The Vampyre Legal Chronicles - Daniel: Book: 3

by MacKenzie, CC

  Her eyes stung and her bottom lip shook so bad she bit down hard and tasted blood.

  Why was she crying?

  Why was she feeling so lonely and bereft?

  Hadn't she told Daniel to leave her alone? He'd only done as she asked. So why did her arms ache to hold him tight.

  He was still soooooo angry with her.

  In her mind flashed a picture of her vampyre. An unhappy and deeply ashamed of her behaviour vampyre.

  Don't worry, Gia told her. Daniel never holds a grudge.

  She hoped.

  What an almighty mess she'd made of things.

  And Enricho Donatti was still out there.

  The mere thought of him made fury burn in her blood so hot, her fangs dropped from her gums. A physical reaction that told her she was very far from being in control of herself. If she'd gone for his throat last night, she'd have killed him and then she'd be in an even bigger mess than she was now.

  Her bedroom door opened.

  "Knock, knock," said a woman's cheery voice. A dark head popped around the door. The face matched the voice. Lovely. She knew Anais by sight. "Do you want me and Charlotte - she'll be along in a minute - to keep you company? Or like Greta Garbo, do you want to be alone?"

  Anais entered.

  Gia swiped a hand over wet cheeks, lifted her head.

  When Anais saw she'd been crying her expression changed instantly from friendly to one of concern.

  She hurried towards the bed, held out her hands.

  "Aww, baby. Don't cry. It's not the end of the world."

  Anais perched a hip on the edge of the bed and made a face when she saw the state of Gia's hands.

  "Ouch. No wonder you're all teary. On the plus side, vampyres heal really fast."

  Gia winced as she sat up against her pillows.

  She studied Anais and noted the changes.

  The girl's arms and legs were lean, long and tight.

  She looked super-fit.

  "Is everyone who works for Gillespie, Pattullo and Hindmarch vampyres?"

  Dark brown almond shaped eyes glittered into hers.

  "Pretty much."

  Why wasn't she surprised?

  "The old saying that lawyers are blood-suckers seems to hold true."

  Anais grinned, showcasing incisors as her vampyre rose.

  Whoa.

  Gia studied how lean the girl's face went, showcasing amazing cheekbones, and how she seemed to glow from within.

  Her black hair looked all sleek and shiny. Clear intelligence lit her almond shaped eyes.

  She looked amazing.

  "I wouldn't say that in front of Marcus, James or Daniel if I were you. The guys are rightly proud of how they help people," said Anais, her dark eyes dancing into hers.

  Gia heaved a sigh.

  She knew, she was being cranky and unfair to the Gillespie lawyers. They might be tough and play hardball in the courtroom, but they were scrupulously fair.

  "Daniel's furious with me."

  "Yep," agreed Anais. "Because you scared him. If you'd gone rogue and killed a human, who do you think would have the job of your destruction?"

  Their eyes met and Anais nodded when she saw the penny drop.

  "Daniel?" whispered Gia.

  "Daniel. And it would have broken more than his heart. The guy is crazy about you."

  Gia refused to meet her eye and evaded.

  She didn't want to think of Daniel being crazy about her, when she was so far gone over him. There were times when she felt as if she was losing her mind.

  "You need a massage," said Anais.

  "I do?"

  "You do."

  Gia's mouth twitched. "You can tell just by looking at me?"

  "I'm an empath. The tension you're carrying in your shoulders is giving me a headache."

  "I don't like strangers touching me," she said.

  It was the simple truth.

  There was another knock at the door and this time Charlotte Gillespie entered. She wore black skinny jeans with a matching vest and leather ballet pumps on her slim feet. She had the most amazing head of dark curls raining down her back.

  After beaming at Anais and giving her a big hug, she turned the force of that smile on a Gia who couldn't help but respond.

  "Hi, I'm Charlotte. I'm married to James."

  "And she's pregnant, too," added Anais, with a wistful edge to her voice.

  Charlotte ran a hand down Anais's sleek dark hair, rested it on her shoulder.

