Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance)

by Tara Manderino

  “You always bring me the most interesting puzzles. What can I do for your today?”

  Alex exchanged greetings, and with his head, nodded to the chair where Lisa sat and quickly introduced them. Alex indicated the priest should sit near Lisa and he addressed him there; he could easily see both of them at the same time. She wondered what he was looking for from the priest.

  “I received a message earlier. One that I think you may be able to help me with.”

  “And Lisa is also helping?” the priest addressed both of them.

  “No. Actually, I’m rather hiding her at the moment.”

  Her eyes widened before she dropped her head, breaking eye contact. She had thought he was being kind. “That’s why you hadn’t told them where I had spent the night!”

  Phil gave him a crooked smile. “Is this something that’s going to send you to confession?”

  Alex gave a snort. “Hardly.” He leaned against the table in the small grouping, his hands braced behind him on the edge. “Lisa gave me a description of someone who may have committed a crime.” He focused his gaze on the priest, and she let out her breath, not even realizing she had been holding it. “I believe Carlos has kidnapped a child.”

  If he had a name, or a lead, why was he still here?

  Phil nodded. “The one the AMBER Alert was for? The police still haven’t found her. So, what are you waiting for? I have never known you to wait for anything to die down, especially not for one of Carlos’ caliber.”

  She swung her head in the priest’s direction, trying not to let her jaw drop. He knew this person too? What weren’t they telling her? Before she could ask, Alex started speaking again.

  “Not doing it now either. I need a safe place for Lisa to stay, at least for a few hours. During the day,” he clarified.

  “I thought I was to help?” She jutted her chin out.

  “You will, and you are. But it’s also my job to make sure you are safe.” It was his turn to shrug. “Goes with the territory.” He ignored her glare.

  “That’s no problem. What else do you need?”

  Alex fished in his back pants pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “I wrote the message out.” He seemed to hesitate before handing it to the older man. Her eyes narrowed. If it had anything to do with Sandy, why hadn’t he given it to her first?

  The priest looked at the paper briefly. “The messenger didn’t waste words,” he said dryly.

  Alex nodded in agreement. “I don’t have a lot of time, but I’m sure you can find me what I need quicker than anyone else.”

  Lisa looked from one to the other. “Is this something that I need to know about?” They both turned to look at her.

  “I know I was at fault –“

  “You weren’t,” Alex interrupted her.”There was nothing you could have done to prevent what happened.”

  “Regardless, I was the one in charge of her. I feel like I need to do something to help get her back, if it’s possible to get her back.” She ran both hands through her hair. “I don’t know what to do and hoped by being with you I would find out more. But I’m not.”

  In one lithe movement, Alex stooped down in front of her after a quick look at Phil. He captured both of her hands, gripping them tightly in his. “You’ve given us a description. That amounts to quite a lot. What’s happening now is out of your control. Out of mine, anyone’s, at the moment. But we will find her. You have to believe that.” He squeezed her hands once more and when she gave a brief nod, he released them and stood.

  Did he really think that explanation would suffice? She had to find out more, and she would. White on rice had nothing over how close she planned to stay.

  “I’m going to go out for a bit,” he said, addressing his remark to Phil.

  Not without her! She stood and nearly missed his next words. “By the time I return, perhaps you will have something on the message.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Not this time,” he told her.

  Phil nodded in agreement then stood. “Come with me,” he addressed Lisa. “We’ll get something to eat and drink, and generally see what we can find out until Alex returns.”

  “Shouldn’t I go with you?” She appealed to Alex again, turning toward him. She had seen the man, brief though it was. It only made sense to her.

  “Not this time. I won’t be long,” he assured them before he made his way through the night.

  ~*~

  It had darkened considerably since he had arrived at Phil’s. Lisa’s words earlier had resurrected memories he thought long buried. When she spoke of her pregnancy he couldn’t help but remember the one so many years earlier. But in his case he had wanted to marry Katherine, was desperate to do so, had planned to do so. Then his life changed and became what it was now.

  Instinctively, he looked at the increasingly darkening sky. He felt himself growing stronger, as he knew Carlos was. The question remained, where was he? Speculating where the other vampire could be hiding, Alex leaned against his car, pulled his phone of his pocket and checked for any messages. There were none, which struck him as extremely odd on such a case. Calling in to the office, he questioned it.

  “The Morgans said they didn’t want you on the case.” The captain’s voice sounded strained.

  When Alex didn’t immediately respond, the man continued. “They don’t seem to trust you, Alex.”

  “It doesn’t matter if they trust me or not. What matters is we find the child.”

  “Do you have a lead?” There was real eagerness in the captain’s voice. “We’re coming up empty here.”

  “I’m checking something now, and no, this is not something I can turn over to someone else if it is whom I suspect.”

  “I’m not sure I like the sound of that, Alex. It doesn’t exactly follow protocol.” The man said the words, but didn’t sound too worried about it, Alex thought. He wasn’t exactly known for following many rules in the time he had been in the department. His goal had always been to get the job done.

  “If I’m not on the case, should I take a leave?”

