"Thank you," Stephanie said, and she meant it. Amara may not have liked his hospitality, but Stephanie was surprised by it. After everything she learned about this vampire, he was the exact opposite of what she expected to find.
"I"ll see you downstairs," he said with a quick nod and walked out of the room.
"Don"t get too comfortable around him," Amara reminded Stephanie as she brought the folded clothes over to the girl. "He"s dangerous. Polite, but dangerous."
After Stephanie was fully dressed, Amara helped her down the stairs carefully. The two girls walked into the living room, Amara knew the house well enough to know where the living room was. Alexander used it for most of his entertaining, and it was obvious why. The dark wood floors were polished to a shine. The walls had gold etching on them, and Amara would have been willing to bet her bank account that the gold was real.
She helped Stephanie sit on one of the antique sofas, which were just as fancy as the rest of the room. Clean red cushions with dark wood frames and small golden b.u.t.ton embroidered along where the fabric and the wood met. The gla.s.s tabletops were like the cherry on the top of the fancy cake that was the room. They just pulled everything together.
As Amara sat down with Stephanie, she saw Christopher being wheeled in by a nurse. He was in a wheelchair looking a little worse for wear. He was wearing new clothes. Of course, Amara expected that. Alexander wouldn"t leave someone in his protection leave his home in ripped, b.l.o.o.d.y clothes. Just one thing had her a bit confused. Why was it that Stephanie"s clothes were a bit on the extravagant side, and Christopher looked as though he could walk down the street unnoticed?
Stephanie"s shirt was white cotton, double layered so it was truly white, and her skin did not show through. Lace traced along the collar and cuffs of the sleeves in an elegant way, and small black b.u.t.tons ran in a neat row down the front. The black pants he"d picked out for her looked like dress pants, but she a.s.sured Amara that they were completely comfortable.
Christopher"s clothes were absolutely street clothes. Sneakers, blue jeans, and a t-shirt. How was it that Chris had gotten clothes like that, and Stephanie had been all dolled up?
"Hey," Stephanie pouted. "Why did I get the fancy duds?"
*Because if you go home in fancy pants, The Administration thinks you"ve made a new, powerful ally. If Chris goes home dressed like he"s been here, they"ll kill him," Spirit said as she trotted into the room and sat down by Christopher. *You look great. I don*t know why you*re complaining."
"It"s just not my style," Stephanie said, looking down at the clothes.
That was when Alexander simply appeared in the room. Teleportation was one of the more interesting abilities some vampires and witches possessed. Thankfully, Alexander was powerful enough to teleport himself and others. That"s how Spirit suddenly appeared in the room to attack Warrick. Not because she could teleport herself, but because Alexander brought her with him.
"I"ll keep that in mind next time," Alexander smiled to Stephanie as he knelt by Christopher"s side.
"Hopefully there isn"t a next time," Chris said to Alex quietly, softly. There was more in the words than Stephanie or Amara would understand. It was his way of letting Alexander know he had no intentions of taking him up on the offer of a safe place to run to.
"Sometimes we don"t have control over things, Chris. Sometimes the things we try to avoid are just what we need," he said softly. He pushed back to his feet, casually brushing his hand against Christopher"s as he did, and the hunter pulled away a bit.
"I"ve got a cab waiting out front," Alexander said to them. "It"ll take you back to your headquarters. From there, you"re on your own."
"Thank you, Alexander," Amara finally said as she helped Stephanie back up.
"Take care of one another," Alexander said, watching them with a sort of worry in his eyes.
Christopher recognized the look. He had seen it a few times before in his life. I It never meant anything good. If Alexander was worried about something, everyone should be.
"What aren"t you telling us?" he asked the vampire quietly.
"Times are changing. I"m not sure for the better or worse. Stay with people you know and trust. Be careful who you turn your back to."
Before Chris could question him more, the nurse wheeled him away. He turned back, glaring at Alexander, knowing . He knew the vampire signaled the nurse to do that somehow. Nurses don"t just cut off conversations. Not normally at least.
