4 Vamp Versus Vamp (34 page)

“I love it.”

Kellan came behind me. “It turned out good. I don’t feel emasculated in it.”

Mel chuckled. “Poor Craig. I won’t be this generous with him in our home.”

“I can picture it now. Pink, pink, and more pink.” I laughed.

“I’ll add a few touches of black and silver,” she said. “Come here.” She grabbed me, pulling me with her. I had to leap around Kellan to avoid running into him. “We also did your room, Drex. After Lex told us she gave you a permanent shack here last night, we decided to give you a little something to work with.” She gripped his hand in the blink of an eye, tugging him with me towards the second spare room.

I reached out and opened the door this time in fear of her charging right through it. She let go of us, ushering both of us into the space.

Blue walls were accented by several of the black and white pictures I’d purchased. On the back wall was a grey microfiber sofa with a navy blue chenille blanket tossed haphazardly, yet stylishly, over it. Two dark wood end tables sat on each side, but only the one on the right had a lamp on it. On the opposite wall of the sofa, a flat-screen TV was mounted to the wall. Spanning half the wall below it was a large, streamlined desk with more office supplies.

“The sofa pulls out into a bed,” Mel announced.

I gazed at Drexel. He was taking it all in, trying to hold back his emotions. He met my eyes. “I’ve never had my own room.”

Little by little I was getting to know Drexel better. He really was a great, deserving man. “I hope you like it.”

“It’s great.” He smiled.

“I love it,” I declared as I returned to the living room. Beth and Aunt Claire were sitting on the black leather sofa. Kellan had already opened the recliner and lounged back. “Why am I not surprised?” I shook my head in fabricated dismay. Beth chuckled, patting Kellan’s stomach. I smiled at them. “Why don’t I bake you all something?”

“Why don’t you go rest?” Aunt Claire fussed. “I know what you’ve been through today. We all were here when Auggy got the call. Your body can handle a lot, honey, but your electric thing has to take a lot out of it, even for a vamp.”

I sat down on the sofa, squishing myself between Beth and Aunt Claire. “Did he tell you about Gran?”

She nodded. “I’d had my suspicions for a while, but Auggy confirmed them before he left earlier.”

“I’m sorry.”

She rested her hand on my thigh. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Lex. You can’t control everything in life. There was nothing any one of us could have done to stop him.”

I sighed. “I know. Doesn’t make it any easier to accept, though.”

“I’ve always loved your heart, Lexi,” Beth said.

“Thanks.”

The women stood. I heard Mel talking poor Drexel’s ear off in his room. Turning had really wound her up. I was sure it would mellow out over time; it had taken me a bit of time to adjust to everything.

“Mel,” Aunt Claire called. Mel practically appeared out of thin air in the living room. “We’re going to go. Did you want me to drop you off?”

I frowned. “You don’t have to leave. I’m really not tired.”

“We know, sweetie, but we have men to meet at home.” Beth leaned in and kissed my cheek, and then Kellan’s.

“Understandable.”

“I should go meet Craig and my dad. Gabi wants to do a mani-pedi day, Lex. I’ll call you tomorrow sometime so we can plan it,” Mel said.

“Sounds good.” I got up off the couch and hugged the women again. “Thanks for everything.”

“We should be thanking you. You’re making your mom very proud, Lexi.” Aunt Claire squeezed me tight. “I’ll call you later.”

I saw them out the door. As I turned back, Kellan was waiting there for me. He gave me a come-hither look. I
skipp
ed into the dining room where he stood.

“Why don’t we go take a nice hot shower and then snuggle in our new bed?”

“You really know how to woo a woman, Mr. Bancroft.”

“And then some.” He brushed his lips across mine fleetingly before shepherding me to the master bedroom.

***

Kellan and I lounged around the house until around noontime the next day.

“Mind if I go out with Craig for a while?”

“Of course not. Go; have fun.”

“Call me if you need me.” He kissed me before grabbing his wallet, cell, and keys off the dresser.

“Bye,” I called.

I listened as the front door shut. He locked it behind him. I rolled over in the bed, stretching languidly. The sun was high in the sky, trying to breach the barrier of the curtains. I knew I should be up doing something; I just didn’t know what. The house was clean. I’d baked and shipped those orders the other night at the party. My GED prep course didn’t start for two weeks. Mel and her dad had a father-daughter day planned today, and Gabi was heading back to Miami for a few days. She, Mel, and I had a spa date in a week, which she promised to be back for.

I climbed out of bed and headed for the living room. I heard the TV on in Drexel’s room. I didn’t know if he was actually watching it or writing, which I’d discovered he enjoyed last night. It turned out that Aunt Claire’s office supply obsession came in handy.

I opened the cupboards, staring at the baking ingredients. I’d been standing there for a good five minutes when there was a knock on the door. I glanced at the security cam feed and ambled to the door.

“Kalel, come in.” I was taken aback by his unexpected visit. I stepped back, allowing him to slip inside. “How is everything?” I cocked my head, trying to read him, but he gave nothing away.

“Leka, please sit down. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

With those words, every ounce of fear in my body came out of hiding. Serum rose in my throat, coating my tongue. My heartbeat quickened. I swallowed hard, unable to focus.

Silently I closed the door and led him into the living room. I sat on the sofa. Awkwardly, I faced him.

“Who is it? What happened?” The words fumbled out of my mouth.

He rested beside me and cupped my hand. “Your grandfather.”

I felt the numbness spreading. It’s not that we were close, but I did care for the man on some level, wished him no ill will. After all, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. “What happened?”

“He committed suicide.”

