Blood, Body and Mind (10 page)

“
Of course, my lord. You can depend on me.”

Aaron left the room as soon as he handed Sara off to the very capable Duncan. He turned to look at her before stepping into the hall. She felt him whisper through her mind.

“
We aren’t finished, you and I. I want you, Sara. I want you with a desperation I’ve never felt before. And I can feel you want me as well, smell your need on your body when I’m near you. And I intend to sample that very lovely mouth and so much more of you when you’re better. Count on it.” Then he swept out of the room, leaving her dizzy with a need for him to do just what he said.

Sara tried to not lean too heavily on Duncan, but she was still very weak. They didn’t make any record breaking time getting there, but she was in one piece when they got to the sink. She assured him that she would be fine for the next few minutes and closed the door on him. She could tell he did not want to leave her alone, but he could see the wisdom in letting her have her privacy. While she was attending to herself, she could hear him fussing around on the other side of the door.

Sara looked into the huge mirror over the sink after going to the bathroom. Her face was bruised, but not overly so. The mark on her neck where Colin had held her against the cabinets was now several shades of browns and blues. Her hair was a mess, and reaching for the comb on the sink, she tried to straighten it as best she could, but simply did not have the energy.

Aaron…Mr. MacManus had started to kiss her twice now. Once in the kitchen and then just now. Why, she wondered, then flushed. She was not so much concerned with why he wanted to kiss her, she realized, but that he had not.

When she finally opened the door, opting wisely, she thought, not to take a shower, Duncan stepped quickly to her.

“
Too much, I’m guessing; back to bed with you.” He put his shoulder under her good side to gently guide her to the bed. He had made it, she saw, stripping off all the linens and putting on fresh sheets. He had also folded back the gorgeous quilt so that she could get into it with ease.

She had only taken two steps when he stopped her. Without a word, he gently picked her up into his arms and laid her back on the bed. She was exhausted and hurting and did not utter a single protest when he had lifted her. Then he fussed the blankets around her, fluffing her pillows behind her head.

“
Now, I think you need to eat something light. I will go down and brew you up some tea with honey, and maybe a little broth, beef, I think. Dr. Thomas left instructions on how to make both, and to be honest, I’ve been practicing while you slept. I think I’ve about got it. What do you say?” He winked at her, and despite how badly she felt, she laughed.

“
Oh, Duncan, where have you been all my life? Thank you, I’ll take the broth and tea now, please.”

Sara really just wanted to go back to sleep, the walk to the bathroom taking a great deal out of her. She also knew that she needed to rebuild her strength if she stood any chance of leaving this house before she became someone’s lunch. She was not going to ask again if she could leave, she decided. It was time she left and if she had to hurt a certain arrogant ass of a vamp to do it, then she would.

Sara must have dozed off. Duncan was about to turn and go back downstairs when she stopped him.

“
Duncan, I’m awake now. Please, come in. That smells wonderful.” She tried to sit up a little straighter, but it required too much effort. She almost laughed at the expression on his face.

“
How are you feeling, miss? You look a little...well, if you don’t mind my saying so, miss, you look like something that has been run over a few times.”

“
Better than I look, I guess. It has been a rough couple of days. Do I really look as badly as I feel? No, don’t answer that. I’m feeling better, thank you for asking.” Somehow, she knew he was not trying to be funny, but simply did not get the slang. He was always so proper. She wondered what he had been before he had started working for Aaron.

“
Yes, it has. Here you go. You eat as much as you can, please.” He put the tray across her lap and as he turned to go, she asked him to not leave just yet.

“
Please, Mr. Duncan, if you wouldn’t mind keeping me company for a little bit. I won’t fall asleep in my soup if you stay.”

Duncan sat in the chair that faced the bed. He then reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled several golden-colored spoons from his left pocket and then a white cloth for the right. He then proceeded to polish them.

“
What day is it?” she asked after several minutes of her eating. The meaty rich broth was very good. It was warm and delicious going down. The tea was too sweet, but she drank it as well.

“
Wednesday, I believe, miss.”

He was putting the spoons, which she was sure was real gold, back into his pocket. She watched in astonishment when he reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out another small cloth bag with several knives of the same golden hue and design. He looked up at her curiously as he began to polish them as well.

“
No, I mean the date? I know its mid-June, but what’s the actual date?”
Gee,
she thought,
it had been a rough few days if she could not even remember the date.

“
Oh, it’s the sixteenth,” He said.

“
Oh no, I need to go into town today. I have to mail something, a payment. I should have mailed it three days ago. It’ll be late for sure.” As she made to get up, alarmed, Duncan moved to settle her back into the bed.

“
I don’t believe it would be wise of you, Miss Sara. You won’t be able to go anywhere today. You can barely walk; going into town is out of the question. Here, lie back down.” Once he got her back in bed, he sat back in the chair. “I’ll do what you need done, so don’t you fret. Just tell me what you need and I’ll see to it as soon as you’ve eaten.”

“
I can’t ask you to do that. You’re not here to serve me, and I need to go soon anyway. If you’re afraid, I will come right back so the bloodsucker doesn’t have to know. I wouldn’t do anything that would get you into trouble, Duncan.” She liked the gentleman too much for that.

“
Nonsense, the bloodsuck...I mean, his lordship will know, because I will have to tell him that I allowed you to leave. Tell me what needs to be done. His lordship would want me to insure that you are well taken care of.”

Sara looked at him, and through his mind, searching for a reason a stranger would help her, when she could find no other motive than a desire to simply help her, she sighed. She doubted that his lordship would give two figs whether she was taken care of or not. The money needed to go out, though; someone was depending on her to make sure the bills were paid.