"What was that all about?" Amara asked Christopher as she followed.
"I"m honestly not sure," Chris said, but he was trying to figure it out. "Something else The Administration and Crimson should know but don"t."
"I"m getting the feeling a lot of that is going around," Stephanie added.
The group got into the cab, glancing back at the house. It was strange that Alexander wasn"t hiding where he was staying from them. He knew Amara and Christopher hunted him for years. Maybe he a.s.sumed that now he tried to make up for the sins of his past, that they would forgive him and move on with their lives.
For Christopher, Amara thought it worked, but not for her. She was still convinced that this was all just a ploy, and she was not going to fall for it. She would give it a few months and be back with guns to kill him.
She watched the house fade away in the distance. Thinking about their story. They couldn"t tell the truth. Christopher would be punished if his organization found out. They would have to come up with something different. The group used the car ride to come up with a few different, more acceptable variations of the story. Amara doubted Alexander would leak the truth. He had never had a problem with allowing The Administration to clean up messes for him before so why should he start now? Besides, she was completely sure that he wouldn"t risk their lives-not yet at least. Sometime in the future when he needed p.a.w.ns or bait, perhaps, but not just yet.
Chapter Nineteen.
The group of hunters managed to put together a convincing story by keeping their reports similar and vague. Amara used a contact to get in touch with a werewolf who wished to remain unnamed. They used the wolf to track down the werewolf and vampire behind the murders, and they killed them. Things were just that simple.
Now Amara and Christopher were sitting at the airport. Stephanie was back at the hospital The Administration owned being healed by some of the world"s best healers. That was one of those things The Administration prided itself in. Its hunters were never hurt for long. They could be ready to fight again within a day or so. That was one of the reasons The Administration was one of the most fore leading vampire hunting organizations.
The waiting area at the airport was cool compared to the blistering heat outside the building. The inside was lined with various places to eat or buy anything from roses, to t-shirts, some last minute or forgotten travel items, or souvenirs to take home to loved ones. People hurried in and out of those stores. One woman ran with her children, pulling her luggage behind her, so they would not miss their flight.
Christopher and Amara rested in the black chairs lining the entrance to Christopher"s plane. Chris was pulling pieces off a Danish he bought and was eating it slowly. It was obvious he wasn"t particularly thrilled about having to go back to the other side of the pond. A news broadcast on the television that hanging on the wall caught his attention.
"The owner of The Yellow Sun Diner is being sought after in a bizarre twist of events. Police went to investigate the diner when a local vendor discovered that the door to a back freezer was left open. Inside, police found the bodies of several people who had gone missing over the past few months. Police officials have not released a statement, but we are told they are currently working at piecing together what is left of the human remains in the freezer and to identify all the bodies."
The scene cut to a young woman that Chris recognized as a waitress from the diner. "Brandon was such a nice man. I can"t understand why he would murder people. It"s really strange and terrible."
Christopher shook his head. If only that girl knew the truth. He was absolutely sure that once the police released all the information, and she realized she was serving the customers food made from these bodies, that she would have a very different opinion of the man.
"Well," he sighed. "All"s well that ends well, I guess."
"I wouldn"t exactly consider this ending well. I guess it"s the best we"re getting," Amara said as she sipped her coffee. She looked over to Christopher. "It"s a better ending than it could have been."
Chris nodded quietly and looked at his watch.
"You know," Amara said as she leaned forward to look at him. "There"s one thing I"m really wondering about. How did you manage to get out of your rope?"
"Well, while you were arguing with him and Stephanie was freaking out, I ran the edge of my rope across the sharp edge of the hook. I guess he didn"t notice because he thought I was struggling. I was hoping that was what he would think of it. I got through one of the layers, and the push was enough to get me loose."
Amara smiled at him. "Well, that was clever of you."
"Not really. Sort of common sense when you really think on it. I didn"t do anything spectacular. I just survived."
"Sometimes, surviving is spectacular."
