Sekhmet's Curse (Pearl Vampire Chronicles) (37 page)

“Yeah, Daddy”, Matt said as he walked into the room
, picking up his son as Sam held his arms up to him.  “How was work, Daddy?  Did you protect us from the bad guys?”
Sam said.

Matt beamed at Sam, “I did, buddy.  Did you take care of Mommy today like I told you to?”

Sam emphatically shook his head, “You bet I did,” he said.

Sam squirmed out of Matt’s arms as Matt leaned down to kiss me, “Get a room, you two,” he said as he walked back to his toys.  Matt and I both glared at Carlos, who tried, unsuccessfully, to look innocent as he said, “What, do you think that I taught him that?  I have no idea where he got that.”

“You are such a bad liar, Carlos,”
I said, trying to hold back the grin that eventually crept onto my face.

A knock at the door drew Matt’s attention.  When the kids saw who had walked in, they both jumped up and screamed, “Aunt Stacy!”

“Hi, Cassie, Sam,” she said as she hugged them.  She looked at me, “How are you feeling, Sarah?”

“Much better, thanks,” I said then I looked to the table when my cell phone started ringing.  I smiled when I saw who it was, “Hi, Cindy,” I said as I answered the call from my sister.  The silence on the other end had me frowning and Matt and Carlos both instantly concerned, “Cindy?” I said again.

“Sarah, I know were in a coma and you almost died not too long ago.  I know you’re recovering and I know you’ve got the kids now
.  That’s why I really hate to call about this.  I mean, it’s probably nothing, but, but, I need to be sure,
ya
know?”

“Cindy, it’s okay.  I’m fine, really I am.  What’s going on?”

“It’s Amanda, Sarah.  I think she’s missing but the cops don’t believe me,” she said.  Amanda
is
our older sister, the oldest of
the
four
of us girls
.  I was the youngest.  Cindy was a year younger than Amanda.

“Missing?  What do you mean Amanda is missing?” I whispered as Matt, Carlos and Stacy all looked at each other.

“Well, she
’s been
dating this guy
, he said his name was ‘
Ad
d
on
’
, pronounced like Aiden
but he seemed really
off
to me.”

“Off?  What do you mean, ‘off’ Cindy?” I said.

“Well, he was just kind of creepy
when she
skyped
me and introduced him
and even though he looks young, he felt ancient to me.
And now
I
haven’t been able to get a hold of her for a
week. ” Cindy said.

Stacy
could feel the tension in the room so she
stood up and said, “Sam, Cassie, how about we go outside to the playground?” 

I nodded my head and mouthed a ‘Thank you’ to her and she and the kids headed towards the door.

As soon as she closed the door, I put the phone on speaker and set it on the table
, “Alright, Cindy, Matt’s arranging a flight for us to Amanda’s place in Monterey, tell me everything you know,” I said, sighing……….
as I silently wondered if we’d ever be able to find that peaceful, quiet, happily ever after that I read
about
at the end of those romance novels.  A smile crept to my lips as I realized that with my life, being married to two men
, the baby I’d had with Aquila, well, I’d pretty much turned the romance novel world on its ear already, so who was I kidding.  I liked things upside down all the time.  “Cindy, sit tight.  We’ll be at her place tomorrow afternoon and I’ll give you a call, I promise.  Talk to you soon,” I said then I hung up.

Matt and Carlos were staring at me.  “Do not tell me that I am not going.  You’ve never been to Amanda’s place.  You wouldn’t know if anything was out of place when you got there.”

“But, Sarah,” Matt began.

“No, no buts Matthew.  I’m going, period,
end
of story. 
Short stay, two days.
  Book the return flight.  I promise we won’t change it.  I need to get back to my babies.  If we do discover something, I’ll let you two continue on without me
.  I’ve got a
weird
feeling about this
Addon
guy
,” I said as I
tucked
my cell
into my back pocket of my jeans
and went to quickly pack an overnight bag.

Meanwhile i
n Monterey
, California
~

Addon
frowned at the annoying cell phone that he was silencing and keeping from lighting up with his mind, otherwise Amanda would see that one of her sisters was calling again, this time it was the one that he really was here for, Sarah
, that damn woman who was responsible for his brother’s death.
He knew that would bring her here, but that’s what he wanted.  Let the cat and mouse game began, as it were.
The phone stopped
so
he used his mental skills to erase
the
missed call from its memory
then
he looked back at the pictures on the wal
l.

“So,
you said you wanted to hear about my sisters?”
Amanda
said as she
emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of red wine
.

Addon put
on his fake
but dazzling
smile
as he turned towards her, “I did, my dove, but first I want you to pack a bag and your passport,”

“
Wh
-
wh
-what?
Why?”

Addon took her wine glass from her hand and set both glasses on the table behind him then he snaked his hand behind Amanda’s lower back, pulling her flush with him while his other hand tilted her chin up
.  His lips were just a breath away from Amanda’s as his deep blue eyes stared into her hazel eyes, “Because, my love, this wine makes me long to visit my vineyard in Tuscany and I would love nothing more than to make sweet love to you on my bedroom balcony under the setting sun,” his lips closed onto hers and ignited the passion to a fevered pitch.  Amanda moaned into his mouth and he smiled and pulled away.  “Not here, sweetness.  All good things happen in Tuscany.  Now go pack
, quickly
.
”

Amanda couldn’t make her legs move fast enough.

Addon’s eyes locked back onto the picture of Amanda with her sisters, zeroing in on Sarah and he felt a shiver run down his spine at the anticipation of meeting her, “Oh yes, let the game begin,” he hissed.

                
…..
to be continued….

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