Immortal Revenge (39 page)

Leaving the dirty clothes in a pile on the floor, she stepped into the bathtub. The suite had a garden tub to soak in, but she wasn’t in the mood. Catching a few hours of sleep seemed like a better idea. Having found the perfect temperature, she stood under the spray of the shower. For several long minutes, she simply stood there and let the water caress her head and body. She twisted, stood still for a while, turned again and stopped. When she felt relaxed, she took to washing her hair. After she finished cleansing, she spent more time enjoying the massage of the spray.

Clean and refreshed, Katie shut the water off and then swung the curtain liner to the side. The hot water had soothed her mind and body, preparing her for a nice nap. She reached for a towel on the rack as the door clicked and swung open.

“Get dressed, now,” Riker said as he stepped in the bathroom.

Naked and with a shot of rage running straight to her head, she yelled, “What the fuck are you doing? Get out!” She’d forgotten to grab the towel and opted for pointing at the door while balling her other hand into a tight fist.

He quickly scanned her body. “We have a problem. Get dressed.”

“Leave!”

When he finally turned and shut the door, she grabbed the cotton towel.

Fury made her flush instead of the realization he’d witnessed her naked. How dare he barge into the bathroom? She quickly dried, rubbing the towel over head and body. He’d said they had a problem. The vamp irritated the hell out of her, but he wouldn’t have stormed in without good reason. Hurrying, she donned clean clothes. She dashed from the bathroom with her wet hair a worse mess than before her shower.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, stopping next to him.

He had his leather coat back on and stood maybe two feet from the television, facing it. “Listen.”

Katie watched the screen and heard the newscaster repeating a call for help. Police reported an all points bulletin for two women connected with the disappearance of Mr. and Mrs. Jennings. The reporter stated the police sought the two women for questioning. Anyone with information on their whereabouts should contact the police immediately. The police would deliver a reward of ten thousand dollars to the person or persons who locate the women in question. Photos of Jules and Katie appeared on the screen with a telephone number for the station.

“Holy fuck,” Katie said, then lifted her hands to the sides of her face. The beat of her heart kicked up a notch.

“I need to dispose of your car,” Riker said.

“My car?” Katie gave him a pleading look with her brows raised. “Please, don’t ruin my car. It was a gift from Kyle.”

“I have to move it out of sight.” He withdrew the keys from his jacket. “Do you know of any secure hiding places?”

“Kyle’s barn, but I think there’s still a guard posted at his property.”

He stepped around her. “I can handle him.” He headed for the door.

“Wait. How will you get back?”

He paused and twisted to face her. “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way.”

Katie’s mind raced with possible solutions. He could command the patrol unit stationed at the property to bring him back, assuming a cop was there. Not a bad idea, but if someone wasn’t guarding the property, Riker would be stuck having to use his feet to get back. And Kyle’s barn was at least fifteen minutes of driving distance away. Tracking back on foot at vampire speed could still take him over twice as long. She considered other options. She couldn’t contact Ben. He’d talk too much and she couldn’t explain quickly enough. The only other person she could trust was Andy. Although she disliked the thought of putting him close to Riker, she could think of no better options.

“If you promise to leave Andy’s mind alone, I’ll call him and have him meet you at Kyle’s. He can bring you back.”

He turned the knob and opened the door. “Do it. I’ll handle the hotel clerk as well. Just do not leave this room.” The last part he emphasized strongly.

“I won’t. Promise.”

Riker gave her a nod before he strode down the hall.

Katie shut the door, then leaned her back against it. The police wanted her and Jules for questioning. Why would Charles put such an advertisement on the news? She and Jules now looked like criminals. Maybe that was the intent.

Blood flowed to Katie’s head in a rush. Brandon and his partner were at play. An all points bulletin would surely bring Katie and Jules into the limelight. If someone turned them in, cops would detain her and Jules at the station, or worse. The police could escort them to the vamp’s hiding place at the orchard.

Clenching her teeth, she rushed to the dresser in the bedroom. She dug inside her purse and found Andy’s phone. The vamps had pulled a trick out of their hat she hadn’t thought of, but if she and Jules stayed inside the suite all day, they would survive. The plan sounded easy enough.

Katie found Andy’s number in the contact list. Somehow, she had to convince him to pick up their cold friend. Riker agreed not to touch his memories. If ever there was a time to test the vamp on his word and loyalty, here it was.

The phone rang once, then Andy answered. “What the hell is going on?”

“I need your help.”

25

Katie lay on her side, facing the curtained window. A touch of light peeked in around the edges. She’d dozed off a little after Riker had settled into his cozy tub. He’d returned to the suite with Andy a good hour before sundown and informed her he’d successfully hidden her car in the barn. She’d given Andy the location of the keys when she’d apprised him of the situation and had requested his assistance. Turned out calling Andy for help was smart. Kyle’s property didn’t have a patrol unit guarding it when Riker and Andy arrived, so Riker had said. He would’ve made it back to the suite in time if he’d ran, but the vamp would’ve needed blood to refuel. The thought of him feeding from someone bothered her, even though he wouldn’t kill the person. As things stood, Riker passed her small test and she trusted him a bit more. By all accounts, Andy seemed like…Andy. They’d conversed for ten minutes, then he left to head back to the bar. He promised to deliver food for her and Jules later.