Christopher forced a smile, but it only lasted a moment. He looked back down at his Danish, suddenly not hungry. He was starting to enjoy being here. Of course, just as he and Amara found some common ground, he would have to go back home. Back to his normal life again.
"Why don"t you transfer?" Amara asked him. "I"ve seen a few Crimson hunters transfer over here to The Administration."
"They"re the hunters Crimson doesn"t mind letting go. If it were as easy as that don"t you think more of us would transfer? It would be a lot less dangerous than running away. No chance of being hunted down and killed by your own team mates. Top hunters don"t have that convenience. I can"t just let my work slip. That would get me killed by vampires."
Amara nodded understandingly. "If you ever do run away, you can always come here. I"m sure that The Administration would protect you."
"There"s no guarantee to that," Chris said quietly. He had really thought all of this out already.
"Maybe not The Administration as a whole, but at least I would protect you. I"m sure Stephanie would. I"m also sure I could find at least a few other hunters to help you out."
"I wouldn"t put anyone else in danger because I want to be safe. That"s not how things are supposed to work. I"ll just hang in there. Either I"ll find a way out, or I"ll die, and that can be my way out."
Amara sighed deeply. Christopher"s situation seemed so hopeless. She knew she had information that might help him. When she looked into his past, she found more than just about him. Of course, if the information got leaked, everyone would know where it came from. She wouldn"t just be in trouble with Crimson, but with The Administration as well. Being blood bound meant that they would not be able to kill her without beheading her or killing Alexander first. That left a lot of room for torture, and from what she had heard, Crimson had a certain expertise when it came to that. She didn"t want to find out firsthand.
"If you ever change your mind, Chris, I"m here. I know we didn"t really get along, but I"ll work hard and do my best to help you."
Christopher smiled, and for once it reached his eyes. It was nice to know he had someone in the world that he could really rely on. Someone who wouldn"t turn him in over a dispute or moment of weakness. Someone who wouldn"t bite his neck if he let his guard down.
"Thank you, Amara. You don"t know how much that means to me."
Amara smiled and went to say more, but the call for Christopher"s flight came suddenly, and Chris grabbed his carryon bag and got up slowly. His leg still bothered him a little.
"Keep in touch, Amara." he said as he got ready to go through his final security check.
"You too. Chris? Don"t get too discouraged. You"ve got more to live for than you think ."
He laughed dryly, missing the insinuation that Amara knew something. "Thanks, Amara. I hope we get to work together again. This time with less snide remarks."
Amara watched Christopher walk through the security check and walked back to her car. She sat in it for a moment to gather her thoughts. She had far too much on her mind to worry about friendships. She had to start investigating whatever it was Alexander hinted toward. It was likely important if it pulled him away from his party schedule. She put the keys in her ignition and drove. She would pick up Stephanie and look into things.
Her mind kept setting back onto the last few days. She had a new view on life. Maybe it wasn"t all about killing and revenge. Maybe she could live, even blood bound to a vampire.
Maybe.
Chapter Twenty.
It was months before Amara"s phone rang with that oh-so expected call. She had been waiting for it. She knew it would come sooner or later. After the first month or so, she was almost hoping her phone would ring, and she would pick it up to hear that familiar voice on the other end.
She"d been waiting for a few different people to call her. Stephanie had gone off to a retreat to help her strengthen her magical skills. She still hoped she would get a call from Christopher saying that he was coming to stay with The Administration. It wasn"t either of them she really hoped for. As she picked up her phone, she tried to hide the sound of the smirk in her voice.
"h.e.l.lo, Alexander. I wondered when you"d call for someone to return that favor," she said, sounding confident.
She just considered the idea that Alexander wasn"t going to get in touch. That he wouldn"t call in the debt Amara and her team owed him. He and Christopher had a romantic past, so she hadn"t expected him to ride Chris about it, but Amara and Stephanie - well, she"d have been let down if he didn"t.
"Actually, Amara," he started, echoing the tone of certainty in her voice, "I"m calling to do you a favor. This would put our score at two-nothing, wouldn"t it?"