I sat there for a minute, my mind trying to wade through the shock. “How? I mean… I thought it was impossible for us?” I asked more than mused.

“Not when you have a seventeenth century-guillotine and can decapitate yourself.” He squeezed my hand.

I knew my mouth was hanging open. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know how to react. I knew he wasn’t stable. What man dedicates his life to the cause of war and hatred? But this was unexpected. I was disappointed in him that he wasn’t brave enough to ask for help, and disappointed in myself for walking away from him, from my family at a time when he clearly needed me, needed my influence.

“There’s more.” Kalel waited until I focused on him again. “He left a note attached to his shirt.”

“So I guess we don’t turn to dust right away?” He frowned. “Sorry, bad timing. I’m just…boggled.”

He nodded and continued. “The note said, ‘
I leave everything to the one that showed me the error of my ways, Alexa Lorrayne Jackson.
’ He signed it and pressed his seal to the paper, legalizing it.”

“When you say ‘everything,’ what exactly are you talking about?” I couldn’t think straight.

“Three businesses, thirteen homes across the globe, one jet, two yachts, and an entire army of vampeens.”

I opened and closed my mouth several times in succession as my gaze traveled the room. What was I going to do with all of that? I could barely manage myself, let alone all of the above.

Even more so, I couldn’t believe he left it all to me. I couldn’t comprehend that he was truly gone. I’d just seen him yesterday. I didn’t know which one stumped
me more
, his death or the fact that he left me everything
.
‘
Flabbergasted
’
didn’t even begin to explain my current state.

Kalel sat silently beside me; he was watching as I computed the information. “I, uh, don’t really know what to say or do at the moment.”

He gently rubbed my thigh. “You have a couple days before everything is transferred over. Your grandfather retained a lawyer, who assured us he’d take care of it.”

“Why?”

“In short, he was overpaid. Apparently a transfer receipt of several million accompanied by an overnight letter from your grandfather ensured he would take care of this final detail for him.”

“Wait, so he…” I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry. “He died yesterday?”

“No, today. The lawyer alerted the vamp army, who of course contacted the High Authorities.”

“He planned it.” The words felt like peanut butter stuck to the roof of my mouth. I should have called, checked in on him somehow.

“It’s not your fault, Leka. I doubt you could have changed his mind.”

“But I could have tried. For Christ’s sake, I practically drove him to the edge yesterday. I just wouldn’t stop poking him about something that’d already passed.”

“You need to stop the self-deprecating. You weren’t sent to save the world, Leka, only to have a strong impact on it. You’re more like Queen Elizabeth than Superwoman.”

I sucked my lower lip between my teeth. “He could have been a great man.”

“Some aren’t meant to be.”

“That’s alarming.”

“It’s all about balance. It’s only in balance that you find peace.”

I’d never thought of it like that. “Thanks, Kalel.”

He retrieved a small clear cylinder with a white powder inside from his pocket. “He also left you this.” I immediately knew it was the molecular tracker extractor.

“Did you take some for the lab and Auggy?”

He nodded. “Done.”

“Thanks again.”

He nodded. After one last analytical gaze in my direction, he stood and headed for the door. “Call if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

“Lock the door behind me.”

I chuckled lightly at his surly tone. “Yes, Dad.”

He winked before walking out the door. I knew he was waiting on the other side for me to lock myself in, not that it would stop a vamp.

As I strolled around the corner to the living room, Drexel was waiting. His hands were shoved into his pants pockets. “You want to talk about it?”

I bit my lip, trying to hold down the emotions that continued to rise. I shook my head ‘no.’

“Come here.” He lifted me into his arms and carried me to the sofa.

I think it was the combination of everything that’d happened in the last couple weeks that threw me over the edge so swiftly, but my grandfather’s death was a sharp jab. I idly wondered how fate dealt with those who decided to take it into their own hands. And really, what would drive a person to end it all? Everyone suffers; everyone has hurdles and challenges.

I snuggled into Drex’s chest, hugging him tightly.

Chapter 34

I’d traveled several thousand miles across the Atlantic to sit across from an uptight lawyer who seemed to scrutinize my every word.

The curt lawyer sat across from me behind an expensive mahogany desk with intricate carvings. Everything in his office was large and overstated. It was an intimidation tactic, but I wasn’t sure why he would want to intimidate me when I was technically his client through my grandfather.

“Why not donate to vamps?” His face was a mask to his emotions, but his tone was harsh.

I lifted my chin slightly, seeking confidence for my answer. “Because it’s about helping the ones who need it the most.”

“Believe it or not, there are a lot of poor and homeless vamps,” he stated. He glanced down at the contract before peering back up at me expectantly. He reminded me of my grandfather in many ways. I could see why he had retained the man.

“But they won’t catch a cold sleeping in the rain or pneumonia from the snow and a thin jacket. They also rarely have children to care for, are rarely without a food source, and have the endurance to get anywhere without a car.”

He eyed me with interest now. “Point made,” he acknowledged. His lips twitched in the corners, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “I’ll see to it that suitable recipients are located. We’ll present their profiles to you for a final approval. Upon acceptance, we’ll draw up the papers to sign over the homes to them anonymously. Now, about the vehicles.”

“I’m sorry, vehicles? This is the first I was made aware of vehicles.” I sat up in the chair. Kellan squeezed my shoulder, his arm firmly behind me, reminding me of his presence and support.

“Yes. Each property has roughly five vehicles, most of which are valuable classics.”

I guess that made sense, considering how long my grandfather had been alive. “Did he have any friends?”

“Mr. Euskadi didn’t believe in friends. Either you were his ally or his enemy, with the expressed focus being his life’s mission.”