Blood Sense (Blood Destiny #3)

by Connie Suttle

  Franklin didn't even blink when our total for the evening turned out to be in the fourteen thousand dollar range; we hadn't gone to any of the cheap websites and Greg cheerfully added anything to the shopping cart he felt I needed. After they'd gone to bed, I broke down and called Gavin but it went to voice mail. He'd told me once that if he didn't answer, he was either busy or dead. I was hoping for the former. After leaving a short message telling him I missed him, I turned to other things. I did miss Gavin, although we didn't have the most perfect relationship ever. And if he and the entire vampire race would stop treating me like an infant, I might miss him more.

  Merrill had gone out according to Franklin, so there was no lesson for the evening. I watched a movie on television instead—an old Hitchcock thriller. The early morning news came on afterward and the first article covered the kidnapping of three small children from a daycare in Wales. Parents were obviously distraught; the children were the last to be collected at the end of the day and someone had killed one of two attendants and knocked the other unconscious in order to take the children. The unconscious attendant was now recovering in a local hospital. She'd described her assailant as having blond hair and a small scar above his right eye. The police were searching for leads but hadn't come up with anything solid on the missing children, who ranged in age from one to four years. This was awful. The dead attendant had been strangled and there were no other witnesses. No vehicle had been sighted either, leaving investigators baffled.

  The abduction bothered me very much, coming so soon after the baby incident with Sebastian. The house fire hadn't made it into the news, thanks to the kidnappings. Shutting off the television, I stood and yawned. Dawn was coming and if I didn't hurry, I'd be dropping in the bathroom floor while trying to brush my teeth.

  * * *

  "I left instructions for Sebastian to come tomorrow evening," Wlodek informed Merrill and Flavio. All were on a conference call set up by Charles; Wlodek was explaining that he'd contacted the Assassin. "We'll get to the bottom of this quickly. Lissa was wrong; I didn't find anything amiss at the home."

  Merrill listened impassively. He was struggling with this and trying not to jump to conclusions where Lissa was concerned. Flavio was agreeing with his sire, sure that it was all a mistake. After all, Lissa's emotional state was still fragile; he'd spoken with Charles. Wlodek promised to keep them informed, the call was terminated and they all went looking for beds.

  * * *

  "Cara, I was very happy to get your message." Gavin called me back. The phone was ringing before I was fully awake for the evening.

  "Honey, I just woke up," I mumbled after fumbling to answer the call. Sleep was keeping me from articulating a better answer.

  "I know, love," there was a smile in his voice. "I wish I were there to see it."

  Well, weren't we Mr. Honey Tongue tonight? "Darlin', are you all right?" I asked, the Oklahoma accent that I normally tried to hide thick in my voice. Gavin worked to cover a chuckle when he answered.

  "I am very well. At times, I wish you were here with me. The assignment has become a little boring."

  "Yeah, maiming and killing always make me feel the same way," I said without thinking. Gavin laughed. He actually laughed. That hadn't happened in a while. Of course, I hadn't felt like cracking jokes lately, either. I couldn't ask him where he was or what his assignment entailed; I wasn't supposed to know. If he died somewhere, would they bother to tell me?

  "I purchased something for you," Gavin said.

  "What is it?" I asked.

  "I will bring it home with me when I am finished here," he teased.

  "Are you doing this on purpose?" I asked. "Now I'll spend the rest of the night wondering what it is."

  "That is what I hoped for," he said.

  "You want to make me crazy?"

  "You will not be bored."

  "Is it a crossword puzzle book?" I was never good at those. He chuckled softly.

  "No, cara. I would not do that to you."

  "Good, because I'm hopeless at that."

  "I will keep that in mind."

  A knock came while Gavin was on the phone. I slid off the bed to open my door, finding Merrill on the other side. "Honey, Merrill just came in," I said.

  "Then I will let you go, bella mia."

  "Yeah, well, I love you, too," I said. Gavin was laughing again when he hung up.

  "That isn't what he said," Merrill informed me.

  "I know that, I just didn't know how to reply," I grumbled, hanging my head a little. At times, I felt so inadequate around Merrill and Gavin. I was bilingual if you counted pig Latin as a second language.

