The Living Weapon (Davenport Manor Book 2)

by Melissa Zaroski

  Davenport Manor:

  The Living Weapon

  Book 2

  Melissa Zaroski

  Copyright © 2014 Melissa Zaroski

  Cover illustration by Amanda Busi

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author/publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine, or journal.

  Dedication

  For Pat Tedaldi-Monti –

  My high school dean who always believed in me,

  no matter how much trouble I got myself into.

  I wouldn’t have graduated with my class if it weren’t for you.

  Thank you…

  Chapter 1

  The screams in the distance came in waves, crashing upon Todd’s ears, making him wonder who was causing each roll. The strobe of flashes were almost blinding him, leaving black spots in his vision when they would stop momentarily. But, he knew they would continue until he got inside the building. He didn’t know which way to look, so he blindly glanced around in every direction. The next wave of screams began and these were the loudest, the longest lasting so far. He glanced down the line, figuring he knew who the culprit was, and wanted to see if he was right. As it turned out, he was.

  Zachariah had just exited the limousine and crossed the street to the barricades to greet his legion of fans. Daniel had been the star of the Ticking Through Time films since the beginning, but Zachariah was the star in the hearts of thousands, perhaps millions, of women. He signed autographs, took pictures with his fans, and was being grabbed from every direction. Loving every second of all the attention, he grinned from ear to ear.

  The limousine he arrived in casually drove away and circled around the block, only to pull up again, unbeknownst to everyone there that it was the same one. The door opened and Emma stepped out, not wanting anyone to see that they had come to the premiere together, a practice they had always done since the moment Zachariah became a household name. Although she was already well known as being the heiress of Davenport Manor, and sister and legal guardian of Daniel Davenport after their parents were killed in a freak car accident. She did not want to be known for being involved with Zachariah Dancy.

  Todd admired her for a slight moment; the way her purple dress hugged her curves, her raven hair gently falling down her back in large, wispy curls, and her pouting, blood-red lips. She strolled down the red carpet with her head held high, her hips rocking from side-to-side with each step. She managed to slip in with the crowd of people making their way in to the venue without having her picture taken or being stopped by the press. As Todd made his way down the press line, he continually glanced to watch her until she was out of sight. He went through each short interview answering the same questions for each reporter and giving them the same answers while rearranging his words. He caught a glimpse of Vivienne and Declan together, who were making their way down the press line just a few people behind him. Unlike Emma and Zachariah, they had no problem letting the world know that they were a couple. As he was wrapping up his last interview, he glanced behind his shoulder once more and saw Emma give him a quick smile and wave as she slipped inside the theater with the crowd.

  Once she was inside, she discreetly breathed in through her nose, examining the scents around her and searching for one person in particular. She caught Daniel’s faint scent in the air and followed the trail that led her to him. She had not seen him since Christmas of last year when the truth about his parents’ fate was revealed to him. They would speak on the phone occasionally to catch up, but Daniel had bought a condo in the John Hancock building in downtown Chicago and hadn’t returned to the Manor since. Lately, Emma had seen Daniel’s picture splashed in gossip magazines more times than she wished to count. She had noticed that he had been hanging around a less-than-desirable Hollywood crowd; the hard-partying kind that always seemed to get into some sort of trouble. Daniel’s parents, Emma, and Zachariah had always tried to keep him away from that scene; making sure he remained down-to-earth and level-headed. She knew he was spiraling and she had no idea how to stop it this time now that he was an adult and no longer under her roof.

  She cautiously approached Daniel, who was sitting alongside Brianna Bowes; a girl who was famous just for being famous, frequently in trouble with the law, and often photographed stumbling off of curbs while coming out of trendy clubs. Rumor was that she was Daniel’s latest girlfriend. When Emma had caught wind of that, she immediately called him and he confirmed it was true, much to her objections. Brianna already had an arrogant smirk plastered on her orange, makeup-caked face when she saw Emma coming toward them. She no doubt heard about the conversation between her boyfriend and his sister.

  Daniel took a deep breath and stood up to greet his sixth-great aunt, who was passed off as his older sister to those on the outside of their tight-knit circle.

  “Daniel,” Emma said with relief as she pulled him into a hug whether he liked it or not. She held his face with both hands and added, “I’ve missed your face. It has been too long.”

  Daniel smiled uncomfortably and placed his hands on top of hers, casually and gently pulling them down. “Emma, this is Brianna, my girlfriend,” he said as he stepped back to introduce them to each other. Brianna gave a one-breath chuckle through her nose without looking at Emma.

  “Really? You’re dating my brother and this is the foot you want to start out on?” Emma sternly replied, glaring at her.

  Brianna’s eyes remained forward, never giving Emma a response. Daniel’s body tensed, embarrassed by Brianna’s behavior and in a way, fearful for her.

  “Brianna,” Daniel hissed. She still wouldn’t respond, her lips pursed sarcastically while slowly shaking her head. He turned back to Emma and spread his hands, “I’m sorry.”

