“It’s late. Come on in and get yourselves ready for bed.”
They got in without question, obviously not picking up on the presence like she did. She could feel it getting closer now, and did her best to remain unaffected as she watched the kids trudge up the stairs and disappear into their designated bedroom. She then locked up the doors, something that wasn’t really necessary considering her house was protected by a spell from a witch—the same witch who’d helped her out with the hospital blood. No one could enter unless they were invited in.
Of course, not all spells were foolproof, and her witch friend wasn’t exactly the most powerful in the lot. Deciding that she needed to do more, Eva waited until the upstairs was dead quiet before she went to her own room and opened the hidden compartment inside her closet. She got out one of her guns: a shotgun. Knowing it would tear out the chest of any creature she pointed it at.
Eva went back downstairs and sat on the couch, her back ramrod straight. She removed the lock on the gun and aimed it at the door and the windows within her vision, where whatever was lurking outside was bound to try entering first. She hadn’t felt anyone stalking her property since she came to this town years ago, so the explanation was simple—they must be after the kids.
While she hadn’t been close to Michael in the end, she did make a promise that she would keep them safe.
And so she would.
CHAPTER THREE
The sight of the two kids playing in the backyard was the most innocent one Raz had seen in a long while—and long for a vampire was long, considering how many years they usually lived. The kids were both blond, with fair complexions and bright green eyes that were exactly like Michael’s. In fact, they looked so much like their father that it was almost uncanny.
Of course, these kids were far from innocent, considering they weren’t exactly like normal human kids. But they were still innocent in vampire terms, as they hadn’t seen the bloodbath that most vampire adults did and hadn’t been exposed to all the politics and power hunger that was practically instilled in their kind.
Not yet.
So this was the secret Michael had been hiding—at least, Raz thought so. Vampire children were rare, particularly half-vampires who survived up to this age and continued growing. Most vampires in their community right now were bitten ones, already adults when they were turned into vampires and in control of their enhanced senses and bloodlust in no time. Vampire children were rowdy and weren’t created for a reason, unless they were the product of copulation with a female non-vampire. Still, the health factors were a risk, and most died before they could fully grow.
The fact that these two were still alive was a miracle in itself, and Raz found himself becoming curious.
It had been very difficult to find them in the beginning, as Michael took great pains to keep his vampire life and his old human life completely separate. Raz obviously didn’t know he had children until he spotted a tiny trail, one that could have easily been ignored. But he followed the trail from Brooklyn, leading him to a lot of dead ends until his frustration was so strong that he almost told Lucinda that there was nothing to discover. But patience had a nice way of rewarding those who stayed in that lane, and Raz called on to his patience as he kept searching.
He found the jackpot about a month after searching, then followed the latest trail, which led him to this little town in New Jersey. The fact that it was so close to Manhattan determined that Michael had planned this from the start, possibly because he didn’t want to involve the kids in the supernatural world but still wanted to see them. But how long was he going to hide them? Was he going to let his children grow without the clan guiding them? Were they just going to be able to walk freely among the normal human population and possibly harm them in the process?
Those were questions that couldn’t be answered yet. Raz decided he needed to feel out the situation for now, which was why he found himself taking quiet steps towards the backyard as a test more than anything.
Almost immediately, the girl stiffened and stopped what she was doing with the doll in her hand. She looked up and met his eyes, the green intensely boring into his before she slowly stood up and faced him squarely. Raz didn’t miss the way she held her body in front of her little brother’s, a protective instinct.
“Peter,” she called out to the boy playing with his cars. Peter stood up and met his gaze, too, though his was more curious than cautious.
“Hello,” he greeted, his tone friendly and welcoming. “I’m Peter, and this is Ana. And you are?”
“Peter,” the girl warned. Peter grew quiet right away but didn’t stop staring at him.
Having been given the opening, Raz used it and nodded his head. “I’m Raz. I’m a friend of your father.”
“Our father never introduced his friends to us,” Ana answered instantly. Smart girl. Still, it wasn’t enough to deter Raz, and he found himself nodding.
“He was a comrade of mine,” Raz answered truthfully. “He was also a good man, and I just wanted to express my apologies for your loss.”
“If you didn’t kill him, then there’s no need to apologize,” Ana said, her tone somewhere between polite and firm. Not only a smart girl but kind of a smartass, too. “But thank you.”
“Thank you,” Peter repeated.
They looked at each other before looking back at him, the silent gaze holding so much communication that he couldn’t understand. Raz waited them out, watching as they watched him back and didn’t back off.
Finally, Ana spoke again. “Why are you here?”
“I just wanted to check that Michael’s kids are alright and well-protected.”
“Our aunt protects us well,” Peter replied, earning an elbow from Ana.
But the girl grudgingly nodded her head. “We’re fine. Thank you.”