  "How much Italian do you know?" A smile teased the corners of his mouth.

  "Tiepolo," I said. "Giotto. Michelangelo. Caravaggio. Bernini. The list goes on."

  "Which of those is your favorite?"

  "Bernini. Hell of a sculptor," I said. "Not much to look at, according to his self-portrait. Had a bit of a nose," I tapped mine. "Did you meet him?" Well, he could have.

  "No." Merrill was definitely smiling, now. "I was not in that country at the time."

  "Dang. And there I was hoping you'd commissioned a piece or something."

  "Sorry," Merrill was still smiling.

  "Caravaggio is my second favorite of those, although he did manage to get into some trouble," I said. "Died before forty. Kind of a shame, I guess."

  "Was he your favorite Baroque artist?"

  "No. You're forgetting Vermeer, Rubens and Rembrandt," I reminded him.

  "And yet you gave the Rembrandt to me."

  "I kept the Vermeer."

  "Yes, you did. I have it in a vault," he said.

  "Good. Temperature okay in that vault?"

  "Yes."

  "Did you want something?" I wondered why he'd come in to begin with—he usually didn't knock on my bedroom door first thing.

  "If you will get dressed, Charles will take you into London," Merrill said. "He will drop by in about an hour." Merrill looked at his watch and then at me. "I will give your credit card back to you and a few pounds in case you need cash for something," he added.

  "Really? You're letting me leave the house?"

  "Yes. Greg and Franklin wished to have some time out alone and Charles has requested the night off to see a motion picture. Go and amuse yourself."

  I got my credit card and five hundred pounds. Who knew that five hundred was a few pounds? I wore one of my wigs, Merrill seemed to approve and I went out the door when Charles came.

  "That looks nice. Almost like your normal hair," Charles gave my wig the once over as he opened the car door for me.

  "Uh-huh," I said. "Where are we going?" I settled into the seat and buckled in while Charles closed the door and trotted to the driver's side.

  "Let's go to a movie and then have a glass of wine someplace," he said, shutting his door and starting the car. A movie sounded like heaven to me—a promise to take my mind off my troubles. Charles drove us into London in his powerful sports car he calls the Lizard King. It has a gecko logo on it and he drives it like a maniac at times. It was a good thing I was vampire. Him too, actually.

  "Do you arrive sometimes before you leave?" I asked, teasing him a little. We were going quite fast down the highway.

  "Are you suggesting that I time travel?" Charles gave me a nice smile.

  "I think I saw your clock running backward," I pointed to it on the dash.

  It was Friday night and there was a line to buy tickets for the movie when we arrived. Wishing I could still eat popcorn, I shot a wistful glance at the concession stand before following Charles to our theatre. The film was a comedy and we laughed in all the right places. Charles is a good companion and I always enjoy his company. He is never judgmental and sometimes it's hard to hold back because I can't ever confide in him. He works for Wlodek after all and is Flavio's child. I could have a good time with him, though, and I did.

  We went to a very nice bar afterward. Charles and I
sat across from each other in a booth and had a glass of wine. We were discussing the film we'd seen when someone walked up to our table. I knew he was vampire at least three seconds before he arrived, just by the scent. "Hello, Charles, what are you doing in," his head swiveled so fast in my direction it was almost frightening. "Christ," he muttered, staring at me.

  "Behave yourself, Bryan," Charles admonished quietly, sipping his wine.

  "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Bryan was still staring.

  "Sit down, Bryan, I'll order a drink for you," Charles grumbled. Bryan did sit. Right next to me. I scooted over a little. He wanted to come along but thought better of it; he'd spotted Gavin's ring.

  "Charles, I never thought you'd," Bryan wasn't finishing his sentences.

  "I didn't. That's Gavin's ring." Charles motioned for our waiter. Bryan held off until his drink order was taken before speaking again.

  "Yeah. Trust the Aristocracy to have first shot at everything," he grumbled. I was looking from Charles to Bryan as if I were watching a tennis match. Now I stared at Charles with a question on my lips but didn't ask it.