  "It's early days. But Saira's just checked us over and said everything's looking good."

  Anais lifted her hand to lay it on top of Charlotte's.

  "You deserve every happiness. James is over the moon."

  Charlotte rolled her eyes in a way that made Gia's mouth twitch.

  The two girls were obviously close, but full of fun, too.

  "He's going to drive me insane by the end of this pregnancy. But I must admit I'm enjoying all the attention."

  "So do you guys live here, too?" asked Gia.

  They nodded in unison.

  "Yep," said Anais. "The whole Gillespie family, except for Adam, are all under the one roof."

  Now Charlotte cocked her head, her eyes serious as they held Gia's.

  "Did I hear something when I came in about someone not liking strangers touching her?"

  Anais pointed at Gia.

  Charlotte shifted to ease her hip on the edge of the bed.

  She reached out to gently touch Gia's sore hand.

  "No one will hurt you. We're family."

  They might be family, but she wasn't.

  Something rose inside her, something that made her speak before thinking carefully.

  "I'm not family. I'll never, ever marry again. I'll never be someone's possession, never put myself last. Never accept a fist in the face. Never." The stunned look on the girls' faces made her own go radioactive. "Oh God. I'm so sorry. I..."

  Charlotte shook her head. "No. Don't apologize. Did he cut you off from your family, your friends?"

  Anais interrupted before Gia could respond. "Was he jealous of your success, take your money? Cheat on you? Make you feel less than? And when he hit you it was all your own fault because you were not enough for him?"

  Liam had done all of that, and a hell of a lot more.

  Her eyes went wide.

  But... how did they know?

  "I'm a lawyer. Did part of my internship for a firm representing a charity for victims of domestic abuse," said Anais.

  "And I'm an ER medic. Seen it all, darling. Seen it all."

  Gia blinked, accepting that she'd found support in the most unexpected of places.

  "Well, I've had it with leaping before I look, the flash and bang of falling in love. I'm not about to let it happen to me again."

  Charlotte's brows rose even as she nodded.

  "Okay. But you've forgotten one teeny, tiny, thing."

  Blink.

  Blink.

  "What?" demanded Gia.

  Anais grinned from ear to ear. "From what I've heard you're an ass-kicking vampyre. I expect that'll change things. A lot."

  Gia grinned them.

  "It has, because for once, I'm in the driving seat."

  Now Charlotte frowned.

  "If you've accepted Daniel as yours and taken him into your heart, be aware you must be prepared to have a male in your life who will devote himself to your needs and protection. He'll never, ever, harm you, but it's not easy living with a vampyre."

  She was just digesting the words of wisdom when there was another knock on the door and Saira Pattullo entered with her four Centuri medics.

  Gia's good mood vanished.

  In a flash she was on her feet, hands on hips.

  If Saira thought she was sticking needles in her this morning, the woman had another think coming.

  She glared at the vampyre medic.

  And Saira glared right back.

  "What do you want?" demanded Gia in a rude tone t
hat made Anais and Charlotte's brows rise.

  Saira's response was to stalk right up to her and get into her face.

  And immediately Gia's vampyre rose.

  Anais and Charlotte simply made themselves more comfortable on the bed and watched the scene play out with big eyes.

  "I've brought Ms. Snarky her morning feed," said Saira in a do-not-mess-with-me-sister voice. She pointed to a leather club chair the color of honey. "Sit."

  Gia huffed out a heartfelt sigh and sat.

  She knew her behaviour was appalling, but for some reason, Saira simply rubbed her up the wrong way. Tomasino and Fredo immediately began taking her pulse and checking the dressings on her feet.

  "Ouch," said Charlotte when the extent of her injuries were revealed. "You did a real number on those. How did it happen?"

  Saira answered for her, "She clawed her way out of a changing room, dug out bars on the window and then proceeded to climb up the side of an eight story building to the roof." She handed Gia the bag of blood with the little straw inserted. "She's a fledgling. Not learned to fly yet."