The way they were speaking carefully now made Raz think he was already toeing some line, and he decided it was enough for the day. He nodded his head again, telling them it was nice to meet them and that he was now happy that he confirmed they were safe. He advised them to keep being safe and to watch out for each other before leaving the backyard and disappearing completely from sight.
The two kids weren’t completely fooled. They looked around for the first few seconds before the oldest finally ushered her brother in, leaving the backyard empty.
Raz supposed he could just tell Lucinda about this now and let someone else take over, but he had a feeling he wasn’t even scraping the surface yet. Instinct told him there were more secrets in that house, and it was better to discover them first before reporting everything to his leader.
Which meant he needed to keep investigating.
He watched the house for a few more minutes, waiting to see if the kids would come out again. They didn’t. With a sigh, he decided to get to his next agenda: observe the aunt, and see where that took him.
*****
Eva Thomason was a tiny excuse of a human being, so petite that Raz wouldn’t have thought her to be Michael’s sister at first glance. Michael had the body of a warrior, honed and skilled with broad shoulders and a tall stature. Eva may have had the faint makings of muscle in her toned arms, but he had a feeling it had more to do with her job of baking than anything else.
Even their colors were different, as Eva had strawberry blonde hair and moss-green eyes, darker than her niece and nephew. She was also more tanned. Vampires weren’t necessarily affected by daylight, but the younger or newer ones found it annoying and tended to stay indoors until the sun was completely down. Based on his observation, the kids didn’t stay out past noontime, when the sun was at its peak.
Having watched Eva for two days now confirmed the thought that she was hardworking and too preoccupied for her own good. She didn’t even notice him trailing after her, even when he tried to test her by walking directly a few meters behind her at one point. She went to work. She did her grocery shopping. She went to the hospital, then brought home what looked to be bags of blood
, indicating that she knew her relatives were vampires and didn’t seem to mind.
A human who knew about vampires was considered dangerous because of how they could expose the supernatural to the world, but Raz was pretty sure Eva wouldn’t be doing any exposure anytime soon.
She had a pretty standard routine, and Raz thought he already observed the basics and decided he needed to switch back to observing the kids—that was, until he felt it.
A presence that wasn’t hers.
It didn’t take Raz long to hide his own presence, something that he was very, very good at as a long-standing vampire. The presence he felt was faint, but he wasn’t a second-in-line for nothing. He felt it trailing Eva, invisible at first as she walked to her work on one of those pleasant mornings where one often thought, Oh, hey, nothing could possibly go wrong today.
You never, ever trusted those moments.
Raz waited it out, as he usually did. He chose a nice spot inside a coffee shop and watched Eva enter the bakery and do her work from across the street. He felt around as the presence kept steady, never disappearing once.
Two hours after Eva entered the bakery, a man walked out of one of the alleys and casually made his way down the street towards the bakery entrance door. Raz watched the man’s dark clothing, fashionable and not necessarily suspicious. The presence he felt no doubt came from him, strong but masked. He continued watching as the man slipped inside the bakery door, sipping at his coffee in a leisurely manner.
What was a vampire doing tailing Eva?
CHAPTER FOUR
The smell of the bread and the focus she had on her baking efforts were all that encompassed her mind and soul at the moment—something that always happened whenever she wanted to impress, and she certainly wanted to do so now. Sara had to be the most easygoing boss she has ever had. One who actually allowed her the freedom to allow her creative side to take the reins, and Eva had nothing but appreciation for that. She wanted to repay back that appreciation by making Sara’s bakery delicacies taste better than ever so that all the owner’s loyal customers would remain satisfied, and new ones would be coming in spades.
Because of this concentration, it took her a while to notice the presence in the bakery, one that wasn’t attached to the server-slash-cashier up front. When she did finally notice the presence, Eva felt her back stiffen involuntarily, her hands pausing from kneading dough meant for tomorrow. She strained her ears to listen and found only faint murmurs—the server girl, Jenny, speaking in a cheerful tone, and a man responding in a rather calm one. Eva wiped her hands on her apron, her nerves increasing as the presence only confirmed one thing.
This was the same one that she’d felt lurking around her home for the past few days now.
Eva suddenly felt her heart beating a mile a minute, followed by her hands shaking before she could control it. She inwardly scolded herself and fisted her hands in the dough, counting numbers in her head in a slow, steady manner. It helped calm her heart and stop the shaking, and she had to remain that way for a good while before she found at least a semblance of her control back. She waited, starting up on the kneading again and using it as her defense mechanism against any kind of nervous tic.
She kept waiting.
About five minutes later, the call came in the form of Jenny sticking her head into the kitchen.
“Hey, Eva. There’s a man here who wants to meet the baker. He says he wants to tell you personally about what he thinks of the pastries.”
Reasonable enough excuse. Eva nodded towards the girl and told her she’d be there shortly. She kneaded a few more times before washing her hands. Then she finally slipped out, watching as a man filled his tray with her delicacies.
