She reached up and touched her diamond stud. “Yes, it was on the pavement beside our car. I must have knocked it off when I got out.”
Vlad leaned in and stared at her two carat earring. “I’m glad you found it, Captain Vandermire.”
“Thank you. But please, call me Jess. I’m a civilian while I’m in France,” she said. “I haven’t seen Veronique here tonight—is she coming?”
“Of course,” he said without missing a beat. “She had a few things to catch up on at the station first. She should be here soon.”
“You talking about me?” Veronique, who usually dressed in functional street clothes, wore a very sexy, low-cut sequined gown, and her makeup and hair had been expertly done. In fact, Veronique looked like someone else entirely. Jess might have passed right by her without recognizing her—the transformation was that amazing.
Vlad immediately took her hand and kissed it, after which he continued to hold it for longer than Jess would have expected.
“You look gorgeous, Jess,” Veronique said, then switched her gaze to Britt. She whistled under her breath. “Mr. Brittain, you’re very handsome tonight, too.”
“Thank you,” he said, pulling at his tight collar for the umpteenth time.
Vlad laughed. “If you think this collar is uncomfortable, you should have been around a century ago.”
Jess instantly considered the people nearby. Vampires in New York didn’t give themselves away in public. Had anyone heard? No one seemed in the least bit surprised or taken aback by Vlad’s words. This was truly a new experience for her.
“Did I just see you coming out of the bushes before I came in?” Veronique asked, frowning at Jess.
Vlad’s sharp assessing gaze snapped onto her.
Crap! He’d probably sensed another vampire in his office, even if she hadn’t been caught. Hopefully Veronique hadn’t just given her away.
Noting that Britt’s shoulders had tensed, Jess wrapped an arm around his waist and forced a relaxed smile onto her face. “The bushes? Oh, right. I almost forgot. After I found my earring next to the car, I thought I saw someone suspicious in the shrubbery. I was checking it out.”
Vlad’s gaze turned laser beam-sharp. “And did you find anyone?”
“I did. I figured he might be a party crasher, but unfortunately, he ran when he spotted me. He jumped your fence before I could catch him.” She looked down at her beautiful gown. “I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I didn’t want to ruin my outfit by following him over the fence.”
“I don’t blame you. It’s really something special,” Veronique said, swallowing her story. “Which designer made it?”
“I found a small shop on a street corner,” she said. “I can’t remember the street, but I could find it again and tell you.”
Veronique nodded, though Jess couldn’t imagine the everyday plain-Jane Veronique LaFontaine wanting to buy designer gowns, no matter who made them.
Or that she’d believe Jess had bought one for herself, for that matter.
Vlad turned away and pressed a finger against his ear. “Check the perimeter. Someone’s been out there,” he said in a steely voice.
That explained why he didn’t have an electronic security system. He had human security. Luckily, they hadn’t spotted her. Jess avoided looking at Britt. She deserved an award for the performance she’d just given.
Vlad continued to listen intently through his earphone.
Veronique crossed her arms and pressed her fingers into the flesh on her upper arms. “Have they found anyone?”
Vlad shook his head. “Not this time, but my men will make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He flicked a quick look at Jess.
She met his eyes and held them. Good thing it was impossible for her to blush—she might have given herself away.
He shifted his attention when his security man started talking again. Vlad listened intently, his mouth a hard line. God help her if he found out it had been her inside his room. After he stopped talking to security, he switched back to being the debonair host he’d been moments before. Like night and day.
Vlad stayed with them, and they chatted for at least half an hour— who knew vampires could contribute to such mundane chatter, but she and Vlad had both managed it. His eyes were probably as glazed over as her own right now.
A waiter came by with tiny crackers and caviar. Jess prepared to refuse, but the man only offered the food to Britt and Veronique. She shared a surprised glance with Britt.
Britt put the whole cracker into his mouth and chewed. “Delicious.”