  Emma cocked her head to the side and quietly said, “Daniel…” There was a sense of pleading in her tone; she knew he could do so much better and she worried about the turn his life had taken.

  From behind Emma, Zachariah approached less cautiously and wrapped Daniel into a quick, manly bear hug and gave him one pat on the back. “How you doing, man? It’s good to finally see you! You doing alright?” Emma knew the casual attitude was an act; Zachariah had been just as concerned about Daniel’s recent behavior and new friends as she was.

  After going through the motions of awkward small talk, the theater began to fill and Todd, Vivienne, and Declan had joined them along with some of the other cast. They took their seats together, with Emma sitting between Daniel and Zachariah, something she had always done.

  Brianna looked across Daniel and blurted to Emma, “Uh uh, you’re not sitting with us.”

  Aghast, Emma’s eyes narrowed and she replied with no infliction, “Seriously? Those are the first words you’re speaking to me?”

  The chatter in the theater was loud enough that nobody could hear the growls erupting in the chest of not only Emma, but of Zachariah, Vivienne, and Declan as well. Other vampires that were in their seats scattered about the auditorium turned around to see what was causing the familiar growling that only they could hear. When they saw it originated from their Queen’s section, they were prepared to defend whatever was causing the altercation.

  Emma leaned in closer to Brianna and threatened, “I am not one yo
u want to rumble with, little girl. Watch yourself.”

  Brianna dramatically rolled her eyes and huffed, “Whatever.”

  “Let it go, Brianna,” Daniel said, placing his hand on her thigh. He leaned in next to her ear and warned with concern, “My sister really can ruin you, just let it go. Okay?”

  She scowled at him like a defeated child, hurt that he didn’t take her side.

  Emma glanced at the vampires around the auditorium and gave them all a nod, indicating that everything was okay. They slowly turned back around in their seats to face forward once again, still on edge from the altercation involving their Queen. If anything was to be said about the Vampire Queen of North America, it was that she was fair and good, a reign one would want to live under. But, her kindness was not to be mistaken for weakness as she was capable of being brutally vicious when provoked. She was willing to battle to protect those she loved and everyone under her rule. Because of this, she had a faithful army throughout her region that would throw themselves into battle to defend her. Every vampire under her knew they could go to her for help and she always followed through.

  The theater lights dimmed as the movie began, opening with a scene of Todd running through a forest—their forest on the property. It was the first time his character made an appearance in the film franchise, Ticking Through Time and he was contracted to continue on to the next installment. Emma leaned across Zachariah to touch Todd’s arm in encouragement and he returned her gesture by touching the top of her hand. This installment of the time travel-themed films took place with the original Davenport family’s settlement on the property. It was surreal for Emma to watch actors portray her and her immediate family in a fictional story about the time travelers that visited them. However, the actors captured the characteristics of her family beautifully and had uncanny resemblances to them. For a moment, she felt as if she was back in time and watching herself, her parents, brother, and sister from afar.

  During the touching scene where Elizabeth “ran away” and Emma “died from pneumonia”, Emma became slightly emotional and a single blood tear ran down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away so no one outside of their inner circle would see. Daniel noticed though as his eyes darted to his left, and he gently rubbed her shoulder in sympathy, understanding that she actually lived through the events that took place. Elizabeth hadn’t run away, she had been murdered by none other than Emma herself. And Emma really had died, but not enough to be placed in the family crypt for eternity.

  When the film was over, the entire theater cheered and applauded. They allowed the cast to file out discreetly so they were not bombarded by over-eager fans that were lucky enough to attend. They climbed into their respective limos and headed to the after party at the Aragon Ballroom near downtown Chicago. Paparazzi, reporters, and fans awaited the arrival of the cast as each of the limos pulled up. Once again, Zachariah stepped out of the limo solo as it circled around the block to let Emma out just minutes later. Some people recognized her as Daniel’s sister and called out to her, but she gave just a short wave and smiled shyly as she continued walking. She had absolutely no interest in being a make-shift celebrity.

  Daniel and Brianna stepped out of their limo to the sounds of his screaming fans and paparazzi yelling his name to get him to turn toward their awaiting cameras. With Brianna grasping his hand, she tugged at him to go inside, not allowing him to stop to greet his fans that were waiting with pictures and Sharpies in hand. Daniel was known for being friendly with the people who came to see him, so naturally they were somewhat put off and disappointed when he allowed Brianna to persuade him otherwise. Aside from being known as a talentless party girl, she now gained several more haters that were Daniel Davenport’s fans. Arrogance was plastered on her face as she pulled him past everyone and into the venue.

  Emma was able to arrange ahead of time that a vampire would be working as one of the bartenders and would discreetly serve blood in wine glasses to the undead guests. The ballroom was filled with party-goers, both human and vampire. Emma beamed as people approached Todd and commended him on his performance, patting him on the back and shaking his hand. Girls came up for pictures and autographs as they knew that he may very well be Hollywood’s next big star.

