Night's Touch (Children of The Night 2)

Unable to think of a suitable reply, he remained silent.

Brenna regarded him curiously for a moment. “You’re different from the rest of us, aren’t you? Roshan says it’s because Mara brought you across. He said you aren’t trapped by the Dark Sleep, and you don’t seem overwhelmed by the need for blood, the way most new vampires are.”

Vince shrugged. “Sometimes I don’t feel like a vampire, either, but I’m vampire enough to know I can’t live with my family and expect them not to notice the changes in me.”

“I want you to promise me that you’ll tell Cara the truth before things go any further between you,” Brenna said, and then paused, her eyes narrowing. “Things have already gone too far, haven’t they?”

“You’ll have to ask Cara about that,” Vince said.

Brenna shook her head. “You’re going to break her heart; you know that, don’t you?” She blew out a sigh. “At least you can’t get her pregnant.” Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep, calming breath. “I want to thank you for your help tonight, and…”

She turned as the door opened and Cara stepped out on the porch. “What’s going on out here?” she asked, looking from Vince to her mother.

“Nothing, dear, I was just thanking Vince for his help.”

“And you had to come out here for that?”

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you what happened to the curious cat?” Vince asked, tweaking her nose. “Anyway, it’s late and I should go.”

Drawing Cara into his arms, he kissed her; mindful that her mother was watching, he didn’t make the kiss as long or as deep as he would have liked.

“Sweet dreams, darlin’.” He gave her a quick hug and a wink before letting her go.

With a nod in Brenna’s direction, Vince descended the porch stairs.

He paused a moment, and then he walked the perimeter of the grounds before settling down in the shadows to keep watch until the sun came up.

The creature wandered aimlessly through the night, its mind as dark as the sky overhead. Now and then it saw something that looked fleetingly familiar, but before he could make sense of it, the memory was gone.

Keeping to the shadows, the creature lumbered up one street and down another until it came to a large house located on a hill. A high wrought-iron fence surrounded the yard. No lights shone in the windows.

The creature stood there for a long time. There was something oddly familiar about the house, something that drew it up the hill, through the gate, and up the stairs to the front porch.

Chapter 35

Cara slept late Sunday morning, but that was only to be expected, she thought, after the horrors of the night before.

Rising, she pulled on a fluffy pink robe, stepped into a pair of furry pink slippers, and opened the French doors that led to the balcony, only then realizing that it was raining. She stood there for a few minutes, listening to the rain and the thunder, watching as lightning streaked across the lowering sky. She had always loved storms and loved the rain, as long as she didn’t have to drive in it.

After closing the doors, she left her bedroom, glad that she didn’t have to go to work. In the hallway, she paused outside her parents’ room. Remembering her mother’s words the night before, she wondered where her father had gone to rest where he wouldn’t be disturbed. Was it somewhere in the house? Had her mother gone to join him there?

She reached for the door, her hand closing around the knob; then, with a shake of her head, she went downstairs. She had never violated her parents’ privacy; she wouldn’t start now.

She found Di Giorgio in the kitchen, the Sunday paper spread out on the table. He looked up when Cara entered the room.

“Morning, Miss DeLongpre.”

“Good morning, Frank. Have you been awake all night?”

“I caught a few winks on the sofa.”

“Oh, I was just going to make some breakfast. Would you like…” Her voice trailed off when she happened to glance at the morning headline.

FIRE DESTROYS ABANDONED BUILDING BODY OF UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN FOUND INSIDE FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED

Leaning over Frank’s shoulder, she quickly read the story, which stated that the fire department suspected arson and the police department suspected murder. At present, the police had no leads and no suspects.

Cara stared at Frank, her mother’s words echoing in her mind: Someone should burn that horrible place down, Brenna had said. And Frank had replied, Maybe someone will.

“You did it, didn’t you?” Cara said. “You burned down the lab.”

Di Giorgio looked up at her, his face impassive. “Who, me?”

“Yes, you.”

Di Giorgio tapped on the newspaper. “No leads,” he said with a sly grin. “No suspects.”

Cara shook her head. She should be appalled by what he had done but all she felt was relief that she would never see that lab again, coupled with a faint sense of sadness for Anton. His mother had died a horrible death, her body burned beyond recognition in the fire. Of course, Cara thought, there was no one to blame for Serafina’s death except Serafina. For a moment, the horror of all that had happened flashed through her mind: the mind-numbing fear of being strapped to a metal table, her concern for her father, the sharp prick of the needle as Serafina drew her blood, the icy terror that had chilled her to the marrow of her bones when Anthony Loken’s body rose from the coffin…

She shook off the memories. What was done was done, and she was glad the building was gone. She hoped the city would level whatever was left of it.

“So, Frank, would you like something to eat?”

“Sure.”

“French toast and bacon okay?”

“Anything you want to fix is fine with me.” He reached for the coffee cup on the table. “You got any plans for today?”

“Not really.” Opening the refrigerator, Cara took out a carton of eggs and the bacon and placed them on the counter, then she pulled a frying pan from the cupboard. “Although I might go out later and see if Vince is home.”

“I’ll be driving you anywhere you want to go today.”

Out of habit, she started to insist she didn’t need a babysitter, but the words died unspoken. After last night, she was lucky to have Frank around. In fact, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to go anywhere alone again.

After breakfast, she went upstairs to shower and dress, and then Di Giorgio drove her over to Vince’s garage, but the place was locked up tight.