“It’s always nice to see appreciation of the finer points of being human,” Vlad said.
Jess looked at her watch. “I think it’s time we go. Thank you for inviting us to your party.” Her gut instinct had paid off, if his secret room in the basement was any example of the kinds of dealings he was involved in.
“But the night is young, and you’ve just arrived.” Vlad frowned. “Surely you don’t have to leave yet.”
“I’m afraid we do,” she said. “We have another commitment tonight,” she lied again. She’d been doing a lot of that lately. The patrons around them were getting more raucous. One vampire was openly feeding from the neck of a partygoer in the corner. She didn’t want to know what this place might look like at three o’clock in the morning.
Besides, she killed vampires; she didn’t party with them. She wouldn’t have even come if her curiosity hadn’t gotten the better of her. That, and she couldn’t resist the opportunity to break into Vlad’s office.
“We must get together again, soon,” Vlad said, walking them to the front doors, the perfect host, right down to kissing Jess’s hand before they left.
A FULL TWO BLOCKS down the street, Jess released a breath and wiped her hand off on the side of her dress.
“I guess you still don’t like him?” Britt arched one ironic eyebrow in her direction.
“Damn straight.”
“Did you feel the fervor building in that place?” he said. “It was as if tensions were ramping up for something that was going to happen at midnight.”
Jess laughed. “At midnight? I think you’ve been watching too many horror movies.”
“Does that mean you didn’t feel it?”
“Oh, I felt it, and I don’t even want to think about what will be going on in that place tonight. I’m really surprised Veronique looks the other way when vampires are openly feeding in public.”
“Maybe she’s doing it to stay in the loop with what’s happening in her city?”
Jess paused. “Maybe. But I also think Veronique and Vlad might be a couple. Did you see the way he held her hand after he kissed it? She looked totally comfortable in his presence.”
“Yes, I noticed that, too,” he said, his voice softening ever so slightly.
“I’m glad we left when we did. I was afraid I was going to have to start killing vampires if they got out of control, and we both know Veronique wouldn’t like that,” she said.
Britt looked over his shoulder. “So, now that we’re out of hearing range, what did you find in Vlad’s office?”
Jess told him about her trip down the vampire rabbit hole, about the weird round table at the bottom, and the many wall hangings with unique family crests. “I don’t know what’s going on down there, but I have the feeling we should find out.”
Clearing his throat, Britt asked, “Do you think we’re just doing this for the excitement? Because we’re not meant to sit around on vacation and get a tan?”
Jess sputtered. “Well, I’m certainly not going to get a tan.”
“Definitely—tans are out for you,” he chuckled.
“Glad we agree on that one.”
In New York, they often bantered back and forth, but in Paris, things had been too tense to relax, at least for the first month.
Suddenly, she wanted to be in his arms. It took everything inside her not to reach out and caress his face. She’d been having a problem with her own self-worth i
n France, ever since they’d met her vampire look-alike and yet-to-be-proven twin sister. It was hard to think of herself as having redeeming qualities when the other woman was a mirror image of her dark side. She couldn’t hide from that, when her look-alike was pushing it in her face.
“Maybe it’s time to take a step back and let the Paris police look after things. After all, they’ve maintained their tenuous pact between the government and vampires for centuries without our help,” he said.
Jess wondered if he’d said that because he sensed her darkest feelings. “Maybe. But I think we still need to find out what Vlad is up to. On another topic but still vampire related, we haven’t seen Morana since the demon uprising.”
“I forgot to tell you—I saw her at the bar last night.”
“Where was I?” she asked, racking her brain to remember what she’d done the night before.
“You went to see Regent, didn’t you?”
“Oh, that’s right.” She sighed. “I also spent some time at Sampson’s lab. He’s doing some pretty interesting research on the Parisian vampire VNA. It’s so old, he’s just beside himself with excitement trying to categorize the data.”
“I’m sure his main goal is aimed at finding something to help you become human again,” Britt said. “He’ll never give up on that.”
