With that thought in mind, Serafina crawled into bed, one of Anthony’s handkerchiefs clutched to her breast.
She would dream of him again tonight.
Chapter 3
Roshan DeLongpre looked up as his daughter entered the room. She was a lovely child, he thought, though at twenty-two, he supposed she was no longer a child. Still, she would always be his little girl. Her hair, the color of ripe wheat, fell to her waist in soft waves. Her eyes were as blue as sapphires, her skin smooth and unblemished. How had she grown up so fast? It seemed like only yesterday that Brenna had found Cara’s mother in an alley giving birth. Roshan had spread his cloak beneath the girl; Brenna had helped bring the child into the world.
He remembered that night clearly, especially the look of wonder in Brenna’s eyes as she wrapped the tiny, newborn infant in her cloak.
“You have a beautiful little girl,” Brenna had said.
“Take her,” the mother said. “I don’t want her. I don’t want to see her.”
Brenna had looked up at him, her arms tightening around the infant.
He shook his head. “Don’t even think about it.”
“But she does not want it.”
“Brenna, what would we do with a baby?”
“Love her.”
“No. It won’t work. There’s no way…”
The mother glanced at Brenna. “If you don’t take her, I’m just going to dump her in a trash can somewhere. I can’t take her home with me.”
“Surely the baby’s father…”
“I don’t know who he is.” The teenager was pulling on her discarded jeans as she spoke. Taking a deep breath, she stood up, one hand braced against the wall behind her.
“What are you doing?” Brenna asked.
“I’m leaving.” A sob rose in the girl’s throat. “Do whatever you want with the baby.”
How quickly that baby had grown, Roshan thought again. It was hard to believe he had not wanted her. Now, he couldn’t imagine their life without her. She was vibrant and alive and he loved her more than his own life.
“Did you have a good time tonight?” he asked as she sat down on the sofa beside him.
“Yes.”
“Where did you go?”
“I went for a drive and then I stopped at a nightclub. It was a strange place.”
Warning bells went off in Roshan’s mind. “Strange?”
She nodded. “Everyone was dressed in black, like something out of an old horror movie, if you know what I mean. I met a guy there. He seemed nice.”
“What was the name of this place?” Roshan asked.
“The Nocturne. It was like Halloween inside, you know? Lots of people wearing black. The valet wore a black suit and a hooded cloak. And then, to get into the club, you have to walk under this black canopy, and then down some stairs. Talk about a creepy atmosphere! The door was carved with all these mystical signs. It was awesome. I’ll have to take you and Mom there sometime.”
Roshan nodded. It was all he could do not to demand that she never go there again. The Nocturne! There was no telling what kind of man she had met in that place. It was a hangout for vampires and other creatures of the night. Of course, he rarely let any other vampire remain in his town too long. Like all of his kind, he was a territorial creature, not disposed to sharing his domain or his food source.
“Where’s Mom?” Cara asked.
Roshan smiled inwardly. His wife was outside, dancing under the stars. She did that from time to time. He enjoyed nothing more than watching her, but tonight she had wanted to be alone.