Night Walker (15 page)

A pathetic waste
.

Shaking his head, Father Mentigo went to the desk and sat in the tall-backed leather chair. He ran his fingers over the leather arms, imagining that only hours before, the Night Walker touched this very surface. He closed his eyes, drinking in the image of supremacy. Most men couldn’t conceive of the battle he faced.

And he had every intention of winning.

It will end with me, Night Walker.

The desk clock chimed with the passing hour, pulling Father Mentigo out of his reverie. He shook his head in silent reprimand.

It was too soon to sit back and envision his future victory. He must remain focused.

After removing his tiny camera, he snapped photos of the papers he found on the desk, looking for any phone numbers that might be useful later. Satisfied he had gathered enough information, he laid the sealed envelope on the desktop and hurried out to his car.

But he had one more stop to make before returning to his studio apartment. He would have to stay inside tonight. When Calisto
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discovered the envelope, he would come looking for him, and Father Mentigo had no intention of being found.

He drove down the interstate, shifting himself inside his pants. His arousal came as no surprise. Knowing he manipulated an immortal, toying with inhuman power, created the ultimate aphrodisiac, exciting him far more than any woman. He was born to meet this challenge.

He knew that now. And so far he enjoyed it.

Perhaps more than he should.

§

After the sun dipped below the horizon, Calisto made his way upstairs from his hidden quarters beneath his home. Something felt different tonight upon his waking, but he couldn’t place what it might be. Buttoning his dark blue shirt, he made his way down the hall to his office. What he saw lying on the center of his desk made him grind his teeth with rage.

Another envelope with the Fraternidad’s seal.

A heartbeat later he sat in his chair, breaking the wax. This time there wasn’t a note. Instead, he removed two photos. Calisto stared at them in disbelief, his eyes moving from one to the other.

He was looking at images of himself.

Someone else had been on the beach, watching him while he fed the previous evening. His heart quickened. The pictures could easily be written off as computer enhanced, doctored. The real danger was the face of the pale man in his arms.

If someone had reported the man missing, these photos would lead the police right to his door.

Calisto shredded them. Had he been careless? He hadn’t sensed anyone else on the beach, but his thirst had overwhelmed him by then.

Maybe he had been so desperate for blood that he missed sensing the presence of another.

He stood up with such violence, his chair banged into the wall behind the desk. Growling with fury, he stormed into the night. Not only had someone watched him, but now they had proof that would link him to a missing man. For centuries he had been so confident of 112 LISA KESSLER

his own anonymity, too confident.

Calisto hunted for the monk who left the pictures behind for him to find. He had underestimated his opponent for the last time. He would not make the same mistake again.

And he would not be blackmailed, not by anyone.

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Chapter Thirteen

Kate woke up in her Dad’s old easy chair in a cold sweat, crying in fear. Her nightmares were getting worse, and the vivid details came into focus more every night. Tonight, she saw the shadow of a man leap from his horse, knocking the woman to the ground. She saw them struggle, and she couldn’t wake up. She was forced to watch the man press a knife to the woman’s throat. She heard the woman’s cries, and even though her screams weren’t English, somehow Kate understood. The woman was begging for her unborn child’s life.

Lurching up, Kate raced for the bathroom and threw up. She winced as her stomach cramped, and she retched again and again.

Her body ached. When the nausea finally passed, she sat in the corner of the bathroom, pulled her knees into her chest and wept. The emptiness inside threatened to swallow her.

She wasn’t sure how long she sat, curled up on the bathroom floor. She’d never felt so alone, but dwelling on it wasn’t going to make it any better. She needed to get out of the house. Time to dust herself off and move on.

Within an hour, she drove the bug with the top down toward Seaport Village and a day of retail therapy with Edie and Lori. She took a long, slow breath, trying to pull the sunshine into her lungs.

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Another gorgeous San Diego day. Where else could you drive around with the top down at the beginning of December?

The wind whipped her hair around her face, and she finally smiled. Getting out was exactly what she needed. Maybe today would be a good day after all.

