A Fire in the Blood

  He had furnished the upper floors with antiques gathered over the years. And, as he’d told Tessa, he sold a few now and then to a select clientele—of other vampires. Most of them came looking for pieces to remind them of another time or another place, an inanimate object that harked back to a life or an era that no longer existed.

  Now, standing in the center of the vast living room, he felt an overpowering sense of emptiness. How long since he’d had a friend to talk to, someone to share his life with? Occasionally, he had allied himself with other vampires—both male and female—but vampires tended to be solitary creatures, as untrusting of their own kind as they were of mortals. He had spent most of his long existence living alone in places like this—houses and buildings abandoned by mortals.

  He lifted a brow. Maybe it was time to take another wife.

  As long as it was Tessa. He had no trouble at all imagining her clad in a long white gown and veil.

  Or in nothing at all.

  So easy to imagine caressing her from head to toe . . . sipping the sweet red nectar that flowed through her veins.

  * * *

  In the morning, Tessa woke with a smile. Her dreams last night had been far more pleasant than the nightmares she’d been having. Last night, she had dreamed of becoming Andrei’s wife, and while the reality of that was unlikely, at least in the near future, since she scarcely knew the man, it had nevertheless been wonderfully romantic. He, in a tux that emphasized his dark good looks, she in a long white gown and veil. Walking down the aisle, she had been blind to everyone but Andrei. . . .

  Sitting up, she frowned. There had been more to the dream. Why couldn’t she remember it?

  Thoughts of last night’s dream vanished when, over breakfast, she turned on her iPad and brought up the morning paper. The fire at the theater headlined the news. How had she forgotten that dreadful ordeal? She read through the story, remembering all too clearly how quickly it had happened, how horrible it had been. The flames. The panic. The sheer terror of thinking she might die in the fire.

  The article reported that the stage manager had sustained numerous injuries when he fell into the pit, the lead soprano had suffered minor burns, three people had been badly hurt in the rush to leave the theater, several others had also been injured. Andrei’s friend Colin had been reported missing.

  Tessa shivered. They would never find his body.

  Her appetite gone, she pushed her plate away. If she lived to be a hundred, she would never forget the sight of that poor man being engulfed by flames, or how quickly he had been consumed, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

  * * *

  Tessa wasn’t looking forward to lunch with Jileen. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss the grisly details of last night’s fire.

  Of course, it was the first thing Jilly mentioned.

  “I heard about the fire on the news last night,” she said, her eyes wide. “I tried to call you but . . .” She shrugged. “I guess your phone was off.”

  Tessa nodded. “I didn’t think about turning it on until I got to work this morning.”

  “You obviously got out okay. I almost hate to ask how the rest of the evening went.”

  “He took me home. Neither one of us was in the mood to do much of anything else.” She saw no need to mention kissing Andrei.

  “Are you going to see him again?”

  “I guess so. He said he’d call me.”

  “Why don’t you call him? Luke and I are going dancing Friday night. You two should come with us.”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Come on, it’s time our fellas met. Since they’re both hunters, they should have a lot to talk about. Besides, it’s Halloween. You don’t want to sit home alone.”

  * * *

  Tessa hurried home from work Friday night. Andrei had called her earlier in the week and when she mentioned going out with Jilly and Luke, he had agreed. At Jileen’s suggestion, they had agreed to meet Jilly and Luke at the local cowboy bar.

  Tessa decided on jeans, boots, and a western shirt, since the club had a casual western flair.

  When Andrei arrived, she saw that he had been thinking along the same lines, although seeing him in black jeans, a black cowboy shirt, and boots, casual was not the word that came to mind.

  Outside, he opened the door of a dark gray Challenger for her.

  “Another car?” she asked, sliding into the passenger seat. “How many do you have?”

  “Three.” Rounding the front of the car, he climbed behind the wheel and the engine purred to life. “Hang on,” he said, and hit the gas.

