Her gaze slid around the table at the silence suddenly surrounding her, and Jeanne Louise found everyone staring at her, concentration on their faces. They were all bloody reading her. It made her realize that some of her memories were somewhat personal and private and definitely X-rated. Not something she wanted her father and brother to see.
Standing abruptly, she said, “I love him. He’s my life mate. I wanted to turn him and have him turn Livy so that we could be a family. I can’t have that now, but if Uncle Lucian harms a hair on Paul’s head I will stop him, or die trying. If you love me, I suggest you figure out a way to convince him to leave Paul alone.” Gathering two sandwiches and two drinks, she added, “Now I’m going down to sit with Paul and Livy. Excuse me.”
Jeanne Louise turned and headed for the stairs then, pausing and stepping around Justin Bricker and Anders as they appeared at the top of the stairs.
“Jeanne Louise,” Bricker said, catching her arm as she passed. When she paused, he said, “I’m really sorry. I wish I could—” Sighing, he let go of her arm and said simply, “I’ll do what I can to help.”
Nodding, Jeanne Louise turned away and continued downstairs. She knew he felt bad and her silence wasn’t helping. And she didn’t want to blame Bricker for the way things had gone. Jeanne Louise knew he hadn’t intended for any of this to happen, that it hadn’t been deliberate on his part. But while her head was able to reason all this out, her heart wanted to lash out at someone with all the frustration and rage she was forcing down over the way things had turned out. Jeanne Louise was afraid if she said anything at all to the Enforcer, she would pour all that rage and frustration on his head. Maybe with some time . . .
Jeanne Louise grimaced to herself. She very much doubted time would help here. In fact, she wasn’t sure anything would.
Sighing as she stepped off the stairs, Jeanne Louise crossed the sitting area to the bedroom where Paul and Livy were . . . or where they were supposed to be. However, when she entered the room, a somewhat forced smile in place, she found the room empty.
Fourteen
Paul hurried around the side of the cottage, his heart in his throat. He’d sat down to watch over Livy as Eshe and Nicholas had left, but moments later had become aware of a terrible need to relieve himself. He’d decided that it wouldn’t hurt to step into the bathroom next door. Livy was resting peacefully now, and her blood bag had just been changed. Leaving her alone for one minute shouldn’t cause any problems . . . or so he’d thought. He hadn’t been gone long, just the amount of time it took to go to take care of the matter and then splash cold water on his face and dry it off. But he’d returned to the room to find Livy missing, the fresh bag of blood torn open and lying empty on the floor beside the bed.
He’d whirled and hurried out of the room then, pausing when he noticed the open screen door that faced onto the lake. While this was technically a basement, the cottage was on a slight incline. The basement was half above ground and a small area had been dug out and reinforced so that a door could be installed along with a short six-step stairwell up to the backyard.
Cursing, Paul had hurried to the door and out, desperate to find his daughter.
It had only taken a quick glance to realize she wasn’t in the backyard or on the beach. Now Paul was rushing around the side of the cottage, very aware that the sun was hot and strong and Livy shouldn’t be out in it.
A car was pulling into the driveway as Paul came around the front of the cottage, but he hardly paid it any attention. His sole focus was on the two girls by the edge of the road. Livy and Kirsten, standing by the dead bird that they’d thought was just sleeping. Only their focus wasn’t on the bird now. Instead the two girls seemed to be tussling, and as he hurried forward, Kirsten managed to push Livy away and ran for home shrieking, “She tried to bite me!”
Livy was off at once, rushing after her with hands extended and fingers clawed. Her fangs were out.
“Oh God,” Paul muttered and hurried forward to intervene. He managed to catch Livy around the waist just as she was lunging at Kirsten’s back. He immediately swung her up into his arms and held her in front of his face, and then froze at his first sight of her. Her eyes were glowing silver, her fangs were out, she was growling like a rabid dog and there was blood around her mouth, whether it was from chewing open the blood bag or biting Kirsten, he couldn’t tell.
“Livy?” he said with amazement, and cried out when she suddenly lunged at him. Paul didn’t react quickly enough, wouldn’t have been able to stop her. But he didn’t have to. She was plucked from his hold before she got to his throat.
Blinking, Paul stared at the man now holding his daughter—tall, fair-haired, blue eyes burning silver, and his body and stance radiating confidence and strength. He was impressive and intimidating.
The man took one look at Livy and she suddenly passed out in his hold. He then glanced briefly at Paul before looking past him and saying, “Handle the mortals, Anders.”
Paul glanced over his shoulder to see the Enforcer nod and turn to follow the path Kirsten had taken. He then peered back to his daughter as the blond man shifted her against his chest and eyed Paul.
“Not quite what you were expecting is it, mortal?” he asked grimly. “All you were thinking of was Livy healthy and well. A happy ever after. It didn’t occur to you that she’d change. That it might be a nightmare rather than a dream.”
“She—” Paul began, and then paused as a very pregnant brunette reached them and brushed her hand along the blond man’s arm.
“She’s his daughter, Lucian,” she said softly.
Paul stiffened at the name. So this was Jeanne Louise’s uncle, the man who would decide his fate. The guy was one scary dude.
“He loves her,” the brunette continued. “And Jeanne Louise too. What would you have done to save your daughters in Atlantis? And what would you do to save the child I carry now?”
Lucian Argeneau glanced to the woman, taking in her pleading expression, and then turned back to Paul. He wasn’t exactly softer, but he was more relaxed suddenly. His eyes no longer seemed on fire, and the power he radiated was now muted, still there, but not raging.
“Livy isn’t herself right now,” Lucian said quietly. “She’s still in the turn. What you just witnessed wasn’t really your daughter. She probably wasn’t even fully conscious. Once the turn is done and she’s recovered she’ll be the girl you remember. Mostly,” he added dryly, then shifted Livy against his chest so that he only needed one hand to hold her. It freed his other to clasp the brunette’s elbow and urge her toward the cottage. “Come.”
Paul released a shaky breath and followed. He’d now met Lucian Argeneau. And he was still alive. So far.
Jeanne Louise stared at the empty bed, and then scanned the room as if the father and daughter might be playing hide-and-seek with her, but knew they weren’t. They were gone. Both of them and the only thing that made sense was that Paul had grabbed Livy and run rather than risk Lucian’s wrath.
She could understand that. She was immortal and a relative and her uncle terrified her. Paul was mortal, presently looked on as Public Enemy Number One by her people, and in a heap of trouble. Jeanne Louise could understand his running. What she didn’t understand was why he hadn’t taken her.
Swallowing, she turned and moved out of the room, unable to bear being there alone anymore. Moving without thinking, she started upstairs, her mind sluggish and stunned. She had no intention of revealing that he was gone. She’d do what she could to help him make his escape and simply keep quiet, Jeanne Louise decided, but had barely stepped off the stairs onto the main floor when Anders and Bricker were on their feet and rushing past her.