§

Father Mentigo couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She wore a dark green t-shirt that clung to the round curves of her breasts, hypnotizing him until he had to force his gaze elsewhere. Her dark blue denim shorts were no better, teasing him as she leaned over the front of her car. She stretched up to reach the top, and he held his breath, watching the sunlight shine on her dark hair. The way she struggled to lower the worn roof on her faded yellow VW enticed him to watch her shapely legs. He shifted in his seat. Oh, he enjoyed this battle more with each day.

Not only had he eluded the Night Walker the night before, but now he had also found the woman that Father De Cardina had discussed in his communications. However, the other monk had failed to mention her beauty. Father Mentigo watched Kate drive away and smiled. He would relish every bit of contact with her for as long as he could. He was more than prepared to do whatever was necessary, even if she had to die. Her life was a very small price to pay for what he stood to gain. And he wouldn’t allow anything, or anyone, to get in his way.

Once her car was out of sight, Father Mentigo got out of his rental and walked toward her house with a small brown parcel.

Wearing unmarked cargo shorts with a plain, khaki, button-up shirt, he posed as a local deliveryman, hoping he would not draw attention to himself. He reached her front door, grumbling to himself when he found it locked. He couldn’t pick the lock right in front of the house.

After checking for the prying eyes of any neighbors, he made his way around the side of the two-story home. He found the kitchen window open, and within minutes he was safely inside. It was practically empty. He frowned. Walking through the rooms, he wondered what kind of woman lived alone in an empty house. Ironic that her home
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was similar to the Night Walker’s. Empty.

He stopped when he found her opened duffel bag.

Kneeling down, he fondled the intimate clothes he found inside.

He lifted a silk nightshirt, caressing his cheek with its softness, drowning in the scent of her skin. He forced himself to put it back and continued his exploration of her bag until his fingers hooked onto a pair of silk panties. He lifted them to his face, burying his nose in the delicate fabric. The soft, feminine scent intoxicated him with its forbidden pleasure, so he tucked them into his pocket.

Since his fingers were already there, he brushed the length of his hardened shaft, sending a chill through his entire body. He closed his eyes, treasuring the texture of her panties, every move of his hand teasing his passion higher. It was her. She was touching him, encouraging him toward his release. His hand moved faster inside his loose shorts, rubbing her underwear against his organ until it pulsed with need.

He suddenly withdrew his hand, biting back his desire. Enough.

He would finish this later. Right now he had work to do. Searching through her things, he jotted down phone numbers and learned as much as he could about Kate Bradley, then retreated to his car. He needed the safety of his apartment before the sun went down. He couldn’t risk running into the Night Walker.

Not yet.

§

Afternoon wore into evening, and they decided to grab an early dinner and catch a movie. Lori and Edie wrestled with their bags.

Kate tried not to laugh. “Want me to carry a couple of those?” Lori glared at Kate’s little Yankee Candle store bag and held out her bulky Bloomingdale’s bag. “Yes. You’re definitely not weighed down enough yet.”

Edie added bags from Payless shoes and Sephora to Kate’s load and gave her a once-over. “That’s better.” Lori continued to glare. “I still can’t believe we’ve tromped all over Seaport Village and Horton Plaza and all you’ve bought is a couple of scented candles. That’s just wrong.” 116 LISA KESSLER

“You’re not sick, are you?” Edie struggled with her bags to feel Kate’s forehead for a fever.

Kate dodged the attempt. “I’m fine. I didn’t come for the shopping today, I came for the company.” Lori glanced at Edie. “Great, now we look like a couple of materialistic bitches, don’t we?”

Kate laughed and followed them up the escalator to the movie theater, where a well-reviewed drama was playing. They left the theater sniffling, drying their eyes and laughing at their own sappiness.

“I hate it when they don’t get to live happily ever after,” Edie said.

Kate sighed. “Me, too. I like the fairy tale endings when everyone falls in love and rides off into the sunset.” Lori glanced at Edie, then Kate. “Guess it doesn’t happen that way in real life very often.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Kate wiped her eyes. “Come on. Let’s get some coffee and talk. I’ll buy.”

