Bound by Blood (Vampire Romance)

by Tara Manderino

  Lisa tilted her head to one side. Did he mean Alex? “Why do you call him that?”

  “Alex… I’ve known him as Alessandro for a great number of years. Alex doesn’t seem right. But, I don’t think that is why you are here – to discuss his name, so tell me what brings you here?”

  “I told you, I need to find Carlos.”

  “Alessandro – Alex – sent you?” He gave a gentle snort when she didn’t respond. “I didn’t think so. If he wanted you to know, he would have told you. He was here earlier.”

  He was? She tried to keep all expression from her face.

  “You did not know.”

  She ignored him and stepped closer. “I need to find the girl. She was my responsibility.”

  Louis gave a slight smile. “I begin to understand Alessandro’s attraction. You are very much alike.”

  She didn’t know what he was talking about, but time was running out. It wouldn’t take Alessand—Alex, now he had her thinking of him by that name, long to figure out where she had gone when he finished meeting with Philip. “An address, please.”

  “Carlos can be very dangerous.”

  It was her turn to snort. What did she have to lose? She had already mucked up her life pretty well before she came here, and now she had a child’s life in danger. What did it matter?

  “Just give me the address where I can find him.”

  Shaking his head at her apparent foolishness, he walked toward his modern glass and stainless desk. She didn’t know whether to follow or not. When he got there, he reached over the top and picked up a pen and scratch paper, and quickly wrote.

  She stepped closer to the desk, her hands shoved in her pocket. “Does Alex have this address?”

  “Not yet. I only received it a few moments before you arrived.”

  He handed her the paper. “Alessandro will find you, you know,” he said before releasing the paper.

  She gave him a crooked smile. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll do whatever it takes to find Sandy. Carlos – that’s the name, right – won’t stand a chance. “

  Louis raised his eyebrows. “I really don’t think you understand what you are up against.”

  Maybe not, but she would find out. She would call the police and …

  “You know you can’t call the authorities?”

  Now that was strange, it was as if he read her mind.

  “I didn’t read your mind,” he told her then laughed at her expression. “Your face speaks quite loudly. But in this case, calling the authorities would guarantee nothing good would come from this.”

  “What about Alex? He’s the FBI.”

  “Alessand—Alex is different. He understands what is at stake, and more importantly how to deal with Carlos.”

  “Then so will others.” She turned, but Louis grasped her arm before she completed the move. He had moved as fast as Carlos. As fast as Alex. How did they do that?

  “They will not know. If you involve the others, it will be a drastic mistake.”

  “Then you come with me.” Her voice was a command, not a request. She wondered at herself for making it but her chin jutted in the air. Did she trust him enough? She didn’t think so, but he was scaring her, that was for certain.

  “I could do so, but it would be best if you waited for Alessandro.”

  Nodding, she folded the paper and slipped it in her back pocket and left. No way would she wait for Alex. He had made it plenty clear there was no room for her, and it was something for him and Philip to deal with. Which was another odd thing to her thinking. Why wasn’t he with his other detective buddies -- didn’t he have a partner or something? How could a priest have anything to do with a kidnapping? Or why had he come to Louis, who appeared to be some financial wizard if the office building was anything to go by.

  Hailing a cab, she gave him the address and hoped she would arrive before Alex even knew she was missing. It didn’t surprise her to be doing this alone. Why not? She had done everything else alone for as long as she could remember.

  She instructed the driver to leave her off at the street corner near the given address. No sense in announcing her presence before she had to.

  Using the light from the street lamps, she looked around the neighborhood. It wasn’t the best, but she had been in worse. According to the address Louis had given her, the house should be in the middle of the block. It was on the large side, one of the larger ones in the immediate area in fact, and sported a lot of overgrown shrubbery. Not quite uncared for, but as if the residents liked the natural look and didn’t spend a lot of time on gardening, unlike the well manicured lawns of its neighbors. Squaring her shoulders she walked toward the house, her steps slowing the closer she got. What if Carlos had Sandy somewhere else? It couldn’t really be this easy to walk in and rescue the child. If Alex knew she was here, he would have come for her. She wondered when Louis would give him the address.

  Turning onto the walkway, her steps slowed even more, practically halting. The slight movement of air alerted her that she wasn’t alone. Spinning, she turned to face whomever stood there. Fully expecting Carlos, she was surprised to be greeted by Alex.

  “What are you doing here?” It was difficult to determine who spoke first.

  Chapter 10

  Alex reached to grab her arm, but she side stepped him, her eyes wide with fear. “What could you have been thinking?”

  “Sandy,” she stuttered over the name. “If this monster has her, I need to get her.”

  “Monster may be the right word. What – you think you can waltz in and say release her, and he’ll let you take her?” When she didn’t immediately respond, he grabbed her arm, not missing this time, and practically dragged her with him, away from the house. Carlos was there, he could smell him. And so was Cassandra, but she didn’t seem to be terrified. A little apprehensive, and another scent he could not readily identify; a female vampire. He had to get Lisa away before they picked up on her scent, or his. Or heard her, the woman didn’t know when to quit. Even now, as he was telling her to be quiet, she was chatting how she had to save the child. In exasperation, he turned her toward him and put his lips over hers. A move he enjoyed much more than he should have. A move that if he had been in his right mind he would not have made.

