“Fucking bitch!” he yelled and grabbed me, scarily fast, by the arm. However, it only took the split second that Travis was focused on me for Finn to dive forward and plunge the stake directly into his heart. The burly vampire’s eyes widened in shock just before he fell limply to the floor. Dark, almost black, blood oozed from the fatal wound. Finn and I stared at one another, both of us seemingly wondering the same thing.
How on earth were we going to clean up the mess?
Finn stepped back and leaned against the wall, his breathing ragged after the struggle, while I kept my attention on the door hoping no one walked in. Once he caught his breath, Finn pulled out his phone and dialled a number.
“Who the hell are you calling?” I asked in a panic.
“The local DOH branch,” he answered. “They’ll be able to clean up in here. Go and wait for me in the van. I’ll meet you there once this has been taken care of.”
He handed me his keys, and I nodded in a daze, hurrying out. My legs were like jelly, but I still had the wherewithal to grab us some food before I went to sit in the van. About thirty minutes later, Finn slid silently into the driver’s seat. I handed him a bottle of water and a sandwich, and he took them wordlessly.
“So, that was intense,” I said, breaking the quiet.
“He’d clearly been tracking me. I should’ve noticed. I’ve been so preoccupied with saving Rebecca that I neglected to realise we were being tailed. Travis has wanted me dead for years.”
“Well, look on the bright side, he’s gone now. You won’t have to worry about him coming for you again.”
Finn nodded and unwrapped the Reuben sandwich before taking a hungry bite. Getting rid of dead vampire bodies obviously built up an appetite. “This is a good sandwich,” he said.
“I know. Reuben sandwiches are my favourite.”
“I don’t think I’ve had one before.”
“No? Well, now you know what you’ve been missing all these years,” I said with a soft smile, hoping to lighten the mood. Finn nodded in agreement and continued eating. When he was done, he reached out to touch my arm.
“Are you okay? Travis grabbed you pretty roughly in there.”
“It’s just bruised. I’ll be fine.”
A small smile passed over his lips. “You’re a tough cookie, aren’t ya? I was well impressed with your deodorant move. Travis never saw it coming.”
“I’m good at thinking on my feet.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Finn said before starting the engine and pulling out of the parking spot.
I stared out the window and eventually nodded off. When I woke up, my head was resting on Finn’s shoulder and I was practically cuddling him. I straightened up quickly and wiped the drool from the corner of my mouth. Finn’s lips curved in a grin. “Good nap?”
Self-consciousness pinched at me. “Um, yeah, sorry for leaning on you.”
Now he smirked. “You mumble in your sleep.”
I shoved him in the shoulder. “Shut up. I do not.”
He laughed quietly. “Yes, you do. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute.”
I folded my arms and turned my attention out the window. We weren’t far from Tribane, and my nerves started to build. The city was my home, but it was also a place of danger. Needless to say, I had very mixed feelings about being back.
“We’ll drive out to see your dad first,” Finn said. “I hope he doesn’t mind late visitors.”
“He won’t mind.”
“Good. After you’ve seen him, we’ll drive straight to the city. You can stay at my place.”
“Your place?”
“Sure. Where else are you going to stay?”
Well, he had a point there. Besides, Finn had promised to protect me. Staying as close to him as possible seemed smart.
“Tomorrow morning we’ll report to Pamphrock,” Finn went on. “He wants to talk with you before you approach Cristescu.”
“And how am I supposed to approach him? When I left, I more or less said I wouldn’t be coming back. He’s going to be suspicious of me turning up six months later completely out of the blue.”
“True, but just stick to the truth as much as you can. Tell him it’s a flying visit to see your dad and check in with your friends in the city. You’ll have to lay on the charm, dazzle him with your feminine wiles to get close to him.” He winked and I rolled my eyes. “In all seriousness though, your main objective should be getting an invite back to his house. That way you can try and find information on where Rebecca’s being kept.”
I worried my lip. “That won’t be easy. I haven’t been to his house before.” Guilt pinched at me. I didn’t like the thought of deceiving Ethan, but then again, if he had anything to do with Rebecca’s kidnapping perhaps he deserved to be deceived.
“I never said this was going to be easy,” Finn replied, but his expression softened. “Look, just try your best. It’s all you can do.”
A little while later we arrived in Chesterport. Finn parked outside my dad’s house, and we made our way to the front door. The golden light of a lamp shone through the curtains in the living room, and my heart skipped a beat in anticipation of seeing Dad. It had been six very long months. I found my key and tried to slide it in the lock, but it wouldn’t fit.
“That’s odd,” I said, frowning as I glanced at Finn. “He must’ve had the locks changed.”
Then I heard someone shuffling down the hallway and a moment later the door opened, but it wasn’t my dad who was standing there. It was a middle-aged woman I’d never met before. She looked from me to Finn, clearly wondering who we were.
Where the hell was my dad?
4.
“Hello, um, I’m looking for Martin Stolle. I’m his daughter,” I said to the strange woman who’d seemingly taken up residence in my childhood home.
Her brow furrowed a moment, then her eyes lit up in recognition. “Oh, yes, Martin Stolle! We bought the house from him. He moved out a couple of months ago.”
I turned and looked at Finn, my panic rising. Then I turned back to the woman. “Do you know where he went?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t believe he said where he was going, but I do remember him being in quite a hurry to sell up. We’d just come to town to be closer to my mother and were looking for a nice family home. Couldn’t believe our luck when your dad offered to sell us this place, and even below the market value price.”
My panic increased, worry building. Why had my dad been in such a hurry to sell the house and move?
“Are you absolutely certain you can’t remember if he said where he was going?”
“I’m sorry, honey. I can’t tell you more than I already have. Perhaps your father has some friends still living in town who know where he went?”
Dad had always been the solitary type and not much into socialising. Looking back, I could see that it was a way of life he’d developed from my mother. The two of them couldn’t afford to trust people. “I’ll try to call his work and see if they know anything. Thanks for your help”
“No problem at all. I do hope you have some luck finding your dad,” she said, and I thanked her again before she closed the door. I stood there a moment, staring up at the house. I couldn’t believe complete strangers were now living in my childhood home. Finn placed his hand on the small of my back and led me back to the van. My mind raced as I pulled out my phone and called Dad’s number.