Vampire Vendetta Page 8

  It didn’t help that the air in Megan’s office was rife with her scent coupled with Phoebe’s sweet baby smell. There was also a taste of Joss O’Day mixed in, but that was beneath his notice. It hadn’t taken long for Megan to make the room her own. The woman definitely had some control issues. She’d given him very specific instructions where to put the files as he finished with them. He had no doubt that she’d even double-check to make sure he’d input the information correctly before putting the patient files away on the shelf.

  He couldn’t wait to see how she did it. If it were up to him, they’d be filed by species first and then alphabetized by last name. He was betting she’d do the same. But however Megan set up her filing system, she’d be able to lay hands on anything he wanted with easy efficiency—one more thing he liked about her.

  Which was the last thing he needed.

  He allowed himself one more deep breath of Megan-scented air before leaving her office. There was much to be done to get ready for tonight. But as he headed across the waiting room, intent on restocking the examination rooms, there was a sharp knock at the front door of the clinic. He veered in that direction, his pulse already kicking into high gear to deal with whatever crisis awaited his attention.

  When he threw the door open, there was obviously no emergency. Instead, Joss O’Day gave him a bright smile and shoved a picnic basket toward him.

  “Hi, Seamus. I figured you’d be up and might appreciate a meal you didn’t have to cook for yourself. Megan said you had a heck of a first night on the job.”

  His hand automatically closed on the basket’s handle, despite the strong temptation to refuse the gift. He had no desire to accept any more handouts from O’Day and his wife than was absolutely necessary. On the other hand, the better he knew his enemy, the better his chance to strike hard when the time came. The two of them had played loose with the rules of their society, with no regard for the fallout their games had caused. They would soon learn that such carelessness would come back to haunt them.

  “Would you like to come in, Mrs. O’Day?” he asked, forcing a note of friendly curiosity into his voice. When she frowned, he added, “I mean, Joss.”

  He preferred to use her married name, to maintain that much more distance, but she’d already insisted on him calling her by her first name. Neither of the O’Days stood much on formality, a definite anomaly among the vampire clans. Another was their willingness to take in strays, although he doubted they would appreciate him calling their people that. It was true, though. Rafferty had made it clear that his estate offered a new start for anyone willing to work hard, with few questions asked other than Conlan’s initial screening of all applicants.

  Seamus stepped back into the shadows of the doorway as he waited for her to decide. Even so, there was still too much sunshine for comfort.

  Joss didn’t hesitate. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

  He led the way into his office, wanting the solid presence of his desk between them. “You timed this perfectly. I was going to restock the exam rooms before grabbing a bite to eat. We used up a lot of supplies last night.”

  And he was babbling. To keep his hands busy, he opened the basket. The rich scent of tomato and basil filled the air.

  “I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs,” Joss said with a smile. “It’s one of Rafferty’s favorites, so I thought you might like it, too.”

  “I’m sure I will.”

  “Go ahead and eat while it’s hot.”

  “Will you join me?”

  “No, I’m fine. In fact, while I’m here, I think I’ll put together some more patient files for Megan. She showed me how last night, and it will give her a head start. Rafferty is still sleeping because he had a late night with an unexpected guest, and I’m restless.”

  He would rather she didn’t stay, but knew he was fighting a losing battle. Instead, he concentrated on eating, figuring he’d need all his strength to get through what could be another stressful night.

  The meatballs were just as he liked them—spicy and no garlic. Back in the day, before the present system of government evolved to allow the three species to coexist side by side, humans thought that garlic would protect them from vampires. The truth was, his species just didn’t care for the taste. He wondered if the same was true for chancellors.

  Before he could take another bite, he heard something. Was that someone else knocking at the door? Before he could get up, Joss poked her head in.

  “You eat. I’ll see who it is. If you’re needed, I’ll holler.”

  Who else would it be for? He was the only medic in the region.

  He set his fork down and listened. He could hear Joss’s voice as well as a deeper male one. It was too early for any of the vampires on the estate to be out, so that left the humans and chancellors. As the voices drew closer, recognition kicked in. What was Conlan Shea doing here?

  Joss led the security officer straight into Seamus’s office. “Seamus, you must be special for Conlan to come calling, especially considering he’s turned down every invitation I’ve made since he hired on.”

  Conlan’s face flushed red. “Sorry, Joss. I’ve been busy.”

  “Yeah, right. Well, since you’re here anyway, you will show up at my house this evening at midnight to eat with Rafferty and me.” She gave him a narrow-eyed look. “You wouldn’t want to hurt my feelings, would you?”

  Judging by Conlan’s expression, he really wanted to refuse, but knew he was trapped. “All right, Joss, I’ll be there. But shouldn’t you ask Rafferty first?”

  “You let me worry about him.” She smiled, clearly unafraid of her vampire spouse. “Good, that’s settled. Now I’m going back to work in Megan’s office with the music turned up so I can’t hear what the two of you have to gossip about. See you tonight, Conlan.”

  “All right.” The chancellor waited until she closed the door before quietly adding, “I’m sure Rafferty will be thrilled.”