  "Lissa, this is Bryan Riley," Charles nodded at Bryan. "He works as an assistant to one of the local television news producers. Night crew, of course. Bryan, this is Lissa Beth Huston, Gavin's fiancé and Merrill's adopted daughter."

  "Holy Christ. A double whammy," Bryan murmured. His drink was delivered and he thanked the waiter absently. "Charles, how long has it been since?"

  "Over seven hundred years," Charles muttered. Of course, we all heard the near-whisper perfectly. Now I knew what they were discussing; this wasn't the first time I'd heard rumblings over the first female turned in seven hundred years. That meant, of course, that all those other female vampires—all fifteen or so of them—had to be over seven hundred years old. No wonder Merrill treated me like a child at forty-eight.

  "So, assistant to the producer, huh?" I said to break the silence.

  "Yes. Bryan sometimes knows the night news ahead of everyone else," Charles sounded cryptic. "He makes sure it gets to the proper place."

  "Ah." If a vampire might be involved in a crime, I figured the calls might come to Charles first and he passed them along. Not bad. "So, what's the latest on the kidnapping in Wales," I asked. "Have you heard anything?"

  "Terrible," Bryan said, shaking his head. "They found all three children in a flooded ditch with their throats cut."

  "Oh, dear God," I said. Those parents had to be devastated. "Did they find the one who did it?"

  "Not yet. There's very little to go on." Bryan sipped his wine. He was around five-eight or so with muddy blond hair that was styled well. It looked as if someone had reached a hand in and tousled it a little. He had a thin face but wasn't bad looking for all that, with warm brown eyes and a nice smile when he did smile.

  "So, how long have you been working at your job?" I asked.

  "Six years. I'll have to give it up soon and trade off with someone else," he replied.

  "So, there's more than one of you doing this?"

  "Of course," he nodded, toying with his wine glass. "I'll trade with someone in Paris or Edinburgh. Maybe Dublin, even."

  "Well, that's enlightening," I said. "Do you like it or would you rather be doing something else?"

  "It's all right," he shrugged. I understood his response—he received precious little thanks for what he did. Charles most likely didn't receive much praise either, but I knew that Wlodek wouldn't keep him if he weren't exceptional in his job.

  "I don't think they'd keep you in a position like this if you weren't very good at it," I told Bryan. "So that means you must be outstanding."

  "He is," Charles agreed. "I get things from Bryan before I get them from anyone else."

  "A compliment? I must be dead or dreaming," Bryan sighed.

  "You are compensated, just as the others are," Charles huffed.

  "But a good word never goes amiss," I added. Bryan was nodding at my assessment.

  "So, what are you two doing in London?" Bryan asked as we settled in to talk.

  I liked Bryan and we traded phone numbers and email addresses before we parted. We'd ordered three glasses of wine each but the last ones were only partially finished when Charles told me it was time to go.

  "It was a true pleasure," Bryan kissed my hand as we said our goodbyes. He was slightly younger than Charles, I could tell.

  "So, it doesn't hurt to have vampires in the media since they're often on the scene shortly after the authorities are," I said, once we were inside Charles's car.

  "Yes, and they can tell quite a bit of the time if a vampire or werewolf was involved. That information comes to me and I pass it on. Wlodek, Russell and Flavio decide if someone needs to be sent out and who that someone needs to be since the talents and expertise of the Enforcers and the Assassins must to be taken into account."

  I wondered what Sebastian's talents were, but didn't ask. I guess if you needed a thug sent, he was your vampire. It still bothered me greatly about the baby and I wanted to ask Charles what the vampire policy was on that, but held back. The baby was dead. I knew that and nothing could bring it back now.

  "Merrill asked me to take you one last place before we went home," Charles shifted gears as he drove through London.

  "Where's that?" I asked curiously, watching Charles drive. He truly enjoyed driving and it was likely Wlodek didn't let him out often to do it.

  "It'll be a surprise," Charles allowed a smile to curve his lips. He was handsome and even more so when he had a bit of a devilish grin on his face. I was quite surprised when we parked on the street not far from St. Paul's Cathedral.

  "Merrill made arrangements for someone to meet us here," Charles said, opening my door for me.

