The Ortega Project

by Linnea Alexis

  The Hummer ended up behind the SUV, but made a dangerous U-Turn in the middle of the busy intersection and followed them.

  Roman turned in his seat and watched the pursuit. “Floor it.”

  Following his suggestion, Gabriel stomped on the gas and wove in and out of traffic. The Hummer gained speed and rode the SUV’s bumper.

  The car seat rocked back and forth, and Christian woke up screaming.

  Grace’s heartbeat drummed in her ears, as she gripped the car seat, struggling to keep it stabilized. Desperate to calm her son, she stuck a pacifier in his mouth and rubbed his belly, which seemed to work.

  In the front seat, Roman ordered Gabriel to “keep driving.”

  The SUV pulled ahead of the Hummer.

  Who was chasing them? She turned around and recognized the man sitting in the front seat next to Crawford. Brent. The Hummer gained momentum, bearing down on them. With each twist and turn of the SUV, tires squealed.

  “Brent’s in there. So is Dr. Crawford”

  “What the…?” Roman turned around and started into the oncoming Hummer. “It is Crawford! What the hell is he doing siding with the priests?”

  “Probably didn’t have a choice,” Gabriel said. “He has info on every one of us. You too, Grace. He also knows I took care of his priest problem.”

  “You killed them?”

  Gabriel swerved and out-maneuvered the other driver while putting even more distance between the two vehicles. “And who do you think asked me to do it?”

  “What if they catch us?” she shouted.

  “They won’t,” Roman answered. “Gabe’s too good a driver to let that happen.”

  “What if we get arrested?”

  “Not going to happen.” He pointed at the yellow traffic light in the intersection ahead. “Gun it!”

  Gabriel stomped on the gas pedal and raced through the intersection.

  The light turned red.

  The Hummer followed. Horns blared. Tires screeched.

  Grace squeezed her eyes shut.

  Behind them—a loud crash.

  She whipped her head around just as the Hummer flipped from its side to upside down. Its smashed front end, pressed against the underbelly of an eighteen-wheeler. “Brent’s in there!”

  “Forget him. He’s your enemy now,” Roman said coolly.

  A northbound Interstate Five on-ramp was coming up on the right. Gabriel entered the on-ramp and accelerated. “Here we go!” he shouted and merged with freeway traffic.

  Once safely on the freeway, Roman checked on Grace and Christian. “I told you I’d take care of you.” He dialed his cell phone. “Doc? No need to rush. Crawford and Company had a slight accident and will be out of commission for a while. So take your time.” He hung up, turned on the radio, and changed stations until he found one that played classical music.

  “Brent was my friend!” She doubled over and held her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick. Pull over.”

  “I can’t. Not now! I need to put as much distance between us and anyone else who might be following us.”

  Gabriel stomped on the gas pedal and steered the vehicle into the carpool lane.

  “You mean there might be others?”

  “Exactly. Gun it, Gabe.”

  The SUV picked up speed.

  “What if the police are looking for this car?” She glanced over her shoulder, watching for red flashing lights.

  “Right now, everyone’s more interested in the accident than us. Besides, other than speeding, we didn’t break any traffic laws,” Roman explained.

  Christian resumed crying.

  Grace kissed his cheek and put the pacifier back in his mouth. His crying stopped. “What if I can’t do this? Running…hiding.”

  “Right now, you don’t have a choice,” Roman said tenderly. “I swear to you, Gabe and I can keep you and Christian out of their clutches. We won’t let them get anywhere near either of you.”

  The probability of living the rest of her life as a fugitive horrified her. And what about Christian? Would he ever have a normal childhood? She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back the moisture pooling in her eyes. Would he even have a childhood?

  Gabriel checked the side mirror and slowed down. “Try to chill, everyone. We’ve got a long ride ahead of us.”

  He was right. With over two thousand miles to go, she decided to make the best of it. She picked up a baby bottle and touched Christian’s small lips with the nipple. He latched onto it and chugged down the milk in only a few gulps. She undid the straps on his car seat to burp him. Closing her eyes, she draped him against her shoulder, patting and rubbing his back.