He looked as normal as they came—blond hair, tall stature, pale skin. He looked up from the tray when she approached him, showing piercing blue eyes that looked like ice crystals.
No, not normal. No one has eyes that piercing and mesmerizing.
“Good morning. You were asking about my pastries?”
The man smiled, and it was like the room grew a tad bit colder. His presence now was clearer, filling the air and practically making her choke with it. Eva felt his darkness a few nights ago, but having it this close only confirmed what her brain told her: this man—creature—was dangerous. How Jenny beside her couldn’t feel it, she couldn’t understand. But Eva did her best to meet the man’s eyes.
“Yes. You have the best pastries I’d ever tasted in a long time. The croissant is magnificent.”
She hadn’t changed a damn thing from the old chef’s croissant recipe. The server girl whispered to her that she was going to take her first break, then disappeared to the back.
The man held out a hand.
Eva forced herself not to shake at the thought that she was now alone with him. She smiled, making it as relaxed as possible. Then she took the hand he offered and shook it, feeling his grip tighten before he pulled her forward and…gave her a light kiss on the back of her hand. It sent shivers down her spine, but not the kind of shivers you would hope for.
She held that in and slowly took her hand away.
“Thank you,” she replied. “I’m glad someone appreciates them.”
“I’m a baker myself, though not as sophisticated as you,” the man said. “My name is Sam.”
“Eva. Our pastries are simple but created with lots of love.”
He nodded in approval. “That’s the best there is.” He slipped out a card and handed it over to her, watching as she read it. Sam Hall. It looked legit enough, but somehow, she knew it wasn’t. “I actually want to learn more and was hoping you could give me some tips. Would it be possible for us to meet up somewhere? I can treat you to dinner in return.”
Alarm bells went off in her head, dull but insistent. He patiently waited for her answer, and Eva knew she had to answer to make him leave.
“I’ll let you know. Can I call you at the number on the card when I’m free? I’m pretty busy right now, having just started here.”
His smile never wavered, and he nodded his head. “Of course. I’ll be waiting.”
The last statement sounded almost like a threat—a pleasant threat, but a threat nonetheless. Eva tended to the man’s purchases, then watched as he left with one last smile in her direction. The bell clinked on the door when the door closed, and the man walked down the corner of the street before disappearing completely. It was only when he was really gone, his presence no longer there that Eva finally allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. Her hand trembled, and she could only stare at the door for a long time.
Finally, Jenny came back, allowing Eva to slip back into the kitchen. She took in the smells of the pies she had in the oven and closed her eyes at that very odd encounter. She knew it wouldn’t be the last one.
And she knew she needed to protect herself and the kids now more than ever. Something was amiss.
*****
There was no presence following her on her way home, and nothing after dinner. Eva told the kids not to go out tonight, something she thought Ana would argue about. But surprisingly enough, the girl simply nodded her head in response, though it was Peter who dragged Ana upstairs and cajoled her to tell a bedtime story. There was some kind of dynamic going on there—almost like Peter was trying to calm Ana down, being the rock even though he was younger. Eva decided she really should pay more attention and figure out what this was.
It wasn’t until an hour later that Eva heard the knock on the door—swift, sharp sounds that had her back stiffening. She was just about to get ready for bed, sleepiness already taking its toll on her, but now she was instantly alert, and her heart was pounding. She told herself that it was nothing—she had neighbors after all, and she couldn’t sense a presence. There was no need to panic.
With that thought in mind, Eva went to the door and slowly opened it.
Her breath stopped.
There was a man standing there—another stranger. But whatever danger the first man held
was nothing compared to the one here in front of her. He radiated power in waves, and she couldn’t even sense his presence, which only meant he was good at hiding it.
Very, very good.
This man had brown hair falling in short waves and the most charming smile directed at her. It wasn’t a smile meant to chill the air, but one meant to brighten it. Somehow, that felt more dangerous. He was tall, not so broad but not slim either, and she could see subtle muscles underneath his dark gray crewneck sweater. But his most arresting features had to be his eyes: they looked like the color of a tropical ocean.
Hypnotic.
She was expecting some kind of introduction—some bullshit one like that Sam guy in the bakery gave her, feeding her lies that he thought she wouldn’t see past. But his words, said in a deep voice, had her blinking.
“My name is Raz, and I’m a friend. I ask for entrance into this house.”
Just like that, he confirmed to her what he was.
And just like that, Eva held out what she was holding behind her and pointed it straight at him.
CHAPTER FIVE
There was a dagger pointed at his throat. It was sharp and silver, and had he been a lesser man or not a vampire, he would have trembled on the spot.
But Raz wasn’t a lesser man, and he certainly wasn’t a coward. He stared at the dagger in fascination, noting that it looked quite ancient and must have been given to her by someone important at some point. Then he stared at her, taking her in now that he could finally see her up close.
Raz Page 2