She walked a couple of blocks up Fourth Avenue before she realized where she was going. When she opened the glass door she wanted to cry again. This was the coffee shop she visited with Calisto the night her life changed.

Lori settled at a quiet table and pierced Kate with a serious look.

“We’ve talked about everything except why you moved back. How long are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?”

“Lori!” Edie shot her a disapproving look. “She’ll talk when she’s ready.”

“Hey guys, I’m sitting right here. And I think I’m as ready to talk as I’ll ever be.”

Her friends sipped coffee, and Kate struggled to tell them her story without revealing the parts of herself that she never shared with anyone.

“After I called off the wedding and came back here... ” She hesitated before going on. “I met a man while I was here.” Lori opened her mouth to say something, but Kate held up a hand.

“Nothing really happened between us, but at the same time,
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everything did. I know it doesn’t make any sense, but I’ve never had a connection with someone like I did with him. I couldn’t stop thinking about him no matter how hard I tried. I had to come back.” Edie smiled and patted Kate’s hand. “He must be something special to turn your life upside down like that. When do we get to meet him?”

Lori interrupted. “I don’t know. No man is worth giving up your job and your life for, you know? You were only with him one night, right? You can’t possibly know him well enough to push your life aside for a chance with him.”

Kate bristled. Typical of Lori to be the cynic, and though she was right, Kate wasn’t in the mood to be lectured. “I
don’t
know much about him, but that’s why I waited until winter break from my job to come back. It’s not like I quit my job. I don’t go back to work until January. Until then, I can stay at Mom and Dad’s. I took it off the market for now.”

Edie grabbed Kate’s sleeve and tugged. “So when are you going to see him again?”

“Hell if I know. I don’t know his phone number, let alone if he wants to see me again.” Kate laughed and rubbed her eyes.

Lori raised a brow. “What? You made it sound like you were in love, and now you’re not even sure he feels the same way? Geez, are you sure you did the right thing?”

Kate sighed. “I’m not sure of anything anymore except that I’ll go crazy if I’m always wondering about what might have been.”

“Why wouldn’t he want to see you again?” Edie asked. “Sounds like you guys had a great time together, right?”

“Yes, but I… ” Kate grimaced. “Well, he came out to Reno on business and we bumped into each other. He and Tom ended up getting into a fistfight, and I told him I never wanted to see him again.”

“So let me get this straight. You came back here for a man who probably thinks you hate him?” Lori shook her head. “Do you expect me to be happy for you?”

“Damnit, Lori, can you just be my friend? I don’t need lectures.

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I’m prepared for whatever might come, including consequences. I might not ever see him again, but I had to try. It’s a big risk, and I’m scared. But I owe it to myself to stop running away from my feelings.” Lori stared for a few long seconds. Edie broke the silence.

“I hope everything works out for you.” Edie gave her a little hug.

“And I can’t wait to meet him. What’s his name?”

“Calisto. Calisto Terana.”

“The guy you met at the mission.” Lori leaned forward in her seat with newfound interest and a little caution. “He runs a charity for the arts or something, right?”

“Yes. He’s the founder of Foundation Arts.” Lori nodded. “I’ve heard of him before. He’s sort of reclusive, isn’t he? And I guess he’s rich, too. How in the world did you end up going out with him?” She frowned a little. “You said you didn’t give him your number.”

Kate scowled at Lori. “I didn’t.”

Lori held up a hand. “Sorry. I just... I worry.” Edie interrupted. “Oh he was handsome! How did you find him again?”

“I ran into him while I was signing the papers for the foundation to pick up Mom’s piano. Later that night we ended up in the same movie theater and it went on from there.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it bad.” She reached across the little coffee table to give Kate’s hand a squeeze. “I don’t want you to get burned in the end. I worry, too.”

“Nobody wants to get burned. But it’s time I went after what I want. I’m a big girl. I can deal with it.” Kate set down her coffee mug, eager to change the subject. “I guess we should get back. I have a lot of unpacking to do.”