or Dr. La Mond. The front desk knows I’m here on break. Blake picked up the receiver and punched a button. “Hello?” Several seconds later Blake’s expression darkened with concern. “Yes, Dr. La Mond. Sure. I understand. I’ll get the room ready immediately,” he said, then hung up the phone.

  Curiosity compelled her to ask, “What did he say?”

  His lips thinned momentarily, then he replied, “Dr. La Mond wants me to get a room ready for his c-section. Off the maternity ward. I’m afraid the baby didn’t make it.”

  “Oh God,” Tiffany muttered, pressing her fingers to her lips. How awful for that couple. She couldn’t even imagine what Mrs. Corrigan must be feeling. Christian too. What a heavy responsibility for a doctor to know he or she had done everything possible to save a life, yet failed.

  Blake stood, gave her a half-hearted smile then said, “It was nice meeting you, Tiffany. Sorry it occurred under such shitty circumstances.”

  She said nothing as he left the room. The gravity of the situation had her thoughts a jumbled mess. After several minutes she considered going to the break room for another cup of coffee, but before she could do so, Christian burst into the room, spewing riotous curses under his breath.

  He’d lost his lab coat and was now wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a solid black T-shirt. “Christian, I’m so sorry. I met Blake. He was in here when the phone rang. I heard.”

  He spun toward her, his expression surprised. “Damn, I didn’t even realize you were over there.”

  She stood and cautiously approached him. He looked furious and hurt and she felt for him. “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Thank you, but no, Tiffany,” he said as he stalked over to a closet. Christian extracted a clean lab coat, shucked it on then strode out of the office without another word.

  Tiffany’s heart ached for him, but she understood he needed time and space. She was a lot like him that way—one to lick wounds in privacy.

  Chapter 3

  Christian grunted and flipped off the TV. He’d been watching a baseball game for nearly two hours and hadn’t a clue what teams played. His mind was singularly focused on Mrs. Corrigan and the birth of her stillborn infant, as it had been all day. His mind rolled through every word, action, order—absolutely everything he’d said or done today in order to get to the truth behind that baby’s death. Candice had been fine when he’d met with her. The exam and ultrasound had shown the fetus right on track and healthy. Then out of nowhere the little one had an acute onset of tachycardia and ultimately its heart had stopped beating before he’d gotten Candice into the delivery room.

  What had happened?

  Candice’s electrolytes were a little low but nothing out of the ordinary for a two hundred and twenty-three-year-old vampire female. Pregnancy took a toll on women that age, but generally never affected the fetus unless the mother wasn’t intaking a proper amount of human blood or food. Neither issue had been the case with Candice. All in all she was a healthy female with proper weight gain.

  He had her on standard prenatal vitamins, but several months back he’d ordered her to begin receiving metabolic booster injections when she transfused at home. The vitamin based supplement helped older pregnant females better metabolize human blood. He’d given her one today along with a transfusion, another standard order for vampire maternity patients. Pregnant females needed to have human blood everyday for the welfare of both mother and baby and the clinic always supplied a unit on an office visit. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt neither order could have caused premature labor. So what had?

  He could think of no logical reason why she’d aborted, yet Christian knew stillborn infants were birthed every day. However, it had been a couple years since he delivered one. Maybe that fact had made him prideful. He hated the term “act of god”, but he knew that’s what this case had been. As a doctor he had to accept the fact he’d done all he could, but as a man he couldn’t help but grieve the Corrigans’ loss. This baby had been their dream for nearly a century.

  “A little girl,” he said, then sighed. The couple had been married over ninety years and had never conceived on their own. He and Asa’s fertility drug had finally made their dream a reality after nearly two years of treatments. He’d assured them they could try again once Candice healed. Little comfort to them on the brink of the funeral they would be planning this week, he was sure.

  His cell began to ring. He grabbed it off the coffee table and forced a happy expression for the caller, one he sure as hell didn’t feel. He brought up holomode on his device and Mia Davenport’s smiling image popped up in a hologram above the screen of the cell.

  He’d just recently purchased the phone because his last phone an I phone ten was seriously outdated. It had taken him several weeks to master the challenging little beast, but he enjoyed using it now. It gave him hope he could master the software Tiffany would create for the V clinic. Silly maybe but he didn’t want her thinking he was a technically challenged idiot, even though he was.

  “Hey Mia, what’s up, Gorgeous?”

  She giggled, then replied, “I love you, Christian La Mond. I know I’ve done so a dozen times, but I want to thank you again for hiring TJ. I talked to her yesterday and she seemed a little nervous, yet so excited about working for your practice.”

  Apparently, Mia hadn’t talked to her daughter today because he had a feeling Tiffany might not be thinking the same way after the insanity at the clinic this morning. Her eyes had been as wide as saucers when he’d spotted her in the hallway and told her to give Noah that stat order to assist him with Candice’s c-section.

  She’d left before he returned to his office a little after five thirty. He felt bad he hadn’t checked in on her all day. But he’d had to play catch up with appointments. He hadn’t even had time for lunch.

