His Beloved_Paranormal Vampire Romance

by Anna Santos

  “You can trust me.” Narrowing his eyes, Daniel added, “What aren’t you telling me? I want to find her as much as you or more. She can be in real danger, Jenna.”

  “Do you trust Sakura?”

  “With my own life.”

  “Can you tell her to run and hide with Stevie? Somewhere secure where only you and she know about.”

  “Why?”

  “He can be in danger. If we are going to get Jade, I need to know that he will be safe and that no other vampire will know where he is.”

  “Why?”

  “You ask too many questions,” Jenna complained and stepped back with a huffed sigh.

  “And you are questioning the safety of my home.”

  “Can we talk somewhere private? Somewhere you are sure no one can listen to us,” Jenna requested in a lower voice.

  Daniel sighed with impatience. “I don’t have time to handle your craziness. I need to find my wife.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. He wanted Jenna’s help, but it was becoming pointless since she was clearly delusional and wasting his time.

  “I would help you if we could talk privately. I don’t want anyone else to hear what I’m about to tell you,” she muttered, folding her arms.

  “Let’s go to my office downstairs, and I’ll show you the sketches,” Daniel said, walking away and hoping that prolonging their conversation wasn’t a waste of time.

  Soon, they were entering his office and closing the door.

  Chapter Thirty: In The Middle Of Nowhere

  As Daniel sat on his desk, staring at Jenna’s sparkling eyes, he realized how he had underestimated that girl. He was baffled beyond words. He could almost grab her and kiss her cheek for being such a crazy friend and obsessive bodyguard. Jade had told him that she was kept safe by a private organization that helped vampire victims. Yet Daniel had no idea that they took their job so seriously. Jenna was not only Jade’s best friend, she had been her bodyguard.

  Her family had received Jade and Stevie when Jade’s parents died. Jenna had entered the contest to protect Jade. She told him a crazy story about how she had convinced the director to get her on the show, so she could keep an eye on Jade and keep her safe from Daniel; due to Jade’s past with vampires. Jenna felt guilty when Jade was chosen by him. She knew how much Jade didn’t want to go to that event. Jenna had pushed her to go without the intention of ruining her life.

  Daniel was still dumbfounded how Jenna could be a personal bodyguard for vampire victims and love vampires so much. It was a damn puzzle that he was in no mood to unravel. Jenna was too complex for her own good. Looking harmless, she seemed useless and the last one that someone would believe to be able to protect Jade.

  The most important thing about what Jenna had to tell him was Jade’s salvation. Jenna had put a tracking device in one of his wife’s molars. She had a damn tracking device that could pinpoint his beloved’s location. Jenna was awesome.

  For a moment there, he was afraid that she had gone mad or that she was behind the whole thing. But she only wanted to protect Stevie before going to find Jade by herself—which was not a good idea. She could be some sort of bad-ass girl, what was quite intriguing for her slim figure and harmless appearance, but there was no way she could handle Jade’s kidnappers alone. The fact that all vampire victims had a tracking device for their own safety was an unforeseen luck. Jade’s sad past had a positive outcome in her recent future.

  They had compromised. He would let her tag along with his rescue team, and she would share Jade’s location. Nevertheless, Jenna was stubborn. She wanted him to sign a contract, so he didn’t fool her. She was paranoid. Daniel was a man of his word. She had to take his word for granted.

  “I understand your reasons. I won’t trick you. You will come with me. Now, please show me your device, so I can pinpoint the GPS coordinates on a map,” he tried to reason with her for the twentieth time.

  “If you trick me, I swear to God, Daniel Wolfe, I’ll track you down and make Jade a widow. I don’t care if you are her soul-mate. I’ll have your balls in a jar.”

  “For the love of God, woman, stop doubting me. All I want is to get my wife back. Just put your damn phone on my desk and let my A.I. access the data.”

  She held the phone tighter to her chest. “I know the coordinates. I’m just not sure if they are right, or if they found out about the tracker and removed it.”