"Right," Amara rolled her eyes. She couldn"t help but be skeptical. Why exactly this vampire was suddenly so keen on doing favors for hunters was beyond what she could fathom. "What do you want, Alexander?"
"Let me pick you up. I"ll show you."
"I don"t think so," Amara sighed. There was no way she would step into a trap quite so obvious. He may have helped her in the past, and she may have thought there was something good buried deep inside him. Her wariness of him kept her alive for this long. Why let go of that now?
"Amara, I"m serious," his voice held a hint of some foreboding secret that caught Amara"s attention just a little bit more.
"Why can"t you just tell me over the phone? You and I both know this is a secure line. I"m sure you"re line is too. You wouldn"t let anyone in on your business."
"You"re only sure because you"ve tried to bug the line before and got caught," the vampire pointed out.
"My point still stands," she said with a shrug. She sat down on the overstuffed chair of her hotel room.
"I"m just not sure words can convey the situation as well as seeing the scene could. I need to show you what"s going on. The beginning of what is going on."
Amara paused for a moment. Something about this whole situation just seemed off. Even if he was telling her the truth, why was he calling her for help? He had so many servants and body guards. h.e.l.l, the vampire had an army of his own. He shouldn"t have needed to call a professional vampire hunter about it. Curiosity killed the cat after all, and she suddenly felt like a tabby stepping onto a busy highway.
"Okay. Meet me at the drug store on the corner of Seventh Street and Madison," she was giving in. The eeriness of the situation had her.
"I"m already outside, Amara. I can feel where you are, remember?"
"Then why didn"t you just come abduct me, Alex?" An angry heat filled her chest at the reminder. He was being controlling and giving her s.p.a.ce at the same time, and it made her feel like one of his pets. She was not one of his pets.
"Being polite, Amara. As polite as I can be with what"s going on. Now come outside."
"Next time you should consider what-" Amara shouted into the phone, but when the line went dead, she threw the phone against the bed angrily and cursed. For a few moments, she paced the room and debated not going at all. Maybe she could just make him sit in his car and wait for her all day. No. She wasn"t stupid enough to believe he would do it. No, he would come inside, and knock on the door, and if she didn"t answer, he wouldn"t give up there either. She would end up being dragged out kicking and screaming if it came to it.
Alexander wasn"t patient, or compromising.
She took a deep breath and a few more moments to collect herself before she grabbed her jacket. She made her way to the elevator and through the large, gla.s.s doors that separated the warm, cozy hotel from the outside world.
The weather was just starting to cool down, and her body was still used to the warm temperature that came with summer. Now, the leaves had turned, and a crisp September chill clung to the air. It was a nice change from the smoldering heat, but at there were times when Amara wished the summer could last just a few weeks longer.
As soon as she was through the doors and on the pavement outside, she recognized Alexander"s red sports car. How cliche, she thought. Why wouldn"t a vampire have a flashy car that was the color of blood to cruise around town in? She shook her head as she walked to the car, the slight heel of her boots clicking on the pavement like an aggravated warning to the vampire. She sat down in the leather coated pa.s.senger seat and slammed the door beside her.
"Fine. I"m here," she snapped. "Now where are we going? Why aren"t you just teleporting us there?"
"We"re going to La Spezia Bella." The vampire kept his eyes on the road as he drove quickly.
"La Spezia Bella, really?" Amara put her head back against the seat. "An upscale restaurant. Owned by a vampire. A friend of yours, no doubt."
Alexander shook his head. "No. Not a friend of mine. A vampire, yeah, but not someone I know."
"I"m a little busy for lunch, Alex. I don"t have the time to play games."
"We"re not going there for lunch," he said evenly. He was being careful to keep his voice level and calm, and that worried Amara.
Alexander seemed distant. Distracted. Something was happening, and he wasn"t sharing the information just yet. She wasn"t sure if she should tag along for the ride and brace herself for whatever she was about to see, or if she should jump out of the car.
"Alex," she tried to keep her voice just a little more tender. "What exactly are you taking me to see?"