vampires of san francisco 07 - suckers lost and found (25 page)

“When and where are you getting married? I can have a crew there to take a couple of shots of you two.”

“Make it one photographer and you’ve got a deal. We’re getting married in Georgia in a week. I can send you the rest of the info tomorrow or the next day. We are trying to nail down the details.”

“Forget about the fashion show. I’ll have pictures of the real deal. It will be spectacular. I can see it now.”

I laugh at Laura’s enthusiasm.

“Let’s see this dress, Laura. I know we won’t be able to keep Aidan away for long,” I say.

“It’s this way. I’m second-guessing the dress now. I have two that would fit your body type. I’ll let you choose after you try them on.”

She leads us through a maze of work tables and sewing machines. Tulle, satin and silk flow every where. Along with her bridal pieces, she will be showing bridesmaid dresses too. The shop should be closed by now but it is a hive of activity.

      “Here we are, Manda.”

      “Oh, that one…. I don’t even have to try on the other one. It’s just like in a fairy tale.” Manda is gushing and fan-girling all over the place. 

      “That’s Roseanant. Fitted beaded bodice with yards of tulle. The front should hit you just above the knees with a small train in the back. This is the dress I envisioned for you. I’m so glad you like it.”

      “Can I try it on? Do you have shoes I can try with it?” Manda asks jumping up and down a little. It is awesome seeing this much pleasure radiate through her.

      “Right this way. There is a dressing room back here. Rika, get Mrs. St. John a chair. She’s expecting. I want one of the entire maternity line put together. Size two?” she says looking at me.

“Yes,” I say laughing.

“This woman is going to scream Laura Zhang,” she says and giggles. I think she is having as much fun as we are.

      Soon Manda rejoins us and she is stunning. All legs and white tulle. They have her ebony hair pulled back with a beaded headband that matches the dress. Sebastian whistles and Manda is glowing. It has been a long time since she has had anything beautiful in her life. She will be amazing walking down the aisle with peach blossoms falling down around her. I will have to talk to Aidan about that. Speaking of which I better call him. I take some pictures of Manda first for future reference. She goes into the fitting room to change.

      Laura comes out with the dress in a bag for us. There is a silk cord draw string bag with her headband in it.

      “You’ll have to get the undergarments locally. I don’t have anything to spare. Rika, where are those maternity clothes?” Laura yells.

      “Right here, Ms. Zhang.” Rika comes out of a closet to the side of us and is pushing a huge box.

      “I don’t know how you are going to get that home. Do you want me to ship it to you?” Laura asks.

      “No, we’ll manage and if we can’t, we’ll ship it. Thank you so much. Do you make baby clothes, too?” I ask overwhelmed by Laura’s generosity but thinking ahead always.

      Laura and Sebastian laugh.

      “No, not yet. But I think that your baby would be the perfect model.”

      Sebastian wraps his hands around me and kisses my neck.

      “You’ll have a world of clothes to choose from for this little one,” he says as he caresses my stomach. Laura claps her hand and sighs. I think Sebastian is too charming for the female population.

      Manda comes up to us with her bags. 

      “I’ve called Aidan. He was waiting outside. Why don’t you tell him to come here to meet Laura?” I say and Manda happily obliges. 

The next thing we hear is the elevator coming to a stop. We all turn to look at Aidan and he walks in with his hair in that messy way that you can only achieve with hair products, washed out jeans and a cashmere sweater. His ocean blue eyes twinkle and I think Laura is planning a whole campaign around him and Manda.

“Hello, love. Did you find something you liked?” he says in his British accent and Laura almost swoons.

“Where were you all when I was planning my campaign? Oh, gosh, he has a delicious accent too. Manda, you have to convince him of the photographer.”

“What photographer?” Aidan asks, eyes positively glowing with mischief.

“Laura would like a few shots of us at the wedding with me wearing my dress and you in your tux,” Manda says as she snuggles into Aidan’s arms. “Is that okay?”

“Your wish is my desire. Anything that makes you happy.”

“Yay! Manda I will email Lily the details. I can’t wait to see the shots.”

“We’re catching the red eye so we need to go, Ms. Zhang,” Aidan says.

“Please, please call me Laura.”