  “Why? What’s wrong with the coordinates?” He could go insane if what Jenna claimed to have was a dead end.

  “It doesn’t make any sense. The coordinates are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There isn’t any island on the map. My guess is that they may have her on a ship in international waters.”

  Daniel leaned forward in his seat and motioned for her to put her phone down. “Just show me.”

  The girl placed the phone on the glass desk. Pressing a button, Daniel turned on his computer and displayed Jenna’s screen on the wide screen behind him. Once she typed her password, she allowed his main computer access to withdraw the GPS information.

  Daniel mused at the red point on the map. She was right. The beacon was shining in the middle of nowhere.

  Jenna leaned back in her seat. “If she was on a ship, the beacon would move. But it hasn’t moved at all. Maybe they dropped the device over the ocean.” She rubbed her chin. “It would be easier to destroy it than drop it.” Sighing, she crossed her legs. “Maybe they are on a ship, but they aren’t moving. I hope she’s okay.”

  “I think I may know where they are,” Daniel stated, searching his brain for the information. That particular place in the map sounded familiar. “Jaz,” he called his virtual assistant. “Please access the information regarding New Atlantis and match its location with the coordinates of the GPS tracker.”

  In seconds, Jaz found the connection that Daniel was looking for.

  “What does it mean? Do you know where she is?” Jenna asked, leaning forward and resting her arms on the desk.

  Daniel’s fingers drummed on the desk as he clenched his teeth. “Yes, I know. I’m the one who paid for those underwater facilities. It was supposed to be a vampire underwater village. However, because of the reclusive conditions, it became a secret laboratory. Dad wanted to use the laboratory for one of his foolish reality shows about a vampire community living in a place where the sun wouldn’t be a deterrent. He is trying to convince me to stop the research they are doing there with exotic plants to cure new types of cancer so he can pitch the new show.”

  “Why would scientists kidnap your wife?” Jenna probed.

  “That’s a good question. It would also explain why they didn’t find my plane. It’s a hybrid plane and can go underwater.”

  Jenna stood up. “We are losing time. We need to leave and get her out of there. We can ask questions later.”

  “Jaz, send me the New Atlantis’ blueprints to my phone and all the data you have about the base and its defenses.”

  Daniel’s phone rang.

  “It’s your father, Mr. Wolfe,” Jaz announced.

  “Wait,” Jenna ordered before he could pick up. “You shouldn’t tell him anything about our findings. We still don’t know who took her and why. You say that your dad was aware of the location of your base. He didn’t seem happy about your marriage. Jade was concerned about him. It seems that he was digging about her past, and I don’t like this coincidence.”

  She is right. Daniel couldn't trust anyone.

  Signaling Jenna to stay quiet, he tapped the LCD display to answer. “Yes, Dad, did you find anything about what happened to Jade?”

  “Hello, Daniel. There aren’t any matches to the drawings of the perpetrators. The plane hasn’t been found. We are analyzing the videos, and we might have a suspect that’s been outside your home taking pictures. Since there were so many paparazzi and reporters, we aren’t sure if he’s the perpetrator or another reporter. I’ve called to tell you that we are following a lead with one of your employees. He has received a huge sum of
money recently, and he may have sold personal information about you and your wife.”

  “Okay. Call me when you know something else,” Daniel told him, staring at Jenna’s narrowed eyes. She trusted no one by the looks of it.

  “How are you feeling?” Dominic asked before he could hang up.

  “I’m nervous and stressed. I’ll be better when we find Jade.”

  “You have gathered a team. Do you have somewhere you want to send them? Do you have a lead?”

  “No, it’s a precaution for when we have a lead.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you soon.” Dominic hung up.

  “I think he was too curious for my liking,” Jenna mumbled.

  “I’m not going to accuse my father based on suppositions. I’ll get to New Atlantis and apprehend the kidnappers. Only then will we find out who is behind all this.”

  “If she is there and she’s alive,” Jenna added.