  Jileen and Luke had already scored a table when Tessa and Andrei arrived. Tessa noted several couples in costume, no doubt going out to Halloween parties later.

  Luke stood as they approached. Recognition flickered in his eyes when he saw Andrei. He swore under his breath, one hand diving inside his jacket as he put himself between Jileen and Andrei.

  Eyes narrowed, Andrei said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

  Jileen frowned.

  “What’s going on?” Tessa asked, glancing from Luke to Andrei and back again.

  “Tessa! Get away from him!” Luke hissed. “He’s a vampire!”

  “Maybe we’d better take this outside,” Andrei suggested, conscious of the stares of some of the other patrons.

  “So you can kill me?” Luke shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  Andrei muttered an oath. Capturing Luke’s gaze with his own, and then Jileen’s, he said, “It’s time to go.”

  Luke nodded, his movements wooden as he walked toward the door.

  Jileen followed him.

  Frowning, Tessa stared at Andrei. “What’s going on?”

  “I’ll explain outside.”

  “Tell me now.”

  “Tessa,” he growled, taking her by the arm, “this isn’t the time or the place. Let’s go.”

  She didn’t want to leave. There was protection, of a sort, in being surrounded by people. But something in his tone compelled her to obey and the next thing she knew, they were all in Andrei’s Challenger, heading out of the city.

  * * *

  Tessa glanced into the backseat. Jileen and Luke sat like zombies, not moving, not speaking. She faced forward again, her hands tightly folded in her lap. She was shaking and couldn’t stop.

  She slid a glance at Andrei. Could it be true, what Luke had said? Was Andrei a vampire?

  He was something, she thought, remembering how he had mesmerized Jilly and Luke, the way his voice had compelled her to obey.

  Fear spiked through her when he pulled off the highway onto a deserted side road. Mercy, did he intend to kill them all and dump their bodies out here?

  He switched off the engine, then turned to look at her. “Is that what you think?” He shook his head. “If I intended to kill you, I wouldn’t have bothered saving your life.”

  “The . . . then what are we doing out here?”

  “Probably not the best choice of locations,” he remarked, “but I wanted a place where we could be alone.”

  She stared at him, her eyes wide and afraid.

  “Tessa, I’m not going to hurt you, or your friends.”

  “Is it true? What Luke said?”

  He nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

  He was a vampire. She tried to wrap her mind around the enormity of it, felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rise in her throat. It had to be a joke. Of course, that was it! A Halloween prank and they were all in on it—Luke and Jilly and Andrei.

  “Okay,” she said, “you’ve had your fun at my expense. You can all stop pretending now.” She glanced over her shoulder. Jileen and Luke stared straight ahead, unblinking. Unmoving.

  “They’re not pretending, Tessa. And neither am I.”

  “But . . . I saw you kill vampires.”

  “Better them than you. You have questions.”

  “Hundreds.” So many, she didn’t know where to start.

  “Ask aw
ay.”

  “How long have you been a vampire?”

  “Seven hundred years, more or less.”

  She blinked at him. “Seven. Hundred. Years.”

  He nodded.

  “Why did you want to be a vampire?”

  He snorted softly. “Believe me, I didn’t.”

  She chewed on her thumbnail. Moments ago, she’d had hundreds of questions, but suddenly, she couldn’t think of a single one. She was too busy trying to wrap her mind around the fact that he had been alive for seven hundred years. And then she frowned. How could he be a vampire? She had seen him during the day.

  “Only fledglings and young vampires need to avoid the sun,” he remarked. “Master vampires can day walk.”

  “How did you know what I was . . . ?” She frowned at him. “You read my mind, didn’t you?”

  He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “It’s a handy talent.”

  It took her a moment to digest that. A faint flush warmed her cheeks as she remembered the many times she had thought of making love to him when they were together. Had he read those thoughts, too?

  Her cheeks grew hotter when he smiled faintly. He had!