  “I heard that!” Joss called just before the music started playing.

  Seamus fought to hide a smile, but then gave up and grinned at Conlan. “I take it you’re not Rafferty’s favorite employee.”

  “True, but the fact that he’s not my favorite employer sort of evens things out.”

  Conlan leaned forward and sniffed. “Did Joss make that?”

  Seamus recognized hungry when he saw it. “Yeah. If you want some, come with me.”

  Without waiting for Conlan to answer, Seamus gathered up the food and put it back in the basket. “We’ll have more room next door in my quarters.”

  Conlan followed him, not bothering to hide his curiosity about Seamus’s home. “Nice place. You settling in all right?”

  Figuring the security officer rarely asked idle questions, Seamus considered his words carefully before answering.

  “Yesterday was our first night to open the infirmary. It was a madhouse, but I liked feeling useful.”

  “Yeah, I get that.” He accepted the plate of spaghetti and salad. “It’s probably rude of me to invite myself to lunch, but I love Joss’s spaghetti. She makes great lasagna, too.”

  So Conlan knew her well enough to know her cooking skills. Interesting. “How long have you known her?”

  “Since our days as arbiters for the Coalition negotiating agreements between the three species. She was one of the best before she resigned.”

  Seamus wasn’t surprised by that. In fact, Conlan would be surprised to know exactly how much Seamus did know about Joss’s time as an arbiter for the Coalition. After all, her actions during that time had set in motion the events that had brought destruction raining down on Seamus’s sister.

  For that, Joss and her vampire husband would pay. But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. Not with a sharp-eyed chancellor sitting across the table from him.

  “She definitely has a way about her.”

  “That she does.” Conlan cut himself another slice of bread. “I understand Megan’s working here at the infir
mary, too. That’s convenient.”

  Seamus glared at Conlan. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  The chancellor shrugged. “Nothing. Just that since she’s the only person you knew here, it was nice that you ended up working together. I assume her health has improved.”

  “That it has. Good thing, too. Try telling her to take it easy and you’ll get your head handed to you.”

  Conlan didn’t exactly smile, but his eyes warmed up. “Can’t say that it surprises me. Toughness must run in their family. As sick as Megan was, I’m still amazed she made it all the way to the gate. Good thing she did, and better yet that you happened to be there at the right time.”

  He leaned back in his chair and gave Seamus a hard look. “I’m due to make my final recommendation on your application to live here. Is there anything you want to tell me before I send my report to the boss?”

  “Not that I can think of, but if you have any specific questions, I’ll try to answer them.” Seamus made himself meet Conlan’s direct gaze head-on. He hoped like hell that the chancellor was on a fishing expedition and not really expecting to catch anything.

  “Do you like living here?”

  “Yes.” At least he could be honest on that point.

  “Why?”

  How to answer that? The real truth was out of the question. He picked up his dish and set it in the sink and thought about how he would have answered if he were the man he was pretending to be.

  “I won’t deny that I’ve made my share of poor choices, but I’m good at what I do. Most of the patients I saw last night were routine cases, but that doesn’t mean the care I gave them was unimportant. The residents here on the estate need somebody with my particular skills.”

  He turned back to face Conlan. “I’d like to stay.”

  “Glad to hear that, considering I’ve already sent your file through with my recommendations that we accept you, Seamus. But make no mistake, if I find that my trust was misplaced, I’m a bad enemy to have.”

  So was Seamus, but Conlan wasn’t his target. “Thank you, Conlan. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

  But he would, and he hated knowing that.

  “Well, I’ve got to go. Thanks for sharing your lunch with me. I’ve other business to take care of before I have to be at Joss’s at midnight.” Conlan still didn’t look pleased about what was essentially a command performance.

  Seamus followed him to the front door. “Look on the bright side. Maybe Joss will make lasagna.”

  “Even that won’t make dinner with Rafferty any more palatable. Especially if his guest is still hanging around. I don’t know why that vampire is here in the first place.”

  Seamus let a little bitterness seep into his voice. “You mean he’s not broke and running from his past?”

  Conlan clapped Seamus on the shoulder. “Now, listen, Joss prefers that we think of our residents as running toward their future, not from their past. But to answer your question, this guy is the sole heir to his family’s fortune, definitely not the kind of vampire we usually have show up at the gate, especially alone.”

  Seamus’s mental alarms went off. “Did he say why he’s here?”

  “I can answer that.”

  Neither of them had noticed the music had been turned off. Joss joined them at the door. “Banan Delaney says that he’s heard about our more progressive ways of doing things and wanted to see them for himself. He claims he’s been butting heads with his family over how to get the most work out of their human and chancellor employees.”

  Conlan nodded, as if her explanation confirmed something for him. “Sounds like you don’t believe him.”

  “It’s hard to take him seriously when he spends most of his time drinking up our blood supplies and looking bored. If he’s asked one intelligent question, I haven’t heard it. And there’s something off about him when we do show him around.”

  “How so?”

  Joss frowned as she considered her answer. “He seems more interested in who we have working for us than how the work is being done. If he’s wanting to change things on his own estate, it should be the other way around. It’s almost as if he’s hunting for somebody.”

