“Sounds like a plan,” Alex said.
Heading east on Ortega Highway, they passed the institute and kept going until reaching Lake Elsinore where they picked up Interstate 15 and headed south.
Nearly midnight, they reached Temecula, where Alex pulled off the freeway onto a deserted two-lane blacktop road. “From what they told me, it should be over there.” He pointed to a turnoff and killed the headlights. He made a left turn onto a rutted gravel road and coasted to a stop behind a dilapidated, rusted out, doublewide mobile home. From there, they proceeded on foot.
Except for a few stars and a sliver of moonlight, complete darkness. Luckily, during their transformation, their ability to see in the dark remained intact. They headed into a neglected, overgrown avocado grove and swiped dried tree branches away from their faces.
“This is bullshit,” Roman complained in a hoarse whisper. “We’d better come across something pretty damn quick or I’m going to be pissed.” He would much rather have stayed with Grace and watched her sleep in his arms. Instead, he was traipsing around in the middle of who-knows-where searching for something that may or may not exist.
Alex started toward a clearing.
Roman pulled him back. “We’re not going to find anything out in the open. Any campsite will be hidden.” He nudged Alex aside and took the lead, creeping around the perimeter, searching for signs of life. A slight movement to his left.
He checked it out and found nothing. With hands on hips, he gave the area one last glance. “This turned out to be a bust. Let’s head back.” His stomach growled, reminding him that he needed to feed. These wild goose chases were a waste of valuable time.
A hissing sound.
Then a sharp, debilitating pain in his gut.
Footfalls rushed toward him. Lots of them. An ambush. Roman dropped to his knees, gripping the crossbow bolt impaled in his stomach.
“No,” Alex roared.
Four tall men dressed in black, charged them at supernatural speed. Vampire speed. Two attackers restrained Alex. He twisted his body, trying to break free.
Roman slumped forward. His heartbeat faltered and he struggled to breathe. Kicked in the shoulder by an attacker, he fell on his side. Unable to move, he still held onto the bolt with both hands.
A hooded assailant approached, aiming a crossbow. “That was for Erik,” the bowman said.
“You’re making a mistake,” Alex shouted. “It was self-defense.”
Roman didn’t recognize the vampires, but knew they were assassins, armed with an ancient weapon he himself had used for the same purpose over a century ago. A poison bolt meant for retribution.
The archer stood over him, nocked another bolt in the barrel of the crossbow and aimed at Roman’s heart. “And this one’s from me.”
Roman squeezed his eyes shut and prepared to die. He thought of Grace and the child he would never see. Déjà vu. Over two hundred years ago, he died and was turned before his bride of less than a year gave birth to their first child. Why did he deserve such a fate again? He was damned and justifiably so. He prayed for mercy for his soul, and protection for Grace and their child. A tear rolled down his cheek. My sweet, precious Grace. Once he completed his holy petition, a peace fell over him. Through half-closed eyes, he stared at the man poised to kill him.
The archer lowered his weapon. “An eye for an eye, Roman. You should have known better than to kill one of your own.” Once again, he squeezed the trigger on the bowstring. “Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it?”
Gritting his teeth, Roman closed his eyes and waited for the fatal projectile to pierce his body. None came. Instead, a heavy boot kicked the back of his head. Everything turned black.
He regained consciousness. Lying on the hard ground with pain so intense, he begged to die.
Alex knelt next to him. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. This is going to hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, but I need to get the broadhead out of your gut.” Sweat dripped from Alex’s blood-smeared face while he worked.
“Call the Elder Council. Tell them what happened.”
“Already done.”
Roman tried asking about the assassins, but his jaw seized and only ragged groans sounded. And once the sharp blade sliced into his midsection, he lost consciousness.
When Roman opened his eyes, he was strapped to a gurney with an IV hooked up to his left arm. Glaring, white lights beat down, blinding him. He snapped his eyelids back shut.