“
I have to have my backpack, could you get it for me, please? You don’t know how much I appreciate this, Duncan.”

After Duncan retrieved it for her, she opened the larger part of it and pulled out all her personal stuff. She always carried extra things with her; clothes, two pair of pants, three shirts, several pairs of lacey panties, a couple of bras, socks, and a windbreaker. Also in her bag were a wallet, brush, toothbrush, hair barrettes, and pony tail holders. There was also a small bag that held her personal feminine things and a large zippered pack that was full of stationery. This, she laid aside. When she reached inside again, she pulled out a large stack of cash. Sara put everything back into her bag and was writing out an envelope while she explained what she needed for him to do.

“
Please, get a money order for eight-hundred twenty-five dollars and put it in this envelope and mail it at the post office.” She hoped again that she was doing the right thing, but she did not really have a choice. “Here is some extra money for special delivery. Hopefully, this will cover it. I don’t have to mail the money this way very often, so I’m not sure how much it costs.”

Sara had less than twenty-five dollars left in her hand when she was done counting out the money for him to mail. If she was not able to go back to work soon, she’d have to figure something else out quick.

“
Thank you, Mr. Duncan. You don’t know how much I appreciate this. I’m not used to...having people help me isn’t something I’ve ever... Thank you.”

“
You’re very welcome, miss. It’s always a pleasure when a man can help out a damsel in distress.” He winked at her as he put the envelope and cash into his jacket pocket with the golden spoons.

And with that, he gathered up the tray, and left her to her nap. She was nearly asleep when he was closing the door behind him.

~
CHAPTER NINE~

“
Well, I think you are about ready to be discharged, young lady. How does that sound?” It had been a long week and she was feeling tremendously better. And Thomas Reilly was finally letting her go home.

“
Perfect, sir.” She needed to get this over with now. “I’d like to know if I can make arrangements to pay you. I don’t have much money. I’ll be able to pay you when I have a more steady income.” She felt herself flush.

“
Miss, you don’t owe me anything. I’m...Aaron is my master, yes, but he’s also my friend. I came here to take care of you, of course, but the opportunity to aggravate him is a bonus all by itself. So don’t worry you’re pretty little head about it. However, if you find the chance when I’m around to give it to him good, then I’ll consider that a gift.” He grinned at her as he stood to leave. “Now that that unpleasant business is taken care of, Aaron said you are to be taken home as soon as you’re ready. I don’t think he’s all that happy about you leaving, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if he were to pop up now and again if I were you. Just to check on you, so to speak. You are just to let Duncan know and he will be happy to take you there.”

There was more to it than what he was actually telling her, or trying not to tell her, she was sure, but she was just too excited to care about it right then.

Sara had not seen Aaron all week. She did not know where he was, or what he was up to, and she had never asked. Duncan or one of the others came to see her every day, more so now that she could get out of the bed and even more since she could move around. But she had never left the room, not wanting to confront the master of the house.

She gathered up her meager belongings and was ready to leave some thirty minutes later. She found Duncan in the kitchen again and asked if he was ready to go.

“
Yes, miss, all ready when you are. I’m sorry the master could not be here to see you off, but he has been, well, he has been, what I mean to say is that...” he started to say. She didn’t need him to make excuses for his boss.

“
It’s all right, Duncan. I’m more than ready to get out of here. I have lots of stuff to do, as I’m sure you do. You’ve been great, but I really need to get away from him. I do have a thank you note for him, if you could see that he gets it.” She handed him one of her envelopes of a pretty shade of blue.

“
Oh no, miss, it isn’t like that at all. He’s new to this realm and there are so many details to see to. The area and household was left in such horrible shape for so many years. The previous master was such a tyrant and a sadist. His lordship is trying to get the other vampires to come to him with their needs. He so wants to help them, you see.”

Sara nodded at him in way of an answer as she turned away. She had not known Aaron long, but what Duncan had told her sounded like something he would do.

Sara had Duncan take her to the Carlovetti Airlines hangar. The private airstrip was just outside of Zanesville about fifty miles from Columbus and the Columbus Airport. Carlovetti Airlines did an amazing amount of business, taking commuters to and from larger cities like New York and Chicago.

Sara’s van was just where she had parked it nine days ago when she had first met Aaron and saved his life. She was grateful it was late and everyone had already gone home. It gave her a few minutes to resettle herself and to clean up in the hangar before she left. She did not think it wise to bathe in the little creek nearby to where she parked tonight. Her wounds were still healing and she did not think the dirty water would be very wise for her health.

It was not as though she didn’t want Duncan to know where she lived. It was how she lived that she was keeping secret from him and everyone else. She was sure that she would never have been able to leave the big house had they known that she lived in her van, and had been for several years now. When it got cold enough that blankets did not keep her warm at night, she moved into the local YWCA for a few months. When spring broke, however, she moved back. After she had taken a quick shower, she drove to her usual place in the middle of the wildlife preserve near the airstrip.

When she was sure that it was safe, she pulled out the rest of her savings. With the money left over from her recent payment out to Sunny Side Up, in Nevada, she had nine hundred and forty dollars left until her first check again. If she were careful and ate sparingly, she had just enough for another payment. That was, bearing no unforeseen accidents, and lately that was becoming too much of a habit.

Sara had been very grateful that the Carlovettis were going to use her as a “daywalker.” She was going to be answering the phones and making flight plans for the other pilots until she was released to fly by Dr. Thomas. She was okay with the forced confinement. The everyday movement on the tender wound could cause her problems at fifty thousand feet that she did not want to chance.