  “What are you going to do with Jilly and Luke?”

  “I’m not sure. The easiest thing—the safest thing—would be to wipe the truth from their minds.”

  “You can do that?”

  “If I have to.”

  “That’s just wrong,” Tessa said. “You have no right to play with their memories.”

  “Maybe not, but it’s the best way to ensure their silence.”

  “Are you going to erase my memory, too?”

  His gaze met hers, dark and intense. “Do I need to?”

  She shook her head vigorously. “I won’t tell anyone.”

  “I’ll know if you do.”

  His words were mild, but Tessa sensed the unspoken threat behind them. At first, it frightened her, then it made her angry, and then she realized the warning stemmed from a deep sense of self-preservation.

  “I need to talk to Luke and Jileen,” he said. “Hopefully, they’ll see things my way.”

  When she didn’t say anything, he got out of the car, opened the back door, and called for Jilly and Luke to step outside. A word released them from his thrall.

  Luke shook his head as if to clear it, his eyes widening when he saw Andrei. “What the hell!” he exclaimed. “What did you do to us?”

  “Not what you intended to do to me,” Andrei retorted.

  “Where’s Tessa?” Jileen asked.

  “She’s waiting in the car.”

  “Waiting for what?” Luke asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

  “To see if you’re going to be reasonable.”

  “About what?” Luke demanded.

  “You know what I am. I know what you are, so you’ve got three options. You can give me your word, both of you, that you’ll keep my secret.”

  Luke’s eyes narrowed. “What are the other options?”

  “I can wipe your memory or . . .” He flashed a hint of fang. “I can kill the two of you.”

  A wordless cry of fear and denial rose in Jileen’s throat.

  “It’s your choice,” Andrei said.

  “Are you the one who’s been killing the people in town?” Luke asked.

  “No.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “Why should I lie?”

  Luke grunted. “Good point.”

  Andrei bared his fangs. “Two good points, actually. Both rather sharp.”

  Luke refused to be cowed. “So, if you’re not killing our citizens, then who is?”

  “I’m not the only vampire in town.”

  “Why . . . why are they coming here?” Jileen asked.

  Andrei glanced at the car. “They’re after Tessa.”

  “Tessa! Why?”

  “There’s something unique about her blood. I’m not sure what it is, but it’s attracting vampires, the young ones, anyway. I’ve already destroyed a few of them.”

  “Does Tessa know they’re after her?” Luke asked.

  “Not yet.”

  “Might be a good idea to let her know, don’t you think?” Luke muttered dryly.

  “I’ll tell her later. Back to you two. Can I trust you to keep quiet about me?”

  Luke reached for Jileen’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’ll keep your secret.”

  Jileen took a deep breath. “I want your promise that you won’t hurt Tessa.”

  Andrei nodded. “You’ve got it.”

  “Can we go now?” Jileen asked, darting a glance at Andrei.

  He grunted softly, then nodded. There was little doubt that she was anxious to get away from him as quickly as possible.

  But then, considering how the evening had gone, he could hardly blame her.

  Chapter Eight

  Jileen practically jumped out of the backseat of the car when Andrei pulled up in front of her apartment. She murmured a quick good-bye to Tessa and ran up the stairs.

  Luke followed her, conscious of Andrei’s narrow-eyed gaze on his back the whole way. The man was a freakin’ vampire!

  Stepping into Jileen’s apartment, Luke found her huddled on the sofa, a bright pink throw pillow clutched to her chest. Face pale, she was visibly shaking.

  “Lock the door, Luke!”

  He turned the dead bolt; then, sitting beside her, he took her in his arms. “Take it easy. He’s gone.”

  “I knew there were vampires,” she said, a quiver in her voice. “I knew you were a hunter. But . . .” She shook her head. “I guess knowing and seeing are two different things. You’ve got to kill him, Luke! It’s the only way to protect Tessa.”

