Blood Secrets - By Jeannie Holmes Page 0,100

face.

“Hi, Edward.” She leaned back against her headstone and sighed. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “I wanted to see you.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“I heard Papa crying. I think he misses you.”

She swallowed the painful lump that had formed in her throat. “I miss him, too.”

“Are you dead?”

“Not exactly. I’m in limbo.”

“I’m dead.” He swung his legs back and forth, his heels scuffing along the back of the headstone on which he perched. “What does ‘limbo’ mean?”

“It means I have to decide if I want to go back or move on.”

“You could stay here.”

“I don’t think that’s an option for me.”

“If you go back, Papa will be happy again. He’s always happy when he’s with you.”

A smile tugged at Alex’s lips. “Yeah, he makes me happy, too.”

Edward grinned, reminding her so much of Varik, and Alex knew there could be only one choice for her.

Tasha paused to allow the medics exiting the attic to pass before she scurried up the steps. Word had spread quickly of Alex and she hadn’t believed it.

Until now.

She hovered close to the stairs, watching in silence as Varik cradled Alex to his chest and slowly rocked in place with her. His hushed chant of “bring her back” was the only sound in the room.

Damian moved to stand beside her. “Any word on Strahan?”

Tasha shook her head. “They’re still working to stabilize him.”

He nodded grimly.

“What are you going to do about him?” Tasha whispered, nodding toward Varik. “And her family?”

“I’ll deliver the news to her family personally. As for him, he needs medical attention. Some of those cuts are deep.” Damian sighed. “There’s only one thing to do.”

Tasha watched as he stepped forward and knelt opposite Varik, speaking in low tones.

Varik remained unchanged, as if he hadn’t heard.

Damian reached for Alex’s body and Varik came to life. He grabbed the larger vampire’s wrist and growled. When Damian laid his other hand on Varik’s shoulder, Varik released the arm he held to bat away the other hand. The two began a war of hands that ultimately ended with Varik grabbing Damian’s sidearm and shoving it in the Chief Enforcer’s face.

“Get out,” Varik commanded. “No one touches her. She’s coming back. She can’t be moved.”

“Varik,” Damian addressed him calmly. “Put the gun down.”

“I said, get out.”

“She’s not coming back.”

“Don’t make me kill you, Damian.”

Tasha held her breath as the two vampires faced off over Alex’s body. Varik’s reluctance to accept Alex’s death was understandable. Even though she’d had her own issues with Alex, it didn’t prevent her from feeling the loss.

Movement drew Tasha’s attention to Alex and she frowned. Had her fingers twitched? She watched and jumped when she saw the fingers on Alex’s left hand close. “Oh, my God,” she said, pointing at the newly formed fist. “Look at her hand!”

Damian and Varik both glanced at her and then down.

Alex suddenly drew a deep breath and immediately coughed it out again.

Varik dropped the gun to help Alex as she fought to sit up.

Damian was already on his feet, running to the stairs and shouting for the medics.

Tasha stood frozen in place, watching as Alex greedily took in more breaths and coughed them up. Varik continued to speak to her, reassuring her, trying everything he could to help her breathe.

The medics bounded up the stairs, pushing Tasha into a corner in their haste to reach Alex. Everything that followed seemed to happen faster than her brain could interrupt.

One of the medics slipped a portable oxygen mask over the struggling vampire’s mouth and nose. The hiss of gas feeding into tubing filled the room. The medics began checking the revived vampire, asking questions, and receiving weak answers.

Another pair of Enforcers, carrying a bright orange stretcher board, clambered up the attic stairs. They moved with efficiency to transfer Alex to the stretcher, strap her down, and hoist the board.

Damian grabbed his sidearm and then wrapped his arm around Varik’s waist. The injured vampire leaned against the other and the two made a rapid, albeit awkward, descent in the wake of the team in charge of transporting Alex.

Within minutes, Tasha was left standing alone in the attic. Not knowing what else to do, she turned toward the stairs and felt dampness on her face. She swiped a hand over her cheek, expecting the clear wetness of tears.

A crimson stain covered her hand and another drop fell from above to add to it.

Looking into the rafters, Tasha gasped and then screamed as the silvered eyes of Mindy Johnson stared