“Bullshit.”
“Of course it was bullshit. Ruth never got over it. She cried for weeks after Pa sold Amos, until Ma finally threatened to sell her too.”
Val studied him. “If you knew slavery was wrong, why in the hell did you fight for it?”
He blew out a tired breath. “Because I was sixteen, and you want to be a hero at sixteen. Besides, my father and my brother had volunteered for Kershaw’s 2nd South Carolina Infantry, and I wasn’t about to let them go alone.”
That she could understand -- she’d do anything for Beth. “What was it really like? The war?”
“Hell,” he said starkly. “There was never enough to eat. Never enough ammunition. I was cold and terrified all the damn time. But none of it held a candle to Gettysburg. Dick took a bullet while we were trying to take Little Round Top the second day of the battle. We got to him, but Pa got hit twice. Neither of them made it. By the time I got home, my mother was dead of yellow fever, and Abigail was dying. After she passed, I didn’t care anymore. I took off to Texas.”
“All those deaths…” Val said softly. Despite everything, she found her heart ached for him. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a very long time ago,” he said, his tone remote. But there was something in the expression on that hard profile that said he still felt the pain.
“What happened to Ruth and her family?”
“Oh, they all took off long before my mother even got sick. I’ll admit, at the time I felt a little betrayed that they’d left her and my sister alone, but that was before Ridgemont.” He brooded at the highway a moment. “I’ve always wondered what happened to them. I’d like to think they headed up north and made a better life.”
Silence fell, broken only by the rumble of the engine in the darkness. Val wasn’t sure what to think. Her reporter’s cynicism suggested he might be playing her, but her gut said his regret and pain were genuine.
“If, God forbid, Ridgemont ever gets his hands on you, never challenge him the way you have me,” McKinnon said abruptly. “He’d hurt you. Badly. And since he’s planning to make you a vampire, he could do a lot of very painful damage without killing you.”
“But why?” She bunched her fists in the cuffs. “I mean, why Change me? What does he get out of it?”
His eyes flicked for one searing moment to her breasts. “Why do you think?”
Her stomach twisted. “Oh. That.”
“Yes. That. He’s a sexual sadist, Valerie. And as a vampire, you’d be able to take damn near any damage he dished out and survive.”
Suddenly it all made a dreadful kind of sense, particularly given what McKinnon had told her: He lured you here. “Ridgemont did the same thing to my editor that you did to the cop, didn’t he? That’s why I got fired. And then he ordered everybody not to tell me why.”
“Probably.”
“That son of a bitch.” Val let her head fall back on the headrest. “Now I understand.” Another thought occurred to her. “Could you fix it?”
McKinnon shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on how strong the compulsion was. Ridgemont’s a lot more powerful than I am.”
Val hesitated, trying to decide whether to ask him to do it. God only knew what he’d want in return. “How long has he been planning this, anyway?” she asked instead. “Did he know I was Kith when he killed my parents?”
McKinnon lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “I’ve been trying to figure that one out for years. It doesn’t make sense. If he’d known what you were before the attack, why did he tell me to kill you? Kith females are even more rare than the rest of us.”
“But he knows I’m Kith now, right? How did he find out?”
“He pried it from my mind,” McKinnon admitted. “He acted as though he was surprised, but that doesn’t mean a damn thing. He loves playing those kinds of games.” Frowning, he tapped his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel. “He had to have known you were Kith. If he didn’t, why did he go after your folks to begin with? That attack is the only time I’ve ever known Ridgemont to prey on an entire family. Lone women are his preferred game.”
“Did you ever ask him?”
“Yeah, but he’s not in the habit of explaining himself.”
“Well, if he did find out following the attack, why didn’t he come after me then?”
“Ridgemont’s not a pedophile. He was waiting for you to grow up.”
“I’m twenty-nine, McKinnon. I’ve been grown for a while.”
“I noticed.”
“You did more than notice.”