She nodded, but she also heard regret in Britt’s voice. He still blamed himself for not being able to save her with his angelic DNA. She knew him well enough to change the subject before his self-recrimination got out of control. “So, did you talk to Morana?”
“No. She took off just after I showed up, so I moved in on her vampire friend, Diesel. I tried to squeeze some information out of him, but he wouldn’t talk. He’s very protective of her. I think he has the hots for her, only she either doesn’t know it or doesn’t share his feelings,” Britt said. “There’s nothing predictable about her, is there?”
“Not really,” Jess said, wondering if she had become predictable. “And speaking of Morana, Sampson said the VNA test should be ready tomorrow. We’ll find out once and for all if Morana and I are actually related.”
He lifted a hand to touch her, then thought better of it.
They were almost home when Jess stopped in her tracks. “Let’s not go inside yet. Nighttime in Paris is meant to be experienced.”
He checked his watch. “We only have a couple of hours before sunrise.”
“Perfect. That’s lots of time to walk some of the cobwebs off.”
They strolled along the Seine in virtual silence, admiring city lights glittering like jewels in the water. The reflections reminded Jess that the river had protected them from demons not long ago.
Had it been just a few weeks ago that the river and churches were the only safe places from attacking shadow demons? It was amazing that people were already getting back to their normal routines. Boats moved up and down the river; tourists had even returned to Paris as if nothing had ever happened here. Life had a way of returning to normal after horrific acts of violence.
It didn’t hurt that the government had taken action, introducing the idea that citizens had been suffering from hallucinations as a result of ergot in their bread supply. She found that people were always quick to grab at anything that made sense whenever the unexplainable happened.
Britt must’ve been thinking about the demons, too, because he said, “What about Regent? What’s he doing now that the shadow battle is over?”
“He’s still working on deciphering the book he found at the Palais des Papes. His landlord is also an art restorer at the Louvre. Regent has sworn him to secrecy, and he, Regent, and Sampson are working on discovering what the book says. It must be hard on Regent doing nothing but research when he used to be one of the best vampire hunters in New York.”
“Besides yourself, I’m guessing,” Britt said.
“I don’t know. He was pretty good, and he’s taken that same ability and focused it on research. He’s not the type of guy who quits before he finds what he’s looking for. That said, I can’t help but wonder if his time in Paris is being manipulated from outside the Church.”
Britt stalled for a moment. “Do you seriously think that might be true?”
“Oh hell, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just my tormented soul that makes me think something feels wrong about him being here. I hope that’s all it is because Regent has found a cause, and he’s determined to see it to the end. He’ll figure out the mysterious book, all right—and if it’s something important, I hope his efforts don’t go unnoticed by his superiors. He deserves some positive recognition.”
“I hope we learn something soon.”
“It’s not as if there’s a deadline to decipher the text,” she said.
“True. I guess you’re telling me to stop being a cop all the time and to relax a little and enjoy Paris?”
“Strange coming from me, isn’t it? Maybe I’m learning how to experience a vacation?” Jess said.
“Maybe.” He didn’t sound convinced—and for good reason.
“Back to tonight. I have something to tell you that you’re not going to believe. I had a blast breaking into Vlad’s office. I think I’d make a good cat burglar.” She forced herself not to break into an actual smile.
He stopped and gasped in mock dismay. “You couldn’t have just said that. You’re a cop.”
“But it was so exciting,” she said, raising one devilish eyebrow. “We could do this for fun if we get too bored.”
“So far, there’s been no chance of boredom,” he said in a more somber tone. “And, I hope you’re joking.”
She laughed. “After seeing that coffin and the secret room in the basement, I have to wonder if he’s holding secret vampire meetings there. Now, I’m even more suspicious.”
“Don’t forget the police in Paris don’t want either one of us messing with their vampire population. If your curiosity is merely an attempt to stave off boredom, it could get you into trouble.”
