Мишель Роуэн - Tall, Dark & Fangsome

Her eyebrows went up at that. “You asked him to kill you? And he agreed?”

I nodded and tried to hold back the sudden surge of panic. It did sound horrible, but there wasn’t any other way. If he didn’t stake me personally, the Ring would send their people in to do it, and I’m fairly certain their method wouldn’t include attacking me with fluffy bunnies.

“I have another idea about what you should do,” Janie said.

“What?”

“Stop being a damn chump. Stop accepting all of this bullshit that’s being thrown at you and start fighting for your life.”

I frowned at her. “Is this tough love?”

She shrugged. “It’s my opinion. Take it or leave it. I just think any kind of action is better than sitting around and waiting. In fact, Quinn and I are going to try to find where your buddy Gideon has Amy hidden away right now.”

I felt the reminder of my friend’s impending danger like a third slap in the face. “How did you even know about that?”

“George filled us in when we got here. Since he knows where Gideon’s hotel was, we’re going to start there. It’s better than nothing.” She turned away from me toward the bedroom door.

“Listen, Janie…”

“Yeah?”

“If things take a serious nosedive and Thierry can’t… well, you know… then I want you to…”

The silence weighed heavy for a moment between us.

She nodded firmly. “You won’t even feel it. It’ll be like getting your ears pierced.”

“We are talking about the same thing, aren’t we?”

“My staking you when you turn completely black-eyed, batshit, crazy evil?”

“Yeah, but I remember getting my ears pierced hurt like hell.”

She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m not great with the pleasant analogies. I’ll make it quick, though. Don’t worry.”

Don’t worry? Sure. Easy for her to say. “Well, good. Thanks.”

“Janie,” Quinn said from the doorway. “We’re going to take off and start looking. You’re coming, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “Be right there.”

Quinn looked directly at me, and I saw that the disgust and uncertainty in his gaze had been replaced with concern. “You okay?”

“I’m doing my best.”

He nodded. “You need anything, just ask.”

Well, I just asked your fiancée to stake me, I thought. How’s that for a favor?

“I’ll do that,” I said instead.

Janie reached forward without hesitation and touched my shoulder. “You are going to make it, you know.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. You want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you’re invited to our wedding.” She smiled. “And FYI, cash is preferred since we’re not registered anywhere. Between running for our lives and getting used to being a vampire, I simply didn’t have the time.”

“Totally understandable.”

She took Quinn’s hand. With a last look at me he turned and they left my room. Had I known I’d be having a parade come through there today I would have spent a little time cleaning up. Luckily I was too distracted to be embarrassed by my messy tendencies, which I just noticed included a pink bra hanging precariously from my closet doorknob.

I stood there for a few minutes thinking about what Janie had said.

“Don’t be a chump” was the general theme.

I emerged from the bedroom in time to see George, Janie, and Quinn head out the front door and off on their wild goose chase to try to find Amy.

How odd that they’d leave Thierry and me alone after what had happened earlier. Did they trust me again so easily?

But no, when I turned around I saw the reason for their mass exodus. Barry sat on the couch. He stared at me with a dark expression of grief on his face. There was no doubt in my mind that he already knew what had happened to Amy.

“She’s going to be okay,” I told him.

“This is all your fault.” There was a catch in his words that made me feel worse than I already did. He sounded more upset than angry.

Also, he was right. This was my fault.

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

Barry frowned. Maybe he didn’t expect me to come right out and admit it.

“If Amy dies—” he began.

“If Amy dies then you have permission to stake me since I won’t want to live anymore,” I finished.

So that was three people I’d given permission to do the deed. I really should start an Excel spreadsheet to keep track.

“That won’t be necessary,” Thierry said. He stood by the front door, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t making eye contact with me at the moment, in fact, he seemed to be avoiding looking at me at all after our little make-out session from hell. “I have faith that Quinn, Janie, and George will be able to locate your wife.”

“But what if they don’t?” Barry argued. “We have no idea where she is. And if that bastard harms a hair on her head…”

“Can’t you sense where she is?” I asked. “If you concentrate really hard? I mean, you’re her sire, right?”

He shook his head. “That is a very rare bond that Amy and I are not lucky enough to share. I love her so much, but I can’t find her. I… I can’t help her.”

Even though the two of us didn’t get along very well, it made my unbeating heart ache to see him in such distress over the woman he loved.

“It’ll be okay,” I said simply. “I’m leaving now to find Gideon, too. When I sire him he’ll let Amy go. It’s simple.”

“No, there’s nothing simple about it.” Thierry grabbed my hand before I made a move toward the front door. “It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s too dangerous if I stay.” I shrugged away from his grip.

“And what will you do after you follow his wishes and make him possibly one of the most powerful vampires who ever existed? Do you think that he’ll give a damn who lives or dies? Gideon Chase is a selfish, self-serving hunter who is thinking of nothing more than his own survival.”

“He’s in pain. The hellfire is burning him alive.”

He glared at me. “After everything that’s happened, why the hell are you still making excuses for him?”

I felt a rise of anger. “You’re overreacting.”

“Am I?” he replied dryly.

“Yes, you are.”

“But, master,” Barry said. “We can’t simply sit here and wait helplessly.”

Thierry crossed the room to stand in front of Barry. “It’s too risky to send Sarah out there alone in her current condition.”

“She’s willing to go.”

“Sarah is obviously not herself right now and can’t be trusted out on her own.” He eyed me, and I knew he didn’t mean to sound cruel, he was telling the truth. After what had happened in the bedroom I couldn’t very well blame him.

Barry eyed me and for one of the few times since I’d first met him—it felt like an eternity ago but it was only three months—there was none of the usual distaste in his expression, only fear and worry. “What do you think, Sarah? You’re Amy’s best friend. Will she be all right?”

I shook my head. “I… I don’t know.”

I felt the nightwalker at the edges of my consciousness. She was chomping away at my control, little by little, like a bloodthirsty Ms. Pacman, but I held tight—the latest infusion of master vampire blood had helped again.

“You don’t know?” Barry’s face reddened. “That’s not good enough.”

There was stony silence for a full minute.

“I’m going to prepare some of that coffee George made,” Barry snarled. Without waiting for a response, he stood up from the couch and went into the kitchen. I could hear the cupboards and utensils slam and clank.

I took a step toward Thierry. “I seriously need to go.”

“You can’t.” He held up a hand to stop me. “And please, Sarah. Don’t come any closer to me. I’m still feeling a bit shaky from earlier.”