  For the first time Seamus saw the warrior side in the two chancellors. Both radiated strength and determination, their fangs showing, although not fully extended. If he were this vampire heir, he’d be treading carefully around these two. Ever perceptive, Joss picked up on Seamus’s own tension.

  “Seamus? Do you know something about Delaney I should know about? Have you met him before?”

  Joss’s question jerked his attention back to her. “No, no I haven’t. I’m afraid I wasn’t exactly listening. I’ve got a lot to get ready before we open again tonight.”

  Joss seemed to accept his explanation. He wasn’t so sure about Conlan, but then the chancellor was paid to suspect everyone and everything.

  “Thanks again for bringing lunch, Joss.”

  “You’re welcome. We’ll get going so you can get something done.”

  Seamus locked the door after they left, intending to restock the exam rooms. However, he couldn’t concentrate as the conversation played over and over in his mind. An irritating visitor was hardly his concern, but something about Joss’s description of the vampire’s actions prodded at him.

  Was the vampire looking for someone specifically? If so, then the question was who? A chill danced down his spine. As Conlan had pointed out, quite a few of the estate residents had their own secrets to protect, but he knew one in particular who had a vampire in her past.

  It was huge leap in logic, but they all suspected that Megan had been running from someone, and most likely that person was a vampire. But what Joss and Conlan didn’t know was that she’d been systematically poisoned. If Delaney was indeed Phoebe’s biological father, he could be here to try to finish the job and reclaim his daughter.

  Seamus’s own fangs ran out fully at the perceived threat to Megan. If the vampire tried to harm either female, Seamus would kill the bastard. And it wouldn’t be an easy death, not if the vampire dared to threaten Megan. Seamus had dragged her back from the edge of death, and that made her his woman now.

  His.

  And that realization ricocheted around in his head as he tried to make sense of it. What was he thinking? Megan wasn’t his. Never would be. But on a gut level, he knew that didn’t matter. There was a connection between them that was forged that first day and had only strengthened with each minute he’d spent in her company.

  She and her innocent daughter deserved to live in peace, not be haunted by a specter from her past.

  There was no way to know if this Delaney fellow was really the villain in this affair, short of asking Megan point-blank who the father of her child was. Even then, she might not answer. While he admired her desire for independence, he wouldn’t let it stand in the way of her safety.

  He checked the time. She’d arrive for work in just over two hours. He’d put the time to good use and do some snooping of his own. The news media loved to cover the social circles a vampire heir like Delaney ran in.

  It was a long shot, but it might just give him enough information to confront Megan with.

  Banan checked his messages and cursed under his breath. So far, his mother, his father and two of his four grandparents had seen fit to send him e-mails. Each and every one of them contained the same demand for an update on his progress. He could sum it up in one word: none. He considered sending out a blanket message to that effect, along with a request that they leave him the hell alone, but that wouldn’t be smart.

  Right now, his relationship with the higher-ranking members of his clan was dicey. If he were to push back too hard, it would be just like them to cut him off without a dime. According to his mother’s mother, he’d had more than enough time to pick a nice vampire female from an appropriate family to marry. Not only that, the clan needed an heir to solidify the clan’s future and right now his bastard daughter by a chancellor was their
only option.

  More and more the vampire clans were finding it harder to produce a new generation to carry on the family name. Humans and chancellors, on the other hand, had no such problem. They bred herds of young like the cattle they were. The only plus was that their mixed genes meant chancellor women were capable of producing a pureblood vampire.

  When he’d culled Megan Perez out of the herd to breed with, he’d known the odds and rolled the dice. First time out, they’d produced a healthy vampire female. Custom demanded that Megan give the child up to her father’s family to raise.

  Where he’d gone wrong was that he’d also chosen Megan for her intelligence, not just because she was pretty. Who could’ve guessed that such a stubborn nature existed under that pleasant facade? Under increasing pressure from his family, he’d resorted to extreme measures to get the child away from her. She should’ve died from the poison he’d given her. Instead, she’d disappeared.

  He ripped open another blood pack and poured it into a glass. It was insulting that Rafferty didn’t provide humans for Banan to feed from, but that didn’t mean that Banan would stoop to sucking his meal from a plastic bag. He took a long drink and waited for the familiar buzz of the rich liquid to hit. Unfortunately, the packaging process diluted the effect, forcing him to drink more blood to get the same energy from it.

  At least his host kept a well-stocked supply of even the rarer types, although he suspected Joss O’Day was growing tired of playing hostess. Too bad. Even though Rafferty had all but severed any ties with the vampire hierarchy, he couldn’t afford to alienate them completely. So as long as Banan didn’t break any of the household rules, such as direct feeding, Rafferty would allow him to stay.

  Because of the sprawling size of the O’Day family estate, it was taking longer to search for Megan than Banan had planned on. It would help if he could access the records on Rafferty’s computer, but they were password protected. Before coming to the estate, he’d even paid someone to hack into the Coalition medical files but with no luck. If Megan had received any medical treatment, it hadn’t been reported anywhere.