  "You mean we don't actually fry if we go inside a church?"

  "Nope. Come on," he pulled me along behind him. "Holy water doesn't work either," he snickered. "Although it might piss a vampire off if somebody threw it at him." Someone did indeed allow us inside, and I stared at the beautiful, vaulted interior, remembering a time in my distant past when I'd gotten up very early one morning and watched on television as a prince married a princess inside those walls. We thanked the clergyman before we left and Charles passed over what looked to be a very generous donation as we walked out the door.

  * * *

  "Radomir, try the number again." Wlodek was pacing inside his library. It was more spacious than his study and he'd chosen it to accommodate Merrill, Radomir and Flavio as they questioned Sebastian. Only Sebastian failed to appear as instructed. Wlodek, Flavio and Merrill had shared a bottle of wine among the stacks while they waited. Radomir pulled out his cell and tapped numbers quickly. It rang many times before going to voice mail. Wlodek cursed while Radomir left yet another message. Sebastian had agreed to be there four hours earlier. He'd never arrived, pointedly ignoring a command from the Head of the Council. Wlodek even sent Rolfe out to search for the missing Assassin earlier, but found nothing. Three of Wlodek's spies were also ordered to watch the three known residences that Sebastian registered with the Council. Sebastian hadn't visited any of them.

  Radomir closed his phone and glanced at Wlodek. "It is not your fault, child," Wlodek jerked his head angrily. Merrill watched Wlodek silently. Any one of a number of things might have occurred, but his suspicions were now being raised and he didn't have a good feeling about any of it.

  * * *

  "Lissa, come," Merrill held out a hand to me the moment Charles and I came through the door. Rolfe nodded slightly to me when I walked in so I gave him a smile. Merrill stood just inside the door, waiting for me when we arrived. He held a hand on my shoulder while we walked out to his Range Rover, put me inside it and then climbed in himself. Merrill asked about my night out but was distracted, I could tell. Something had happened; I just didn't know what it was. I told him I'd had a good time, thanked him for the visit to St. Paul's and left it at that.

  "Lissa," Merrill said after we'd gotten h
ome and parked the Range Rover in the garage, "Wlodek has agreed to lend you to Anthony Hancock's department for a few weeks. Hancock wants additional security for a few functions, I believe, and has been begging for your help." The announcement shocked me a little, coming so soon after I'd been grilled over my three dates with Tony.

  Tony. I hoped he wasn't planning to try to get me in bed with him the entire time. "When?" I asked.

  "In two days. Russell and Radomir will accompany you in the Council's jet. They're taking you to Dulles International. Someone will be there to meet you."

  "All right," I sighed. "I'll pack up tomorrow." Merrill was correct; Wlodek wasn't allowing me to huddle in a corner or wallow in self-pity. He was sending me out again less than a month after my stint in the sun. Humans received therapy. Vampires received assignments.

  "I'm sending Franklin to New York in three days," Merrill came over to stroke my cheek with gentle fingers. "He and Greg will be in the states if you need anything." I nodded mutely at Merrill's words.

  "Does Gavin know?" I asked after a moment.

  "I phoned him earlier with the news," Merrill replied. "Of course he was not happy."

  That might be a huge understatement. If Gavin knew I was going to be working anywhere near Tony, the jealous rages would come, I was sure of it. I was glad Merrill made the initial call; Gavin had to mind his manners with Merrill. I nodded at Merrill's statement and walked toward the stairs. As a form of rebellion against Wlodek, I planned to dress in pajamas and huddle in bed to read.

  * * *

  Franklin asked if I needed anything from town while Greg helped pack two of my wigs the following evening. Greg gave Frank the list of toiletries I needed after going through my bathroom and cupboards. The clothing we'd ordered online arrived so we spent some time going through it and washing what needed washing before packing up what I wanted to take with me. At least my fingers and toes were completely normal now, with finger and toenails. My eyelashes were short but they were there; my eyebrows were also short but there. Greg insisted on packing the eyebrow pencil and eyeliner he'd gotten for me. The man was better at that sort of thing than I was. Franklin just smiled at his honey and let him do his thing.