  “Well, I’m thrilled to have her on board, Mia. Honestly, we’ve needed someone like her for a very long time. I know she’ll be perfect for the job.”

  “I have no doubt she will, Christian.”

  He hesitated with a reply. Despite her confident smile he sensed a deflated note in her voice and could tell something troubled her. “What’s wrong? Did she say something to you?”

  She sighed. “Not exactly, but I know she’s scared. This job is a big risk for her because should things not work out, she has nothing to fall back on now that she’s folded her business. She’d sooner live under a bridge than take a handout from me or Nathan.”

  He knew that. She could be independent to a fault. “It will work out for her, Mia. Tiffany’s skills aren’t in question. Whatever she creates for us will be far better than what we have now. As far as a seeking handouts, don’t be ridiculous. I would never leave her high and dry. Even if she decides it’s not for her and quits, I’ll compensate her handsomely.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t leave her in such a position. Never mind that. I know she’ll be happy there. She thinks the world of you.”

  “Really?” Christian leaned forward and swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say to that.” Many things he’d like to ask, but the last thing he wanted was for Mia to guess his nasty thoughts about her daughter. “I tell you what. If you want I’ll talk to her and reassure her that her position is secure in some non-obvious way.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Oh god no, Christian. Don’t dare do that or tell her I spoke to you about any of this. She’d be offended and furious if she discovered I’d been speaking to you about her job. She’d think I was checking up on her.”

  He knew Tiffany well enough to know Mia was correct on that one. “Aren’t you?”

  She lifted a shoulder and frowned. “Well, yes, I suppose I am.”

  “Okay
. So what do you want to know?” Christian knew the woman had an agenda and it wasn’t merely trying to find out how Tiffany’s first day had gone.

  “I want you to keep an eye on her for me. I know you’re busy, but if you can be-friend her, it would mean a great deal to me.”

  “I am her friend. Always have been.” What the heck was she up to? He’d lived in the same city as Tiffany for over a decade and Mia had never asked him to keep up with her before. “What are you driving at Mia? Is something going on with Tiffany I need to know about?”

  “Oh, no, she’s fine as far as I know,” she hastily reassured. “It’s just the sudden changes in her life that concern me. I wonder how she’ll adapt. Her business always kept her too busy for a social life. Now she’ll be working, I assume and hope, less hours. I’d like to see her develop a social life that doesn’t involve online anime computer nerds in some of those silly war challenge games. They actually do it now in a real hologram in the middle of one’s living room. Did you know that? Nate has become addicted.”

  Christian couldn’t help himself, he started laughing imagining the little pre-teen vamp kicking some other kid’s ass in one of those games. He liked the idea of Tiffany doing it even more. “So that’s how she spends her spare time, huh? Fighting online geek warriors? Given her penchant for outdoor sports and card games I should have guessed she’d be into something like that.” He’d love to see her anime, because he knew it would be hot, tough and sexy.

  “I’d say there’s much you don’t know about TJ. Like she’s a loner. Outside family, there are no BFF’s, coffee clutching girlfriends or boyfriends to wine and dine her.”

  That made him smile. He’d never liked thinking about her dating, so he refrained from the thought. Refrained from thinking about her much at all. Now that he’d woven her into the most intricate part of his life, Christian knew he’d be thinking about her constantly. Mia had no need to worry. He’d always have an eye on her from this point on.

  Despite Mia’s obvious ploy to make him her eyes and ears, Christian sensed something else troubled her, but her expression lent no clues. Obviously she’d prepared well for this conversation. “Why don’t you just cut to the chase, Mia. What’s really worrying you?”

  He saw her swallow and her pleasant demeanor slip. “It’s probably nothing, but she hasn’t answered her phone or texts all evening and she always does. This being her first day at a new job, I expected a call from her. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

  “No. I haven’t seen her since this morning.” Not since he’d left his office and forced himself to attend to business after the sickening loss of the Corrigan baby.

  “I know this is a great imposition, but could you possibly go by her place and check on her? I’m so worried and I know it’s probably just the mother in me, but I can’t help fearing something not so good may have happened to her.”

  “Mia, she’s fine. The girl has been living in this city for over a decade. If she were to encounter a mugger or rapist, she’d probably beat them within an inch of their lives.”

  Mia let out a soft laugh. “I know. She is formidable, but not bulletproof.”

  “If you want me to go to her apartment and check on her I will. I don’t mind.” It did seem odd she hadn’t called her mother. Christian knew they were very close. Naturally, Tiffany would want to share details with her mom about her first day. Now he was worried and could see why Mia was doing a little nail biting.

  “Really? I don’t want to trouble you,” she replied, her tone and expression now laced with concern.

  “It’s no trouble. Hell, I could use the distraction. My day hasn’t been exactly good.”

  “I’m sorry. What happened?”

  “Patient issues,” he supplied without details. Before she could pick at his problems, he added, “Does she still live in your old apartment?”

  “Yes. She’s never moved.”

  “I’ll run over and check on her then call you when I can. Okay?”

  “You’re a sweetheart. May I ask if you’re dating?”