“Actually,” McKinnon said, ignoring the sarcasm, “I expected him to kidnap you when you turned twenty, but he didn’t. Which is a good thing, since I hadn’t broken his control yet, and I wouldn’t have been able to help you.”
“Why not?” She eyed his chiseled features suspiciously. “And why would you want to?”
“You’ve suffered enough as it is. You lost your parents and your childhood because of us. I don’t want to see you lose your chance at a normal life.”
“Very noble. But Hirsch said you’d need the power you’d get from me if you want to kill Ridgemont. What did he mean?”
He steered the car around a creeping Toyota with blinkers flashing. “Ridgemont’s got a lot more power than I do.”
“Because of the age thing.”
“Yeah, which becomes highly problematic in a fight. I can hold my own against him for short periods, but in any extended battle I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“But Turning me would change that?”
“In theory, I’d be able to use your powers to amplify my own, maybe even enough to match his and kill him.”
“So are you going to do it?” Her heart began to pound. If he said yes…
“Are you willing?”
“No.”
He shrugged. “Then I’m not.”
“But you just said you wouldn’t otherwise be able to beat him in a fight. What are you going to do if he tracks us down?”
“Don’t worry about it,” McKinnon said shortly. “I’ll protect you.”
“How?”
“I’ll think of something.”
She sat back and studied him. “So you’re just helping me out of the goodness of your heart?”
His jaw firmed. “It’s something I need to do.”
“No, it’s not. You could walk away right now.”
“Look, regardless of the circumstances, I’ve known you for seventeen years. I don’t want to see you fall into that bastard’s hands.”
“Then let me go. I can do my own running.”
He snorted. “You’d be flat on your back under Ridgemont before daybreak. And you wouldn’t like it there.”
* * *
Hirsch’s heart began to pound at the thought of the power he was being offered so casually. If Ridgemont was serious, it would be the opportunity he’d always dreamed of -- a chance to free himself of his sire’s control and kill both his enemies.
There had to be a catch. “Why?”
“Perhaps I want to see which of you is worthy.”
He knew Ridgemont assumed the winner would be McKinnon. But it wouldn’t be. He was damned well going to prove the old monster wrong.
Hirsch shifted unwarily in his chair. And gasped in agony as his distraction cost him control over his gut wound. Blood began to pour again. He grabbed for his belly, sending power surging into the torn flesh. The bleeding stopped, but he couldn’t quite make the ruined vessels heal.
“Idiot.” Ridgemont got up to cover his hand with a broad palm. Dark, ancient energy washed over his body. Instantly, damaged tissues began to knit.
“Sleep now, Hirsch,” the Old One told him, straightening. “I’ll have a nice, terrified little meal waiting when you awake.”
The unholy amusement in that ancient gaze carried him into unconsciousness.
* * *
As the German slid under, Ridgemont scanned his mind, searching for a memory he could use.
There. The
back of the Lexus. Hirsch had clearly seen the car’s license tag.
Smiling darkly, Ridgemont decided it was time to have a word with somebody in law enforcement about keeping an eye out for the gunslinger’s car.
He started to call for one of the servants to bring him a phone. But as he did, his eyes fell on Elle, still bound and bleeding on the table.
The gunslinger could wait an hour or two, he decided, and unzipped his slacks.
* * *
“What’s your sister’s phone number?”
Valerie stiffened and snapped her head around to stare at McKinnon. “Why?”
“You need to tell her to get to safety,” he said. “With you in my hands, Ridgemont will try to kidnap her as a bargaining chip.”
“What would he…?”
“Do with her? Any damn thing he wants. And knowing Ridgemont, that could be a very nasty list.” It was better not to sugarcoat the danger; he wanted to make damn sure she sent Beth to safety. “You need to tell her to clean out your checking account and hop a train or a bus for anywhere.”
“Why can’t she take her car?”