  Thank God, the next few hours passed by peacefully. Christian slept soundly. And, mercifully, she dozed on and off, as well.

  Grace woke up and rubbed sleep from her eyes. Her neck ached from having fallen asleep in a sitting position. Sunrise peeked over the horizon. It was a new day. A new beginning. “Where are we?” she asked and massaged the kink at of the back of her neck. “Utah,” Roman answered. At some time during the night, he’d taken over driving duties, and now sat behind the wheel.

  Gabriel rode shotgun. He’d moved the seat all the way back and stretched his body to its full length.

  “I need to feed Christian,” she said. “Can we stop somewhere?”

  After checking the GPS, Gabriel retrieved a pair of sunglasses from the center console and slipped them on. “There’s a twenty-four hour diner coming up, how does that sound?”

  “Sounds great.” After being crammed in the back seat for what seemed like forever, she couldn’t wait to pile out of the car and stand on solid ground.

  Roman pulled into a parking space near the front door. Raking his fingers through his hair, he grabbed a pair of sunglasses for himself. He unfolded his tall body out of the driver’s seat and stretched. With a lazy grin covering his face, he opened the back door. “You need any help with Christian?”

  “Uh-uh. I think I’ll feed and change him before we eat,” she said and pulled the sweater over her head.

  “Take your time.” Roman closed the door and joined Gabriel, who leaned against the passenger door.

  When Grace finished nursing her baby and changing his diaper, she tapped on the car window to let Roman know she was ready to go inside the diner.

  “Why don’t you give him to me so you can enjoy your meal,” Roman said.

  She handed Christian over and slid out of the car. Before heading into the diner, she pulled on her sweater, jogged to the far side of the building, and tossed her baby’s disposable diaper in a large trash can. As she joined the others, the sight of Roman holding their son filled her with joy.

  Gabriel opened the door to the diner, waited for everyone to enter, before following the small family over the threshold.

  Stepping inside, aromas of freshly brewed coffee and bacon smacked Grace in the nose and made her stomach growl. She followed the young, pony-tailed, gum-smacking waitress to the back booth.

  The waitress introduced herself to the party, but fixed her gaze on Gabriel, who shot her a seductive smile. She whipped out her order pad and pencil. “What can I get you folks?”

  “Black coffee for me,” Gabriel said with a grin.

  “Same here,” Roman added. “What about you, Grace?”

  She ordered the breakfast special, and took the opportunity to visit the Ladies’ Room to freshen up, wash her hands and splash water on her face.

  When she returned, her food was waiting. “That was fast,” she remarked. While she filled her belly with crisp bacon and a generous portion of scrambled eggs, her companions sipped coffee. Glancing from one vampire to the other, she shoved the small plate of wheat toast to the center of the table and gestured for them to help themselves.

  They shook their heads.

  “You sure?”

  “We feed…er…eat mostly at night when you’re asleep. That way, you never see us,” Gabriel answered.

  Confusion
showed on Grace’s face as she narrowed her eyes and drew her brows together. She stared at Gabriel for a few seconds before she paled. She understood.

  To alleviate her fears, Roman lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “It will be all right,” he whispered and stared into her eyes.

  “I know,” she said, but her quivering chin betrayed her.

  Gabriel pushed himself away from the booth and tossed money on the table to cover the bill, plus a generous tip.

  “Time to hit the road,” Roman said.

  Grace showed an anemic smile. She slid out of the booth and reached for Christian.

  After handing over their son, Roman hurried to the front of the restaurant and held the door open for Grace.

  Already outside, Gabriel opened the driver’s door. “Next stop, Colorado,” he announced and took his turn behind the wheel.

  A half hour later, Grace gasped. “I just realized I never told my parents I was coming. I spent so much time getting ready to leave, I forgot to tell them.” She fumbled in her purse, searching for her cell phone.