  It kept her quiet until he had them to the end of the street.

  “Was that necessary?”

  “Are you done talking?”

  She tried to yank her arm from his grasp, but he tightened his hold.

  Realizing she would probably be bruised tomorrow, he relaxed his grip so it was no longer a steel band.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Since you can’t be trusted alone, it would be best if you come to my house.”

  “I’d rather not. I’m hungry.”

  He slowed at her admission. So was he, but he suspected not for the same thing. “When did you intend to eat? It looked to me as if you were planning an attack. Not much time for food there.”

  “Don’t be snide,” she told him. “I haven’t eaten since early morning, and I’m hungry. Unless you went grocery shopping since I was last at your house, there’s no food there.” She cocked her head to one side. “What’s up with that anyway? There’s nothing but bottles in the ‘fridge. Are you a wine aficionado or something?”

  He didn’t answer her, just marched her to his car parked several blocks away. Once they were at the car he unlocked the door and made sure she was seated, and belted in.

  “I’m not a child,” she told him as he clicked the seat belt in place.

  Moving away from the task, but still leaning into the car, his face was only inches from hers. “Then stop acting like one. Even seven-year old Cassandra has more sense than you in this matter.”

  “You can’t know that!” She sounded completely stricken, and for a moment, he regretted his harsh tone, but she had to know the truth. Dealing with Carlos, with any of them, could cost her life -- if she was lucky that was all they took from her.


  He pulled away from her, and straightening, closed the car door softly before going to the driver’s side and sliding in. On the way to his house, they exchanged very few words. He made a brief stop at the Chinese restaurant where he ordered a buffet take out for her.

  “I said I was hungry,” she said once they were in his kitchen and he started unpacking the bags, “not starving. There is enough food here to feed either an army or me for several days.” Her voice trailed off at the end. “That’s what you’re planning? To leave me here for several days?”

  He finished removing the cartons from the bag. “Hardly what I’m planning. You could eat the lot tonight; I don’t care. If you’re here a few days, I think I can afford to feed you fresh food.” Even as he said the words, he banked down the hunger gnawing at him. Fresh was something he had not had in quite a few years. Not that he particularly wanted it that way. It would be easier not to think about it if she were not in front of him, her blood pounding through her veins in her aggravation with the situation.

  Nostrils flaring to inhale her scent, he held out a chair for her. “Sit down and eat, then we can talk.”

  ~*~

  Looking at him warily, she did as he asked and focused her attention on the meal in front of her. Every time she tried to start a conversation with him, he said something to squash it. It helped curb her appetite better than anything else. Obviously, she would get no answers until she ate.

  That didn’t seem to stop him from asking questions; questions she answered without even being aware of doing so. Except for when he asked about her life as a child. That she noted very particularly.

  “What? You want me to say something was awful? There really wasn’t anything bad, you know. I had a very happy, fun childhood. My parents were wonderful.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her comment.

  “Really, they were. My mother was more than strict, and my father followed her lead, but that wasn’t a problem until I was in my mid-teens. I’m sure they thought it was the right thing to do when they found out I was pregnant.”

  “It is never right to turn your back on your child.”

  She didn’t look at him but concentrated on pushing the food around on her plate. “I’m sure he would have felt differently later, but I never went back. I know for him it was the heat of the moment, and as I said, he followed my mother’s lead.” She shrugged. “Perhaps if things had been a bit different in the outcome, my own situation at home would have been different.”

  “It’s no excuse.” His voice was firm, definite.

  “Sounds like you have some experience in the father department.” Her gaze met his steadily now. What did she really know about him? Nothing. He hadn’t come out and said anything except he had no wife or girlfriend. He could still have a child, a whole brood of children for all she knew.

  He nearly nodded his head, but caught himself. Alex never had children, never would; Alessandro had, but was never a father in the sense of the word that she meant. “I have seen enough over the years.” That was truthful enough, certainly.

  Lisa used the napkin to wipe her lips then laid it on the table. “I am absolutely stuffed. Thanks for feeding me.” She cocked her head to one side and looked at his plate. Nothing had been touched, not that there was much on it. “Why didn’t you eat?”

  “I’m not hungry,” he said, standing to pack the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator. He encouraged her to go into the other room and wait for him.

  Nodding, she stood, and did as he requested, making a side trip to the powder room on the way.

  Quickly clearing the slight mess, Alex reached for a glass, then a bottle from the refrigerator and poured himself his own nourishment. He had drunk nearly half of it when Lisa came around the side again. He slowly lowered the glass into the sink, hoping she wouldn’t notice it.

  “It’s not good to drink on an empty stomach,” she told him in a teasing note.

  When he didn’t respond, she nodded, the smile leaving her lips. She had meant it in a teasing manner, but obviously it was a sore point with him. Turning, she headed to the great room and the entertainment area where he had left her the last time.