  Getting up, Daniel gritted his teeth and balled his hands. “Don’t even think for a second that Jade’s not alive. I can’t even consider that possibility.”

  “They haven’t asked for a ransom.”

  “They want to…” He didn’t know what they wanted. In their best interest, Jade had better be alive, or they wouldn’t see the light of day. “Jaz, what type of defenses does the underwater compound have?”

  “Electric defenses against sharks and that’s about it,” the computer answered.

  It was a peaceful compound. It wasn’t armed. They handled viruses and diseases. Why would scientists want to kidnap my wife?

  “Pull all the employees’ files and tell me who oversees that facility. Who is the leading scientist?”

  “Alexander Powell. He has worked for Oroborus for almost thirty years now. He’s the leading researcher for the cure for the Luna Argentus’ disease.”

  “God, he’s hot,” Jenna said when she saw his picture on the screen. “He can’t be more than twenty-five. Is he a vampire? He doesn’t look like one. He’s not that pale.”

  Daniel indulged her curiosity. “No, he’s not a vampire. He’s something else. We are going to visit Mr. Powell.”

  “Are you insane? If you go there, and he’s behind all this, he will run away with Jade, or worse.”

  “I’m not going to announce my visit. It’s my compound. I don’t need their authorization to enter my own building. Jaz will override their passwords, mess with their sonar, and we’ll arrive without them detecting anything.”

  Smirking, Jenna nodded and balled her right hand. “I like your idea. Then I’ll kick some ass to get Jade back.”

  “We are going to locate, infiltrate, and secure the facilities. If Jade is there, we will find her and the people responsible for her kidnapping.”

  Jenna’s expression changed from excitement to concern. “What if we find opposition and it’s not a nerds’ lab, but a place that’s heavily secured?”

  “Then we will kick some ass. I’ll take a heavily armed and trained vampire squad with me. I’m not playing around. If Jade is there, I’ll find her. Whoever grabbed her is in serious trouble.”

  “And Stevie?”

  “Sakura will take him to safety. I’ll find them a safe place to hide while we discover what is going on. I’ll make arrangements to investigate my dad. I don’t think he’s behind this, but better safe than sorry.”

  “I like you,” Jenna said. “I didn’t like you before. If you are so keen on keeping Jade and her brother safe, I’ll make an effort to accept you into our family.”

  “Thanks, I guess.” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you ready?”

  “I’m more than ready.” She put her hand behind her back and took out a gun and a knife from under her leather coat.

  Daniel arched an eyebrow and sank his hands in his pockets. “What are you planning to do with that?”

  “Protect myself and save Jade. Don’t worry, I know how to use them.”

  Removing his hands from his pants, he smirked as the hope of finding his wife soothed his pain. “Fine. Let me call my men on a secure line, and I’ll make arrangements for our underwater excursion.”

  Chapter Thirty-One: Reminiscence of Childhood

  Jade woke up dizzy and nauseated. Her body was sore and her limbs felt heavy. She grumbled while opening her eyes. As she focused on where she was, all the emotional pain crushed her heart once again.

  In her dreams, she was with Daniel, and she was happy. In reality, she was trapped in a secret facility, underwater, with a man saying the most ludicrous things about her husband, her father, and her sweet, innocent brother. To her despair, that man was seated on a couch, staring at the oceanic subaquatic view with a tray of food next to him on a small coffee table.

  “Hello, have you slept okay?” Alexander asked with a smile.

  “How long was I asleep for?” Jade’s voice was hoarse. She was in no mood to correspond to his joyful mood. It was creepy to have such a cheerful kidnapper.

  “You were tired, so I let you sleep. I thought you may be hungry,” Alexander said, getting up from the couch.

  Jade grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest. It wouldn’t help her against that man but, at least, she felt more secure.

  “You don’t need to fear me. You are the daughter of one of my best friends. I would never hurt you.”

  “You can say whatever you want, but I don’t have to believe you.”

  “I can prove it to you. Now, please eat. I’ve brought you some bread and fruit. I didn’t know if you liked tea or milk, therefore, I brought both.”