The room reeked of antiseptic, choking him. He felt as though his abdomen had been ripped in half. In excruciating pain, his body jerked involuntarily.
In scrubs, Doc Peters leaned over him. “Try not to move while I re-wrap the dressing.”
“Where am I?” Roman whispered, fighting the spasms.
“Back at the lab, thank God. Alex saved your life. He did an excellent job removing the broadhead and stopping you from bleeding out. You were fortunate there’s still some vampire blood coursing through your veins. No human would have survived.”
His breath grew labored. “What happened to those bastards?”
“They were chased off by a couple truckloads of migrant farm workers on their way to the deserted mobile home near the ambush sight. They were plenty rowdy. The vamps must not have wanted witnesses, and split. The farmers offered to help, but when I told them we were on our way to the ER, they drove off,” Alex explained.
“What’d they do to you?”
Alex ran his fingers over a fist-sized bruise on his cheek. “They knocked me around a bit. They were going to force me to watch you die. Then kill me. We’ve got some drunk avocado pickers to thank for saving both our sorry asses.”
“You realize they’ll be back to finish the job, don’t you?”
“Their leader, the guy with the hood, told us that from now on we’d better sleep with one eye open.”
Still groggy, Roman pushed himself up to rest on his elbows.
Doc gently pushed him back down. “Don’t try to sit. You gave us quite a scare, you know.” He pulled a stethoscope from a metal tray and listened to Roman’s heart. “Good news. It’s much stronger.”
“Get this damn needle out of my arm before I yank it out myself,” Roman whispered hoarsely.
“Hold on. You’re not completely out of the woods yet. I’ll stop the IV, but the PICC line stays in case I need to start another IV.”
“Restraints make me crazy.” Roman’s voice grew weak. “How long have I been out?”
“A couple of days.”
“Why so long?”
Doc explained the nature of Roman’s injury and how he’d suffered a slight setback, causing a delay in healing. “Looks like you might have had a bad reaction to the formula. As a precaution, we tossed everything out and mixed up a new batch. The techs are running tests to determine if the poisoned broadhead, combined with one or more of the ingredients in the formula, was the problem. Or perhaps, a reaction with the antibiotics you were given. Either way, you’re damn lucky you survived.”
“Would you do me a favor, Doc? Grace can’t find out what bad shape I’m in. It’d be too stressful for her in her condition. Please don’t tell her.”
27
Grace
“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” Grace whispered, running her index finger over Roman’s likeness on her cell phone’s screen. She hadn’t seen or spoken to him in over a month. Whenever she called, Alex answered, saying Roman had the flu and would call her back when he was stronger.
Flu, my ass.
Female intuition shifted into high gear. Something was wrong. Something serious. Possibly deadly.
Alex had lied to her and Roman probably put him up to it. She bristled at the possibility.
Her cell phone rang and her heart flew into her throat. Roman? But a different name lit up the screen. A name that made her groan.
“Hi, Mom,” she said, trying not to sound too disappointed. “Nothing’s wrong.” She lied. At one time, they were close and spoke daily. But no more. An
d she missed those conversations. How would she tell her mother she was pregnant by a vampire? “I’ve got this horrific headache. Can I call you later?”
After saying goodbye, she clutched the phone to her chest, and burst into tears. When had she turned into such a weeper? She used to be spunky. Pregnancy made her super emotional and she hated it.
Dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, she decided to follow her gut. She held her breath and hit speed dial.
* * *
Roman
* * *
Roman’s cell phone rang. “Who’s calling?”
Alex checked Caller ID. “It’s Grace again. Do you want me to keep telling her you’ve got the flu?”
Considering it had been nearly five weeks since they spoke, he shook his head. “I’d better talk to her myself.”
Alex handed over the phone.