  "You went out into the populace while your vampyre was emerging?" asked a wide-eyed Charlotte, who obviously wasn't in on the story.

  "She did," said Saira. "How she kept control of her vampyre I don't know. It was a miracle no one was hurt."

  "But, why?" asked a bewildered Charlotte.

  "According to Daniel, she's gotta fab voice," said Anais. "And she was contracted to sing at the Sly Fox club and didn't want to let them down."

  "Seriously?" said a very impressed Charlotte. "What do you sing?"

  Gia looked at a Saira who was looking right back at her.

  "Don't you want to answer that question?" Gia asked Saira in a cranky tone.

  "Nope. You have the floor."

  "Gee thanks." Gia turned to Charlotte and an Anais who was finding it very hard not to grin from ear to ear. "I sing blues, a bit of rock, a bit of soul."

  "Whoa. Sing something now," said Charlotte bouncing on the bed.

  Gia waited for the usual stage-fright and nerves to appear.

  But it didn't happen.

  The smirk on Saira's face was the tipping point.

  She took a breath and belted out the beginning of a big Adele hit.

  So say the people in the room, and that included the Centuri, were astounded was putting it mildly.

  Except for the purity of a sound the angels would be proud of, silence reigned.

  When she'd finished, all she saw were wide eyes and wide mouths.

  Tears were pouring down Charlotte's pale cheeks, probably pregnancy hormones.

  Then the applause erupted.

  Anais raced over to give her a hug, followed by a trembling Charlotte.

  "That was the most amazing thing I've ever heard," she whispered in Gia's ear. "My God, woman, you are so talented."

  The stone-faced Centuri's nodded, too, which Gia took to mean they liked it.

  And then she spotted Saira.

  A Saira who was looking at her with dark eyes filled with fury and contempt.

  Gia's heart raced as she braced herself.

  "What?"

  "What?" Saira yelled back. "I'll tell you what! What the hell are you doing working for Daniel? What the hell are you doing paying off your scumbag husband's debts to a sleazebag like Donatti? Why the hell are you not out there sharing the precious gift God gave you to bring joy to the masses? What the hell are you doing with your life, Gia?"

  And at that moment Daniel entered and the scene that met his eyes nearly made him walk right back out again.

  Uh oh.

  Girl fight.

  Gia and Saira stood, legs apart, eyes riveted on the other, like gunslingers ready to draw.

  From past experience, he knew female fights could last for many bitter years, even centuries.

  His eyes slid over both the combatants and he wondered what had gone down to so seriously rile his woman.

  He'd needle Saira later to get the skinny, because God only knew Gia wouldn't tell him because to ask her might be classed as interfering or controlling.

  Her ex-husband had done a pretty bad number on her. He got that. He did. That didn't mean all men, even vampyres, were controlling, violent, lying bastards.

  Okay, he'd made her a vampyre without her permission, but she'd been more than happy to become a newborn.

  Deciding he'd be better well out of whatever was going on, without saying a word Daniel turned and walk back out again.

  Gia felt her eyes fill and was stunned to see Saira's fill, too.

  Saira pointed at her.

  "Don't you fucking dare cry. Don't you dare. I've never heard anything like that in my life. And let me tell you I've lived a looooooong time. You'd better get your shit together, Gia. The world needs someone who can sing the way you can. Things are bad out there. Really bad. You have a duty to share that voice, so get your head out of your ass and sing."

  The trembling began in her feet.

  It travelled up her legs and into her belly and then it rose up to squeeze her lungs, close her throat.

  "Deep down," she whispered, her eyes on Saira's. "I think you really like me."

  Saira simply rolled her eyes to heaven, but she moved to stand right in her personal space, then Gia found herself in a tight hug. Jeez, the woman hand arms of steel.

  "Of course I like you, you stupid bitch. Right, enough of this touchy feely stuff. Let's sort out those toe and finger nails. And if you ever disobey a direct order again, I'll kick your sorry ass myself."

  On shaky legs, Gia sat while Tomasino and Fredo gave her a crooked grin and began working on her feet.

