A Bite to Remember Page 0,75

off of was murdered after Stephano's attack."

"Yes." Vincent nodded. "Well, I've been avoiding going out to feed for the past several days and have been feeding on delivery guys, but Tiny pointed out tonight that the saboteur would soon realize that was what I was doing if I didn't at least look like I was going to the clubs again. The last thing I want is anyone else killed, so we went out, and went quickly from one club to another in the hopes of losing my saboteur long enough for him to think I'd fed while he was trying to catch up to us."

Christian nodded. "It's probably for the best. If he didn't think you were feeding on the delivery people, he would probably assume you were feeding on your detectives and target them."

Vincent felt Marguerite stand behind him, then she touched his back. "Vincent, he might have thought as much when you slipped into the storage room with Jackie tonight. If he was there watching, he might think you were in there feeding on Jackie."

Vincent frowned at the suggestion. It was something he hadn't considered. He didn't want to mark anyone for death by feeding on them, but he definitely didn't want any harm coming to Jackie... or Tiny, he added as an afterthought. In truth, Jackie was his main concern.

"I'll have to talk to Jackie about this," he muttered, pushing one hand though his hair and then his gaze focused on Christian. He asked, "Did she go back into the office after she let you in?"

"No one let me in."

Vincent blinked. "What?"

"The panel at the end of the driveway was broken so we couldn't buzz you to open the gate. I left my cousin in the car, came over the wall and up to the house to have you open the gate so he could drive in. That's why I was surprised when you said you'd just got home. There's no way you could have driven past the damaged panel without noticing it. It's smashed and the wires pulled out."

Vincent stiffened at this news and frowned. "What did Jackie say when you told her about it?"

Christian tilted his head and asked, "Jackie is one of the private detectives your brother Bastien sent out from New York to help you with this saboteur?"

Vincent nodded. He'd told Neil everything. He'd felt he owed it to him to be honest about why his brother had been attacked.

"I haven't? Christian began, then paused as the kitchen door started to swing open again.

They all glanced toward it, waiting to see if Tiny or Jackie entered. Neither mortal did. Instead, another man paused in the doorway. Fair-haired and also dressed all in black, he peered around the people in the kitchen. His gaze moved with disinterest over Vincent, but flickered briefly with what might have been recognition on Marguerite before finally settling on Christian. One eyebrow rose in question.

"I told you to wait in the car, Marcus," Christian said with irritation.

"You were taking a long time," the man said with a shrug. "I came to nose around and found the French doors open, so I came in and followed the voices."

"The French doors are open?" Vincent asked, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to creep.

Marcus nodded.

"That's how I got in," Christian announced. "As I came up to the house I saw the French doors were open. Between that and the broken front panel, I thought there might be a problem, so I came in and followed your voices to the kitchen."

Marguerite turned and clutched at his arm. "Vincent, if the saboteur does think you fed on Jackie tonight and she is a target... Jackie was going to check messages in the office."

Vincent felt the blood drain from his face. Jackie would never leave the French doors open.

"I'll go see if Jackie is upstairs changing."

Vincent heard his aunt's words and saw her hurry out of the kitchen, but his mind seemed to be in something of a panic. Everything was moving at super slow speed for him. He gave himself a mental shake, glanced from one man to the other in his kitchen, then slowly followed his aunt's path and walked out of the room. She'd already disappeared upstairs, but Tiny was now coming down and his eyebrows flew up at the sight of the two men who had followed Vincent out of the kitchen. He supposed the man was a bit shocked. He doubted Tiny often saw men his own