“There was something about Vlad’s office,” she said. “It had a weird vibe, and I don’t just mean the rabbit hole to the dungeon below, either. He’s up to something. I wish Veronique wasn’t so smitten with him. She’s the one who could be in trouble.”
“She’s a big girl,” Britt said. “She can look after herself.”
“What if he’s mesmerizing her? What if he’s only interested in her so he can control her vampire hunting team? Or try to get intel on the murders?”
Britt stopped walking. “Do you think he’s the murderer?”
“He’s a vampire—of course he’s a murderer.”
He looked at Jess as if she’d never killed anyone. She looked away. “But is he the murderer?” Britt asked seriously.
Chapter Two
VLAD WAS STILL on her mind when Britt was called to the scene of another serial murder in the catacombs. If Vlad was the one who’d killed those women, she’d find out—eventually.
“Sure you don’t want to come, too?” he asked, reaching for his leather jacket. It was cool and damp in the tunnels, and he’d need it. Next, he checked to make sure he had his wallet, complete with Paris Police ID as a consultant.
She looked away. “I’d rather not work as a consultant on a serial killer case. Hunting vampires is my forte.”
Britt, on the other hand, was totally invested in finding this killer, especially since he’d met one of the victims in LaCave one night last month. According to him she’d been a lovely young blond girl who was naïve and too friendly to strangers. And she’d paid the price.
He slapped his forehead. “But, tonight’s the big night. I’m sorry I won’t be there to hear the VNA results,” he said, his brows tented. “Are you sure you don’t mind if I’m not there?”
“It’s okay. I want you to catch the killer and save those young women. I’ll tell you the results when you get back. Besides, what will be shocking about the news? Either she is, or isn’t, my sister.”
Tonight, Jess wore an outfit befit
ting a hot Parisian night—T-shirt and shorts and flat sandals. Strange how this clothing somehow made her feel less of a vampire.
People crowded the sidewalks on nights like this, and tonight was no different. Summer in Paris meant tourists were sightseeing in the more populated areas, and yet, vampires seemed not to bother them.
It wouldn’t be that way in New York. Even though vampires mostly hunted street people, they’d been known to frequent the more populated parts of the city, too. Nighttime was feeding time.
She waved at Britt, then turned and walked away from him, moving down a street to the right. Out of habit, she still watched for shadow demons on the sidewalks, but so far everything was back to normal. They were gone.
When she reached Regent’s place, the security door lock was still broken. She climbed the stairs, thinking her brother should complain about it and get it fixed. On the other hand, since they’d been the ones to break it, maybe they should hire someone to do it.
Regent opened his apartment door the second her foot hit the landing. “Come in, dear,” he said, excitement evident in his voice. “I heard you coming up the stairs.”
She peered inside. “Is Sampson here yet?”
“No. He just phoned. He’s running a couple of minutes late. He’ll be here soon, though.” Regent rubbed his hands together and looked past her into the hallway, just in case Sampson might be there after all.
“I wonder if Morana will come? Do you think she wants to know the truth?”
Jess shrugged. “Try not to be disappointed if she doesn’t show. She might not care one way or the other.” As if any vampire cared about the trivialities of humanity, including herself. Well, she tried very hard not to care.
That said, just the fact that Morana was a freaking vampire bothered Jess. How ridiculous were the odds that they were possibly twins and both of them vampires? And, if they were both vampires, why wasn’t Regent a vampire too? There were just too many unanswered questions that needed resolution. “Shall we sit?”
Regent’s unusual sheen of perspiration indicated his anxiety as he tentatively perched on the edge of the sofa and twiddled his thumbs. Tonight was very important to him, and she’d hate to see him disappointed, even though she wasn’t sure what she wanted from the outcome. She could appreciate how human emotions were sometimes all encompassing and how important things like finding a new sister could be to Regent, so she tried her best to give him the kind of support he needed from her.
Silenced by the Grave Page 2