Sounds of a car horn and a plane flying overhead drowned the low voices from the television. Katie had left it on, hoping the sounds would distract her overworking brain and encourage her to sleep. Her idea worked for a while until she’d heard a door slam.

Sighing, she curled her toes and rolled to her other side. A hint of a cramp quickly led to a full-blown one in the arch of one of her feet. The pain lasted a good half-minute while she worked out the stiffness by massaging the underbelly of her foot with the other one. Although the cramp was minor, it signaled her body craved more vampire blood. Slight aches and pains could last twelve to fifteen hours. After that, she wouldn’t be able to function normally.

Katie gazed at Jules, lying on the other bed. Her best friend had slept soundly ever since they came back to the suite. She made soft whimpers and deep sighs every so often. Katie hoped the whimpers were from good dreams.

Katie closed her eyes and tried to bring forth her own set of good dreams from the memories she had with Kyle. It didn’t take long before her mind drifted and his loving face appeared. He had a broad forehead and dark wavy locks. She’d always enjoyed running her hands through his soft hair. His eyes captivated her, twinkling with a hint of green. They were naked, cuddling with their bodies pressed together, a sleeping bag underneath them and a fleece blanket barely covering their lower parts. Stars gazed upon them from the clear midnight sky.

He brushed a strand of hair from the side of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “Do you know how much I love you, Katie?” he asked with a flirty grin.

She bit her lip, trying to stop the smile. She couldn’t. “I like to hear you say it.”

He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly with gentle strokes of his tongue. When he ended the kiss, her body screamed for more.

“I am in total love with you. I would do anything to keep you in my arms forever.”

Forever. She loved to hear him say he would love her forever. He would hold her forever. He would protect her forever.

The memory faded into darkness and he disappeared. A tear rolled across Katie’s nose. Kyle’s love was gone and forever no longer existed.

A soft tap on the door in the main room jolted her eyes open.

“Housekeeping,” said a woman outside their suite.

Katie jerked upright upon hearing the keycard device beep. Seconds later, she heard a clicking sound from the door.

Panic hastened her movements as she tossed the covers away from her and hurried out of bed. She’d completely forgotten to leave the “do not disturb” sign on the handle and berated herself. Dressed in her t-shirt and underwear, she ran toward the open doorway leading to the main room. A Hispanic woman and a young Caucasian female with coppery hair stopped upon seeing Katie.

“I’m sorry,” the Hispanic woman said. “Should we come back?”

The uniformed housekeeper with orange hair twitched her eyes in a curious manner as she stared at Katie.

“Actually, there’s no need to. We’re fine. We’ll probably be checking out later.” Katie headed to the door. She grabbed the handle and tugged it, widening the gap in an encouraging “get out” message while she stood behind the door. “Thanks anyway.”

The Hispanic woman smiled with kindness. “Would you like more towels?”

“No, we’re fine. Thank you.”

“Come on, Louise.” The white female grabbed Louise’s arm and tugged her out of the room.

Katie pushed the door shut as soon as the two housekeepers reached the hall. She’d hoped her action hadn’t come off as too rude, but the way copper head regarded her gave Katie a bad vibe. She placed her palm on the door and listened for sounds in the hall. Seconds of silence passed, then one of them knocked on a door across the hall. Louise’s familiar call and a security beep signaled the two had moved on.

With a deep breath, Katie backed away from the door. The two women seemed to go about their chores as normal, but instinct warned her to get out. Though Katie had never met the Caucasian female before, the woman eyed Katie as if she’d seen her from somewhere. In a sudden revelation, Katie figured out copper head might have recognized Katie from the photos on the news.

“Shit!” Katie blurted out.

She raced back to the bedroom. Andy’s phone and her purse lay on the dresser. She snatched the cell and rushed through the menu options in search of his number. Finding it, she pressed a button to call him.

While the phone rang, Katie headed to Jules’s side of the bed. She hated to wake her, but they couldn’t stay in the hotel any longer. Katie had a hunch the female with orange hair wanted the ten thousand dollar reward.

“Yes?” Asked a groggy Andy.

Katie peered past Jules at the digital clock on the nightstand between the two beds. The time showed 11:52 a.m.

“I have a problem.”

He sighed. “What’s wrong now?”

“I failed to place the no housekeeping sign on the door. Two women came in and I think one of them identified me.”

He groaned, then cleared his throat. “All right. What’s the plan?”

Katie scanned the room, similar to the way her mind searched for a solution to her new dilemma. She’d hoped the ex-marine might have something to offer, but apparently, his silence indicated he was waiting for her to come up with an answer.

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “But we can’t stay here. The police could be on their way.”

“Okay. I’m on my way.” He sounded more alert.

“Thank you, Andy. I owe you.”

He chuckled. “Careful, I might hold you to those words.”

“Get her pronto, Lone Ranger.”

Katie ended the call, then bent over Jules. She placed her hand on Jules’s arm and gently nudged her. “Jules…Jules.”

“Huh?” she answered softly.

“Jules, wake up.” Katie shook her arm a bit more.

Jules rolled onto her back and rubbed her eyes. “It’s too…early.”

Katie held back the chuckle. Her dear friend had no concept of time. She’d slept over eight hours so far. It was lunchtime, not breakfast.

“Get up sweetie. We have to leave in five minutes.”