  Luke snorted. “I don’t blame you for being worried about her safety. I mean, damn, that man has power! I could feel it crawling over my skin. Did you feel it?”

  “All I felt was fear for our lives!”

  “I don’t think he means Tessa any harm. Hell, I think he’s in love with her.”

  Jileen stared at him. “Love? What would a vampire know about love?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But it’s obvious he cares for her.”

  “What if he turns her into what he is?” She clutched his arm. “Luke, you’ve got to do something!”

  “We promised to keep his secret, Jilly, remember?”

  “I don’t think a promise to a monster counts.” She shook her head ruefully as she reached for her cell phone.

  “What are you going to do?” Luke asked.

  “What do you think? I’m calling Tess. I need to know she made it safely home.”

  * * *

  Tessa huddled against the passenger door. Andrei is a vampire. The words echoed and re-echoed inside her mind as he drove her home.

  Sliding a glance in his direction, she wondered how she hadn’t seen it before. Now that she knew, it seemed obvious. No mortal male was that flawlessly handsome, that charming.

  She tensed when he pulled up in front of her condo.

  “Tessa.”

  “I’ve got to go.”

  “You need to listen to me. You’re the reason so many vampires are coming here. There’s a rumor that your blood is drawing them.”

  She shook her head in denial. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I wish it was. I got the story out of one of the fledglings before I killed him. Some gypsy woman who calls herself Madame Murga is spreading the rumor that your blood can enhance a new vampire’s strength. And I believe it.”

  “Madame Murga?” Tessa frowned. It had been ten years since she and her cousin Lisa had gone to see the gypsy. “Why would she be saying such a thing? And why on earth would you or anyone else believe it?”

  Eyes wide with disbelief, Tessa lifted a hand to her neck. “You . . . you didn’t! Did you . . . ?”

  He nodded. “Only a small taste.”

  It was the last straw. She bolted out of the car and raced up the stairs. Her hands were shaking so badly wh
en she reached the landing, she couldn’t get the key in the lock.

  She let out a hoarse cry when Andrei suddenly appeared beside her. Taking the key from her, he unlocked the door, then dropped the key in her hand.

  Heart pounding, she crossed the threshold and slammed the door in his face.

  Andrei whistled softly as he returned to his car.

  Unless she withdrew her former invitation, no lock could keep him out.

  But she didn’t know that. And he saw no reason to tell her.

  * * *

  Trembling uncontrollably, Tessa stood with her back pressed against the door.

  Andrei was a vampire.

  He had tasted her blood.

  And that fortune-teller, Madame Murga . . . why on earth was she spreading such an outlandish rumor? Tessa didn’t believe for a minute that it was her blood drawing vampires to Cutter’s Corner.

  She needed to get in touch with the fortune-teller and make her stop spreading that ridiculous lie. Because it couldn’t be true. Could it?

  She did a quick search on the Internet. There was only one Madame Murga listed. She had passed away in her sleep three weeks ago. Of natural causes? Or the result of another mysterious accident?

  Tessa jumped when her cell phone rang, blew out a sigh of relief when she recognized Jileen’s number.

  “Tessa? Are you all right? Is he there?”

  “I’m alone and I’m fine.” She dropped down on the sofa and pulled an afghan over her. “Jilly, he drank my blood.”

  “What? Just now?”

  “No. I’m not sure when. He said he only took a little, but that’s how he knows that vampires are after me.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to believe him, but what if it’s true?”

  “I don’t know, Tess. It’s like a nightmare. Maybe we’ll wake up in the morning and find out one of us is just having a really bad dream.”

  “I wish!”

  “The only answer is to . . . you know . . .”

  “Kill him? Jilly, he saved my life more than once. Without him, I’d be dead now.”

  “I don’t know what the answer is, but having Andrei protect you from other vampires is kind of like hiring a wolf to protect a lamb from the pack. I’m just not sure you can trust him.”