The Vampire Laird (A Ravynne Sisters Paranormal Mystery/Romance)

by Merabeth James

  Hugging the wall where the treads were less likely to creak, Charlie hurried down as fast as she dared. She had just reached the elaborate newel post at the bottom, when the maid stood and stretched with a long, breathy sigh. Charlie held her own breath as she waited to see what would happen next. With a groan, the maid shoved the bucket forward with her foot, then dropped to her knees again and Charlie took off at a run, grateful for the soft soled shoes that made no sound on the marble floor.

  Seconds later, she made it to the turn at the end of the hall and looked back over her shoulder. Nobody had seen her. So far so good, she thought, but would her luck hold? Moving quickly down to the library door, she pressed her ear against its panel. All was quiet, but that didn’t mean it was empty. Taking a deep breath, she quietly opened the door a slit and peeked inside. Her luck held. No one was there.

  Sliding inside, she eased the door shut behind her and hurried across the room to the huge mahogany desk. Quickly, she worked the lock and opened the second drawer where she’d seen the gun. It was gone. Fingers flying, she unlocked the other drawers, but the gun was nowhere to be found and there was no sign of a phone.

  She looked around the room in desperation. The phone was the most important thing. It was their only link to outside help. Seth might have it with him, but a satellite phone was a bit large to carry in a kilt, she thought with a wry twist to her full mouth. A large wooden box on the shelf behind his desk caught her eye and she lifted it down. It was locked. She was busy working on that problem and praying under her breath, when she heard voices in the hall just outside the door. Horrified, she saw the knob turn and the door begin to slowly open.

  Shoving the box back on the shelf, she looked around wildly, then scrambled under the desk, pulling the chair in after her. Peeking under the bottom edge, she watched two sets of legs cross the room...one clad in jeans and the other wearing a kilt. It would have to be him, she thought with a grimace. Him and? The Texas drawl answered her question.

  Seth moved to the desk and she twisted in her narrow space to keep him in view. He was so close she could have pinched his hairy thigh if the chair wasn’t between them. Please don’t let him sit down, she begged silently.

  “For God’s sake, you should have found him by now. The man can barely stand on his own, just how far could he have gotten?” Seth ground out angrily, pounding on the top of the desk with a heavy hand.

  Vic mumbled something she couldn’t catch, then Seth continued. “You’re sure they searched this whole place room by room?”

  “Yes, milord. She set Cerberus after him and he didn’t find a trail in any of the places he’d not been before like the old wings, cellars and attics. We searched everything else thoroughly.”

  “Where is Orianna now?” Seth asked, as he began to edge back the chair.

  She’s out now visiting the few crofters who don’t work for you . Wanted to make sure they understand what will happen to them if they help him.”

  Seth pulled the chair back the rest of the way, then, abruptly, changed his mind and shoved it back under the desk, catching Charlie by surprise. She clapped both hands over her mouth to stifle a yelp of pain, as the chair slammed into her knees. “And you are positive that his sisters weren’t out of their rooms last night?”

  Vic shifted from one foot to the other then said, “Their rooms have been watched every minute. No one could have left without being seen. Will that be all, your lordship?

  “Stay here till I contact the Gatekeeper. I want to make sure there are no slip ups tonight.”

  Charlie closed her eyes tightly and held her breath. He would open a drawer and drag out the sat phone that somehow she’d missed. Only the drawers wouldn’t be locked and if he bent down and tried them all he was bound to see her.

  But he didn’t do any of those things. He turned and unlocked the box she had almost opened, drew out the satellite phone, then punched in a number. His words were spoken with a cold deadly calmness that made her shiver. “He’s still loose so make sure you keep an eye open. He could well head your way. The drop is still on as planned. They will be waiting off shore for your signal light in the church tower...low tide...midnight. I don’t want any screw-ups this time. Their stupidity cost me a lot of money and I want the crewman responsible sent ashore so I can deal with him personally. Understood?”