“It’s registered to her. He’ll track it down.” Cade frowned, wishing he’d had time to arrange an escape for the girl himself. He’d had to put this whole thing together too damn fast after the car bomb attempt failed. “Tell her not to use credit cards or identification. Use cash for everything to avoid leaving a trail Ridgemont can track. She’ll have to get rid of her cell and buy a burner phone, or he’ll have someone hack its GPS to track her. We’ll have to do the same with your phone.”
She frowned. “Then how will we keep in touch if neither of us knows the other’s number? I need to be able to call her.”
“The two of you can use Snapchat to make contact. And don’t let her tell you where she’s going, in case we get caught.”
“Could he force me to tell him where she is?”
“Once he Changes you, he could peel you like an onion.”
“But the advance Ridgemont paid me to ghost write his memoirs is most of the money in our account. If she cleans it out and we both disappear, he could have us charged with fraud.”
The idea of Edward Ridgemont running to the police made Cade grin. “He won’t go to the cops. It would never occur to him, and even if it did, it would be a waste of time.”
“What do you mean?” The handcuffs rattled against the arm rest as she shifted nervously. Then the light dawned. “Oh, yeah. You’d just put the whammy on them.”
“Exactly. What’s the number?”
“Uncuff me and let me dial it.”
“No. Valerie, we don’t have time for this. What’s the number?”
She recited it reluctantly. He punched the buttons, hit send, and waited for Beth to pick up. When a female voice came on the line, he extended the phone one-handed and placed it against his captive’s face.
Obviously working to keep her tone calm and even, Val repeated the instructions he’d given her. She didn’t reveal the vampire angle. Probably afraid her sister would think she was crazy.
As she spoke, Cade could feel the silken skin of her face brush against his knuckles. He found himself thinking about other parts of her he suspected would be equally soft. Like those full, pretty breasts that felt so sweetly tempting in his dreams…
Hastily, he diverted his mind from that line of thought and tried to concentrate on Beth’s bewildered protests. Valerie and her lush little body were off-limits.
Val clung to her fraying patience with both hands as Beth pelted her with questions. “Look,” she said at last, cutting her sister off, “I can’t explain what’s going on because I’m not sure I understand it either. But I do know that Ridgemont is the man who killed our parents, and now he’s after us. Our only chance is to run like hell.” At least, it was her sister’s only chance. She strongly suspected she herself didn’t have a prayer one way or another. But she couldn’t tell Beth that.
“I can’t believe this -- either that he killed Mom and Dad or he’s after us again. Why? Why now?”
He wants to make me a vampire. But she couldn’t say that. She needed Beth to believe her and run. “I don’t understand it either.”
“Guess the man who called was right after all. Who told you this anyway?” Sudden urgency sharpened her tone. “Val, are you okay?”
“Yeah.” At the moment. Val’s gray eyes slid toward Cade’s handsome, implacable face as he drove. She realized he must have been the one who made that warning telephone call the night before she left for New York. “As to how I know -- I heard it from a reliable source.” If you can call somebody who might decide to turn you into a vampire “reliable.”
“But…”
“Do you trust me?”
“Stupid question”.
“Then pack your stuff and get out, and don’t tell anybody where you’re going. Not anybody. Just go.”
Beth made a frustrated sound. “Not too thrilled with the bus idea. Maybe I can call Carrie, ask if I can borrow her car -- she’s in Europe with her parents.”
“As long as she moves fast, I have no objections,” Cade said, evidently able to hear the conversation as if it were on speaker. “If the friend’s out of the country, Ridgemont won’t be able to get his hands on her if he decides to go hunting Beth.”
God, there was a chilling thought. To her sister, Val said, “Borrowing the car will work, but you have to call her now.”
“I’ll text her when I get off the phone. Where can we meet?” Beth asked.
McKinnon shook his head. “It’s not safe for her to be anywhere around us.”
Val blew out a breath. “I’ll let you know when we can get together.” If I can. She hadn’t told Beth she’d been abducted. The news would only frighten her, and her sister needed to concentrate on her own safety.