Pushing himself to rest on one elbow, Roman lifted the phone to his ear. “Hi, babe. Yeah, it’s really me. God, it’s good to hear your voice. I haven’t called, because I’ve been sick. The flu.” He forced the lie out past his lips. “No, I can’t see you now. Might be contagious. I miss you, too. I’ll be okay in a few days. Talk to you later. Promise. Love you, too.” When he finished the call, the corners of his mouth twitched upward. He eased himself back into a reclining position and set the phone on his chest—over his heart.
Doc, wearing a stethoscope around his neck, rolled a stool next to Roman. “Did Grace put that smile on your face?”
“What do you think?”
“That she must be pretty special.” Doc listened to Roman’s chest.
“You have no idea.” And she was special. Roman missed her so much, his heart ached.
Doc pulled out the ear tips, and the stethoscope hung from his neck. “I envy you. You’re a lucky man to have a woman care that much about you.”
“Check it out.” He brought Grace’s picture up on the cell’s display screen and handed the phone to Doc.
“Is that her?”
“Sure is. And I get to see her beautiful face every time I use my phone.”
“How’d you ever score someone as pretty as her?” Doc asked, checking out her photo.
“Pure luck,” Alex piped in. “Being at the right place at the right time—much to Gabe’s chagrin.”
“Is that so?” Doc sounded intrigued.
“Yeah. Gabe’s the one who likes them tall and blonde. But Roman saw her first,” Alex leaned back and laughed out loud. “And she wasn’t even his type. He prefers dark-haired women. Always did.”
“Until Grace.” Doc said.
“Until Grace,” Alex agreed.
“Just one question. What the hell did she ever see in you?” Doc eyeballed Grace’s picture one more time before handing the cell phone back to Roman. “She looks a lot different than the surveillance photos.”
Roman sighed. “Ah, yes. The infamous surveillance photos.”
On the nightstand, Alex’s cell rang. “Who could be calling at this hour?” he asked, without checking his phone.
Doc picked up the phone and checked caller ID. His eyes grew wide. “It’s Gabriel. I wonder what he wants.”
“You answer it,” Alex snapped. “I’ve got nothing to say to him.”
Doc answered on the third ring. “Gabriel? Don’t hang up. It’s me, Doc. Listen carefully. Something’s happened. Something bad. Vampires ambushed Roman. It was touch and go for a while, but he’s going to be all right. But if they tried to kill him, they might be after you, as well. So be careful.”
28
Grace
“He’s here!”
Grace spotted Roman in the passenger seat of his truck and her heart fluttered around in her chest so hard, she swore it would bust out of her ribcage and take flight. Although she’d spoken with him often, it had been two months since seeing him. She raced out of the apartment, down the stairs, and waited for him on the sidewalk. The late afternoon air was chilly. Goose bumps formed on her arms and she rubbed them vigorously, trying to warm herself.
When he came into view, she flew into his arms and nearly knocked him down.
“Looks like someone’s glad to see you,” Alex said, grabbing hold of Roman’s arm to steady him.
She hugged Roman around the waist and held on as they climbed the stairs to the apartment.
Alex trailed behind.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Roman,” Deanna said from the open doorway. “Grace has been a basket case.” She glanced at Alex. “Long time no see.”
“Too long,” Alex answered.
Deanna cleared her throat. “Hey Alex, how about we leave these two lovebirds alone. Can I buy you a drink somewhere?”
“Sounds like a good idea,” Alex said, as he and Deanna made a hasty exit.
Finally alone. It was time to get down to business. Grace cast Roman a come-hither glance to let him know she had romance on her mind.
He raised a brow and dragged his gaze over her body, landing on her growing breasts, accentuated by a low cut blue, short-sleeve angora sweater. “Thank you for wearing blue today.”
“I wore it for you.”
Beginning at her lips, his kisses worked their way down her neck, while his hands trailed over her breasts, before settling on her growing stomach. “Our baby’s getting bigger.” His eyes watered. “This is awesome.”
“How about we get a little more comfortable?” Taking his hand in hers, she led him into her bedroom. “I missed you so much,” she whispered and curled her fingers around the top of his jeans.