  He hung up as Vic interjected. “They killed ’em though. Nobody got away clean. And they didn’t have no ID on them to trace,” Vic drawled.

  “Their bodies washed ashore with some unexplained bullet holes. That leads to the wrong kind of people poking around. There are those who consider human trafficking and drug smuggling...not to mention the other items in tonight’s shipment... illegal and might want to do something about it. Anyone who puts this operation at risk is dead. And that could easily be you, Vic, if you don’t do what you get paid very well for.”

  Vic mumbled a reply and Seth continued. “Okay...I’m going to the airstrip after lunch. Jason is bringing in a new client by chopper who wants to see this end of the operation.”

  “You’ve never let anyone come here unless you’ve checked them out ass to eyeball. What’s so special about this guy?”

  Seth frowned in irritation. “Not that it's any of your business, but I have checked him out. He's a big fish, so we’ll dance. He wants to sample the new inventory and hunt some grouse while he’s here. He won’t be a problem if we keep a close watch. Just make sure everything goes smoothly tonight, Vic. Losing those two girls last time was messy. I plan on making up the numbers with one of our guests upstairs and the two maids I’ve kept around for my...amusement. And one thing more...”

  “Find Allyn Ravynne,” Vic said.

  “Yes...find Allyn Ravynne. And?”

  “And find him dead.”

  She was stunned by what she heard, but she probably shouldn’t have been. She and Meg had both sensed something was very wrong from the moment they arrived. Of course, Allyn’s letter had predisposed them to that belief, but human trafficking that would include them...not to mention drug smuggling and murder... were more than either of them had imagined. If Seth had his way, one of them was destined for a brothel, one to a fate perhaps even worse, and Allyn would be dead. But none of that was going to happen if she could prevent it. She had to.

  They moved away from the desk and she was glad her reflexive sigh went undetected. She had truly thought she was about to be shot to death, hiding like a rabbit in a hole. She listened as they crossed the room then opened and closed the door. Inching forward, she shoved the chair out of the way and peeked out. The box was still open, which meant he must have taken the sat phone with him, she thought...a major setback for their side.

  She crawled out from under the desk and relocked the drawers. Did she dare go out the way she came? Moving quietly to the door she put her ear to the panel. Voices...and close. One sounded like Vic’s and she dared not take the chance he'd come back. But how would she get past him without being seen? Then she remembered Meg’s unorthodox exit through the library window and smiled.

  She raced across the room and looked outside. There was no one in sight. Raising the window as quietly as she could, she jumped down. Dodging behind any available cover, she worked her way around to the back of the manor and entered through the kitchen door. A large, florid faced woman was chopping onions on the wooden worktable that dominated the middle of the room. She scowled as Charlie entered and brushed a wisp of gray hair out of her eyes with the back of her arm. “And vat vould you need? Lunch is not ready yet.”

  Charlie moved around her and began to look about as she said, “Oh? I thought I would save you the trouble and fix a tray for my sister myself,” she told her with a smile that she was far from feeling.

  “Your sister eats like horse! First a tray with Daryna, then the food you carry up and spill on carpet....” she muttered darkly, turning a very sharp knife over in her beefy palm.

  “Well, she is an invalid at the moment and has alway
s had a healthy appetite to boot. Mind if I raid the fridge?”

  “Mind if you vat? Nein..you sit there and I will make a sandvich for her. Vat else does she need?”

  “Coffee...lots and lots of lovely coffee in a big thermos, would be very nice, thank you,” she told her as she perched on the edge of a tall stool.

  “Invalids need coffee? Gott in himmel...vat next?”

  “Please make it two sandwiches...no three...and maybe some sweet gherkins and chips..I think they call them ‘crisps’ here or is that in England? Anyway, I’ll have lunch with my sister. Company stimulates the appetite,” Charlie told her sweetly.

  “It seems she is stimulated enough if you ask me,” she said with a snort, as she sliced a crusty loaf of fresh baked bread.