  Gia looked up into Saira's stony face.

  She wasn't fooled.

  Today, she'd made a new friend.

  "So," she said with a heartfelt sigh. "How much of my blood do you want this time?"

  "Three vials."

  She held out her arm.

  "Do your worst."

  Later, Anais and Charlotte walked arm-in-arm down the corridor to their respective apartments.

  "I think that went well," said Anais. "I like Gia. She's a pistol. And anyone who can get under Saira's skin like that is a force to be reckoned with."

  Charlotte laughed. "She's certainly making Daniel work hard to woo her."

  "He's wooed her already. They're crazy about each other. Neither of them know it yet."

  Then Charlotte's eyes clouded. "I'm worried. Things are very bad out there. Here I am unable to help. I'm a nurse. It goes against everything I am, that I can't get out in the world and help people."

  Anais understood her friend’s feelings, but she also understood that the Gillespie vampyres would never ever let Charlotte and her baby be placed in danger.

  "All you need to worry about is the miracle you're carrying. The world will sort itself out, it always does."

  Charlotte nodded, but her eyes were still unsure.

  "I hope and pray you're right."

  So did Anais.

  ***

  Resting in bed an hour later, Charlotte placed her eReader on the bedside table and slid down to lie on her side.

  Saira had told her that a vampyre pregnancy could be tricky. A downside was the way exhaustion seemed to overtake her at certain times of day. When that happened, she was to listen to her body and rest. She listened to her body now and decided to close her eyes. Just for a minute.

  She heard nothing.

  She sensed nothing until it was too late.

  Her eyes sprang open, her vampyre ready to leap.

  All she saw was a pale face under a black hood with eyes the color of blood.

  A male vampyre.

  In his hand was a hypodermic syringe he plunged into her neck at super-human speed.

  Her last thought was for James and her baby.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  "Just walked in on them getting ready to claw each other's eyes out. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife," said Da
niel. Then he turned to Marcus. "I want you to ask Saira why she's so annoyed with Gia."

  Marcus gave him big eyes, pointed to himself.

  "Me? Seriously?"

  James, who was pouring three coffees, burst out laughing.

  Daniel's cheeks heated as he jerked a shoulder, feeling like a fool.

  Maybe he was a fool.

  "Yeah. You've gotta good relationship with Saira. She'll talk to you."

  "Why the hell would I ask her? Why would I stir up girlie stuff? You need another girl, bro."

  "Listen to the voice of reason," advised James, shaking his head and handing him a cup.

  Daniel nodded his thanks, but he wasn't deterred, not by a long shot.

  "Okay. You're married to a girl. Ask Charlotte to ask Saira why she's pissed at Gia."

  James blinked, then grinned.

  "Trust me, if something's going on, like a girl fight, we don't wanna know."

  Daniel turned to his eldest brother. Marcus looked as if he'd stepped out of the pages of GQ. The suit was so sharp he was lucky it didn't cut him.

  "I need help here."

  His big brother shook his head.

  "Not a chance in hell. You wanna know, you ask Saira."

  Daniel knew he couldn't do that, because to do it himself would be interfering and controlling.

  Again the words Gia had tossed at him stung.

  Fuck it.

  "Cowards," he said to his brothers.

  Marcus laid a bolstering hand on his brother's shoulder, gave it a friendly pat.

  "Absofuckinglutely, and proud of it, son."

  Daniel's eyes met his. "So I'm just supposed to leave it be?"

  Marcus nodded, gave him a hearty slap on the back.

  "Always said you were bright," piped up James. Then his eyes went wide as he went utterly still. His cup dropped from his hands before he raced from the room.

  ***

  "We'll find her. Calm the hell down," Marcus was checking the French windows in James and Charlotte's bedroom.

  They were locked from the inside.

  According to their Centuri no one had entered or left the building in the last two hours.

  James was pacing in front of his big bed, his hands dragging through his hair, his steps agitated.

  "I'm telling you I felt her sort of blink out in my mind. Something's happened to her."