  Roman exchanged glances with Gabriel. He leaned against the passenger door and watched with amusement. “Yeah. It might be a good idea if your folks found out ahead of time they were getting company.”

  After placing the call, Grace held her breath and waited. “Please, please, please pick up.”

  Her mother answered after the fourth ring.

  “Hi Mom, sorry if I woke you, but I thought I’d better let you know that Christian and I are on our way to visit you and Daddy.” She winced, unsure of her mother’s reaction. “Yeah, right now. No, we’re driving. I’m not sure how long we’ll be staying. It might be a while if that’s okay with you.”

  Excited screams sounded from the other end of the line.

  Grace flinched and held the phone away from her ear. “I was wondering if, while I’m there, I can stay in the cabin.” She crossed her fingers and stared at Roman.

  “Thank you.” Overcome with gratitude, her voice broke. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Right now, we’re in Utah. I’ll be there in a couple days. I can’t wait either. You’re going to love him. He’s such a good baby.”

  Christian scrunched his face as he stretched, arched his back, and twisted in his car seat.

  She glanced at her son. “No, he looks like his dad. I love you too. Bye.” Relieved, she sighed and dropped the phone in her purse. The prospect of staying on the private twenty-acre island, away from the threat of Crawford and the Church, eased the ache in her heart. Now maybe they’ll be safe.

  She nuzzled Christian, making him coo. “You look exactly like your daddy. Yes, you do.”

  Roman’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, Grace, you neglected to tell her that you were bringing along a couple of traveling companions. It’ll be quite a shock when she sees Gabe and me.”

  She covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. “I don’t know why I didn’t mention it.” What would her mother say when she showed up with two men? Neither her husband. And both vampires.

  “You’re lucky you have parents who love you,” Roman said.

  “And you’ll get to meet them pretty soon. They’re at the cabin right now and should be there when we arrive. Mom’s decorating and Dad’s still working on his sermon.”

  “Sermon!” Gabriel yelped, jerking the steering wheel to avoid sideswiping the center divider on the highway.

  “What’s the matter, Gabriel? Didn’t Roman tell you my dad’s a preacher? Does that scare you?” She giggled.

  “Not really. We play on opposite teams, is all.” He let out a robust belly laugh. “Besides, I’m Jewish.”

  She broke up, laughing hysterically at the absurdity of Gabriel’s comment. “As if being Jewish is more disturbing than you being a vampire?” It was good to laugh so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks.

  When she stopped laughing, she called her mother to explain that Roman and his friend would also be visiting. To her relief, her mother didn’t mind at all.

  * * *

  Roman

  * * *

  A diner in Colorado was their next stop.

  Roman sat across from Grace in the booth. Until now, he hadn’t noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Vampires didn’t need much sleep—if any. But Grace was mortal.

  He shook his head in disbelief. When had he lost the memory of his short-lived humanity? He had to make this right. Grace needed to sleep in a bed, instead of dozing while sitting up in the back seat of an SUV.

  “How about we find a motel and spend the night?” He glanced at Gabriel and jerked his head in Grace’s direction.

  Gabriel peeked at Grace. “Sounds good to me.” He got the hint.

  “Is it safe?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t have suggested it if it wasn’t,” he answered.

  The smile on Grace’s face told him he’d made the right decision.

  After she finished off a healthy helping of fried chicken and French fries from a drive-through, they found a roadside motel and checked in.

  The welcome break in their routine allowed Roman a chance to hold Grace in his arms while she slept.

  In the morning, everyone showered, changed into clean clothes. Once more refreshed, they continued their journey.

  Their next stop was Iowa. As before, they spent the night in a motel and Roman held Grace while she fell asleep in his arms.

  During the following day’s trek, rather than ride shotgun, he sat in the back seat with Grace and their son.

  But as the day wore on, Christian seemed to grow more and more agitated as he squirmed and fussed. Had the trip been too much for him? Should Roman have found them a safe house in Los Angeles instead of traveling thousands of miles? Could something be wrong?