  As she worked, Charlie considered the possibility of stealing a kitchen knife...maybe two. There was quite an array of deadly looking ones stuck in the wood block on the counter, but the cook would notice immediately if one of them was missing. So, she waited till she was rummaging through the enormous refrigerator looking for sweet gherkins, and stealthily opened a likely drawer.

  A few second string steak knives were stored there along with an assortment of odds and ends including a flashlight. She slid two knives into the pocket of her jeans and pulled her top over the handles, then shoved the flashlight into her waistband. She had barely made it back to her seat, when the cook puffed her way back and slapped two pickles on a plate, then filled a thermos with coffee. Plunking two cups on a tray, she loaded the rest and thrust it at Charlie, “There. Now leave my kitchen. I have vork to do.”

  Charlie was more than happy to oblige the red faced cook who continued to glower at her. Using the tray to shield her new bulk, she thanked her with a smile and backed her way through the swinging door. Now if she could just remember where the front stairs were. She passed through the dining room and, juggling the tray on one hip, slid open the pocket door at the far end. Seth was standing there looking just as surprised as she was. He was the first to recover. “I just heard you were downstairs somewhere, but hadn’t expected to find you here.”

  “A woman’s place is in the kitchen or hadn’t you heard?” she murmured, as she waited for her pulse to slow down.

  He smiled seductively. “My personal preference is the bedroom. I was just about to see to Meg’s tray. Usually, I let Mrs. Bently handle such things, but I’ve taken a special interest in your welfare.”

  “So it would seem,” she said dryly.

  “May I take that up for you? I would like to see how Meg is doing.”

  Charlie hadn’t expected that, so she searched frantically for a plausible lie. “She looks as awful as she feels and if I took anyone up to see her...especially a man...she would be furious with me.”

  He smiled, but his eyes narrowed speculatively. “A woman’s vanity...it can be a deadly sin.”

  She smiled back and murmured sweetly, “But that wasn’t what got the cat killed, was it?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Charlie kicked the door shut behind her and plunked down the tray, as Meg joined her. “I couldn’t find the gun or the phone...well, Seth came in and I hid under the desk and he took the phone when he left.”

  Meg’s eyes widened. “You hid under the desk? And you would have explained that how if he’d caught you? Like they do in the movies? You were looking for a contact or a non-existent diamond stud you’d lost the previous night?”

  “You worry too much...not that I wasn’t. He called someone...the Gatekeeper...and told him to light a signal at midnight. Meg, they are going to drop off a human cargo and drugs at low tide. And they’re turning the place upside down looking for Allyn with orders to kill him.”

  Meg shuddered. “So now we know the worst.”

  "Not quite....at least one of us is to be added to the shipment. A new client is arriving by chopper and he gets first dibs on the women...that plus some grouse hunting. But don’t worry. We will be long gone before then. As I said, I couldn’t find the gun, but I managed to sneak out two kitchen knives and a flashlight . Where’s Allyn?”

  “Hiding in the bathroom where he’s been for the past half hour. I think he lost his breakfast.”

  Charlie sighed. “Well...there’s plenty of lunch...and lovely hot coffee... just maybe we can get him to eat some of it. One thing more, Meg. We’re going to need help tonight. Can you conjure up, Meaghan? We need her to show us the best way to get to the stables without being seen.”

  “I can try a séance. Like the one where I conjured up our first vampire only to be lied to. A yard bag of all things....”

  “You never give up do you? Just for that I’m not going to share the sweet gherkins I made the cook hunt for.”

  “And you seriously think you can bribe me with a pickle and I’ll forget and forgive...”

  “Not just a pickle...a sweet baby gherkin...your special favorite.”

  Meg sighed, “Okay. You’re forgiven...hand it over.”

  “And you will never mention it again?” she asked dangling the pickle under Meg’s nose.

  “Probably not. And as soon as it gets dark, I’ll try to get Meaghan here, but my confidence has been badly shaken.”