  He snorted. Vampires didn’t date in the traditional human sense and she knew that. Her real question was had he found his life mate. “No, Mia. She’s still out there somewhere taking her own sweet time finding me.”

  For vampires, a life mate wasn’t chosen by base lusts, attraction or any reasons given to human kind’s mate picking processes. Vampires knew instinctually each person of their kind had been designed specifically for another, like Adam and Eve. Due to that fact a vampire would wait his or her entire life until they tasted the blood of their one true love, that unique, individual who became one with their soul upon impact. Emotions, thoughts, feelings all became one unit when they fed from each other. It was a soul tie connection only death could break.

  Christian wanted to experience that soul tie with another vampire more than anything he’d ever wanted out of life. The thought caused a pang of guilt due to the thoughts he’d been having about Tiffany. He hadn’t been thinking of Tiffany as a potential life mate, rather a bed partner. Although he wouldn’t rule out the possibility until he drank from her. Vampires took human life mates every day. No, his guilt stemmed from his nasty thoughts. He wanted Tiffany more than he’d wanted a female in a very long time. He suspected she wanted him too which made being noble an impossibility with their lives now so intertwined. Things had been heating up between them for years. It was going to happen for them eventually. He might as well face the fact.

  “Christian? What’s wrong? What are you staring at?”

  He blinked, realizing he was miles from their conversation. “Sorry. I was just thinking. What did you say?”

  She huffed. “I said, something tells me the woman of your dreams may not as far away as you might think.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

  She flashed an ambiguous smile. “I’m not sure yet, but God sometimes shows me things. It’s just a feeling I have, but nothing solid. Just keep your eyes and your heart open.”

  He grunted. Christian believed in God. He’d grown up in a very devote Christian household, but had a feeling the Guy upstairs had taken a sabbatical where his love life was concerned. In his long life he’d fanged dozens of human and vampire females and nothing. “I appreciate the wishful thinking, Mia, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. I’ll call you about Tiffany later, whatever I find out.”

  “Thank you, Christian.”

  He let out a long frustrated breath as he ended the call. What was in that vampire woman’s head? he wondered. Had she picked up on his attraction for Tiffany?

  Mia was smart and savvy, just like her daughter. That God comment also had him suspecting Mia might think something brewed between him and Tiffany.

  He snorted. On second thought, unlikely. Mia knew how carnally natured male vampires could be. She’d never give him the go-ahead to go do her daughter, be it mental sex or physical. No, Mia wanted a babysitter because he suspected she was more nervous about Tiffany’s new job than Tiffany. Little did she know, she couldn’t have picked a worse one. The need to taste Tiffany had become an addiction for which no rehabilitation facility in the world could cure.

  Chapter 4

  Christian had just parked in front of Tiffany’s apartment building when her bright red Ford F150 pulled in parallel to him on the opposite side of the street. As he climbed out of his black Ram truck, he saw Tiffany emerge from the Ford.

  She spotted him instantly, slipped a back pack over her shoulder and shut the driver’s side door. “Hey. Whatcha doing here?”

  He thought she looked inordinately pleased to see him and liked it, but he was irritated at her for being out this late and worrying her mother and him. “Coming to check up on you, young lady. Why have you been ignoring your mother’s calls and texts? And mine? It’s almost eleven. Where have you been?”

  Her eyes narrowed with indignation. “So Mom’s already got you checking up on me? That there is bullshit!” she stor
med.

  Christian had never seen her this angry, but he held ground. “All right. She did and I am. She worries. So do I. Where’ve you been?” He’d promised Mia he wouldn’t tell Tiffany he was checking up on her, but he was pissed. Besides, what other reason could he give Tiffany for why he’d shown up on her doorstep at this hour of the night? Better yet, why had Mia chosen tonight to ask him to do this? This couldn’t be the first time Mia had failed to hear from her. That call just kept feeling weirder by the second.

  “Well, all I’ve got to say is the both of you had better back off. I don’t need this job bad enough to put up with you running over here every time I go a few hours without answering one of Mom’s calls or texts.” She stalked off across the street toward her building.

  “Hold up, girl.” He gapped the distance between them and grabbed her forearm, halting her. “Check the attitude. You know how your mother gets when hours pass without you returning her calls. She was worried, yes, but she called me tonight because she was excited we’d be working together. So where have you been?” he pressed. Truth was he wanted to know for his own piece of mind as much as Mia’s.

  “Bull, Christian. I know my mom. She’s looking for someone to keep tabs on me because she wants the inside scoop on how my job is going. Who else but you can give her that info? I can’t believe you’d play into something like that.”

  He had and deserved her rancor, but he was still curious. “Okay. You’re right. I was checking up on you on her behalf. I’m sorry. But now that I’m here, satisfy my curiosity. Where have you been?”

  She thrust her arms across her chest and glared at him. “What’s it to you? Maybe I was out tying one on or hooking up, but whatever I was doing, it’s none of your business or Mom’s.”

  Lord, she had an attitude tonight, but he’d lit it by doing Mia’s bidding. Tiffany was a private person and a full grown adult. He could see how she’d take his presence as an affront.