  “To pursue it yourself, you mean?” When Alex didn’t answer, the man blew out a breath. “Just stay with it, Alex. I can’t guarantee the Morgans will come around, but if you’re going to do it anyway, you may as well be on the clock. It’ll be easier to get testing done and son on.” He didn’t wait for Alex to respond before there was a click.

  Next, Alex dialed the Morgan residence and was pleased when Jason Morgan answered. Quickly, he let the man know he was still on the case, and frankly was among the best bets for finding his daughter. He also told him he had a lead before ending the call. Hopefully, the word would get to the other detectives. Make them rethink their path. Although, in truth, Alex didn’t want them going after Carlos. They were all family men and interested in doing their jobs. Let them work on finding Cassandra and he would deal with Carlos – as soon as he found him.

  Visiting Louis this time didn’t yield any more results than the last. “I checked with everyone. No one has seen him lately. He’s around. You know it, and I know it. We just need to find where.”

  Louis shook his head as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head. “I really don’t need to know or care to know. But you do.”

  “Does that mean you won’t help me?” Alex sat forward in his own chair. He was already on edge; he didn’t need Louis to bail on him now.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You sound edgy – need something to eat?”

  Alex gave a snort, but didn’t deny it. That was one of the reasons he had to leave Phil’s without Lisa, much as he hated doing so.

  Louis let his eyes drift shut. “In the wine cooler,” he said, using his chin to point to the small temperature controlled refrigerator under the bar on the side of the office.

  Alex didn’t wait for a second invitation, but quickly helped himself to the blood he found there then cleaned his glass and set it back on the tray on the bar. “When have you
become so well stocked?” he asked as he reseated himself.

  “Since I found some new friends in the blood bank. It’s all in whom you know, Alex.”

  “So, who does Carlos know that would want the child? I can’t believe Carlos would stoop so low.”

  “Why not? He wasn’t all that high in the instep to begin with.”

  Alex grunted in response. Very true. Nodding his thanks, Alex left the office. He was confident Louis would stand by him should he need him to do so. Now he could start his search of Carlos’ haunts, beginning with his last known lair.

  He didn’t expect to find anything different from his last visit, but he had to start somewhere. This time, he would allow himself a more leisurely search. It didn’t matter to him if Carlos did make an appearance; he almost wished the other vampire would.

  When Alex asked to see the back room, the bartender gave him a hard look. “Don’t want any trouble,” the bartender told him. Alex knew the man was used to dealing with his kind, even if he didn’t openly acknowledge them. They kept irregular hours, but kept the riff-raff out of the bar, and the regulars paid him well.

  “Have you seen Carlos? Know where he might be hiding out?”

  The man shook his head.

  Not an answer Alex liked. He showed the man his badge. “A lot of people are looking for him. I have a few questions.”

  “If I knew where he was, I’d find him myself. He owes me rent.”

  “How much?” Alex was already reaching for his wallet. He didn’t want to risk anything being moved.

  The bartender held his hands outward. “Look, it can wait. It’s not all that much.”

  Holding his wallet, Alex looked at the man. Why wouldn’t he want to collect? He asked.

  “Carlos will think I sold his stuff, or something. It’s best to leave it as it is.”

  Nodding, Alex slipped his wallet back in his pocket. He understood where the man was coming from. He slid a bill across the bar along with his business card.

  “If you hear anything, call me or Louis.” He had been in the lair once, and would go again if he truly felt the need.

  For now, he headed out the door, intending to start his search immediately. Now he would have to do it the hard way – going through alleys, looking for the vampire, scenting him out. Talking was much easier and Alex was all in favor of the method.

  He stopped before turning down the alley way behind the bar, trying to catch Carlos’ scent, but was disrupted when his phone rang. Snatching it from his pocket he answered in a clipped voice. It was Barbara Morgan.

  “Have you found her? They said you were the one with information.” Her voice bordered on hysteria. “The police said if she wasn’t found by now, she’s probably dead, or worse.”

  “I’m searching as we speak,” Mrs. Morgan.

  The phone went dead. Shaking his head, he slipped it back in his pocket. If he had any sense, he would head back to Phil’s, but that could wait until morning light. For now, he wanted to continue.

  Without a scent, it was unlikely Carlos was in the area. Instead, he made his way to the old warehouse section of town. Set in a row with no humans about, the empty buildings were quick searches, and yielded nothing. Thinking long and hard, he had to recall what little he knew and had learned about Carlos. The man was Mexican. His family had been farmers for eons. Given that, and the fact he wasn’t in the warehouses, Alex knew he had to broaden his horizons. He began searching the surrounding areas. There were several abandoned farm houses he could check further. For now, the sun was gaining strength, and he needed to head home.

  Once there, he found another message waiting for him. This one far less cryptic than the first.

