“I guess not,” Zack said. But he had the feeling that, had it been an option, she would have willingly let Drake change her.
“You won’t say anything to Drake about our conversation, will you?”
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
“Thank you. If you’re ready, I’ll show you to your room.”
Zack replayed their conversation in his mind as he followed her up a winding staircase to the second floor. He had the feeling that, if he offered, she would happily become a vampire. He couldn’t blame her. It had to be difficult, being the only mortal in the family.
He followed her past closed doors on both sides of the carpeted hallway. Paintings of sunny landscapes graced the walls between the rooms.
Elena stopped in front of the last door on the right. “Please, make yourself at home. And please be patient with Drake. In all the years I’ve known him, this is the first time he’s been at a loss as to what to do.”
Zack nodded. He wasn’t used to losing, either, and he damn sure didn’t like it when it happened. But he wasn’t about to give up, not now, not until Kaitlyn was back where she belonged.
“Feel free to look around,” Elena said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be with Drake.”
“Sure.” Truth be told, he would just as soon be alone.
Zack glanced at his surroundings after Elena took her leave. It was a large, rectangular room. A comfortable looking queen-sized bed was flanked by a pair of mahogany nightstands. A thick, dark green carpet covered the floor. Flowered curtains hung at the windows; a matching spread covered the bed.
He grunted softly when he saw the beveled mirror over the dresser. He wondered if Romanian vampires could see their reflections, something foreign to his kind. There were no mirrors on the floor of the casino; at night, blinds covered the windows, preventing anyone from noticing that the owner of the club didn’t cast a reflection, nor did a few members of his staff.
His internal clock told him dawn was still hours away. Pulling out his cell phone, he flipped it open and called Scherry.
She answered on the first ring. “Hi, boss, when are you coming home?”
He grinned at the sassy tone in her voice. “I’m not sure. How’s business?”
“Good, as usual. I’m glad you called. I was just about to call you.”
“I thought everything was good?”
“Oh, it is. This has nothing to do with the club. There was a man in here night before last, asking questions about some guy named Eddie Harrington. And last night, a woman showed up asking after somebody named Daryn Korzha. I couldn’t be sure but I had the feeling both the man and the woman were vampires.”
“What made you think that?” Zack asked, though he was pretty sure she was right.
“Something about the way they smelled—not human, but not like us. It was weird.”
“You were right. They’re vampires, only a different breed. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you. Everything else okay?”
“Jackson’s been seeing this woman, Adele. She works the late shift at the hotel in town. He turned her earlier tonight. He was afraid to tell you.”
“Smart boy.”
“Do you want him to leave the club?”
“No, but let him worry about it for a few days.”
Scherry laughed. “You are evil.”
“Yeah. I’ll call you in a day or two. If you don’t hear from me, don’t worry.”
“I always worry about you.”
“Yeah, well, stop it.”
“Take care, boss.”
“You, too.”
Zack closed the phone. So, Nadiya was sending her people out to look for Daryn. “Well, good luck with that,” he muttered.
And wondered if he would have any better luck finding Kaitlyn.
Chapter 31
Elena sat on the sofa in front of the hearth, a furry blanket wrapped around her shoulders, a cup of cocoa in one hand.
For Drake’s sake—and to hang on to her own sanity—she forced herself to stay positive. She told herself over and over again that there was nothing to worry about. Drake would find their daughter and bring her home.
In an effort to keep from sinking into despair, she thought about what Zack had said the night before. He could make her a vampire. It troubled her that she found the idea so appealing. She had lived with Drake and his people for over twenty years but if the truth were known, she had never truly felt like she belonged. Oh, the people treated her well enough. They were as much a part of her life as she was of theirs. And yet she couldn’t escape the fact that she was different. What would it be like, to be able to will herself into the city whenever she wished to go? To be like Drake? To share his whole life? To see the world the way he saw it? Even the blood part no longer repulsed her. She had been drinking a little of Drake’s blood for years. What would he think if she told him she wanted to be a vampire? What would Kaitlyn think?
“Kaitlyn.” The tears she had been holding back flooded her eyes as she murmured her daughter’s name. Where was she?
Elena stared into the flames, her heart aching. She hadn’t been up this early in the morning since Kaitlyn was an infant. She smiled, recalling how thrilled she had been the first time she held her baby daughter in her arms, how impatient she had been for Kaitlyn to wake up so she could hold her again. Her miracle baby. All babies were wonderful, of course, but Drake had told Elena there was little chance they could have a child, so when Kaitlyn was born strong and healthy, it had truly seemed to be a miracle.
She remembered the early years, when she had worried that Kaitlyn would get sick or hurt, and how she had prayed every day that Kaitlyn would be happy, that she would be able to accept her heritage. She recalled her bittersweet feelings when Kaitlyn went to kindergarten and how she had worried that her daughter might not fit in with the other children. So many foolish fears. None of the things she had worried about had come to pass.
She wiped her tears with a corner of the blanket. Her little girl had grown up into a beautiful young woman—sweet-natured, kind-hearted. She had never given them a moment’s worry.
Until now. Of course, she wasn’t responsible for the trouble with Nadiya. The blame for that lay squarely on Nadiya’s shoulders.
She drew the blanket around her, cold in spite of the fire. Where was her little girl now?
Kaitlyn woke feeling groggy. There was a horrible taste in her mouth. When she tried to sit up, the world spun out of focus. Feeling like she was going to vomit, she quickly closed her eyes again.