“Thank you, Laura, for making my fiancée so happy.”

“It was my pleasure. Do you guys need help with this big box?” Laura asks.

“We have two hunky men to manhandle it. No worries, Laura. I can’t wait to see what is in the box. Thank you so much,” I say.

“Nonsense. I want everyone to see Laura Zhang on that gorgeous body of yours. It’s my gift to the little one.”

I kiss her cheek as does everyone else. Manda hugs her tightly and whispers thank you in her ear. Of course we can hear her. We herd ourselves to the elevator and as soon as we are in and the door is shut I ask Aidan to put the box and wedding dress in my closet.

“Why in your closet?” Aidan asks, bemused.

“So you can’t peek. If I find out you have I will find a way to make you sing all the high notes you couldn’t reach before.” Aidan and Sebastian instinctively move their hands to protect themselves. Manda laughs.

Aidan sends the clothes and dress home and then we link hands and arrive in the dining room. The boys wanted to check in with Matteo and Alessandro. What we find is chaos and wreckage.

TWENTY-SEVEN / SEBASTIAN

I hear the girls gasp and Aidan curse as we look at what is left of our dining room and kitchen. An epic fight took place. The dining room table is in splinters, there are holes in the walls, the granite countertops are cracked with chunks missing. There is not a single appliance that doesn’t have a dent or door hanging by a thread. Blood splatters decorate the walls and floors. I hear a moaning sound and Aidan and I rush to its source.

“Matteo, mon Dieu, what happened? Are you okay?”

“Where’s Alessandro?” Aidan asks. Aidan and I exchange a look. Matteo groans again but manages to sit up.

“Alessandro was gone tracking Giulia and her vamps but they showed up here first. I tried to handle the situation. Her vamps aren’t trained in combat but there were seven of them with her,” Matteo says, holding his side. He is sure to have broken ribs. Why did Giulia not just kill him?

“Was she trying to kill you or just incapacitate you?” I ask.

“She said I was an example of what she would do to Lily. I have to warn Alessandro.” Matteo pulls out a phone and speaks to Alessandro. The gist being that Alessandro needs to come back immediately. While we busy ourselves getting Matteo to the one chair not destroyed, Alessandro comes flying in.

“Tell me everything,” Alessandro directs Matteo.

The story we hear is barbaric. The vampires we are dealing with have no conscience. I forget how most of the vampire population are crazed with their own desires. I’m terrified for Lily. I know Aidan is worried too. We both pull the girls close to us.

“Thank the Father you were gone,” Alessandro says. Matteo nods his agreement.

“On the other hand, we might have been able to take them. I’ve fought many battles and Aidan is able to vaporize vampires,” I say. Alessandro and Matteo look nervously at Aidan.

“Rest easy, my new friends, I have no plans on hurting you,” Aidan says trying to reassure them.

“What are we going to do now? Look at this place. I don’t want to go next door because they don’t need us to bring this danger to them,” Lily says. Her voice is trembling and her hands are shaking as she runs them through her hair.

“We need to neutralize the threat and do it as soon as possible,” Aidan says. 

He waves his hand and everything is back to normal, including the blood stains. I sigh heavily and nod my thanks at him. He acknowledges it. Matteo and Alessandro gasp and regard him with awe. Normally Aidan would be eating it up but their admiration doesn’t even register with him. He has a malevolent look in his eyes.

“Aidan, thank you,” Lily mumbles. She seems to be in shock. She will need blood soon. 

Aidan takes Lily’s face in his hands.

“Lilith, you know I would do anything for you. To protect you, your baby, and Manda is my top priority. I will vaporize each and every vampire, human, or beast that tries to take any of you away from us. Trust me, we will all be okay.”

Lily takes a big breath and shakes herself, trying to get a hold of her composure. I love her more in this minute than I ever had. I know we are again in a dangerous position but she is pulling herself together and not getting hysterical.

“Cherie, I agree with you. We have to stay here and from now on we need to stay together in the house. It’s the only chance we have of getting them. If they come back then it will take all of us to finish them.” I turn and look at Aidan. “Aidan, could you put a vampire-proof safe room in the house?”