  “Tea will do just fine.”

  “As I was saying, I’m going to prove to you that I knew your parents. You may not remember me because you were a child, but you’ve spent quite some time on my lap, playing and asking me questions about my work with your dad.”

  “You are right. I don’t remember you.”

  “I even went to your birthday parties.”

  Squinting, Jade added, “I’ve never seen you in my family’s photos.”

  “Yes. I know that some were lost when you had to run away. That’s why I brought this,” he said, showing Jade a small chip in a plastic box.

  Jade frowned at it. “What is it?”

  “Proof. I’ll get the screen ready for us. Feel free to serve yourself with some food. You need to keep your strength.”

  Jade nodded and dragged her tired body to the couch next to her food. Sitting down, she analyzed what was edible. She was starving; she had barely eaten at the wedding. Eventually, she picked up the cup and poured some tea. Then she placed cheese inside two slices of bread and nibbled on it. It tasted good, so she kept eating.

  “All set,” Alexander stated, picking up the remote control for the screen on the opposite side of the couches.

  Alexander sat on a different couch and pressed start. Jade kept eating small bites of her bread, following Alexander’s every move. Even if he had kidnapped her, he didn’t seem like a threat. He was calm and his eyes were kind. Weird attitude for a kidnapper, without a doubt.

  “That’s your dad on your first birthday,” Alexander said, pointing at the screen while smiling.

  Jade stopped chewing. Her attention was on the figure of her dad, grinning at her mom with a small child in their arms. It was her when she was a baby. Tears rushed to her eyes. It had been quite some time since she had let herself watch her parents’ homemade videos. It was too much for her heart to take. She missed them terribly.

  Stevie still asked a lot of questions about their parents. Jade didn’t stop her brother from seeing the pictures and watching the videos, she just didn’t normally push Stevie to watch them more often. It hurt her. She often cried herself to sleep and would still cry when seeing them in the kept memories of their lives inside digital recordings.

  “That’s me recording. I’ll appear in a second,” Alexander explained. “Your dad wanted me to be your godfather. He eventually asked someone else because I had to go back home to take care of family business.
But you were adorable. Do you see how much they loved you?”

  “You didn’t need to tell me that. I know they loved me,” Jade said grumpily.

  Pointing at the screen, Alexander said, “There I am. I had longer hair. It was the new hippie generation decade. I dressed informally.” Jade frowned at his words while he kept rambling. “I was young and naive. I thought I could save the world.” Alexander’s voice sounded a lot gloomier this time.

  Jade asked no questions and made no statements. However, it was true, Alexander was in the video, looking exactly how he looked now, but with longer hair. He didn’t get old and seemed to be Jade’s age. Werewolves were an intriguing race.

  While pondering about her situation and her kidnapper, Jade listened to her dad talk to Alexander. He liked him. They laughed and bickered with each other like good old friends.

  She witnessed Alexander playing with her younger self, taking her in his arms and talking to her in a baby voice. He liked children. It was clear in his eyes. Her dad noticed it, too. Alexander was telling her dad that he would want a lot of kids once he found his soul-mate. Jade wouldn’t be able to give kids to Daniel. It saddened her.

  “Do you believe me now, Jade?” Alexander asked, fast-forwarding the video.

  Her eyes were on the screen as time passed by, and she grew up in the videos. She walked and talked, clinging to Alexander’s neck when he picked her up, and he let her do whatever she wanted. She liked him and called him Alex. Alexander was a family friend. It was impossible to fake that.

  Tears streamed down Jade’s face. She wished that she could jump into the videos and spend more time with her parents. She wanted to hug and kiss them again and tell them how much she loved them.

  “If we both agree that you don't wish me any harm, and you understand that my husband loves me and wishes no harm to my baby brother, will you let me call Daniel?” Jade wiped away her tears and focused on Alexander.

  He turned his head to face her. “It wasn’t my intention to kill your husband…” His eyes changed to a darker shade as his face became solemn.