His hand covered hers and stopped her from proceeding. “I want to. Boy, do I want to. But I’m not sure I can perform up to expectations.”
“Didn’t you miss me?”
“More than anything.”
Pulling his shirt out of his waistband, she slipped her hands under his shirt and ran her palms over his bare torso. When she touched his stomach, he winced. “Did I hurt you?” Curious about his reaction, she tugged the hem of his shirt higher, and caught sight of the long scar on his stomach. She gasped. “When did you get this?” With her index finger, she traced the length of the wound. The last time she’d seen his naked body; his stomach was tight, toned, and free of scars.
“It’s nothing, babe.”
“Nothing? Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m not an idiot, Roman.” The rage building inside spilled out in the form of angry tears. “Mighty aggressive flu to leave you with such a nasty scar. Why don’t you tell me all about your flu?” she asked, making air quotes.
He pursed his lips and drew in a ragged breath. “Like I told you before, I have a dangerous job. I usually come away unscathed. Sometimes I’m not so lucky.”
“Someone did this to you?”
He held up his hands to stop her from questioning him further.
Refusing to look at him, she turned away. She wanted to scream. To break something.
“Injuries come with the territory.” He outlined her shoulder with his fingertips.
She covered his hand with her own. Seeing the ugly scar on his beautiful body jolted her into reality. Shortly after they met, he’d hinted at the deadly nature of his occupation, but she refused to believe him.
“Can’t you quit your job?”
“I’d planned to, so I could settle down with you.” He squeezed her shoulder gently. “Gabriel was supposed to be my replacement.” His voice softened. “But he’s gone now.”
“Oh, my God. Gabriel’s dead?” She covered her mouth with her hand.
“Hell, no. He’s too ornery to die. He quit the program and…left.”
Grace struggled to take in what she’d just heard. “He’s gone?”
“Yup.”
Fighting the urge to burst into tears, her throat tightened. “If Gabriel walked away, why can’t you?”
“Because he’s not the one in charge, babe. I am.” His voice softened to above a whisper. “Good, peace-loving vampires are counting on me to make feeding along Ortega Highway safe again.�
��
Vampires. There was that word again. Why couldn’t she visualize him in his true nature—a being who drank blood? Between the blood-substitute formula failing and someone trying to kill him, how much time did he have left?
“Oh, Roman.” She groaned, turning to face him. “Please tell me you have good news about the feeding formula.”
A faraway look settled in his eyes. “The lab is still working on it.”
She ached to know the reason for his sudden melancholy. Her heart told her he was holding something back. But instead of pressing him for an answer, she let it go.
“Lay with me,” he said.
Realizing their moments together were numbered, she wanted to be with him as much as possible. Resting her head on the pillow, she opened her arms to receive him.
Locked in her warm embrace, he showered her with kisses, while his hand moved over her stomach.
In silence, she held him close, trying to become one with the man she loved. Their bodies intertwined, she closed her eyes, and breathed in his musky, male scent. A lazy, comfortable smile tugged at her lips.
“Can’t wait to see our baby.” He rubbed her belly. “Seems like babies take forever to make their appearance. Or maybe it’s waiting for them to be born that’s the hard part.”
Suddenly, reality took center stage, pushing aside any hope for the future. If a cure wasn’t found soon, Roman might die before seeing his only child being born. The possibility of such a scenario caused her eyes to fill with tears. And as hard as she tried, she couldn’t prevent them from rolling down her face and onto the pillow.
He held her tighter. “Having a life grow inside you is a beautiful thing. Thank you for giving me this miracle,” he whispered and kissed her eyelids. “Now that you’re beginning to show, it’s more important than ever that you keep a low profile. Try staying indoors as much as possible. There are a lot of people who want to harm our baby. Because I’m the father, hunters and the Church will want to destroy any child who might have vampire blood flowing through its veins. The scientists say they want to protect it, but don’t be fooled by their so-called charity. They want to test it…experiment on it.”
The Ortega Project Page 18