  ***

  It was late in the day when the chopper sat down and the newcomer jumped lightly to the cement pad, ducking reflexively from the whirling blades overhead. He looked around at the sweeping upland moors...the 18th century manor... and smiled appreciatively. “Pretty nice setup. I’m glad I insisted on coming.”

  Seth smiled congenially, though his eyes were watchful. “Sorry about the blindfold on the ride, but I must be careful. And I’m afraid I must apologize yet again. My men are going to body search you. Purely routine, Mr. Ralston.”

  “Not the trusting kind. Understandable under the circumstances,” the new client muttered, as his satellite phone and 9MM Walther were taken from him.

  “I can’t afford to trust anyone. There is too much at stake here and in other parts of the world. Wherever there are human beings there are human vices and big money. Now, come with me and I’ll drive you down to the manor, Mr. Ralston.”

  “Call me Quinn. As we discussed earlier, I expect to enjoy some hunting while I’m here,” he told Seth with a cold smile.

  Seth’s smile was just as cold. “The hunting will be excellent. In addition to the grouse you mentioned, I have several choice birds at your disposal...Ukranian girls...I’ve kept on hand.”

  Quinn laughed unpleasantly, “Not interested in anything already broken in. I like to break them before I f--k them, if you know what I mean.”

  Seth looked at him for a long moment, then said, “There is someone who may just be what you’re looking for, though I had hoped to be the first. Tall...slim...beautiful with silver blonde hair like silk, but as willful as the devil. Taming that shrew should prove very entertaining...even dangerous.”

  “Sounds like someone who's claws I will thoroughly enjoy pulling,” Quninn said darkly, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the man in front of him.

  Seth smiled just as darkly as he slipped one arm around the newcomer's shoulders and led him towards the Land Rover. "I have the very place for your assignation. My very own chamber of dark delights perfect right down to the attire I'll supply for your convenience. I have a fondness for black silk that I hope you will appreciate as well."

  ***

  A sudden sharp knock on Charlie’s door sent Allyn scrambling under the bed and Meg under the covers. Delaying till everyone was settled, Charlie unlocked the door and opened it. Two large men she hadn’t seen before stood outside. They avoided her eyes when she asked them what they wanted and one...a bull of a man with red hair and whiskers... replied, “You are to come with us, if you please.”

  The last part was clearly just a courtesy. The grim set to their mouths told her that they wouldn’t leave without her whether she was ‘pleased’ or not. But still she had to say, “Well, I don’t please. What is this about?”

  “His
lordship wants to see you and he didn’t give no reason.”

  She huffed in outrage as she stalled for time, though to what end she couldn’t imagine. “Tell his lordship that I was just getting ready for bed. Whatever it is will have to wait till morning.”

  They smiled then in a way that made Charlie very uncomfortable. “You can come willing or unwilling. The choice is yours. We wouldn’t mind a bit of fuss though, as long as you don’t have a gun in your hand. Some of the men told us you could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at a hundred yards,” the red headed man told her with what looked to her like a leer.

  “And just why would I want to shoot a squirrel when there are much more deserving targets around? All right...I’m coming with you but keep your hands off me,” she said coldly.

  By that time, Meg was ‘hobbling’ in her direction. “What’s wrong? What do these men want?”

  “Everything is all right. Seth wants to see me. I’ll be back shortly. Go back to bed and get off that ankle before you do it permanent damage,” she told Meg who clearly didn’t believe any of it. Before Meg could say another word she stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her.

  With one man on either side, she was marched down several halls and up a set of stairs she hadn’t seen before. At the top, a dark corridor ended abruptly in a heavily paneled door set deeply in the wall. At their knock, the door swung open and Seth stood there. “Well, I am here as ordered. Would you please tell me what was so important it couldn’t wait till morning?”

  Seth smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile....it was predatory and smug at the same time. “Welcome to my personal ‘pleasure dome’ with its exotic blend of the Far and Mid East. I have a special treat in store for you, my dear.”