  She waited a short distance back until he had a break from admirers and drew closer as each person walked away. When he caught the sight of her, he began to lose his focus since it was her that he wanted close to him. Even after a year of knowing her, she still drew him in like a magnet.

  She finally had her turn and took him by the hand, leading him away from the crowd and to a less-populated corner. “You did an amazing job!” She exclaimed, finally having a moment to congratulate him.

  “This is surreal, seriously! I have you to thank, love,” he replied. “Now, be honest, did you have to charm the casting director to take me?”

  She squinted, wincing in hesitation to reply to him.

  “Are you kidding me?” Todd asked, slightly exasperated.

  “No, not kidding. They wouldn’t listen to me otherwise! I knew you were perfect for the part when I was looking over it with Daniel. They wanted someone more well-known, so…”

  “So, you made them listen,” he said with a smirk.

  “I was right though, wasn’t I?” She said with a Cheshire cat grin. “I feel guilty, though.”

  Confused, Todd replied, “How come?”

  She shook her head and looked away, not able to meet his eyes as she replied, “Because if I hadn’t gotten you the part, you would have never met me, and your life wouldn’t have been turned upside-down.”

  He pondered that over for a moment and nodded his head, “True. But, my life certainly did become more exciting.”

  “All the same…I just thought I would get to play with you for a bit and then set you free. Had I known then what I know now, I would have never charmed the casting director. Now you’re stuck with us and I can’t give you the monogamy that you deserve, even though I adore you.”

  Todd looked down at his drink and lightly swirled the liquid around in the glass, thinking about how he would respond. It was something he had been mulling over for quite some time, but never knew how to bring it up to her. “Funny you should bring that up…”

  She looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.

  “I’m thirty-six years old now, I want what most people want in life; a girlfriend, maybe a wife in the future,” he began. “If I were to meet someone…”

  “You can’t leave, Todd,” Emma said with concern.

  “No, I already know that. I don’t plan to. But, living under your roof kind of puts a damper on the dating life…”

  “What are you asking, Todd? Do you want to date other people?”

  “Yeah, I suppose that’s what I’m asking. Would that be weird?” He answered, glad he didn’t have to spit out the words.

  She took a moment to think about it and said, “It would be a little weird at first, but I’ll get over it. It’s not fair to you if you can’t live your life. If you meet someone, that would be okay with me. I just wish that someone could have been me, but we both know it can’t.”

  Todd’s shoulders relaxed; he had no idea how tense he had been carrying himself. “I wish it could be you, too. You’re one of my best friends now,” he said, pulling her in close. He added with a whisper in her ear, “I suppose a friend with immense benefits…”

  “I can handle that,” she replied, grinning from ear-to-ear.

  Zachariah spotted Daniel and Brianna by the bar without anyone else around them at the moment. He marched right up to them as Brianna glared at his approach. He got close to her face, locked eyes and said, “Hi there, go find someone else to bother.”

  Without a word she turned on her heels and walked away, absent-mindedly looking for someone to bother.

  Daniel looked at Zachariah incredulously and said, “Could you not charm my girlfriend?”

  “She’s fine. I could have had a bit of fun and told her to
go antagonize Emma, but I behaved myself since I figured you’d frown upon that. Listen, man, we need to talk—this has gotten out of hand.”

  Daniel shrugged, “What has?”

  Flustered, Zachariah motioned at the two of them by making frantic, big circles with his hands. “This! This has gotten way out of control! You’re my brother; I don’t like how distant you’ve become with Emma and me.”

  Daniel didn’t know how to respond since he felt the exact same way, but didn’t want to express it. After learning the truth about the fate of his parents and knowing that Emma and Zachariah knew all along, it was difficult for him to be around them.

  “Do you know how boring it is to play Mario Kart without you? Emma’s awful at it, there’s no contest! Todd has no interest in it. Will you please just come back home?” Zachariah pleaded, attempting to keep it lighthearted.

  Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle, “Emma is really bad at it…”

  Zachariah nodded enthusiastically, “So? Will you come back? We just want things to be normal again, like the way they were. I know it will never be completely the same, but we’d like to try.”

  “Let me think about it. I have enjoyed having my own place downtown, but I do miss home.”

  “Keep your place downtown! No one is asking you to get rid of it. It’ll be a crash pad for nights out on the town…just come back and live at the Manor,” Zachariah added, feeling like he had just climbed over the top of a mountain, making progress as he began his descent down.

  “Thing is…I have Brianna and judging by the fantastic relationship she and Emma already have, I think that may be a problem.”

  “Yeah, Brianna seems great,” Zachariah sarcastically replied with raised eyebrows.

  “Don’t believe everything you read in the tabloids.”

  “I never believe anything I read, but I can’t help but believe pictures; sprawled out on a sidewalk, makeup smeared, a missing earring, drooling, and a questionable puddle beneath her…”