“But…”
“You don’t have much time. He could be coming for you. Get out.” She blinked hard as tears stung her eyes. “Baby, I love you. Remember that. I…”
McKinnon took the phone away and turned it off.
Val glared at him, knowing she might never get another chance to talk to Beth. “I wasn’t finished.”
“You’d told her enough.”
“How will I know she’s safe?”
“I’ll let you call back later.”
Let you. She jerked her hands against the cuffs, but they only rattled smugly. There wasn’t a damn thing she could do. She was at McKinnon’s mercy. “Where are you taking me?”
“I’ve got a house in South Carolina,” he said. “We’ll be safe there for a while.”
“We’re driving all the way to South Carolina tonight?”
“We’ll stop somewhere in a few hours.”
“Why?” She glanced at the clock on the dashboard. One A.M. “Oh. It’ll be dawn then. When the sun comes up, you do the human Bic thing.” If I’m lucky.
“No, actually that’s a myth, so if you’re trying to figure out a way to get me into the sunlight, don’t waste your time. Besides, you’re a hell of a lot safer with me than Ridgemont and Hirsch.”
She snorted. “That’s not saying much. I’d be safer with Hannibal Lector than Ridgemont and Hirsch.”
“Now you’re getting the idea.”
* * *
They’d been driving in silence for almost a half hour when Cade scented peppermint. “Stay out of sight, Abigail. I’ve got a feeling one look at you on top of everything else would send her into screaming hysterics.”
“She’s mortal, Cade. She probably wouldn’t be able to see me,” Abigail said, but remained invisible anyway. “Why did you tell her you don’t plan to Change her?”
“Because I don’t.”
Val gave him a puzzled glance. “Do you smell peppermint?”
“It’s the air freshener.”
“My, she is sensitive,” the ghost said. “She’ll give you a lot of power.”
Cade sighed. Abigail’s one-track mind could be maddening. “No, she won’t,
because I am not going to Change her.”
“Don’t be an idealistic idiot.” Her psychic broadcast was edged with fear and frustration. “If you want to kill Ridgemont, you need her to amplify your power.”
“I’ll find another way.”
“How? You’ve been trying for years, and nothing’s worked. That car bomb is the closest you’ve ever come…”
He tightened his grip on the wheel. If Abigail hadn’t interfered, Val wouldn’t be in this mess right now. “I wouldn’t bring up the car bomb, if I were you.”
“God, you’re frustrating. I’ve never understood why you refused to go after Valerie once she grew up.”
“Because I remember what it was like when Ridgemont turned me,” Cade said. Thinking about that night still made his gut clench. And after what happened to Caro… “Even if he hadn’t been a psychotic son of a bitch, even if he’d left Caroline alone, I would have hated him just for the way he forced the Change on me. I will not do the same thing to Valerie. Period.”
“So what happens when he tracks you down? And sooner or later, he will.” She bulled on before he had a chance to answer. “I’ll tell you what’ll happen -- he’ll butcher you like a suckling pig. And as for your precious Valerie, she’d think Caro got off lucky.”
He grimaced. Abigail had a point, but there were some things he just couldn’t do. “There’s got to be a way of killing Ridgemont that doesn’t include Changing Valerie.”
“Why don’t you just explain it to her? She’s not a stupid woman. If she realizes --”
“Dammit, Abigail, how many times do I have to say it? It’s not an option. She’s going to have a chance at a normal life.”
“No, she won’t. In the end, it’ll be you or it’ll be Ridgemont, but it’s going to be one of you. And you know it.”
“Not if I can help it.”
Abigail’s frustration rolled over him in thick waves. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
“Maybe. But I won’t take Val with me.”
“She’d be better off with you than Ridgemont.” The smell of peppermint faded, leaving him alone with his captive.
* * *
The Corrington Sleeper Motel in Corrington, Virginia was the first hotel in one hundred miles with a lit “Vacancy” sign. McKinnon drove into the lot and parked the Lexus in a space just beyond the lobby’s line of sight.
Forever Kisses Volume 1 Page 9