  Alex read it twice. Carlos had been here. Aside from the physical evidence of the note he could detect his scent. Seeing empty bottles on the counter showed him his blood supply had been used. Instinctively, he crumpled the note and threw it across the room. Regretting his display of temper, he retrieved it from the table where it landed and flattened it, smoothing the wrinkles. He didn’t need it, the first read was enough, but perhaps with the earlier message it would make a difference to the case from the others’ standpoint. It took a moment for Alex to realize he wouldn’t be sharing the message with many people. It wasn’t written in English at all, but Lengadocian. The language of his ancestors, and known to few. There was no doubt the message was intended for him alone. Uncomfortable with staying away from the two mortals, he headed to the church.

  Chapter 9

  Alex hadn’t been totally at ease leaving Lisa with Philip for such a long period. Not that the man would betray him, not intentionally. Holding secrets was Philip’s trade. But he hadn’t wanted Lisa picking up any errant tidbits; the less the woman knew, the better for her it would be.

  He let himself into the back room and listened; it was as if he had never left. Lisa and Philip were still the same room, trading war stories as such, from what he could hear. Had they sat up talking all night? He called out when he was half way down the hall, so as not to startle them. With his preternatural hearing, he could practically hear them speaking outside, but they would not have the same advantage.

  “Were you able to make any sense of the message?” Alex asked as soon as Philip looked in his direction.

  “A bit. I’m not sure you will like what it says,” he said, glancing meaningfully at Lisa.

  Bent on placing her cup on the table in front of her, Alex doubted Lisa picked up the move, but he didn’t doubt she was listening. He pursed his lips as if making a shushing sound, indicating Philip should be quiet for the moment. The other man nodded his understanding.

  When she did turn to face them, he could see proof she hadn’t slept at all in the time he had been gone. Immediately, he walked to the sofa, standing behind it, forcing her to lean back and look up at him.

  He ran his thumb under her eyes. “There shouldn’t be shadows here.” They were purplish again.

  She moved her head away from him, staring straight ahead. “How did you think I could sleep when you were gone, maybe finding the monster who took Sandy.”

  Monster might be more correct than she realized. Alex fought the overwhelming urge to place his hands on her shoulders. Why would he do that? He hadn’t had the urge to touch anyone in decades. Over a century, not since Katherine. There had been women at one time, but this was different, and not a feeling he wanted to explore at the moment. Right now, he was a detective, among other things, and his primary goal was to find the missing child. He let his hand curl into a fist and rested it on the back of the sofa behind her. He addressed his next words to Philip, ignoring the way the man studyied his movements.

  “I received another message but I want to compare it with what you already have.”

  Lisa immediately came to her feet and made her way around the sofa to stand next to him. “I want to see it too.”

  “Later,” his tone brooked no argument. Taking the crumpled message out of his pocket he handed it to Philip, ignoring her reach. “We need to look at them together. Lisa will wait here.”

  “Not if I can help it,” she muttered.

  “Afraid so. Until we have an idea of what we’re dealing with, then it would be best if you are not even aware of the contents.” Although it was highly unlikely she would actually be able to read the message as it was written.

  She looked stunned. “You think I’m involved?”

  “Not at all.” And he didn’t. “But it could be incriminating to you somewhere along the road if you were aware of the contents, even in the after effects. It’s better this way.”

  “He is right,” Philip agreed. “You sit and rest while Alex and I review this.” He led the way to the anteroom, careful to close the door behind him.

  ~*~

  With the men gone, Lisa all but stamped her foot. As if she was some bimbo who couldn’t be trusted. She understood what Alex meant, he was with law enforcement, but it was dratted difficult for her to sit back and do nothing.
It wasn’t in her nature.

  She looked at the table where Alex had set his papers down earlier. Small chance they would have left anything. She had a feeling Alex’s friend, Louis, would know exactly what the men had to discuss, regardless of how secretive they wanted to be around her. A glance at her watch confirmed it was late, but not unreasonably so. Making her way to the door, she looked out. The boulevards were well lit, and a steady, if sparse, line of traffic made its way down the street. Looking in the direction of the ante room, all looked quiet. Silently, she made her way to the door, softly closing it behind her, though she doubted the slight snick the lock made could be heard by anyone.

  Fortunately, the church was near the center of town. From here, she could see the block where Louis had his office. Lights still shone from a number of windows, she hoped his was one of them.

  It was dark out, but true to most cities, people still moved about from one point to the other, although the traffic wasn’t as heavy as in the middle of the day. No one even glanced in her direction as she entered the building; there was still a fair amount of people about. A short time later, she stood in front of the elevators, took a deep breath and pushed the up arrow button, all the while debating the sanity of what she was about to do. She didn’t know this man. She didn’t even know Alex very well. His friend might think she was insane. She was beginning to think she might agree with him. He might think she was after money. She looked around the plush office building again and straightened her shoulders. If the detective and the priest were going to withhold information, she had to find out what she could however she could.

  Stepping out of the elevator, she immediately faced his office. It was the only one on the floor. She raised her hand to knock, but before her fist encountered the wood, she heard someone call for her to enter. Startled, she cautiously pushed the door open.

  Louis stood in the middle of the room. “How can I help you?”

  He didn’t seem surprised to see her. Tugging on the ends of her jacket, she squared her shoulders. “I need to know where to find Carlos.”

  He raised his eyebrows at that. “You’re not working with Alessandro?”