  * * *

  Grace

  * * *

  “I’d better feed him. He’s probably just hungry,” Grace said softly as she pulled her shirt up to unhook her nursing bra.

  She moved her son from the car seat to her lap. Lifting him to her breast, she draped a receiving blanket over her left shoulder while he fed. Soon sucking sounds drifted from under the blanket.

  “I was married once—a long time ago.” Gabriel’s voice became soft and tender. “We had twin daughters, Gabriella and Georgia. You two are lucky to have a kid. A son. And Roman…” His voice broke. “I’m honored you asked me to help protect your boy.”

  Roman reached over the back of the front seat and squeezed Gabriel’s shoulder.

  “Ouch.” A sting on her nipple. “He bit me.” She pulled Christian away from her breast and touched the wet spot where he fed. Warm liquid. She squinted, trying to see clearly inside the SUV. “Can you turn on the light?”

  “Sure thing.” Roman turned on the overhead light.

  There was blood on Grace’s finger. Checking her breast, she noticed traces of blood. Brushing it away revealed two punctures near her nipple. A sick feeling settled in her gut as she slipped her index finger inside the infant’s mouth. She brushed her fingertip along Christian’s upper gum. Two tiny fangs pierced her finger.

  “No,” she screamed. “No, no. no.”

  49

  Roman

  Roman turned off the overhead light. “Pull over,” he said calmly.

  The SUV swerved as Gabriel fought to control the vehicle. “What the hell happened?”

  Ignoring Gabriel’s question, Roman focused on the upcoming road signs. “There’s an off ramp coming up. Take it.”

  “You got it.” Gabriel clicked on the turn signal and exited the freeway at the first opportunity. “I need to find a safe place to stop.” He moved his head from side to side, scanning the area. A dark pickup pulled in front of their vehicle, cutting them off. Gabriel swerved to avoid rear-ending the truck.

  To stabilize himself, Roman grabbed the back of the shotgun seat. “Slow down,” he said.

  “Where are we?” Grace asked robotically.

  Roman wasn’t sure…and didn’t care. His thoug
hts were consumed by the fact that the baby he and Grace created in love, was a monster—like him. What kind of life would he have living in the shadows—needing to feed his unnatural hunger?

  He glanced at Grace and what he saw send a chill down his spine.

  Staring straight ahead, arms at her side, refusing to hold or comfort their child—unrestrained and unprotected—on her lap.

  “Grace,” Roman yelled, trying to shake her out of her trance-like state.

  She didn’t speak. Christian lay on her lap. Red-faced and screaming. His tiny fists flailing.

  Roman undid his seat belt and snatched the screaming infant from her lap. He held him to his chest, kissed the top of his son’s head, and bounced him up and down gently. Soon Christian’s shrill screams turned into gut-wrenching sobs.

  “Grace,” Roman repeated. “Look at me.”

  Finally, her gaze moved to meet Roman’s, revealing the horror she must feel inside. He wanted to assure her that they would handle this together. But his throat seized.

  “I hate what we’ve done,” she murmured. “I hate that my baby’s part-vampire.”

  “But he is and we have to deal with it.”

  Where was that damn exit? “Gabriel, what the hell’s going on with the off-ramp?”

  “A few more feet,” he answered and pulled off the highway and onto an access road. He kept going until a remote area, near a forest, and away from traffic, came into view. He stopped. “We’re here.”

  The abrupt stop jarred Christian and he resumed crying.

  “He’s hungry,” Roman said softly, looking at her.

  Offering no response, Grace stared straight ahead.

  Now he was getting pissed. “Look at me, dammit. Look at our son.” His voice became firm.

  She closed her eyes. “I can’t. Please don’t make me.”

  “Your son needs you.” He shook her arm and held the infant in front of her. “Hold him.”

  Her penetrating gaze shot straight to his heart, filling him with compassion. Now he knew what his late wife felt when she discovered he was a vampire. “Aren’t you even going to hold your own child? Your son? You knew this was a possibility. You…we had plenty of time to prepare.” He spoke in a deep, unrecognizable voice.