  She tried to relax, but couldn’t. Sitting on the edge of the seat, she heard him rinse his glass, and load it in the dishwasher. Only then did he join her. She had purposely sat on the chair, leaving the other one or the sofa for him, never expecting him to perch on the ottoman in front of her. He was definitely too close. It was a struggle not to squirm.

  “What did you think you were doing searching for Carlos on your own?” he finally asked.

  Picking up the remote, she aimed it toward the television, ignoring his question.

  He took it from her hand and clicked it off, setting it on the table. She still had a hard time looking at him.

  She played with the hem of her sweater, rolling it and smoothing it over her legs. When she noted the way his gaze followed her movements, she stopped and folded her arms across her middle. His eyes rested on her breasts then moved to her face. Had he thought she was being provocative? Moving her arms again would only show him she noted his attention. It took a moment for her to realize he was totally focused on her face, studying her eyes. She felt her cheeks heat. Obviously she had been mistaken in what she thought was his interest.

  “That was incredibly foolish,” he told her. “You have no idea how dangerous Carlos can be.” Then his eyes narrowed and he studied her face intently. “And how exactly did you know where to find Carlos?”

  When she still didn’t answer, he reached a hand toward her shoulder. Surprised, she instantly jerked out of his reach, knocking herself off balance. She put out both hands to catch herself from falling into him. She turned her belligerent gaze to meet his.

  “It doesn’t matter. I was so close—“

  “And scared to death! You reeked of fear.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she repeated, shaking her head. “I don’t matter. I need to find Sandy. If he really has her, he must give her to me.”

  “It’s you who doesn’t understand. If he has her, the last thing he will want to do is release her.”

  “What if I offer him enough money?”

  “You don’t have enough to tempt him. Nor am I convinced he wants money in exchange. What worries me is that he has made no demands.”

  She tugged at her arm and he released it. “I don’t have enough, but the Morgans do. They would do anything to get the girl back. He must want something.”

  Alex stood with enough force to shoot the ottoman halfway across the room. Running his hand through his hair, he turned away from her. “He does. While you were out gathering information on your own, I was with Philip, trying to decipher what the messages really mean.”

  Standing, she moved closer to him. “Did you learn anything?”

  He merely nodded.

  He was holding something back, she could tell. “So he does have her?”

  “For now.”

  Lisa reached out her hand and grasped his arm, tugging at him to face her. “Tell me,” she demanded. “What is he planning to do to her? Keep her? Sell her?”

  When he didn’t immediately answer, she covered her mouth with her hand. “Sell her?” her voice raised an octave. She wanted to vomit. How could he stand there so calmly? “Oh my God, he’s going to sell her? Alex, we have to leave now. Call whoever you have to call.” She hurried in the direction of the door. He stopped her before she took a full step, and brought her close to him.

  “It’s not what you think. She is safe enough for now.”

  “What I think? What can I think? Do you know how many children are sold for one reason or another, most of them sordid, each year?” He was in law enforcement, he had to know.

  ~*~

  He gave a brief nod. No, he was certain Carlos had a very different fate in mind for Cassandra, but not one he could yet share with Lisa, not that he knew precisely what himself yet. Since Louis promised to have his back, he would eventuallyknow
and at some point, Philip probably would, but not Lisa. “She will be all right,” he repeated. At least for the time being.

  “You know that for sure? How? Did you talk to him?”

  “I know for sure,” he told her, “but I have not talked to Carlos. Trust me on this.”

  She relaxed marginally and he released her arm, letting his hand slide down to meet hers. He was reluctant to let it go. How long had it been since he craved human touch?

  He pulled her closer to him, so there was the merest air between them. Using one hand, he brushed her hair back from her face so she had a clear view of him, and more importantly, he could read every expression that crossed her face or showed in her eyes.

  “I could tell you about Carlos,” he said, “but to do so, I must tell you about myself.” He gave her a wry smile. “I’m not sure it is wise to do so.” She hadn’t moved away from him; a good sign. Of course, she didn’t know she should move away. She thought of him as a detective. A professional in spite of his behavior at the moment.

  Heaving a sigh, she finally told him. “I went to visit Louis. He was the one who gave me Carlos’ address.”

  “Just like that?” He kept his voice stern, relieved she was willing to share something with him. It didn’t matter he had already figured out the sequence. There were too few other options. At first, he had been surprised she considered Louis, then astonished he had given her what she wanted.

  “Not exactly.” It was her turn for the wry smile.”He did say I should ask you; you would take me there.”

  “He knows me better than that.”

  “I suspected as much when he gave me the address. He knew you wouldn’t take me, that you don’t know me well enough.”

  He slipped his hand under the length of her hair, holding her by the neck. “You are wrong there, Lisa. I feel I know you quite well.” Her eyes widened. “Right now, I fear it is you who don’t know me.”

  “No, I don’t. But I trust you, or I wouldn’t still be standing here.”

  “Very reassuring. But will you trust me when you know me better?” He could see her uneasiness in her eyes, but she didn’t move away. He brought his other hand up and rested both on her shoulders.