“Yes. That’s a great idea. Lilith should not fight and Manda is so new I would feel better with both of them in there. Then we wouldn’t be distracted either. I’ll set it to fingerprint recognition. Only Lily or Manda’s fingerprints will open it so they can’t use you to open it. Of course anyone can open it from inside.”

He begins pacing, thinking, rubbing his chin.

“I think I will make a room like my apartment. You won’t know it is an addition on the house. And if you don’t know where it is you won’t be able to find it. I’ll make the door in your room.”

“Thank you, Aidan. I want to help you get it set up with what Manda and I will need. Hannah and the babies can use it too,” Lily says. The two of them go back to the bedroom. I know she is safe with Aidan.

“What a mess. This is all my fault,” Manda says and sits down hard in a chair.

“Manda, dear, why would you say that? This is no one’s fault. Giulia is just a psychotic vampire. Crazy in every way,” I tell her.

“Well, my rescue set her off and gave her a target. I’m so sorry, Sebastian.”

“Chou chou, you are not to blame for any of this. They stole you and turned you. We would have done anything to get you back. Aidan tried to move mountains to find you. We are so thankful you are with us again.”

Manda gives me a tenuous smile. I give her a hug and she clings to me. Aidan walks in and I give him a look to let him know that she needs him. He immediately takes her in his arms.

“Manda, darling, what’s wrong?” Aidan asks as he is rubbing her back but she only cries. He gives me a panicked look.

“She blames herself for Giulia,” I say.

“Oh, love, it’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s it’s mine. I’m the one who killed her mate. You’re an innocent victim here. Please believe me.”

Manda’s sobs start to quiet and she snuggles deeply into Aidan. I sigh in relief and look around for Lily.

“Where’s Lily?” Now I’m panicked.

“She’s in the safe room and wants us to try and break in. She promised me she would stay in it,” Aidan answers. I blur to our room.

Try as I might, I can’t find the door for the room. Finally I see the air shimmer in the corner of the room. I go in that direction and when I push on the air, my hand goes through and I come in contact with a fingerprint scanner and an intercom.

Lily’s voice comes out of the speaker.

“I can see you, Bast. Try and get in.”

I can’t even find the seam for the door. I spend about ten minutes trying to find a way to access her.

“Lily, I give up. There is no way in. Come out, please.”

An instant later a door materializes and Lily emerges from the room. I scoop her up. I have to admit not being able to get to her makes me nervous. My chest was tight until I had her in my arms again.

“Come inside, Bast. Let me show you around.”

I look around the room and I just can’t get over the magick at work. There are two oversized twin beds, a giant TV, a shelf of movies, and a refrigerator with bagged blood in it. At the back of the room is an ensuite bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi tub and separate shower. A couple of recliners and a closet full of clothes finish the space.

“This is amazing. I count myself lucky every day that Aidan is our friend.”

“I heard that,” Aidan says from behind me and smirks.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I tell him. Manda grins at me. She seems to have recovered.

“This place rocks. Lily, I think we should come in here whenever they are being annoying and we want a girl’s night.”

“Ooh, what a good idea!” Lily exclaims, jumping up and down. I vow to have Aidan make this room disappear as soon as the threat is over.

“You two are incorrigible,” Aidan says grinning.

“Yep, and you love us that way,” Manda says and winks at him.

“Thank you, Aidan. Once again you have done us a great favor. I think we should think about changing the locks on the door to something that Giulia can’t get into. Let’s go talk to Matteo and Alessandro about it and see what we can all come up with,” I say.

TWENTY-EIGHT / LILITH

The next week flies by. Aidan fixes the doors so they can only be opened with a key card. I make him take me on a walk once a day out by the ocean. Funny, I didn’t specify which ocean, so of course we have visited all of them.

“I love this time we spend together every day, Lilith. I will cherish this time. I love seeing your beautiful body swell with your child. You are simply glowing,” Aidan says and sighs as we come to a stop and watch the sun set in the Mediterranean. 

I start to get cold and pull my shawl tighter around me. Aidan notices and puts his arms around me from behind and rubs my belly. I lay my head back against his chest. I am completely content with my best friend in the world. There’s no more awkwardness between us. No unresolved issues. We know where we stand. We are both with our partners, who mean the world to us but we also know we will always have each other. I couldn’t imagine a better outcome for our unique history.